Old Town ME

Yes, the factory that makes Old Town canoes is actually located in Old Town. That looked like a fun destination. I had located the visitor center and outlet on the map, it was a warm sunny day so maybe we would try and find a beach on the way. The car was packed with rain gear and swimsuits a water bottle and we were off.

We set our map for Jesse Beach on Graham Lake and headed off. One of the things we have found is that getting near the water is difficult. Suddenly all the roads are private roads. If not private they are driveways into someone’s property. Seeing a beach actually on the map was really encouraging! We took the road and sure enough it became a private road, it was high above the water and it had signs saying waterfront property for sale. Not a beach!

I checked with google and it assured me the lake was great for swimming although it only listed one beach at a resort, for its patrons. Then I looked for water access, yes a place to launch watercraft carried on a car could be put in on the river that flowed into the lake. Well, this was a small gravel turn around where you were in someone’s side yard, not a beach. Oh well, the adventure was fun. Onto Old Town.

When we arrived at the address I was a bit concerned, google had shown an old house, I was expecting a building with canoes. Across from the old house we did find a building that fit the bill. We drove in and the sign on the door said “public not allowed in”. Kevin still tried the door it was locked, he peered in the window and said it looks like conference rooms. Not one to give up we drove through a gated area and discovered a large building with a door marked employee entrance and one marked Main Entrance. Again a sign said the outlet store is closed. We entered the building and were confronted by a digital receptionist. You enter all sorts of information and then it asks for three letters of the person you are there to see. After two attempts at random letters we were not going to get in. Bummer!! Old Town Canoes was bought by Johnson Outdoors and doesn’t offer tours or information on site. We did find the sign that used to be out front, it was in the back of the factory.

What to do? We drove through the town and the busiest place we found was an auto repair shop with a dozen cars parked around it. We did find a delightful place for a lobster lunch. Peppers Landing had wonderful clam chowder, lobster stew and a lobster roll drenched with butter.

We meandered.

Entrance to OT. Molds behind factory. Map showing beach.