It’s the best time of the year in Maine with stunning scenery, cool temperatures, lots of things to do and places to see.

Our favorite drive to enjoy the colorful foliage goes from Farmington to Rangeley, across to Oquossoc, and home through Mexico. Maine’s scenic byways offer lots of great views and you can check them all out here.

If you have kids, you’ll want to visit Jen Hazzard’s website for her blog featuring family trips and activities. You can go directly to her blog at cutepotato.com.

We especially love the Port Clyde peninsula. Bring a picnic to enjoy at the Port Clyde Lighthouse, or take a day trip out to Monhegan with the Barstows (Monhegan Boat Line). On your way home, you’ll want to have dinner at Café Miranda in Rockland, where our favorite chef, Kerry Altiero, offers an astonishingly long menu.

We love music and the Stone Mountain Arts Center in Brownfield is the best place to listen to music in the state. Turn your day trip into an overnight adventure by staying at one of our favorite inns in that area (Noble House in Bridgeton, Waterford Inn in Waterford, or the Oxford House Inn in Fryeburg). If you hurry, you can also enjoy the Fryeburg Fair, which goes through Oct. 11.

Of course, a hike this time of year is also spectacular, and our state parks and public lands offer lots of hiking opportunities. Try one of the trails in the 6,000-acre Kennebec Highlands in Belgrade, Mount Vernon, and Vienna. You can get information on the Highlands from the Belgrade Regional Conservation Alliance.

Linda and I are avid birders, and we never go anywhere with The Maine Birding Guide by Bob Duschense. It’s a great time of the year to see migrating birds.

There are festivals all over the state this time of year, including the Harvest Festival this month in Portland. Our favorite, the Maine Harvest Festival, is scheduled for Nov. 14 and 15 at the Cross Insurance Convention Center in Bangor. That is a really great event.

I also enjoy getting out in the kayak this time of year, floating the stream that passes by our house. Perhaps you have a favorite float near your home. For those of us who hunt and fish, this is the very best time of the year. And no, I am not going to tell you my favorite places to hunt and fish!

But you can discover the inns and restaurants that Linda and I have written about in our Travelin’ Maine(rs) column published every Thursday in the Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel. I have set up a section on my website, www.georgesmithmaine.com, to make this easy for you. Select “Best of Maine,” the town, and hit apply, and you will be able to access all the columns we’ve written about inns, restaurants, events and activities in that town.

And I will tell you my favorite place to eat this time of year, the Olde Post Office Café in Mount Vernon, where I am known to enjoy breakfast and still be there at lunchtime. You ought to get out here to the café sometime this month.

If you have a favorite fall day trip, I’d love to hear about it and share it with readers. Email it to me at georgesmithmaine@gmail.com.

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