Vacation For Life

Lausanne Things to Do Plus Lake Geneva Day Trips

Chateau de Gruyeres Lake Geneva Day Trips

Lake Geneva is the Swiss Riviera and part of French Switzerland. It feels very different from other parts of Switzerland, what with everyone speaking French, and Lausanne feels very metropolitan and fashionable. It’s almost like visiting more than one country, yet you’re still in Switzerland with all of its benefits, like the delicious food and the ridiculously efficient transportation system. Lausanne has many things to do, making it a great place to both visit and use as a jumping off point for Lake Geneva day trips to places like Gruyeres, Chateaux de Chillon, Chaplin’s World, and a walk through wine country.

Things to Do in Lausanne

The Olympic Museum

Lausanne is also known as the Olympic Capital as it has been the home of the International Olympic Committee since 1915. This happened during the First World War, and the reason was Switzerland’s neutrality. The Olympic Museumis all things Olympics. Outside there are Olympics inspired statues, a track, and a high jump. Inside are displays of Olympics memorabilia through the decades, including the very first Olympic flag and previous Olympic torches and medals. You’re sure to find something of your favorite Olympic sport or Olympic athlete in the museum. Admission to the Olympic Museum and Park is included with the Swiss Travel Pass.

Quai D’Ouchy

The Ouchy section of Lausanne is on the shore of Lake Geneva and has a nice walkway along the lake. Vendors set up shop along the walkway.

Lausanne Cathedral

Lausanne Cathedral is the largest church in all of Switzerland. While the church used to be ornate, when it was turned into a Protestant church all of its icons were removed and its stained-glass was broken and replaced by plain glass. There are some colorful windows now that were added in the 20^th century.

Self-Guided Walking Tour

The city center of Lausanne features a number of old buildings and plazas. A self-guided walking tour can include the Place St. Francois with its church, Pont Bessieres, Lausanne Castle, which isn’t open to the public but has a terrace with a view, the Esplanade de la Cathedrale, the Place de la Palud, and Place de la Rippone.

The perfect way to cap off a walking tour of Lausanne is with a beer at De L’Autre Cote located a block behind Lausanne Cathedral. If you time it right, you can be sitting back, sipping a beer, and listening to the church bells chime.

Lake Geneva Day Trips

During our travels through Switzerland, whenever there was a chance to take a day trip involving a train or a boat ride, we jumped on the chance. There are a number of things to do in Lake Geneva that are a short day trip (or less) from Lausanne.

Gruyeres

The train trip from Lausanne to Gruyeres is just over an hour, and Gruyeres offers a good half-day worth of activities.

La Maison du Gruyere Lake Geneva Day Trips

First and foremost is La Maison du Gruyere. As you probably already guessed, Gruyeres is the home of gruyere cheese. At La Maison du Gruyere, visitors can observe multiple steps of the cheese-making process, including the addition of the rennet, cutting the curd, checking consistency, filling the moulds, and removing the cheese. The best time to visit in order to see the most of these processes is around 9:00 a.m., but we also found 2:00 p.m. to be a good time. An admission ticket includes a packet of cheeses aged six, eight, and 10 months to taste while visiting the museum.

Chateau de Gruyeres Garden Lake Geneva Day Trips

At the top of town is the Chateau de Gruyeres, Gruyeres’ castle. Rick Steves doesn’t recommend touring the castle and calls it a “ho-hum interior,” but we actually enjoyed our visit to the Chateau de Gruyeres, thought the rooms were beautifully appointed, and entrance is included with the Swiss Travel Pass. In addition to castle rooms to explore, there is a trail circumnavigating the castle walls and a pretty garden and maze within the walls.

Tibet Museum Gruyeres Lake Geneva Day Trips

A small but interesting museum within the town of Gruyeres is the Tibet Museum. Tibetan treasures are beautifully displayed in an old church, which is quite a juxtaposition of eastern and western religion. Admission is included with the Swiss Travel Pass.

