I’ll present on my upcoming book at Orono sportsmen’s show this weekend

So if you didn’t know, now you do. I’m coming out with my first hiking guidebook — and my first book, period, actually — this June, published through Down East Books in partnership with the Bangor Daily News. And this weekend, at the 79th Eastern Maine Sportsmen’s Show in Orono, I’ll be giving a presentation on the book, which is entitled “Family-Friendly Hikes in Maine” and features 35 of my favorite nature trails scattered throughout the state.

EVENT DETAILS:

“Family-Friendly Hikes in Maine” by Aislinn Sarnacki

Noon, Sunday, March 12, 2017

Eastern Maine Sportsmen’s Show

University of Maine Field House in Orono, Classroom A

Sarnacki Book Cover

This presentation will be a sneak peek of the book, and a time for storytelling and sharing, focusing on the many beautiful, easy hiking trails in Maine, including trails that are wheelchair accessible and trails that include interpretive signs and trail games. I’ll also talk about how hiking, as I choose to define it, can be a lifelong passion. And I’ll throw in a discussion about the “scariest creature in the Maine woods.”

If you do plan on attending my talk (and I hope you do), expect a slideshow of photos from the book, but mostly I’ll just talk, and I’ll be excited to answer any of your questions.

While the book won’t be ready for sale during the presentation, I’ll let you know where you can pre-order it, and I’ll be giving plenty of talks and book signings coming up this spring and summer if you want me (and Oreo) to write a special message inside your copy.

Concerning the book — I’m pretty darn excited. My editors have already sent me the designed pages, and it looks awesome. The book includes a lot of my color photos, as well as helpful trail maps for each location. And in the style of my column and blog, the text of the guide includes a “personal note” section in which I tell about my experience(s) on the trails.

While the book features places I’ve written about in my BDN column and blog, it’s more than a compilation of those works. I’ve rewritten those columns, updated them and added to them, so that they all provide the information you need to enjoy the trails for yourself — and a little something extra.

I look forward to hearing feedback about the book in June. (And I’m a bit nervous about it, of course.) But until then, if you’re interested in my favorite Maine nature trails, attend the talk on Sunday! Then stay a while at the show. There will be more than 150 vendors set up in the University of Maine field house — including my personal favorite, the food vendors, usually with a variety of Maine-made fudge, ice cream and beef jerky. (Just don’t eat them all together and you’ll be fine.) There are kayak demonstrations and extremely talented dogs performing tricks on stage, craft vendors and outdoorsy games for kids, and much, much more.

And don’t forget to stop by the BDN Outdoors booth. I’ll be there pretty much all weekend with BDN Outdoors Editor and columnist John Holyoke.

For more information about the show, check out http://conservationassociation.org/eastern-maine-sportsmens-show/.

 

Aislinn Sarnacki

About Aislinn Sarnacki

Aislinn is a Bangor Daily News reporter for the Outdoors pages, focusing on outdoor recreation and Maine wildlife. Visit her main blog at actoutwithaislinn.bangordailynews.com.