420 Minutes: BETHEL BOUND

420 Minutes: BETHEL BOUND

BY DIANA GONZEAUX

With winter no longer just around the corner, but pulling right up into our driveways, I was excited to visit a little town in one of Maine’s premier destinations during the snowier part of the year: Bethel. Oh little town of Bethel, hmmm, what do we have to see here? I planned my visit for the day before the first big storm, because I like to live on the edge. Will I get snowed in? Will I?!?!

12:30 p.m.: With an hour and a half drive (3 Maine Travel Units) ahead of me, I first needed to fuel up, so I stopped in at my favorite Portland coffee shop, Burundi Star. I peeked at the new art they had up on the walls: beautiful, brightly colored scenes by Mak Francisco, an artist from Angola. I left with a coffee in one hand and a pain viande in the other, and scarfed the dense, chewy, savory bread and meat treat down before it had time to cool. Patience is not one of my virtues. I also needed something sweet to snack on, and I have been craving donuts big time in this cold weather, so I picked up an assortment from Holy Donut.

Snacks on board, bumping my Spotify 2020 Rewind playlist, I headed out on the scenic, rural drive to Bethel. An avid skier or snowboarder may recognize this town from their drive to Sunday River—a ski resort in Newry that boasts six different peaks and a vertical drop second only to Sugarloaf. And if I can make any assumptions based on the snowboarders I have known in my life, those snowy peaks bode well for a thriving cannabis scene.

The trip was enjoyable for me on multiple levels— heading into a mountainous region reminded me of living in Montana and renewed my appreciation of the many different landscapes of Maine, from seaside to peak. I am also a big fan of roadside signage, and this road had me giggling as I read off things like “TRAP CORNER” and “SCAG POWER EQUIPMENT - 0% INTEREST.” I wiggled my eyebrows as I pointed out “SUBS NEEDED” spelled out on one letter board. Hey, what can I say? I’m easily amused.

I had three stops on my list, so I headed to the farthest one first, which was Jar Co. Technically in Newry, not Bethel, but that’s just how Maine works—these clusters of small towns tend to get lumped in under one umbrella.

2:30 p.m.: Walking into Jar Co. with an armful of Chronicles to deliver, the first thing I noticed was construction going on in one of the two storefront areas, connected by a shared entrance. Soon-to-be their recreational dispensary, shelves were going up, and I could spy a beautiful live-edge wood countertop. The smell of sawdust filled the air, soon replaced by the evergreen scent of a holiday tree bedecked with lollipops and ornaments on the medical side of the business. Merry Litmas!

Looking around the shop, I appreciated the decor— beautifully arranged glass cases of wares, lots of wood as befits a mountainside shop, a large print featuring a cracked-open, bud-filled book I have personally enjoyed (The Story of Edgar Sawtelle…warning, it’s a tear-jerker), and an inviting sitting area. The handdrawn signs around the shop alerted me to the Budtender of the Week, Erin. I chatted with Erin and the other bud tenders about what was popular lately, which was reportedly Buzzed Bakery’s Pot Tarts, warmed before consumed. I also asked what there was to do in Bethel. Outdoor activities were the clear winner—how could they not be with so much breathtaking hiking terrain and I’m sure many excellent secret fishing spots? A few eateries were also recommended. Le Mu, a Southeast Asian Southern comfort food fusion pop-up, sounded really intriguing, though I have chosen to opt out of restaurant visits for the time being. Le Mu has been added to my list of post-pandemic pit stops.

3:00 p.m.: I traded my armful of magazines for a pouch of Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pot Tarts and headed off to the next spot: Moosehead Farms. I was immediately taken with the giant joint-smoking moose cutout on the porch of the ski-lodge-esque dispensary. The lodge vibes continued inside, with comfy bench seats sporting classic sweater patterns and shelving made from repurposed skis. The wood countertop had a design hand-burned by a local artist, and the bathroom featured a beautiful mural of a baby moose eating leaves from a giant, bright green cannabis plant. In addition to the giant Ball jars of flower and the refrigerated case of assorted edibles, they also offered a selection of artisan goods. A beautiful little shell stash box caught my eye, as did a pair of gold fan leaf earrings. I asked the woman behind the counter what the customer favorites were: “pre-rolls, definitely prerolls,” which come in a handy “Lift Kit” four-pack for the snow bunny on the go. I left here with some Strawberry Alien Kush and a Sunset Sherbet pre-roll.

4:20 p.m.: The last stop was Pine Tree Glass, where I spent a significant amount of time marveling over the collection of glass pieces. UV-reactive bowls I would love to rock in my blacklight-outfitted studio, smoking implements in every imaginable level of complexity, pieces from many recognizable names (donuts, anyone?), and some intriguing art pieces as well. The art objects in particular held my attention—notably, a shelf of Seussian creatures with a bottle of Goose Juice and a graffiti-style piece that, upon closer inspection, spelled out SMASH with a starburst behind it. Smashing, indeed, these pieces were by an artist named David Colton, who also crafted the first glass cannabis pipe to enter an art museum’s collection.

Joe, the bud tender here, was available with a plethora of information, about the shop’s history, connections to various folks in the industry, and the products on offer. In search of CBD products to soothe my COVIDexacerbated anxiety, I listened to his explanations of the different tinctures behind the glass case. A purple wax seal on an MCT tincture from the Medicine Farm sealed my decision for me—the Calm Blend, which also features a botanical extract blend of lavender, ylang ylang, sandalwood, and Roman chamomile. I watched Joe demonstrate the function of his recycler rig, captivated by the little spinning ball mechanism that assists with cold-start dabs, and also picked up some GMO badder from Hazy Hill Farm.

It was then time to spark up one of the pre-rolls from Moosehead and be on my way home. On the drive back, I noticed a sign for the Mineral Collector, which had come up a couple times in conversation. Further research revealed a gem mining operation, Dig Maine Gems, where you can sift through dirt for local tourmaline. I will certainly be revisiting this area in the spring to do some rock-hounding.

In this cold, though, I was satisfied to arrive back home and break open the Pot Tarts. Following recommendation, I heated it up a little in the oven, then relaxed on the couch, content and cozy. All in all, I was happy to venture out to a new corner of Maine. I look forward to returning in a few months to check out how the legalization of recreational cannabis changes the dispensary landscape in this little mountainside village and snag myself a banh mi and some local tourmaline.