Museum HR Giger Gruyeres Lake Geneva Day Trips

If you’re a fan of the artist HR Giger, or of his movie Alien, you’ll definitely want to visit the Museum HR Giger. It is odd and fascinating and disturbing. It’s not really my cup of tea, but was interesting. For even more HR Giger, the HR Giger Bar is across the street and features skeletal ceilings and bar stools.

Chaplin’s World

One of the coolest places we visited in Switzerland was Chaplin’s World. Charlie Chaplin, a silent film era icon, spent the last 24 years of his life in Switzerland in his home in Corsier-sur-Vevey with his wife Oona and their eight children. Visitors can walk through the rooms of his home, where he spent some of the happiest years of his life, and stroll through the gardens.

Chaplin's World Studio Corsier-sur-Vevey Lake Geneva Day Trips

In the same building as the shop is a movie theater which shows a short movie about Charlie Chaplin. But this is far more than a movie and should not be missed. After the movie, the screen rises, opening the way to a world of Chaplin in the form of a studio filled with interactive sets from many of his films. We probably spent more time in this area of Chaplin’s World than his house. Did you know Charlie Chaplin acted in, wrote, directed, edited, composed the music for, produced, and distributed his own films?

Chaplin's World House Corsier-sur-Vevey Lake Geneva Day Trips

I am a Charlie Chaplin fan, but even those not familiar with his work will enjoy a visit to Chaplin’s World. Romeo has never seen a Chaplin film (something I really need to fix), and our visit to Chaplin’s World was one of his favorite things we did in Switzerland.

Chateaux de Chillon

After spending much of the day in Gruyeres, we still had some free time, so from Lausanne we traveled to the Chateaux de Chillon aboard the Vevey, a historic paddle steamer built in 1907. Chillon Castle was first built in the 12^th century, but has had add-on construction and alterations through the centuries. Both entrance to the castle and travel on Lake Geneva’s paddle steamers are included with the Swiss Travel Pass.

Terraced Vineyard Walk

Terraced Vineyards Lake Geneva Day Trips

When we first arrived in Lausanne by train, we were struck by the beauty of the terraced vineyards overlooking Lake Geneva, even if it was early spring and the vines were just starting to show green. We ended up having some extra free time, so we added a walk through Lake Geneva’s terraced vineyards to our itinerary. Luckily, this was easy to do with the City Guide Lausanne App. The app provides suggested tours, and we chose to add the Lavaux (Lutry) tour.

From Lausanne, we took the trail to the Grandvaux station. The app provides turn-by-turn details for the two-hour, mostly flat and downhill walk, with a GPS enabled map so you can’t get lost. The app provides information about points of interest along the way, such as ancient stone walls, monorails used for the grape harvest, and winemakers’ houses. The walk ends at Lutry station.

Where to Stay in Lausanne

Hotel de la Paix Lausanne Balcony Lausanne Things to Do

There are two main areas to stay in Lausanne, the old town and the Ouchy district on the lake. We chose the old town and stayed at the gorgeous Hotel de la Paix Lausanne, a historic hotel which opened in 1910. Even in the old town, at Hotel de la Paix Lausanne it is possible to have a clear view of Lake Geneva.

Hotel de la Paix Lausanne Suite View Lausanne Things to Do

Hotel de la Paix Lausanne has both standard rooms and suites. We got to enjoy the extra extravagance of one of the gorgeous suites with a living room area and dining table, a king bed, a ceramic room heater, and a balcony that stretched the length of the suite with a breathtaking view of Lake Geneva.

Knowing that not everyone wants to shell out for such an extravagant room (though $400 a night is awfully reasonable for such a room), we sneaked a peek into the regular rooms and found that, while not as large, they were also very nice and some also have balconies with beautiful views.

Hotel de la Paix Lausanne Suite Lausanne Things to Do

The hotel provides quite a breakfast spread for guests every morning in the restaurant. The La Paix Restaurant also serves dinner every evening. The Bar de la Paix has a sunny terrace, and Le Benjamin Bistro & Bar provides light fare.

