Snow-covered Mount Katahdin is hard to ignore, right there across Millinocket Lake from our perch in the River Driver’s Pub. There’s no prettier dining spot in Maine.
The restaurant is at Twin Pine Camps, part of Matt and Wendy Polstein’s New England Outdoor Center, a North Woods destination offering a range of accommodations and great food. Combining amazing outdoor adventures in all seasons with fine dining and luxurious accommodations, Matt and Wendy have created the type of facility you would more commonly associate with Maine’s thriving coastal tourism industry.
The only difference is that they have created their dream destination 10 miles west of Millinocket — the perfect location if you enjoy the outdoors as much as we do.
I used to think Matt Polstein was crazy — trying to create a world-class destination on the edge of Maine’s 10-million acre northern forest. But he and Wendy have done it.
I’ve visited great lodges in Montana, Alaska and Quebec on fishing adventures — and Twin Pines ranks right up there with the best — at a fraction of the cost.
Sitting one morning in one of the six new environmentally-friendly cabins scattered along the shore of Millinocket Lake, I am reminded of a presentation by a national environmental group a few years ago, reporting that tourists seek amenity-filled accommodations on the edge of the wilderness where they can recreate each day before returning to their luxurious cabins and a fine dinner. Bingo. That’s the very definition of Twin Pines.
We arrived in the early afternoon in time to snowshoe from our cabin to Hammond Ridge, following the tracks of two coyotes on the upper trail, enjoying stunning views of Millinocket Lake and Mount Katahdin, and getting two hours of solid exercise.
We needed that in preparation for a wonderful dinner. River Drivers used to be east of Millinocket, and moved just last September to this new location where it continues to be the best restaurant in the region. I’ve eaten at River Driver’s Pub quite a few times over the years, so this assessment is not based only on this recent visit.
Consistently good food, well-prepared and creative, at reasonable prices — that was how I rated the restaurant in its old location. In its new location at Twin Pines, with two-story windows offering jaw-dropping views of Mount Katahdin, the restaurant now gets all the stars I can award.
A creature of habit, I ordered the Haddock Roulade for our first dinner, my favorite entrée at the old location. It is soooo good, with fresh haddock with Maine crab stuffing and covered in a lobster cream sauce.
For our second dinner, I found a new favorite, the Pork Osso Bucco, cut-with-a-fork, falling-off-the-bone pork on top of creamy mashed potatoes covered in pan jus. Fantastic!
On both nights, Lin and I enjoyed the unique River Driver Salad with two dressings and warm mushrooms. The first night we shared a crab cake, continuing our search for the best in Maine, and this presentation is near the top — mostly fresh crabmeat in the cake, with a very tasty roasted tomato pesto aioli. It’s good to know they can get fresh seafood way up here.
2011年11月16日 星期三
Finding magic in the great outdoors
Those are a few ways that science educator Melissa Levi has been able to inspire that "aha!" moment in children. Levi has led Lambton Wildlife's Young Naturalist and Junior Conservationist groups for six years, bringing her own energetic brand of hands-on environmental activities.
"She has really imaginative ideas and she's devoted to this (youth education)," said Janet Bremner, president of Lambton Wildlife. "We feel it's one of our most important programs."
It comes at a time when academics fear children are longing for contact with the great indoors. In 2005, American author and journalist Richard Louv coined the term "nature deficit disorder" to describe the trend. He suggests children growing up in front of television and computer screens will have a lack of respect for the environment.
Sean Jenniskens isn't one of those children. The 16-year-old who lives outside of Watford has always had an interest in the environment, participating in the Young Naturalist and then the Junior Conservationist groups the past eight years.
The club is a great change of pace because "it's nice to share ideas," he said.
He has enjoyed several one-of-a-kind experiences through the program.
"Every other month this year, and the last couple of years, we've been going to a raptor rehabilitation centre," he said. "You go to help feed the raptors with broken wings or a problem like that and then clean their cages, which is really fun."
While that might not be everyone's cup of tea immediately, both adults and children can come around to appreciating the environment with exposure, said Levi, who use to work at the Insect Zoo in Victoria, B.C.
"I was able to take people who came in (to the Insect Zoo) and said, 'Ew, bugs are gross,' and sort of turn them around," she said. "In the end, they'd be holding the bugs and they'd be so excited and thrilled for each other."
Levi now tries to bring that excitement to Sarnia-Lambton youth.
"Some kids, it takes them a little while to get into it, but once they do, there's no turning back," she said.
When she took some of the members to a snake restoration project, she soon "couldn't drag the kids away."
Simple activities, like tending to a school garden, can be just as effective in harvesting an appreciation for the environment.
"It doesn't have to be grandiose — polar bears or dolphins — but it can still create that same perspective change, that same sort of enthusiastic light bulb," Levi said.
Both the Young Naturalist Group, for ages 7-11, and the Junior Conservationist Group, age 12 plus, meet monthly. Membership is $15 for the first child and $5 for each additional child.
"She has really imaginative ideas and she's devoted to this (youth education)," said Janet Bremner, president of Lambton Wildlife. "We feel it's one of our most important programs."
It comes at a time when academics fear children are longing for contact with the great indoors. In 2005, American author and journalist Richard Louv coined the term "nature deficit disorder" to describe the trend. He suggests children growing up in front of television and computer screens will have a lack of respect for the environment.
