Sunday River is my favorite ski resort. The mountain is expansive with varying terrain that…read morechallenges those looking to be challenged, but also easy terrain for those looking to just cruise or who are still learning. Recently, the mountain has been going through some updates. At Jordan, they have installed New England's fastest 8 person chair lift with heated seats and a shield, and they are looking to add a 6 person chair lift to Barker with similar seating in the 23-24 season. They are also looking to expand the mountain more with more lodging, chairlifts, and trails in the foreseeable future. All of this allows for Sunday River to continue being a great mountain. Each time I have gone to Sunday River, the trails are always well-groomed and there are limited lines. When lines do build up, it consistently goes by fast due to the organization of the staff at the chairlifts. Overall, Sunday River is a great resort to check out if you are a skier or snowboarder. There are a variety of restaurants on the strip of the resort to enjoy, and I look forward to its expansion!

The parking and shuttles are major bummer but once you on the trails, the experience is much…read morebetter. The lifts move quickly for the amount of people. The mountains and trails have plenty of options. Stay away from weekends or holidays for the best time.

This is one of our favorite downhill ski mountain. We arrived just before 9 o'clock on the west…read moreside (the lifts begin running at nine). And even though Thursdays are the discount lift ticket days for Maine residents, we were able to park very close to the small lodge. It was under $40 for two adult all-day lift tickets. The west side is much smaller with easier trails. But it like the main lodge, offers ticket window, rentals and a full service snack bar. We always pack our cooler and drinks and eat inside or sometimes on the outside patio when all the inside seats are taken. The restrooms are clean. Staff is friendly. It is a great place for families and new skiers.

Small mountain with a "locals' vibe, especially on Maine Day Thursdays where lift tickets are only…read more$19.60 (a nod to the mountain's inauguration in 1960). L.L. Bean subsidizes these lift tickets (available for purchase in-person with proof of Maine residency). I was so thankful to learn of this super deal as I had pretty much given up skiing because of lack of affordability, Mt. Abram doesn't have the variety of terrain that its neighbor Sunday River has, but it also doesn't have the astronomical prices or crowds either. For someone who just wants to get out a few times a year and do some hot-dogging (jk!) in the crisp Maine air without breaking the bank, this is a great option, with lift tickets a max of $42/day. Note - I was glad we brought lunches because the Loose Boots Lounge was closed. It's only open for lunch Fri. - Sunday. However, looking at the menu and beer prices, I'm sorry it was closed. A Stella Artois for $5 at a ski mountain? Unheard of. So glad to have this option only an hour away :)

It's no longer a family owned and operated / managed resort. Giri management has been expanding…read moretheir footprint across New England and has since stolen this once wonderful getaway. I don't know if they kept the help on or what. There were a lot of new faces I hadn't seen in the years past which isn't a bad thing. Been coming here for years as part of a golf group. Pricing was realistic, hospitality was unparalleled, service was attentive and accommodating, bar / restaurant was well stocked and opened in the morning - whenever closed, golf course was good to amazing, on and on. Now, pricing went up maybe 30-40% over 3-4 years. We are getting less for the prices paid Accommodations: the rooms are fine. Actually hadn't changed at all since I was there a few years ago. Faucet downstairs has a slow drip. Bath / shower slow drain. Lint brush in our dryer unit has like never been emptied with a 3 inch layer of lint on all sides of the catch (extreme fire hazard). Door lock was old and decrepit causing us to jiggle keys for a minute before getting in. Only one roll of toilet paper provided for 5 days of stay. Road to the condos needs serious repair from pot holes and bumps (check your suspension / steering components after this). Service: Put in a trouble ticket for lack of TP and others in our group put in calls for faulty appliances which were all seemingly corrected that day. Not bad but, these things should be identified prior to rooming. Bar / Restaurant: the menu is lacking what it used to be and pricing has gone up (unfortunately everything climbed due to our world / economy). No food really stuck out as memorable but, got the job done. Bar was well stocked and the servers / tenders were extremely accommodating and helpful. Golf course: This is why I came. The tee boxes for the most part need a lot of attention especially the par 3s. Granted this is one of the harder things to maintain on a golf course however, they paint the picture for the rest of the experience. Fairways are in decent shape with some water pooling and not draining from a prior storm. Bunkers are either neglected, a pond full of water, not groomed, full of fist sized rocks, or not raked / maintained by players. The greens for the most part are good though the pin placements were somewhat tough. Putting a hole 4 feet from greens edge or on the middle of a slope makes the the game less fun. The maintenance crew and keepers do what they can but, more experience seems necessary. The group in the office were very friendly and nice. The starter was cordial but, not the same guy I saw years ago. I miss that guy. He took care of us. It's obvious they're working on the course as they were actively working on the cart paths while there however, I'd think more attention is deserved on the tee boxes. Driving range I believe is closed and neglected / overgrown. The Beverage Cart Girl was great and actually had a lot of fun with our group. Fast service, good drinks, and hospitable for sure. Overall, I don't know if my group will be returning. It was a great thing. But at the end of the day, if we are paying more and getting less, it entices us to widen our search.

Recently returned for our annual golf trip to Bethel Inn, and we were quite disappointed. The golf…read morecourse is in great need of repair. Tee boxes were horrible. We had to search hard to find a patch of grass on them. The sand traps were even worse, with little sand and many large stones and rocks scattered throughout. The fairways and greens were just ok. However Hole 1 was a disgrace from start to finish. The only way to hold your drive was to play up #9 fairway, as #1 was completely burnt out with visible ledge and boulders sticking out. Aside from the golf the condo units were fine but the landscaping is not very appealing, with a lot of dying vegetation. There were multiple other issues with the stay I will not note here as I was not the organizer. Suffice to say many were unhappy. We were far better served by the former owners and management.