Hotel de la Paix Lausanne is a short walk from the Bessieres metro station, which also connects with the train station. The hotel provides guests with a card providing free access to public transportation within the city. If arriving by metro, head up the elevator, and then walk down the hill of Rue Caroline. If flying out from Geneva, the train from Lausanne goes directly to the airport and takes less than an hour.

Booking.com

Lausanne Restaurants

Anne-Sophie Pic

It’s not every day you get the chance to dine at a two Michelin star restaurant headed by a three star Michelin chef. Anne-Sophie Picin Lausanne’s Beau-Rivage Palace is such a restaurant. The menu offers prix fix options as well as ala carte items. A warning, the menus for men have prices while the menus for women do not.

Anne-Sophie Pic Berlingot Lausanne Things to Do

We opted for the prix fixe menu which included what can best be described as a fondue soup dumpling in a smoked green asparagus broth; surprising and delicious. This dish, the berlingot, is one of Anne-Sophie Pic’s signature dishes. The meal was finished off with a selection of fresh and aged cheeses, chosen from a cart loaded with smelly, melty, moldy, fantabulous cheeses.

Beau-Rivage Palace Bar Lausanne Things to Do

It’s worth arriving early to have a pre-dinner cocktail at Beau-Rivage Palace’s bar, simply named Bar. The cocktails are quite inventive and the atmosphere is retro-chic.

Pinte Besson

Pinte Besson is the oldest pub in Lausanne, having opened in 1780. It comes complete with a squeaking, sticking door, a groaning dumbwaiter, and tiny stairs some use their hands to crawl up. Because the building is so old and made of wood, fondue is not served upstairs. However, rosti, raclette, and meringue with gruyere cream are.

Café Romand

Café Romand is a no-nonsense brewery and pub that opened in 1951 and serves Swiss classics in oak furniture and woodwork surroundings.

Thank you to Hotel de la Paix Lausanne and Switzerland Tourismfor hosting our trip and making this post possible. As always, all opinions are our own. This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase through them it costs you nothing extra and we earn a small commission which goes towards this website and bringing you more travel stories.

Travel the World: Fun things to do in and around Lausanne, Switzerland, including Lake Geneva day trips.

A First Time Hostel Experience with Israel’s Abraham Hostels

Never say never. That has always been one of my mantras. And yet, there was one thing I said I would never do. I said I would never, ever, ever stay in a hostel. Hostels are for solo travelers, super budget travelers, backpackers, and kids in their late teens or early twenties, right? We don’t fit into any of those categories. The thought of sharing a room with strangers and sleeping in a bunk bed frankly makes my skin crawl. However, when we spoke to Abraham Tours and they offered to host us both on their tours and in their hostels, how could we say no? Thus started our first time ever staying in a hostel.

There was one condition. That condition was that we would stay in private rooms for the duration of the trip. We might be willing to try something new, but we weren’t willing to completely alter our travel style. That condition wasn’t a problem as all of Abraham Hostels’ locations offer private rooms in addition to the traditional shared rooms.

Israel is expensive, so even if you’re not normally a hostel traveler, a private room at one of Abraham Hostels’ locations might be the perfect option if you want to travel on a budget. Plus, one of Abraham Hostels’ slogans is, “Abraham, the first backpacker,” so it seems fitting to stay at a backpacker’s hostel in Israel.

Abraham Hostels Tel Aviv

Our very first hostel experience was at Abraham Hostels Tel Aviv for two nights, the newest of Abraham Hostels’ offerings. We’d been traveling for almost 24 hours when we arrived, so it was quite a relief when we walked through the door and found that our room was big, clean, and quite comfortable. It’s a hostel, so we weren’t expecting anything too fancy. The room was sparsely decorated and lacked the amenities of a hotel like shampoo or a hairdryer. But what it did have was comfortable beds (two twins pushed together), nightstands, a desk, a wardrobe, and a whole lot of space both in the room and in the bathroom. If you don’t bring your own hairdryer, there’s one at the front desk you can borrow.

