For anyone with a sweet tooth or a craving for some old-fashioned Americana, Hodgman’s Frozen Custard, with its neon sign and amazingly smooth and delicious homemade ice cream, will satisfy both. According to Joyce Hodgman, Frozen Custard is a “roadside custard shop where they make just vanilla and chocolate, plus one special flavor every day.”

Conveniently located in the same shop as Hodgman’s is “B&B’s Sandwich Shop”, where owner Brenda Denison serves up a perfectly yummy, lobster roll loaded with 1/4 pound of fresh Maine lobster accompanied by her homemade coleslaw. Other offerings include pulled pork sandwiches and chicken salad rolls, as well as haddock subs and red hot dogs, a couple of Maine favorites!

Located at 1108 Lewiston Road in New Gloucester, Frozen Custard and B&B’s Sandwich Shop are just a few minutes outside of Auburn. The pavilion at Hodgman’s is a comfortable and clean shelter to relax and enjoy a meal or a frozen custard treat with family and friends on a hot summer day and when our Maine weather is less than ideal.

For the novice and experienced golf enthusiast, Spring Meadows, reported to be one of Maine’s best 18-hole golf courses, is just a few miles up the road from Hodgman’s. According to course owner Dave Pollard, Spring Meadows, with its 4 sets of tees and “on-board pro, Ben Morey, caters to all ability levels.”

Spring Meadows is a family-run operation. Built in 2000 as a 9-hole course on a family-owned dairy farm, with the other 9 holes built the following year, Spring Meadows boasts “great conditions” and affordable greens fees, golf packages that provide the opportunity to play and stay at other local courses, and convenient online scheduling of tee times and “specials” at www.springmeadows.com.

For those who enjoy walking through a bit of history, the Gray-New Gloucester area offers several ways to step back in time. A fine adventure for the entire family involves a trip to the cemetery in Gray village. There you will find the decorated graves of 178 Union soldiers, as well as a single gravestone marking the burial place of one Confederate soldier, sent by mistake to the Colley family of Gray in the autumn of 1862 as they awaited receipt of the body of their son, Lt. Charles H. Colley, who died of wounds he sustained in the Battle of Cedar Mountain on August 9, 1862. Recognizing the error when the pine coffin was opened, the unidentified young man in the gray Confederate uniform was given a proper burial and his grave was marked with a headstone that read, simply: “Stranger” and, “a soldier of the late war died 1862.” The stone further reads “Erected by the Ladies of Gray” who raised the funds to procure a tombstone like those on the graves of their own fallen sons.

Though his grave is often decorated on Memorial Day with a Confederate flag and an American flag, this year there is only the latter, making “Stranger” a little more difficult to locate. To find our local unknown soldier’s grave, go to the highest point in the cemetery and look for him about 100′ from the grave of Lt. Colley.

The Gray Historical Society would welcome any information regarding the identity of this Rebel son. Their website is www.graymaine.org/history.htm.

More local history can be found at Stonehedge, a 200-year old farm located at 6 Shaker Road in Gray. According to owner Sue Jeffords, Stonehedge is the perfect setting for music festivals, barn dances and country weddings. The farm, with its outdoor post and beam stage, is a magnificent setting to experience the performing arts and on August 13, 14 and 15, 2010, Stonehedge will host “The Grass is Blue at Stonehedge,” an “open stage picking party.” Admission to this event is free with donations accepted from those who wish to camp out on the farm during the festival to enjoy the bluegrass music and fellowship that floats like smoke from a campfire on a mid-summer breeze through the campsites. With buttery acoustics in the great old barn on the property, the weather is never a problem. Don’t forget your lawn chair, your dancing shoes and, if you’re so inclined, your fiddle! Visit their website for more information and a calendar of other upcoming events: www.stonehedge-me.com/bluefestival.html.

Pineland Farms, located in New Gloucester, is 5,000 acres of forests, fields and working farmland. According to its website, “Pineland Farms’ mission is to provide a productive and educational venue that enriches the community by demonstrating responsible farming techniques, offering educational opportunities and encouraging a healthy lifestyle through recreation.” In keeping with its mission statement, Pineland Farms welcomes its visitors to explore the well-maintained trails on bicycles or by foot and, in winter months, on snowshoes or cross-country skis. There is a one-acre perennial garden as well as a stocked trout pond on the property. There are guesthouses for visitors who wish to spend a few days and facilities for functions such as weddings and other events. Adult enrichment classes, led by local artists, professors and community members, offer both artistic and agricultural experiences. Horseback riding lessons, orienteering workshops and guided tours are available. Also, new this year, is the Family Farmyard Area where kids can enjoy the animals up close, collect eggs, and experience other exciting farm activities. For more information, stop by the Market and Welcome Center, open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, on the campus where you will also find Pineland Farm’s award-winning cheeses and other beautiful and delicious offerings, or call them at 688-4539.

Finally, be sure to visit the Chipman Farms Farm Stand on the Shaker Road (Rt. 26) in Gray for locally grown vegetables and fruits, as well as freshly baked pies, bread and Maine maple syrup. They are open every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

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