Sean Jenniskens isn't one of those children. The 16-year-old who lives outside of Watford has always had an interest in the environment, participating in the Young Naturalist and then the Junior Conservationist groups the past eight years.
The club is a great change of pace because "it's nice to share ideas," he said.
He has enjoyed several one-of-a-kind experiences through the program.
"Every other month this year, and the last couple of years, we've been going to a raptor rehabilitation centre," he said. "You go to help feed the raptors with broken wings or a problem like that and then clean their cages, which is really fun."
While that might not be everyone's cup of tea immediately, both adults and children can come around to appreciating the environment with exposure, said Levi, who use to work at the Insect Zoo in Victoria, B.C.
"I was able to take people who came in (to the Insect Zoo) and said, 'Ew, bugs are gross,' and sort of turn them around," she said. "In the end, they'd be holding the bugs and they'd be so excited and thrilled for each other."
Levi now tries to bring that excitement to Sarnia-Lambton youth.
"Some kids, it takes them a little while to get into it, but once they do, there's no turning back," she said.
When she took some of the members to a snake restoration project, she soon "couldn't drag the kids away."
Simple activities, like tending to a school garden, can be just as effective in harvesting an appreciation for the environment.
"It doesn't have to be grandiose — polar bears or dolphins — but it can still create that same perspective change, that same sort of enthusiastic light bulb," Levi said.
Both the Young Naturalist Group, for ages 7-11, and the Junior Conservationist Group, age 12 plus, meet monthly. Membership is $15 for the first child and $5 for each additional child.
2011年9月28日 星期三
Iconic show for Robe at Battersea Power Station
Robe ROBIN moving lights and CitySkape Xtremes from Robe's LED range were at the heart of a glamorous lighting scheme created by LD Nick Jevons of Electric Fly Productions for leading cosmetics brand Rimmel in London's iconic Battersea Power Station.
Staged on the eve of London Fashion Week, it celebrated 10 years of collaboration between supermodel Kate Moss and Rimmel, together with the launch of Rimmel's new 'London Lipstick Collection by Kate'.
Electric Fly was working for production company Iris Experience, for whom they regularly provide visual design and technical production services. All the lighting equipment was supplied by Blackburn based HSL.
Kate Moss arrived – in true rock 'n' roll style – by helicopter.
The lighting scheme encompassed both internal and external elements. Explains Jevons, "As one of London's greatest and most famous historical landmarks, it was a real honour to be asked to light Battersea Power Station. I immediately thought of using Robe's CitySkapes because I needed very powerful fixtures to produce a complete blanket coverage across the dark brown brick surface of the building, and also I wanted to use energy efficient sources …. so the Xtremes ticked all the boxes".
The north east side of the building – prominent to all guests as they arrived, shimmered in deep, luscious lipstick red for the evening, courtesy of twelve Robe CitySkape Xtremes. The Xtreme's colour range was "excellent for the job" comments Jevons, "They really produced the near textured 'coating of light' effect that I wanted".
Guest's limos and taxis pulled up at the front entrance to the event space (a self contained covered structure within the carcass of the Power Station closed in 1983 and now Grade II listed by English Heritage) and entered through a long corridor lit first in red and then in blue.
A foyer area featured a series of giant printed stand up graphic panels showing a retrospective of Kate Moss Rimmel images spanning the last decade, and from there guests passed into the main event space, complete with stage, bar, lounge and VIP areas.
The eye-catching set was designed by Iris, and took some key aesthetic starting points from Rimmel's current London Lipstick Collection ad campaign, resulting in a fragmented, deconstructed Union Jack with white and grey tone finishes. This was lit by Jevons in red, white and blue ….. "It was screaming for it," he explains.
Staged on the eve of London Fashion Week, it celebrated 10 years of collaboration between supermodel Kate Moss and Rimmel, together with the launch of Rimmel's new 'London Lipstick Collection by Kate'.
Electric Fly was working for production company Iris Experience, for whom they regularly provide visual design and technical production services. All the lighting equipment was supplied by Blackburn based HSL.
Kate Moss arrived – in true rock 'n' roll style – by helicopter.
The lighting scheme encompassed both internal and external elements. Explains Jevons, "As one of London's greatest and most famous historical landmarks, it was a real honour to be asked to light Battersea Power Station. I immediately thought of using Robe's CitySkapes because I needed very powerful fixtures to produce a complete blanket coverage across the dark brown brick surface of the building, and also I wanted to use energy efficient sources …. so the Xtremes ticked all the boxes".
The north east side of the building – prominent to all guests as they arrived, shimmered in deep, luscious lipstick red for the evening, courtesy of twelve Robe CitySkape Xtremes. The Xtreme's colour range was "excellent for the job" comments Jevons, "They really produced the near textured 'coating of light' effect that I wanted".
Guest's limos and taxis pulled up at the front entrance to the event space (a self contained covered structure within the carcass of the Power Station closed in 1983 and now Grade II listed by English Heritage) and entered through a long corridor lit first in red and then in blue.
A foyer area featured a series of giant printed stand up graphic panels showing a retrospective of Kate Moss Rimmel images spanning the last decade, and from there guests passed into the main event space, complete with stage, bar, lounge and VIP areas.
The eye-catching set was designed by Iris, and took some key aesthetic starting points from Rimmel's current London Lipstick Collection ad campaign, resulting in a fragmented, deconstructed Union Jack with white and grey tone finishes. This was lit by Jevons in red, white and blue ….. "It was screaming for it," he explains.
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