Abraham Hostels Tel Aviv also has some nice public spaces. The rooftop provides a great view of the city as well cozy seating areas. That’s also where you’ll find the laundry facilities. The other main common area is the lounge/dining room. Here is where everyone gathers for breakfast or a drink at happy hour. There are refrigerators for people who want to buy and prepare their own food. There’s a bar with local Israeli beers. There are hammocks and couches for relaxing. In addition, there are TV rooms if you want to catch up on the news, though we never saw those in use.

Something we always look for when choosing a hotel is location, and Abraham Hostels Tel Aviv is in a great location near Rothschild Boulevard. We were able to walk from the hostel to wherever we wanted to visit, both attractions during the day and restaurants at night.

Because Tel Aviv is Israel’s business center, Abraham Hostels recently announced Abraham Business to accommodate business travelers. Abraham Hostels Tel Aviv now offers co-working spaces and meeting rooms in addition to the comfortable rooms, daily events, transportation, and tours.

Related: What to Do With One Day in Tel Aviv-Yafo

Fauzi Azar Inn

If it weren’t for the fact that there are shared rooms, Fauzi Azar Inn wouldn’t even seem like a hostel. Fauzi Azar Inn, located in the center of Nazareth, is a guesthouse inside a 200-year-old Arab mansion.

Fauzi Azar Inn Lounge Abraham Hostels Review

The 15 rooms include typical hostel dorm rooms and private rooms, some with en suite bathrooms and others with shared bathrooms. The public spaces are absolutely gorgeous. There is an inner courtyard with stone walls, greenery, and an ancient fountain. The lounge upstairs has arched windows, marble floors, and a high painted ceiling.

Fauzi Azar Inn Courtyard Abraham Hostels Review

Fauzi Azar Inn is the first of the hostels of Abraham Hostels. When owner Maoz Inon, now one of Abraham Hostels’ partners, first opened the guesthouse, people thought he was crazy as the tourist market in Nazareth was pretty much non-existent. But Fauzi Azar Inn helped revitalize Nazareth, and now there are many hostels in the city. Abraham Hostels is hoping to have the same success in the Arab town of Jizr az-Zarqa with Juha’s Guesthouse.

Related: A Tale of an Arab Village, ER Visit, and Israeli Kindness

Fauzi Azar Inn Traditional Cooking Workshop Review

In addition to exploring Nazareth, Fauzi Azar Inn is a good place to stay in order to visit other parts of Galilee. Abraham Tours offers a number of tours from Nazareth including the Sea of Galilee and Golan Heights, Haifa, Acre and Rosh Hanikra, and the Jesus Trail. The guesthouse also offers a Traditional Cooking Workshop where guests gather together and learn to prepare Maqluba, a traditional Arab dish made with chicken, rice, vegetables, and local spices.

Abraham Hostel Jerusalem

Abraham Hostels Jerusalem has been around a lot longer than Abraham Hostels Tel Aviv and it does show in the rooms. The private rooms are much smaller. The bathroom is split into two tiny rooms, one with a toilet and miniature sink and the other with a shower stall and sink. Our room showed some signs of wear as a lot of repair work was done in the bathroom and the heater sounded like it was on its last legs (which I reported so hopefully it will be fixed for the next guests). However, the room was still comfortable.

We enjoyed hanging out in Abraham Hostels Jerusalem’s lounge and bar, sipping on Israeli beers, talking, looking through our photos, and listening to guests play the piano.

The hostel is also very well situated, close to public transportation and within walking distance of lots of restaurants. There are also a number of tours offered from Jerusalem including Masada, Ein Gedi, and the Dead Sea, Hebron, Bethlehem, plus two-day trips to Jordan.

