Ski area Archives

Scenic Drive #2 continues

After the ducklings and a moose I almost decided to call it a day. What more could I want and it was only 9 AM! But no, lets finish what I stated so back on the road to Stratton I went. The scenic drive continues. Route 16 connected with Rt 27 and I entered Carrabassett Valley. I passed Sugarloaf Mountain, a well known Ski Area, finally reaching the picnic/rest area in Kingfield.

Take a break, Stay awake, have a picnic

I have to say that rest areas in Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire are pretty top notch. This was a lovely picnic area that even had rest rooms. It’s located right on the river and it was very clean. Some of the picnic tables had roofs over them to keep you dry if it should rain. There were charcoal fire places for grilling. This is where I added another varmint to my animal list, a grey squirrel. He didn’t stick around when I parked but I spotted him anyway.

Scenic Picnic area at the Kingfeild rest area

The Wire Bridge

Having concluded that I’d missed that turn off, I was determined not to miss any more. The next item on the scenic drive list was Wire Bridge. I wasn’t sure what that was but I was not going to miss it. Entering New Portland I kept a close eye out for signs and there they were. I followed each turn exactly and then the bridge was in front of me. What a fascinating bridge! While I took pictures a car crossed it. I watched as the wire supports bounced and the bed of the bridge swayed. I had to walk across it. Then, of course, I had to drive across it. Once across the bridge I could park and walk down to the river. That gave me another perspective.

Now Where?

One problem with my scenic road directions is that they got me to the Wire Bridge but then they got kind of vague. Do I turn around and go back? Do I continue on this road? It turned into a dirt road on the far side of the bridge. The directions said to take Rt 234 back to Rt 4. But I haven’t seen any signs for RT 234 at all, what to do? What to do? This is Maine, not Massachusetts. I could drive for hours if I make the wrong choice!

If you don’t like Colorado then the next state from my To Be Visited list with a timeshare exchange is Idaho and there’s only one option, Sun Valley.

I always thought of Sun Valley as a ski area but I guess they have year – round activities.

I found a Sun Valley Bucket list on the internet but it revolved around skiing, mountain biking, skiing, golf, white water rafting, skiing, you get the picture. I don’t ski and I don’t like cold.

I turned to my trusty 1000 Places to See Before You Die. The first thing they list is Almo, Idaho, the City of Rocks. According to MapQuest it’s a 3 hour drive from Sun Valley and 159 miles.

The 2nd Idaho must see is Craters of the Moon in Arco, Idaho. That’s a little better. It comes in at an hour and 40 minutes and 85 miles. The pictures remind me of the lava fields in Hawaii.

Hells Canyon sounds interesting but that’s another long distance drive of 5 hours and 265 miles.

If I drive an hour and 45 minutes I should be able to connect with the Salmon River Scenic Byway. Then it’s just another 162 miles to drive that.

Another possible item listed is the Snake River Birds of Prey Conservation area. I could see myself setting up and taking bird pictures. That’s only 2 hours and 40 minutes from Sun Valley and 150 miles.

I’m getting a little tired of these drives and I haven’t even gone there yet. The Sawtooth National Recreation area located in Stanley seems to be a bit closer, only 62 miles and 1 hour away.

There were a few more recommendations but they were all 3 hours + from Sun Valley.

I’m not sure using Sun Valley as a base would be a good choice. Idaho looks like a beautiful state with lots to see but it’s so spread out that I almost think an RV would be a better way to explore. If I were a skier and liked the cold, then Sun Valley would be an American Classic.

Any thoughts? Suggestions?