Oxford Hills and Lakes
Diversions

The area has many attributes, but they tend to be quiet and personal. As one inn brochure states: "Whether you prefer browsing through local antique shops, visiting the country fairs, watching the sun rise over the misty lake as you fish from your canoe at dawn or spending a quiet evening around the fieldstone fireplace, you are on your own." Some ideas:

The Villages. General stores and the odd antiques or crafts shop are about the only merchandising in places like Waterford, North Waterford, Center Lovell and Lovell. But do not underestimate the villages' charms. As humorist Artemus Ward wrote of Waterford: "The village from which I write to you is small. It does not contain over forty houses, all told; but they are milk white, with the greenest of blinds, and for the most part are shaded with beautiful elms and willows. To the right of us is a mountain – to the left a lake. The village nestles between. Of course it does. I never read a novel in my life in which the villages didn't nestle. It is a kind of way they have." Waterford hasn't changed much since, nor have its surrounding towns. For action, you have to go north to Bethel, east to Bridgton or southwest to Fryeberg and North Conway.

The Lakes. Kezar, peaceful and quiet and somewhat inaccessible, lies beneath the mighty Presidential Range, its waters reflecting the changing seasons and spectacular sunsets. The lake is relatively undeveloped and private, with access only from the marina at the Narrows, the beach at the end of Pleasant Point Road and a point in North Lovell. The rest of the time you can rarely even see it (much to our dismay, for we got lost trying). Keoka Lake, at Waterford, has a small, pleasant and secluded beach just east of the village and an unexpectedly crowded village beach just to the south. Hidden lakes and ponds abound, and not far distant are more accessible Long Lake and Sebago Lake.

Antiques. The Bridgton area, in particular, is a center for antiquers; a special brochure described 23 antiques shops. The Oxford Common Antique Center on Route 26 south of Oxford is a collection of dealers and shops.

Other Shopping. The hand-painted gifts, crafts and furnishings of the talented Quisisana music resort’s staff are featured at the seasonal QuisiWorks shop along the main highway at Center Lovell. Yankee Ingenuity across from the Center Lovell Inn intrigues. The pottery, jewelry, carved birds and the kitchen corner with themed cookbooks appeals at the nearby Kezar Lake Handcrafts. More crafts are shown in The Loft at the Center Lovell Market. The hand-thrown porcelain feeders for hummingbirds caught our eye at Wiltjer Pottery, Route 37, South Waterford . At Craftworks, ensconced in a refurbished church in Bridgton, we browsed through the baskets, rugs, candles, Maine wines and foods, and some interesting clothing. We also liked the gifts and handicrafts at The Cool Moose in Bridgton.

Sports. Canoeing and kayaking are big business on the Saco River in the area around Fryeberg. Saco River Canoe & Kayak offers rentals in Fryeberg. There's golf at Kezar Lake Golf Course and hiking in the White Mountain National Forest . In winter, skiing is available at three downhill areas: Pleasant Mountain, Mount Abrams and Sunday River .

Extra-Special

The area is a low-key center for handicrafts, if you know where to look.

Bonnema Potters on lower Main Street in Bethel is a studio and showroom where Garret and Melody Bonnema craft and display their pottery in a barn beside their house. Seldom have we seen such appealing colors. According to the Bonnemas, their glazing is influenced by the colors in the mountains and valleys in the surrounding area. Tankards, tiles, candelabras, casseroles, teapots and much more are their wares. We especially like their lamps and a couple of them help light up our home. Open daily except Wednesday, 10 to 5 .

Also worth a side trip is Perham's, a jewelry store and museum at the junction of Routes 26 and 219 in West Paris . The specialty here is Maine tourmaline, a dazzling array of the gem procured locally. You learn that surrounding Oxford County is one of the world's richest sources of minerals and gems. Both the museum-type displays and the jewelry showrooms are fascinating. Open daily, 9 to 5 .

If it’s open, the Jones Museum of Glass & Ceramics off Route 107 on Douglas Mountain in Sebago Center is well worth visiting (it was shuttered in 2002 and 2003 during an acrimonious dispute between owner-founder Dorothy-Lee Jones and recalcitrant trustees who sought to move to a more accessible site in South Portland – the court ruled in her favor in late 2003). Displayed here are more than 3,000 works of art, everything from Chinese porcelain and Egyptian glass to Wedgwood teapots and Sandwich lamps displayed in brilliant profusion.

Material excerpted from Inn Spots & Special Places in New England, by Nancy and Richard Woodworth. Copyright 2004.

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