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Maine's
Ogunquit has something for every traveller
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Spotlight on Travel - Mike Cohen
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Known to the Abenaki tribe as "beautiful
place by the sea," Ogunquit (www.ogunquit.org) is a beautiful town of
Maine featuring a world-class beach and magnificent coastline that
attract visitors from around the globe.
Ogunquit has something for every type of traveler. Theatre lovers flock
to the many playhouses for the summer stock performances. Shoppers rave
about the assortment of galleries, boutiques and gift shops and
discriminating diners have an abundant selection of fine restaurants to
satisfy nearly every taste - including lobster! Sailing, sea kayaking
and whale watching are popular activities as well as hiking nearby
Mount Agamenticus or the Wells Reserve at Laudholm Farm.
Located
just South of Ogunquit
Village at 42 Main Street, surrounded by pastoral fields and scenic
woods, the historic Ogunquit Playhouse (ogunquitplayhouse.org)
continues to create some of the most vibrant and exciting summer
theatre in the country.
One of the few remaining summer stock
theatres
of the legendary straw hat circuit, the Playhouse continues its 76-year
tradition of bringing the biggest and best shows of Broadway to the
beach. Each summer the Playhouse produces a five show subscription
series along with its unique and growing Children's Theatre Program.
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Lydia, the 59 year old
elephant at York's
Wild Kingdom.
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The 2009 roster featured A Chorus Line, Shout! The Mod
Musical, Guys and Dolls, Singin' in the Rain and the Elvis Presley
filled All Shook Up. We had the good fortune of seeing Guys and Dolls,
starring Tony award winner Christian Hoff and Richard Kind of TV's Spin
City fame. It was a fabulous show, with great sets and a real
professional look. There is free parking, book your tickets in advance
and arrive at least 15 minutes before show time.
Performances are Tuesdays through Sundays, from Memorial to Columbus
Day weekends. Main Stage ticket prices range from $39 to $58 per show.
You may purchase tickets on-line or through the box office at
207-646-5511.
If you are looking to catch a quick dinner before the show, then make a
stop at the Old Village Inn (www.theoldvillageinn.net) at 250 Maine Street. The
varied menu offers a blend of creative and traditional American and
Continental selections, all prepared to order. You can choose one of
their many delicious entrees or go to the pub menu for something quick
and convenient. We arrived less than two hours before show time and our
waitress assured us we would be served in plenty of time and could
certainly choose from among their more popular dishes. That is what our
party did, from the lazy man's lobster, to some grilled shrimp served
with pasta and an outstanding and crispy roasted half duck. For dessert
we saved room for the chocolate lava cake, made with warm melted
pudding and some vanilla ice cream.
York's Wild Kingdom - Zoo and theme park (www.yorkzoo.com) is
located in York Beach and features hundreds of exotic animals from
around the world. We spent an enjoyable day there and would highly
recommend it. Especially fun was the butterfly exhibit and the elephant
show where we met Lydia, the 59 year old 9,000 pound elephant who can
actually paint and play the harmonica. The family of lemurs was so
entertaining to observe that we didn't want to leave. A look at the
lions, tigers, bears, monkeys and zebras was a thrill. And who does not
enjoy walking through a sea of beautiful deer who just want you to pet
and feed them. There is also a small amusement park, featuring
different rides and an arcade.
In the town of Wells, just on the border with Ogunquit right on Route
1, you will find the Wonder Mountain Family Fun Centre and Mini-Golf.
This spot is a blast! On the night we went, customers were lined up
knee deep to try their luck on one of the two 18 hole courses. This is
an extremely well run facility. When they ran out of putters I figured
we were in for a long evening, but things moved along a nice pace and
even the wait at each hole was not too long. The people in line with
us, many from Montreal, were so friendly that it was actually fun to
chat between putts.
Mike
Cohen’s email address is info@mikecohen.ca.
Log on to his travel advice column at www.sandboxworld.com/travel
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