Maine to HF Question

I can't speak specifically to the Maine-->HF drive, but going to HF can be a tough drive even if you do take the best roads. You can't avoid at least a few dirt roads, and I made a few bad choices last trip that led me 3 miles into the woods before the road disappeared entirely. Still, I'd say if you plan your route carefully you can make it without a huge issue.

 

It's a pain in the arse no matter how ya cut it. Traversing northern new england east-west kinda sucks, there is no major highway, period. From Portland area you jump on 302 and follow it to Conway, from there you can break off on kangamangus[112, scenic but can be a bitch in winter] to 93N, or continue on 302 to 93N.

Plan on solid 3.5-4 hrs 1 way.

 

You probably do not want to make the drive through the Whites that time of year IMO.
I definitely wouldn't go thru Conway and I'd be hesitant to take RT2 also.

Bad weather can easily take that drive from ~4hrs to much, much longer.

If you do go, bring a map...no cell service for large portions of that drive.

 

Lewiston, ME is also the home of Baxter Brewing - they have had some pretty tasty brews, and it might be worth a stop in for a tour.

 

The route on Route 2 through Gorham, Littleton, and St. Johnbury should be as open as anything. You're mostly north of the mountains where it flattens out and those folks know how to keep roads open. I would definitely avoid 112 (Kanc) or 302 through Conway, but unless there is an active storm you should be able to get across. It's not going to be less than 4 hours even in the best conditions.

That said, it will be slow and boring for most of the trip and not much worth stopping for along the way. I would think you'd be better served going to Ebenezer's and trade for HF.

 

There's some great beer options in that part of the state. Like someone said, Baxter has a cool tasting room where you can buy all of their products, and they also have some brewery only releases available. Gritty McDuffs in Auburn has decent food, and their Black Fly Stout is one of my favorites when I'm up that way.

If you want to take a trip, head over to Portland. Allagash, Rising Tide, etc. Way easier to get to and some really good beers.

 

I've done the 302 route - it's very slow and rather painful. There are no major east/west highways, and most of the way is one lane, so even if you like to drive fast you will spend half your time stuck behind somebody going 2 mph below the speed limit until you have an opportunity to pass. Also lots of little towns where the speed limit drops... your Google Maps time estimate really is your best case scenario, even on a clear day with no issues. Then in the winter, you never know what you're going to get.

Consider going over to Marshall Wharf instead:
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/16842/?sort=revsD&view=beers

It is an excellent brewery that just doesn't get much hype. They do growlers, limited release bombers, and just started canning as well. Much more manageable drive, and you still have time for Lion's Pride.

 

I second all the advice up here. And as others have pointed out already you'll be in the area of some great breweries, I'll throw Oxbow in there too, and terrific beer bars in Portland such as Novare Res.

 

I'll also advocate staying in Maine and checking out oxbow and marshals wharf. Also maybe try fInding someone who could do an ip trade of HF for something you could bring in maine

 

On a related note, how is driving up from MA this time of year?

 

You've got major interstate highway for 99.9% of trip. Couple miles of new england backroads in the winter after that.

 

Jesus, how do y'all make it through the winter?

The road to HF isn't that bad assuming there's no active storm. That said, it is ~3.5 hours each way. That's a lot of driving when there are other things in the area.

 

Northern New England really lacks East-West highways. Rt 302 is an AMAZING drive if you like scenic drives. Really awful if you want to get some where fast. Make sure you stop and take a picture at Mt Washington Hotel. During the winter, it can be pretty rough. I'd say stay in Maine. You are almost guaranteed to get the worst car for winter driving when getting a rental up here.

If you haven't had Oxbow, that is the brewery you need to check out. They are putting out HF quality beer. Rising Tide is a great visit too. The brewer is usually there filling growlers and he is great to talk to about beer.

 

There's a good bottle shop in Topsham ME that usually has a good stock of MBC Lunch. Its called bootleggers I've been a couple times and they are good and prices are low. I always get a kick outta the card board sign above their stock of 3 to 4 cases that say limited. Living in Mass I get psyched to see 3 bottles on the shelf

 

And as of Saturday it was simple as can be. There was a lot more snow in NY, before the rains today, than found in HF area. It was a really easy trip and weather was a non-issue.

Side note: dude sitting beside me helping me with disposal of heady is nathan johnson. i thought he had created a BA account.

 

Unless there's been a recent snow storm or it's icy, the roads generally should be in fine shape. But as others have said, it's slow going even in good weather, and if you get stuck behind someone hesitant to drive on icy mountain roads, it's going to be a very long day. In fact, it's going to be a very long day there-and-back no matter what. If you do go, I'd second taking Route 2, which largely avoids the mountains, but also the scenery over the more scenic Route 302 and Kancamagus Highway. I'd recommend breaking up the drive with a stop in Littleton, NH, which has a nice little downtown with some shops and restaurants, or Gorham, NH, which is a little mountain/former paper mill town, with a few nice places, especially Libby's Bistro.

Really, though, I'd recommend sticking around Maine, and visiting Oxbow or even Marshall Wharf. Or just make the short drive into Portland, one of the best beer towns in the Northeast. There are a number of very good breweries right in the city, plus it's fairly easy to find good beer from elsewhere in the state and region on-tap around town. You could also drive another hour down to Portsmouth, but you should have plenty of ground to cover right in Portland.