Flying into Augusta State Airport in Augusta puts you in a great spot, surrounded by river towns, lake country, and the Maine coast close by. Augusta is Maine's small, low-key capital, built along the Kennebec River with a granite State House on the hill and a historic fort on the riverbank. The pace is easy and the setting is green, with the Belgrade Lakes to the west and the midcoast harbors under an hour away.

Standout experiences around Augusta: - Tour the Maine State House and its collection of flags and portraits - Browse the Maine State Museum for logging, shipbuilding, and granite history - Walk through Old Fort Western, the oldest surviving wooden fort in the country - Bike or stroll the Kennebec River Rail Trail to Hallowell's antique shops and cafes - Paddle or fish the Kennebec as it runs through downtown - Wander the meadows and sculpture trails at Viles Arboretum - Swim and rent a boat on the Belgrade Lakes - Catch Old Hallowell Day in July for a parade and fireworks beside the river

Augusta is centrally placed for a Maine sampler. Hallowell and its riverside Water Street are 10 minutes south, Waterville and Colby College are about 25 minutes north, and the outlets of Freeport are about 45 minutes away. Camden, Rockland, and Boothbay Harbor are roughly an hour toward the coast, and Portland is about an hour south. Order a lobster roll on the way to the water and a whoopie pie for the ride back, and come in early October when the Kennebec valley turns red and gold.