 Maine |
Maine Travel Guide
Maine is massive, the same size as the other states in New England combined and yet with a small population. Most of the state is very sparsely peopled with the densest areas of settlement gathered on the southern coast. This adds up to huge tracts of countryside with hardly any civilisation at all. The state is 90% covered in trees; it has 3500 miles of coastline, mountains, lakes, and rivers and for goodness sakes a small desert.
Historically Maine followed the usual New England route. Populated by Indians. Discovered by Vikings. Left to the Indians. Discovered and settled by Europeans. They struggle, clear out for a few years but then come back and try again. Indian wars. Indians lose. Disputes between French and British. British win. Dispute between colonists and British. British lose. Independence. Prosperity. Modern day.
Now Maine relies on a mix of traditional industries and 'new' business to generate wealth. The forests still feed a vast paper and timber trade whilst Maine pulls more lobsters from the sea than any other state. Making chips for the computer industry is a significant contributor amongst various manufacturing industries. The service industry also provides many jobs. More recently, the tourist trade has become one of the most important and biggest revenue sources in the state. People come for the rugged coast, the pristine interior and all the great outdoors has to offer. Sporting opportunities abound in this vast playground.
When to Go
The weather here is harsher than elsewhere in New England. Winter can start in October with the first stiff frosts and last well into the following year. Summers are short, but as with elsewhere in New England fall is the time to go. Just make sure you arrive before the freeze sets in.
Portland
Ideally located on the Maine coast in a safe harbour, Portland is a small, prosperous and pleasing place to visit. Paradoxically Portland is head and shoulders the biggest town in the state, both in terms of population and commerce.
The city was founded in 1632 initially finding prosperity from shipbuilding and timber. As a port it has always enjoyed a cosmopolitan populace (not always peacefully). A large part of the town burned down in 1866. The town appeared to be in something of a slump in the 1960's when restoration on the old Port area began. Now Portland is a small, quiet place, ideal as a base for further exploration or just as somewhere to spend a few civilised days.
The Old Port, with its cobbled streets, pubs and restaurants is a fine place for a stroll and a gawp at the architecture. The United States Custom House, the Seaman's Club, the Mariners Church are just three of the buildings worth a look.
Elsewhere there is the Portland Museum of Art, housed in an elegant building and with several pieces of note including work by Gauguin, Picasso and Winslow Homer.
The views from the top of the Portland Observatory along the coast are stunning. One of the most celebrated poets of the US, Wadsworth Longfellow, grew up in Portland. This house, dating from 1785, contains numerous mementoes from the poet's life.
There are many companies offering cruises up and down the coast and around the harbour. Tours are of different lengths, just pick, one sit back and take it all in.
Portland: Eating, drinking and sleeping
There is a good choice of places to stay and finding a moderately priced room should not be too much of a problem.
Where Portland does excel is in its restaurants, as previously mentioned you have to try the seafood but there are many other kinds of cuisine to choose from.
The best bars and restaurants are in the Old Port and the bars are the place to head for if you are seeking out late night entertainment.
Augusta
State capital this may be but it is no huge place. With a population of only 20,000, this is a quiet and not particularly distinguished town. The highlight is the Maine State Museum, which seeks to represent 12,000 years of State history. Also worth a peek are the Old Western Fort, Maine State House (home of state government) and the Blaine House (home of the Governor).
Bangor
Famed as the home of author Stephen King, Bangor is the states second city and despite recent declines is still a major industrial base. During the middle of the 19th century, Bangor was one of the worlds major timber ports.
Bangor is ideally suited as a base for exploring the Great Outdoors in Northern Maine. Acadia National Park is nearby; the town sits on the banks of the Penobscott River and on the edge of the vast forests that lead north over the mountains to Canada.
In the town itself a brief visit to the Bangor Historical Society Museum or the Cole Land Transportation Museum may be worth while. Many tourists pay a trip to the Stephen King place where the fencing is suitably adorned with bats and cobwebs.
Lobsters
These ungainly crustaceans are the food of New England, within that region Maine is the place to go and get the best. Lobsters - and we are talking the whole thing not just the tail - are best eaten straight from a Lobster Pound. At one of these down to earth establishments you choose your own lobster live from a tank, it is boiled and you eat it. Simple as that. Prices are cheap all year round but are lowest in late summer. They are also easier to eat, their shells are new and so softer, than earlier in the year when you need all manner of engineering equipment to gain access to the sweet meat.
If you like seafood then Maine has plenty to offer, clams, mussels and oysters are in abundant supply, the fish is sublime and the people take a real pride in preparing this bounty from the sea. Enjoy.
Acadia National Park
This is the only US national park in New England and it forms the centrepiece of an area that is typical Maine.
To the west is the Penobscott Bay, a place of fishing boats, rugged cliffs, and the spectacular Windjammer sailing craft. Several of the towns at the bay side are magnets for the yacht set and the Windjammers are a response to this desire to be on the water and under sail. These days Windjammers are only used for tourists but in their heyday they were the only way to move people and merchandise up and down the coast. Up to 150 feet long and with three masts these ships still create a spectacle as they crash through the waves. The islands in the bay are a naturalists delight.
The park itself is a wild and unspoiled area of 35.000 acres located mainly on Mount Desert Island. This is a great spot for naturalists and sportsfolk alike. The opportunities for both are vast.
Here you can canoe, sea kayak, mountain bike, and go rock climbing or hiking. Equipment is readily available for hire if necessary.
Favourites in the park include Cadillac Mountain; the highest point (1500 feet) on the Atlantic seaboard, Jordan Pond, Sand Beach and the Thunder Hole. The sea views from the top of the mountain are breathtaking. All can be accessed via the Loop Road a scenic route that can be hiked, cycled or driven.
The park is a major tourist attraction and can get a little crowded at high season. There are many campsites and great places to eat (more lobster pounds I'm afraid). All in all the park and its environs represents some of the best Maine has to offer.
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