Related: Baby Jesus and Banksy: A Half-Day Tour of Bethlehem

The People

In addition to the affordability, a huge appeal of a hostel is the ability to get to know other travelers. This is especially important for solo travelers, a few of which we befriended on our trip through Israel with Abraham Tours. We had so much fun exploring Israel and Jordan with our new friends, and have even kept in touch with some of them. Because Israel is such a unique, conflicted place, spending time with other travelers is an especially welcome addition to a trip to Israel because you can get different perspectives on the experience in the moment.

So, have we converted to hostel travelers, throwing away our spinner luggage in preference for a heavily loaded backpack? No. But we will consider staying in a hostel again, as long as we have a private room of course. We certainly have more open minds to the hostel experience and won’t overlook a potential accommodation possibility just because it is a hostel. Our very first hostel experience was a good one and we can without reservation recommend staying at Abraham Hostels to other travelers who are either looking to travel to Israel on a budget or want to meet some fun travel buddies. It just goes to show, never say never.

Thank you to Abraham Tours and Abraham Hostels for hosting our trip to Israel and making this post possible. As always all opinions are our own. This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase through them it costs you nothing extra and we earn a small commission which goes towards running this website and bringing you more travel stories.

The Best Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

Moosehead Lake Fall Foliage Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

We visited Moosehead Lake in Maine for two main reasons: hiking and fall foliage. But these aren’t the only things to do in Moosehead Lake, and fall isn’t the only season to visit. There are a number of great things to do in Moosehead Lake, most involving the great outdoors, and many can be done in any season.

Moosehead Pinnacle Pursuit

The main reason we traveled to Maine’s Moosehead Lake region was to complete part of the Moosehead Pinnacle Pursuit. The Moosehead Pinnacle Pursuit is a hiking challenge to peak six mountains in the area: Mount Kineo, Borestone Mountain, Big Moose Mountain, Number Four Mountain, Whitecap Mountain, and Eagle Rock. These hikes are challenging, but completely doable, and they offer stellar views as a reward. We were able to accomplish three of the six during our long-weekend visit and hope to return to finish the rest someday. For an extra challenge, hike these peaks in winter to collect the Winter or Winter Ultra badge.

Related: Maine’s Hiking Challenge: Moosehead Pinnacle Pursuit

Moose and Wildlife Safari

Moose Lone Wolf Guiding Services Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

You can’t go to Moosehead Lake without looking for moose. Moose is literally in its name! Any time of the year is a good time of year to look for moose. There are over 70,000 moose in the state of Maine, so there’s a pretty good chance of seeing one. June brings the most street sightings of moose. However, you have to be super careful driving at night because moose are so tall, you can’t see a headlight reflection from their eyes. You are more likely to have moose in the water sightings in the summer because that helps keep away the mosquitos and black flies. In the winter, it’s easier to see the moose because the trees are bare. There are no Christmas trees grown in the area because the moose eat the new growth.

Beaver Lone Wolf Guiding Services Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

The best way to ensure a moose sighting is to hire a moose guide. There are two types of mouse tours, the kind with multiple people in a van and the kind with a private guide. We suggest the second option. Driving in a smaller vehicle means following more backroads, and having a private guide means looking more places for moose rather than following a set itinerary. Now, we did hear good things about a group tour from some other travelers we met, who didn’t see moose but had fun canoeing on the lake. But with Ashley of Lone Wolf Guiding Services, we saw two adult female moose, one baby moose, and a beaver. Plus we learned about moose and the area and had a lot of fun.

Fall Foliage

Fall Colors Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

If you don’t live in New England, Moosehead Lake will fulfill all of your fall foliage fantasies. While fall is an entire season, there is a very brief window of time when the autumn leaves are the most colorful, blazing mixture of red, orange, yellow, and purple. Arrive too early and there’s a lot of green mixed in with those colors. Arrive too late and the leaves are a drab brown, hanging on by a thread before they flutter to the ground.

Autumn Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

Moosehead Lake’s peak fall foliage typically occurs around October 6-11, right around Columbus Day. Maine provides a current fall foliage report on their website.

