It’s time to hit the road again, and this time Route 119 beckons. A mere 15.2 miles long, running from West Minot through Hebron and on to South Paris, the route offers not only a scenic ride, but some stops well worth making.
It’s late in the season, so most farms and gardens are now closed for the season. But not all. One apple orchard — its trees laden and literally dripping with luscious-looking red delicious apples — is closed, but still selling by appointment.
There’s the really artistic fellow who makes sculptures out of scrap metal. One is of a girl riding a bicycle, which was placed high on a steel pole. It reminded me of the movie “ET.” The gentleman is very talented and has an interesting yard. When I commented on what a busy road it was, he said it used to be a very quiet road, but now a lot of people take it to go between South Paris and Lewiston-Auburn.
And there is always the McLaughlin Garden and Homestead in South Paris, which just finished up a Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular. They were growing pumpkins that were then given to school kids to carve for this event. They also had two large pumpkins, an orange one weighing in at over 300 pounds (which was the focus of a guess-the-weight contest) and a white one weighing in at over 200 pounds that Robert Perry, former president of the Maine Wood Carvers Association, carved special for the event. They are doing cleanup today, but if you get there early, I’ve been told you can still see all the pumpkins.
So don’t let the lateness of the season keep you away. Take a ride and get a bag of apples, buy your pumpkins for the upcoming holiday and even buy some succulents for your rock walls. The season is not completely done yet, but you better hurry!
Slattery’s Farm & Maple Supply
Route 119 just past West Minot Village Store
West Minot
966-3643
They sell everything from fresh veggies and home-canned goods to wood stoves, maple syrup supplies, wool jackets, hay and hardware. Also, they have awesome baked pies and lots of pumpkins to choose from.
Hemingway Orchards
323 Merrill Hill Road (off Route 119)
Hebron
966-2324
Jan and Dennis Barker are the owners of this orchard. They have a 20 percent senior citizen discount too. They are closed for the picking season, but bagged apples are still being sold by appointment. Just give them a call.
Halls Pond
On Halls Pond Road off Route 119
South Paris
http://amazingfishametric.com/blog/?p=633
This is a 51-acre pond with good fishing, but it is also a public water supply, so no bodily contact with the water is allowed. Last fall it was stocked with brook trout and big brown trout. Ice fishing is allowed, but be aware, gasoline-powered augers are not.
Halls Pond Gardens
213 Halls Pond Road
South Paris
890-4871
www.hallspondgardens.com
Mark Brandhorst has spent many years creating this special nursery specializing in hardy succulents that love to live on rocks and rock walls. Come visit the gardens and stroll through to get ideas for your own place. They are closed for the season, but Brandhorst will be happy to make an appointment with you if you give him a call.
Scrap Metal Art
Route 119
209 Hebron Road
South Paris
595-4840
Owner and artist Colin Wilson is more than happy to have you stop by and see his collection of scrap metal art, which fills his yard. He is a talented artist with a great sense of humor. Buy a piece of his art for your own yard.
Market Square Restaurant
24 Market Square
South Paris
743-3911
After a day out in the cool autumn air take a break and stop in here for some great home-cooked food. Just around the corner from where Route 119 ends.
McLaughlin Garden and Homestead
97 Main St. (Just down Route 26 from Market Square Restaurant)
South Paris
743-8820
These are some of the most loved gardens in the state. You just missed their Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular, but that’s no reason to not stop in before they close for the season on Nov. 1. They also have a Holiday Open House on Dec. 7, so mark it on your calendar.
-
- The boat ramp at Halls Pond in South Paris.
-
- Looking like baskets of strawberries these succulents are actually hardy plants that like to live on rocks from Halls Pond Gardens in South Paris.
-
- Some of the bagged apples being offered at Hemingway Orchards in Hebron.
-
- Reese Wales, a high school student from Norway, volunteers his time helping out with placing some of the 250 pumpkins that will be showcased in the garden at McLaughlin Gardens. The pumpkins will be lit up from 6 to 8 p.m., on Friday, October 25 and Saturday the October 26 for everyone to enjoy.
-
- They also have 2 large pumpkins, an orange one weighing in over 300 pounds which was the focus of a contest to guess its weight, and a white one weighing in over 200 pounds which Robert Perry, the past President of Maine Wood Carvers Association, carved special for the event. They are doing ‘clean up’ today but if you get there early you can still see all the pumpkins.
-
- Scrap Metal Art on Route 119 in South Paris. You can’t miss it.
-
- One of the many interesting pieces of scrap metal art created by Colin Wilson in South Paris.
-
- Lots of home canned foods for sale at Slattery’s Farm & Maple Supply in West Minot. Something to satisfy everyone’s taste.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.