Bridgton

Picturesque, lakeside Bridgton anchors a region whose many lakes and large ponds are popular for boating, fishing, and swimming. Downtown is a great place to spend the day, with its restaurants, movie theater, a museum, and a great mix of unique shops. Steps from the action, a covered pedestrian bridge leads to 66-acre Pondicherry Park, a nature preserve with a unique covered bridge, wooded trails, and two streams. Highland Beach (one of three town beaches) is just off the north end of Main Street, across from an inviting small park along the thoroughfare. On hot summer days, kids dive off the dock as mountains lounge on the horizon. Come winter, visitors hit the slopes at Shawnee Peak and cross-country ski at the ridgetop golf course. The surrounding countryside is a good choice for leaf peepers and outdoors lovers. A few miles north, Harrison anchors the northern end of Long Lake. In fall, Fryeburg is home to the Fryeburg Fair (www.fryeburgfair.org), the region's largest agricultural fair. North of here, Center Lovell draws boaters to Kezar Lake (author and Mainer Stephen King summers here) and hikers to Mount Sabbatus.