B-52 Crash Site

On January 24, 1963, nine crewmembers of the 99^th Bombardment Wing, Strategic Air Command, flew a B-52C Stratofortress on a training mission. As the bomber passed near Elephant Mountain, turbulence became so bad the vertical stabilizer separated from the aircraft. Three of the nine were able to eject and only Captain Gerald J. Adler, the navigator, and Lieutenant Colonel Dante Bulli, the pilot, survived. After spending twenty hours in negative 20-degree temperatures, Captain Adler was evacuated with severe frostbite. He survived the ejection without the parachute opening.

B-52 Crash Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

Two of the ejection seats are on display at the Center for Moosehead History in Greenville. The rest of the wreckage is strewn across the forest floor at the site of the crash, reached by a short hike along a trail from the road. It is rather horrifying when you see in person how far spread the wreckage is.

Spotted Cat Winery

On the way out to the B-52 crash site, we made a short pit stop at the Spotted Cat Winery. You might be surprised to hear there is a winery in the Moosehead Lake region of Maine, but this is not your standard winery. Alan and Denise decided to do something a little different. Their wine isn’t made solely with grapes. The Spotted Cat Winery’s natural, organic, hand-crafted wines use fruit, berries, and wine grapes, most of which they grow themselves. Their wines include Wild Maine Blueberry and Kokadjolais. The winery is named for the cat, Aphrodite, but the dog chose to meet us instead.

Greenville

Kamp Kamp Moosehead Lake Indian Store Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

Greenville is a small town with a population under 2,000, so it doesn’t take too long to explore. There are some cute stores, like Kamp Kamp Moosehead Lake Indian Store and Mud Puddle Mercantile. You can grab an ice cream at the Dairy Bar, and you can learn more about the region at the Center for Moosehead History.

Kokadjo

Kokadjo is a tiny town in the Moosehead Lake region, population not many. Seriously, that’s what it says on the sign. This is a picturesque spot on the shore of First Roach Pond, not the most flattering of names for such an attractive body of water, with views of Number Four Mountain, part of the Moosehead Pinnacle Pursuit.

Lily Bay State Park

Lily Bay State Park is a pretty piece of protected land on the east side of Moosehead Lake. Lily Bay State Park can be a good bet for moose sightings, especially in the summer when moose head into the water.

ATV

Backroad Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

Greenville is surrounded by undeveloped forest with trails that are perfect for ATVs. Northwest Outfitters provides ATV rentals as well as guided tours. We met a couple who had rented ATVs and they said it was the most fun activity they had done in the area. They took the ATVs out on their own and were given trail advice for their trip.

Water Sports

Moosehead Lake Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

Moosehead Lake is the largest lake in the state of Maine. Depending on the weather and the calmness of the water, Moosehead Lake can be a great place for kayaking or paddle boarding. Canoes, kayaks, paddle boards, and even fishing equipment can be rented at Northwest Outfitters.

Seaplane Tour

Seaplane Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

We saw a number of seaplanes on Moosehead Lake and learned that visitors can take seaplane tours. Taking a seaplane tour would be a thrilling way to view the mountains and lakes from the sky. A couple companies that offer seaplane tours in Greenville are Jack’s Air Service and Currier’s Flying Service.

Steamboat Katahdin

Katahdin Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

From June through Columbus Day weekend, visitors to Moosehead Lake can take a steamboat trip along the lake aboard the Katahdin. The Katahdin steamboat was built in 1914. The three-hour cruise leaves from Greenville and goes out to the widest part of Moosehead Lake, north of Sugar Island. During the cruise, passengers are provided with a narration of the region’s history.

Mount Kineo Golf Course

So, technically, I peaked three mountains while Rome only peaked two. That’s because when the Mount Kineo shuttle landed and we started walking through the Mount Kineo Golf Course, I could tell Rome really wished he could play golf instead. Secretly, I rather liked the idea of taking the hiking trail at my own pace, so I told him to stay and play if he wanted.