The Grand Victorian Inn is our new favorite place to stay in Bethel…read more The room was very comfortable, roomy and amazingly quiet. The inn is a short walk to any of the local businesses and restaurants. The following morning we enjoyed a full breakfast of berries and yogurt, bacon and eggs, French toast, and plenty of coffee. We will definitely return.

We had an unexpected stop over and decided to stay here. Devon was so accommodating and friendly…read more We were traveling with 2 small kids, she was great! The breakfast was delicious and the rooms are spacious and clean. Highly recommend. The pictures we looked at before booking are old. It's been updated.

We recently skied at Carter's XC ski Center on a Sunday, after days of rain had thankfully turned…read moreinto overnights of snow (1/28/24). They still had a really deep base of groomed and compacted snow - at least 2 feet - with fresh snow on top, and we were graced by more flakes as we skied around. Carter's is a cute little family-run ski center where you can rent and buy equipment and gear; they have a few snacks and hot water for cocoa upstairs, indoor bathrooms downstairs, and they offer lessons. There's a "food truck" (which isn't open all the time but looks to have a great menu!), ample parking, trail maps (paper and online), and knowledgeable people to answer all your questions. There's also a loungy area inside for warming up, and a fire pit outside, plus miles and miles of trails for all levels of skiers. After parking, make sure to go inside and get your trail pass! The price of the pass supports the center, trail grooming, equipment maintenance and other expenses. On the day we visited we skied approx 3 miles, mostly the beginner and intermediate trails. The open fields of Carters Pasture were great for our warm up, with views of the snow capped mountains all around. The two bridges were out, and although we couldn't figure out how to find the trail head from the road, we took our chances without skies and crossed the water, sinking into the deep snow up to our knees! We then skied all the way up to the yurt, and the groomed trails were great for classic. We tried our skis at the ungroomed part of Upper Sand Pasture, and even though we have been skiing for two decades, we found the small bumpy section full of water hazards and sticky. We were glad to get to the end of that and back into the good glide on Sunset Blvd, Head of the Swamp and Jesse's Hill. We left just before closing, feeling really happy for the experience, especially since this entire winter of 2024 has not been great. We definitely recommend checking them out - rent equipment and take lessons, or bring your own and buy your pass. You can ski all day, have lunch, rest, and ski again. If we lived closer I would definitely get a season pass. Looking forward to another visit in the future!

Small place, friendly service, beautiful trails. We had a great time learning to cross country…read moreski. We had never done it before and the staff was so nice. We talked about the weather, we enjoyed their large wood burning stove that kept us warm while we suited up. They gave us tips and send us out on the trail that were very well groomed. We had so much fun and laughed a lot. We went early on a weekday and it was lovely. Would definitely recommend it.

We stayed at the Air BnB for our wedding weekend this weekend and many of our guests were staying…read moreat the inn. The big house is amazing and perfect for being with your family friends!! The inn rooms were also very nice! They were so helpful and accommodating making our weekend perfect!!

Enjoyed our stay one night here (we were in the old I renovated part). Everything was clean, good…read moreWiFi connection, and my son loved the bunk bed. The owner was out of town for a wedding so we never got to see the inside of the main house, and the check in/out process was different. Would like to come back the renovated section next time. Nice location close to the town.

Stayed here for a wedding. Room was clean, beds were comfy, and loved the balcony…read more Enjoyed the outdoor heated pool and hot tub. They have a room where you can enter the pool from inside and then swim out. The bar was a little expensive. $20 for a glass of wine and beer. Breakfast buffet was great. They offered homemade bread to toast.

The Grand Summit is not so grand. It was and still is an unsafe place to stay. The rains came…read morewashing the only road to allow staff, guest, ambulances, and firetrucks to pass. Three days trapped in a tiny studio was too much. Even though most of the rooms were empty, they wouldn't upgrade us to something a little bit bigger leaving us in a lonely, negative, dark, and cramped space, which increased stress and anxiety. The temporary bridge will not handle the weight of a firetruck, ambulance or any vehicle of considerable weight. The staff that were confined with us for the 3 days were incredibly helpful and informative about the bridge/road that washed away being needed for repair for a very long time. Keep your family safe and away from the Grand Summit and Sunday River.

AMAZING views! Warm & cozy home with adventure trails for miles. Everything you need to have a…read moregreat getaway! Highly recommend. We will be back for sure!

I spent several days here with my family. We had so much fun on our snowmobiles riding directly…read morefrom the trail entrance. It was so convenient to just unload our rides for the entire stay. There are hundreds of miles of accessible trails from this property. The old farmhouse is really comfy and newly restored. All the comforts of home with mother nature right outside the door. We really enjoyed sitting in the many windows and watching mother nature go by. We saw so many different animals. The beds were very comfy and we had everything we needed to cook our own meals. There is a great grocery store in downtown Bethel plus a handful of good restaurants in the area. At the end of the street is a boat launch to the Androscoggin River so I'm going back in the spring to put my kayak in. I thought the price for this farmhouse was a really great deal especially considering we didn't have to go anywhere once we got unloaded and situated. The kids enjoyed hiking the trails and playing in the snow. There is a really large field where the kids could play very far from the road. And the old barn is a hoot! We were amazed to discover that all of the structures were built from hand-cut wood that was lumbered there on the property. If you are looking for an escape from the city then this is the place. I highly recommend it and I will be back!