By GLENN ADAMS
The Associated Press
AUGUSTA, Maine -- Since colonial times, Augusta has been a stopping-off point -- and later a hub -- for those venturing to the mountains and lakes, rocky coast and wooded wilderness of Maine.
George Washington never slept here. But Benedict Arnold spent three days in a settlement along the Kennebec River to plan his next foray north, after arriving with hundreds of colonial troops in 1775.
For those who stick around for a while, Augusta offers a full range of outdoor recreation and an abundance of historical points of interest, ranging from the seat of Maine state government to the site of one of Elvis' last gigs, not to mention Arnold's temporary headquarters before he left and turned traitor.
Straddling low bluffs along the Kennebec valley, Augusta is unpretentious and unglamorous, getting its beauty naturally. Its 56 square miles include woodlands and bogs where moose and deer roam, secluded, crystal-clear ponds, and a nationally renowned sport fishery flowing through its heart.
Dominating the valley is the patina of the State House dome, topped by a gleaming gold-colored Lady of Wisdom, and bald eagles that soar over the waters regularly.
The Kennebec's tidewaters reach their end at the 162-year-old Edwards Dam in downtown Augusta, whose demolition this summer will be a closely watched event of historic note itself.
The nation's first forced removal of an operating hydroelectric dam will open 17 more miles of the Kennebec to Atlantic salmon, shortnose sturgeon and other sea-run fish prized by anglers. The river is also renowned for striped bass that can weigh 40 pounds, and for some of the best brown trout fishing in the state.
A July 4 riverside observance will mark the methodical breaching of the stone, timber and concrete dam, a project that is scheduled to begin the next day.
1628 trading post
A trip to Augusta is incomplete without a visit to its riverside birthplace, once known as Cushnoc, where the Plymouth Colony set up a fur trading post in 1628.
It is also the site of Old Fort Western, which includes one of the nation's longest surviving wooden military buildings, dating back to 1754. The fort includes reconstructed block houses and palisades as they appeared at that time. Tours are conducted by docents dressed in period garb.
Maine's seat of government since 1827, Augusta takes its political distinction in stride and puts formality behind fun.
The city earned its living for generations as an industrial town, with paper, shoe and cotton factories and a big electric company employing the bulk of its workers.
With just over 21,300 residents, Augusta is one third the size of Maine's largest city, Portalnd. Its tallest commercial building is only 11 stories, and its entire population is served by one high school.
With the old mills now closed, the city has emerged as a center of commerce, services and outdoor recreation -- with state government providing a base of jobs and business.
The granite State House itself is in the midst of a renovation of historic proportions that visitors will see in progress in the months ahead. Well below its dome, visitors can marvel at Maine's collection of military flags dating from the Civil War.
''I like this country, it's beautiful,'' Gus Flores, an Air Force captain from San Antonio, Texas, said as he scanned the horizon from the portico of the State House.
Mr. Flores, who has visited all but three state capitals, said he was also impressed with pancakes in an Augusta restaurant and margaritas served up by a local Mexican restaurant.
Across the street, the Governor's Mansion is open for tours. Among the artifacts on display in the restored, Classical Revival-style home is a silver tea service salvaged from the sunken remains of the USS Maine after it exploded in Havana harbor in 1898.
The mansion is better known as the Blaine House because it was occupied by Maine's most famous 19th-century politician, James G. Blaine, a native Pennsylvanian who settled in Augusta and went on to serve as secretary of state for two presidents, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. senator and in 1884 almost won the presidency himself. His study sits as undisturbed as if he left it five minutes ago.
On the other side of the State House is the Maine State Museum, which has won national acclaim for its continuing exhibit showing home, shop and mill settings amid displays of Maine-made products. Admission is free and the museum is open seven days a week.
A side attraction just outside the museum is a statue of Samantha Smith, a schoolgirl from a neighboring town who won the world's affection in 1982 with her written appeal for peace to the Soviet Union's leader, Yuri Andropov.
Within a short walk is Capitol Park, a botanical garden and lawn spread over 20 acres in front of the State House. It features a Vietnam Veterans Memorial showing the silhouettes of soldiers cut into steel, their images eerily reflecting on a triangular metal background.
Nearly hidden among the trees, and all but forgotten, is a crypt for an 1820s governor, Enoch Lincoln, whose bones disappeared more than a century later. The mystery remains unsolved.
Cruise the Kennebec
Augusta's location accounts for why it has long been such an important crossroads in the state that labels itself ''Vacationland.''
It is situated at the head of tide along what was long the area's major transportation route, the Kennebec, which spills into the Atlantic Ocean 40 miles downstream.
From April to October, pleasure boaters cruise in and out. River traffic is especially heavy during summer waterfront festivities known as the Whatever Family Festival. Outdoor band concerts, a carnival and other public performances are scheduled for the June 19-July 4 festival.
Whether traveling by boat or car, visitors can cruise a couple of miles downriver to Hallowell, an antiques-trader's paradise whose nationally designated historical district has been largely restored to its 19th-century appearance. Augusta separated from Hallowell in 1797.
Those traveling by water can tie up at a dock in Hallowell and, in a restaurant overlooking the river, dine on a lobster dinner for less than $10 (depending on the season). Or for those looking to bring their lobster back alive, trucks parked on the roadsides around the capital sell fresh catches.
For those who thrive on outdoor exercise, the Pine Tree State Arboretum, within site of the Capitol dome, has five miles of free trails for hikers and, in the winter, cross-country skiers.
There are two public golf courses within the city and several more on the outskirts. Several restaurants and about 1,000 hotel and motel rooms are within minutes of its civic center and the state's main highway, Interstate 95. Just outside of town are numerous campgrounds, bed-and-breakfast inns and rental cabins.
The Augusta Civic Center, which draws top performers and hosts a variety of expositions throughout the year, also enshrines a slice of Americana of interest to Elvis Presley fans. A plaque recalling the King's 1977 visit graces the main hallway.
And downtown, Children's Discovery Museum, featuring crafts and interactive exhibits, offers a good rainy-day stopover for visitors.