Mount Kineo Golf Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

Mount Kineo Golf Course is believed to be the second oldest golf course in New England, having been built in the 1800s. The layout is easy, straightforward, with no surprises lurking around the corner. The golf course is filled with beautiful tree-lined fairways, especially during peak fall foliage, with Mount Kineo looming above. The tall trees seemed tiny compared to the wall of stone behind them. Goldilocks would have loved the greens, not too big, not too small, just the right size. The course is surrounded by water as it is on a tiny peninsula in Moosehead Lake. The easiest way to get to the golf course is by taking the short shuttle boat ride across the lake. The shuttle runs from Memorial Day weekend to Columbus Day weekend.

Greenville Maine Restaurants

Kelly's Landing Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

Kelly’s Landing has the best view of any restaurant in Greenville because of its location right on Moosehead Lake. This was where I planned on having a lobster roll, but the waitress warned us it just wasn’t going to be the same as one on Maine’s coast so, based on her excellent suggestion, we went for the scallops instead.

Stress Free Moose Pub Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

A fun and relaxing place for dinner and a drink is the Stress Free Moose Pub. If it’s too loud downstairs, there’s a quieter upstairs dining area, plus an upstairs outdoor patio, which gets used even if it’s cold outside. The beer menu has a number of local brews and the food is pretty good too. Haddock is a popular menu item in Greenville, and the Stress Free Moose Pub’s baked stuffed haddock is a good choice.

Auntie M's Restaurant Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

Auntie M’s Restaurant is a popular diner-type restaurant open for breakfast and lunch. Auntie M’s is also a good place to get a souvenir t-shirt in bright orange if you’re worried about not having brought an orange shirt or cap during moose hunting season.

For the number one sandwich in Greenville, head over to Jamo’s Pizza for a Dagwood. The pita bread is made fresh daily and it comes in veggie, ham, turkey, roast beef, chicken salad, tuna, or chicken teriyaki, all with cheese, pickles, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, bacon, mayo, oil, and mustard. The pizza is also good.

A couple other restaurants we didn’t get to try but heard good things about are Flatlanders, which specializes in broasted (pressure fried) chicken, and Rod-N-Reel Café.

Monson Maine Restaurant

The Lakeshore House Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

One night we took a short drive to the nearby town of Monson, on Lake Hebron, for dinner. The Lakeshore House is a restaurant in what looks like a house that was built in the 1800s. They call themselves a pub, but they have a unique menu which includes items like escargot and local scallops, plus local beer.

Greenville Maine Hotel

Moose Mountain Inn Things to Do in Moosehead Lake Maine

We stayed at the cozy Moose Mountain Inn, with its patchwork quilts and wood paneled walls, located just outside of the main town of Greenville. It was clearly a popular spot to stay because when we ran into other travelers in town, it turned out that they were also staying at the Inn. The location of Moose Mountain Inn is convenient as it is a short drive into town for meals and it’s also close to a few hiking trails.

How to Get to Moosehead Lake

Moosehead Lake is an hour and 40-minute drive north from the Bangor International Airport. Rental car agencies are inside the airport and the cars are just across the street. We arrived in the evening and rental car rates were much more expensive from the rental agencies that stayed open later, so we spent the night at the Four Points by Sheraton – Bangor Airport, which is also just across the street.

Bangor International Airport is an interesting airport because it is a diversion destination. It is the first major American airport for flights approaching the United States from the east, so is used to handle hundreds of unscheduled landings (for fuel, weather, medical emergencies, unruly passengers, maintenance, or security reasons) every year. Just in our one night at the Four Points by Sheraton, we saw a female traveler from a diverted flight being loaded into an ambulance. The airport is also the first stop for many returning troops. The Maine Troop Greeters of Bangor, Maine have greeted thousands of flights with over a million service members and hundreds of military dogs.

Thank you to Visit Maine for hosting our trip to Moosehead Lake and making this post possible. As always, all opinions are our own. This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase through them it costs you nothing extra and we earn a small commission which goes towards this website and bringing you more travel stories.

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