Daytrip to Grafton Notch
Every year it feels so fleeting. As we try and savor the last of summer, the leaves pop on their own schedule and just as quickly they seem to drop. Especially compared to mud season, which likes to drag on, the beautiful foliage of Maine’s fall always feels so short-lived. As photographers, it’s always a bit of a scramble chasing the color around the state, tracking the reds and oranges as they migrate from the north down to the coast. With back-to-back trips to cover our editorial, client, digital, and personal needs, I’d say the dance of chasing the leaves is definitely to an upbeat tune.
Eager to make the most of it, we set out on our October Daytrip earlier this month to catch the leaves and see the sights.
We placed our breakfast orders from bed, which motivated us to get up and out to pick up our egg sandwiches when they were ready in 30 minutes. We tried Công Tử Bột’s new daytime menu, grabbing a coffee and a breakfast sandwich each for the road. For this daytrip, we extended our radius, which is typically an hour from Portland, to visit Grafton Notch and the surrounding area. With old mixed CDs from high school blasting through the speakers, the singalongs made this two-hour drive with spotty cell service something to look forward to.
Driving through Bethel and up Route 2 along the Androscoggin River, we marveled at the scenery and looked up at the looming mountains ahead. After turning onto Route 26 and making our way up the winding road, the Puzzle Mountain Pie stand caught our eye, so we made a K-turn in the road and picked up a pumpkin whoopie pie with maple cream filling. It was to die for!
From there, we headed straight towards Grafton Notch for our first stop of the day: Step Falls. We were ready to stretch our legs and see some views, so we threw our cameras over our shoulders and hit the trail through the yellowing birch forest towards the waterfall. As our elevation escalated, so did the grandeur of the scene — water cascading over big granite slabs into swirling pools that collected fallen leaves. As we turned our backs to the waterfall to head back towards the car, views across the valley of a bright orange ridgeline caught our attention.
Continuing up the notch, we pulled off at my favorite waterfall: Screw Auger Falls. I find the canyonlike caverns are reminiscent of the slot canyons of the Southwest and it’s fun to imagine the volume of water that it took to carve that deep into the bedrock.
As we made our way up to the pass, the colors of the leaves grew richer in warm tones. Glancing up the hillside some of the leaves had already started to fall. We pulled off for a few more vistas — we’d recommend Moose Caves and the hike up to Table Rock if you have time, before winding back down for lunch.
When we reached service again, we placed our lunch order at Le Mu, a favorite in the area, so it was ready when we arrived back in Bethel. The charming blue shanty makes some of the most delicious Laotian cuisine. This time we tried the Angry Rooster and a Bahn Mi with a side of fries and a salad. Since it had been a while since breakfast, we were more than ready to dive into this flavor bomb.
After our late lunch, we decided to slowly wander back to Portland, taking the scenic route whenever possible. While Route 113 through Evans Notch would have been a great option, we opted for new routes as we were in Evans Notch for our September Daytrip. If you haven’t explored there yet, check out our blog — we would definitely recommend it!
Through Waterford and along Long Lake, we pulled off for our final stop of the day: a flight at Fluvial Brewing. Their tasting room looks across the crooked river valley to a beautiful ridge of autumn colors. As we enjoyed the beers, we conversed about how lucky we are to live in this state where each season and each region brings such unique excitement. Between chasing the changing leaves and slowing down enough to enjoy it all, life here is so good, so rich, and so full.
The sun sunk behind the horizon a little too early and before we knew it our Daytrip came to a close. Thanks for joining us on such a beautiful October day.