Old-time charm

The sound of music enlivens a resort town on a picturesque lake

Kezar Lake's crystal clear waters are home to salmon, lake trout, and bass. (Photo by Bill Greene / Globe Staff)

LOVELL, MAINE
DISTANCE FROM BOSTON: 150 miles
POPULATION: 974
WEBSITES: lovellmaine.us, lovellmaine.net
ODD FACT: Kezar Lake is named after George Ebenezer Kezar, the first European settler in Lovell. Kezar was said to have wrestled and killed a bear with a jackknife in the mid-1700s.

Catching a glimpse of writer Stephen King as he walks along a street reading a book is a common sight during the summer in quiet but quirky Lovell. King, who owns a vacation home here, is one of many characters who flock to this southwestern Maine town of three villages (Lovell, Center Lovell, and North Lovell) an hour and a half northwest of Portland and a stone's throw from the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire. From June to September, Lovell draws scores of Bostonians and New Yorkers, including a number of college music students who perform for local resort guests and spice up the town's night life. The result is a peculiar fusion: a close-knit community of summer residents and townies who call the area Maine's West Coast, a jab at the state's more popular seaside vacation spots and a joking acknowledgment that once visitors settle into the small-town life of Lovell, the shore of 7-mile-long Kezar Lake comes to feel like land's end.

Because most of Kezar Lake is closed to those who don't live in Lovell or who aren't staying in a shoreline hotel or camp, tourists should consider renting a boat or kayak at Kezar Lake Marina (219 West Lovell Road, 207-925-3000, kezarlake.com). Prices range from $90 a day for a 13-foot Boston Whaler to $400 a day for a 20-foot boat that fits eight people and is equipped for waterskiing. Skis can be rented for $25 a day. Kayaks and canoes cost $10 an hour or $25 a day. Outdoorsy folks might consider hiring Captain Paul Bois of the White Birch Guide Service (57 West Lovell Road, 207-653-0832, whitebirchguideservice.com) to organize a fishing expedition on the lake. Bois charges $350 for a day for as many as three anglers, with a $50 charge for each additional customer. The lake's crystal clear waters are home to salmon, lake trout, and bass. Independent-minded naturalists can hike along the many trails crisscrossing Lovell. Greater Lovell Land Trust (208 Main St., 207-925-1056, gllt.org) can provide trail maps for the 1,685 acres of forests and wetlands under its protection. Some of the trails lead to stunning hilltop views of the lake. Lake Kezar Country Club (578 Main St., 207-925-2462, lakekezargolf.com, $28 for 18 holes weekdays, $32 on weekends) has an 18-hole, par-72 golf course lined with old Eastern white pines. Club rentals are available for drop-ins.

Overlooking Kezar Lake Marina is The Loon's Nest (219 West Lovell Road, 207-925-3000, dinners $13-$27), the spot in town for lobster, fried clams, and other Maine summer fare. Its veranda is a proper venue for a beer on a lazy day, too. Soak up local color while ordering pie and coffee at Rosie's Lovell Village Store (234 Main St., 207-925-1255, lunches $1.69-$5.99), whose lunch counter is out of the 1950s. Here's a place to rub elbows and strike up conversations with the locals. Another place for a quick sandwich is the Center Lovell Market (1007 Main St., 207-925-1051). While not as homey as Rosie's, the market has a greater selection of essentials like beer and wine, tanning lotion, maps, and other odds and ends.

The heart of Lovell's night life is Ebenezer's Restaurant Pub (44 Allen Road, 207-925-3200). With a wall lined with taps pouring imported Belgian beers and hundreds of varieties of European ales and lambics in bottles ranging from $6 to $18, the pub draws beer aficionados from around the world. On Tuesday nights around 10:30, patrons compete against music students who work and perform at the nearby Quisisana resort (see Rest) in a karaoke contest. In mid-to-late August, the pub holds a beer festival that features gourmet chefs and revelers camping in the pub's backyard. Ask owner Chris Lively about the finer points of Belgian versus Danish ale, but be prepared to settle in for a lengthy discourse.

On a clear day, the wraparound porch at the Center Lovell Inn (1107 Main St., 207-925-1575, centerlovellinn.com, singles start at $95, doubles $115) is a great place to enjoy a lunch or dinner with a view of the distant White Mountains. Rooms in the 1805 Colonial mansion are outfitted in traditional New England decor and include a pass to the town beach on Kezar Lake. The inn's dining is probably the best in town, with entrees averaging $25 and specialty appetizers like grilled venison sausage for $10. Nonguests should be sure to make reservations. The Quisisana resort (off Pleasant Point Road, 207-925-3500, quisisanaresort.com, lodge rooms start at $180 in season, family cottages at $190) is popular among families who come year after year to stay in bungalows on the lake and attend the orchestra and theater performances staged by music conservatory students who also work as waitstaff. Newcomers can often find a room for a few days. Only guests may attend the music performances. The telephone booths located throughout the piney resort are a charming twist. Mobile phones have patchy service in Lovell, and Quisisana's rooms don't have landlines.

A handful of shops dot Main Street, or Route 5, in Lovell. They're sparsely placed, so expect to drive for a few minutes between each stop while perusing. Rocky Ridge Quilters (222 Main St., 207-925-3088) offers handmade quilts for as much as $3,500 and machine-made quilts for around $95. Popular baby quilts cost around $275 and take eight weeks to stitch. Quilter Martha Goldsmith said the earlier customers place orders the better, as she is sometimes swamped by the end of the summer. William Doyle Antiques, Collectibles & Furniture (999 Main St., 207-925-1279) specializes in vintage furniture and turn-of-the-century lighting, including Pittsburgh, Miller, and Handel art glass lamps. Harvest Gold Gallery (1082 Main St., 207-925-6502, harvestgoldgallery.com) features handmade jewelry by local artisans, decorative art, and contemporary landscape and forest paintings by artists from around the country.

The Brick Church for the Performing Arts (Center Lovell, 207-925-2792, the brickchurch.org) is a preserved 1850 house of worship that has been converted into a theater. Shows such as jazz bands for adults and drama productions for children take place weekly all summer. On July 17, music at the church kicks off Lovell's Old Home Day. That's a town-wide celebration that reaches its height on July 19 in Center Lovell with a children's parade, cake sales, a 5K road race, and other events.