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Maine

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For other places with the same name, see Maine (disambiguation).

Maine [1] is the easternmost state in New England. Its rugged, indented coastline and glacier-carved, forested interior give this state its unique character and have shaped the character of its people.

[edit] Regions

Maine Regions
Maine Regions

Maine's sixteen counties can be divided into eight tourist regions:

Along the coast:

Inland:

[edit] Cities

Some of Maine's major cities are:

[edit] Other destinations

[edit] Understand

Maine is a northeastern state, but one of the most sparsely populated states in the USA. Its northern reaches, known as The Great North Woods, are largely pristine wilderness. The coastal regions, supported over the years by fishing, lobstering and tourism, are more heavily populated, particularly in the southern, more temperate part of the state. Although the water is decidedly cool, Maine's mostly rocky coastline and nearly 60 lighthouses make for some beautiful scenery. That, a comfortable place to stay, and a Maine lobster may be all you need.

[edit] Talk

Maine's unique accent and dialect lend to it's one of a kind charm. Many natives will jokingly say a few words or expressions in "yankee" as it's sometimes called. Several humorists and story tellers have built a reputation telling jokes and stories using the classic "yankee" dialect combined with a well known regional dry wit. These are not to be missed for the real Maine experience.

There are native French speakers in the St. John Valley of far northern Maine, and a strong Quebecois tradition in central Maine, especially Lewiston-Auburn, brought by immigrants. Eastern Maine is referred to as "Down East" because the area is down wind from the rest of the east coast on the prevailing westerly breezes.

[edit] Get in

Maine shares land borders with New Brunswick, Québec, and New Hampshire. For visitors from overseas or the rest of the United States, Boston is the major gateway to Maine. There is bus service from Boston to Maine's major cities, and the Amtrak Downeaster offers train service from Boston's North Station to Portland. Bus service also links New Brunswick with Bangor. A car is required for travel around the state. Many visitors rent a car in Boston and take Interstate 95 northward to Maine. It takes about two hours to drive from Boston to Portland, and another two hours to drive from Portland to Bangor. Several airlines provide direct flights to Portland and Bangor from most major cities in the northeastern U.S. Bay Ferries offers high speed ferry service from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia to Portland and Bar Harbor.

[edit] Get around

A car is necessary for getting around in Maine outside cities. Public roads are rare in the area north and west of Bangor. Private land owners maintain the few roads available in these north woods, and permits are required for access through each of ten checkpoints. Hours vary.

[edit] By bus

[edit] See

  • Whalewatching
  • See the "Indian Summer", the colorful foliage of the New England autumn, known locally as Fall.
  • Lighthouses
  • Acadia National Park exemplifies the beautiful Maine coastal landscape.
  • The North Maine Woods is a remote, thinly settled expanse of lonely boreal forest. There is much in the area for those seeking solitude and natural beauty of the northern kind: Chesuncook Lake, the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, and Baxter State Park with 5200 foot (1585 m) Mount Katahdin, the northern terminus of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.
  • Maine Lobster Festival (usually in late July going into early August) [5].
  • Western Maine Lakes and Mountains. Bordering the state line with New Hampshire and the White Mountain National Forest, this is an area of outstanding natural beauty. Less rural than the North Maine Woods, high mountains and crystal clear lakes abound with plenty of hiking trails, waterfalls and off-the-beaten track driving available. Grafton Notch State Park (3,000 acres) covers most of the area on Route 26 between Newry and Upton. Sunday River, close to Bethel, is one of the largest ski resorts in Maine.

[edit] Do

  • Lake and ocean swimming - ocean temperature hovers around 60 degrees Fahrenheit in the Summer months.
  • Surfing
  • Hiking
  • Camping [6]
  • Bicycling
  • Sea Kayaking. Paddle the entire coast along the Maine Island Trail [7].
  • River Kayaking
  • Whitewater canoeing
  • Snowmobiling
  • Historical site seeing

[edit] Skiing

[edit] Buy

  • Kittery and Freeport have high concentrations of factory outlet stores.
  • Portland's Old Port has lots of high-end boutiques and artisan shops, while the Congress Street corridor is a great place to shop for funkier wares and to browse consignment shops. Angela Adams' designer showroom, featuring unique handbags and rugs, is on Congress Street in the city's East End, which has seen its share of new shops spring up over the past few years.

[edit] Eat

  • Maine lobster. Lobsters are ubiquitous in Maine and are served a variety of ways. The basic preparation (served nearly everywhere from basic lobster pound restaurants that serve nothing else to high-end restaurants) is steamed with drawn butter. Bibs and claw crackers are provided. The more traditional clam bake layers steamer clams, mussels, lobsters, potatoes, onions and corn over seaweed all are steamed together with saltwater. Uniquely Maine preparations include lobster stew, lobster casserole, and lobster pie. A few ice cream companies even make lobster ice cream!
  • Fresh seafood of all kinds, crab, scallops, shrimp, clams. Small but flavorful boreal red shrimp (more commonly known as Maine shrimp) are available from November to March. Like New England's only shrimp variety, New England's most extensive type of crab (rock crab) goes by the name Maine crab and although not as celebrated as lobster, is excellent steamed or served any other way. Local oyster varieties include Pemaquids and Sheepscots. Fishermen catch North Atlantic fish of all kinds.
  • The best blueberries in the country... pancakes, muffins, bagels...

See the regional and city articles for specific restaurants and venues.

[edit] Drink

[edit] Microbreweries

Maine produces some of the highest quality beers in the country. When in the Pine Tree State, go for a tour or look for titles by these fine breweries:

  • Allagash Brewing Co., Casco Bay Brewing Co., DL Geary Brewing Co., Gritty McDuff's Brewing Co. and Shipyard in Portland.
  • Atlantic Brewing Co., Bar Harbor Brewing Co., Maine Coast Brewing Co., in Bar Harbor.
  • Sheepscot Valley Brewing in Whitefield.
  • Sea Dog Brewing Co., in Bangor.
  • StoneCoast Brewing Co., in Portland and Bethel.

[edit] Contact

Maine's telephone area code is 207.

As far as cell phone use goes, Maine is geographically one of the least-covered states in the country. Coverage is good along the Southern Coast, in the Portland area, and along US Interstate 95 from the New Hampshire border to Bangor -- as well as some other areas such as Camden and Rockland.

[edit] Stay safe

Hikers should carry and know how to use a map and compass and dress in layers for changeable weather. Maine has one of the lowest crime rates in the United States -- in fact, for the most part, "Mainers" leave their houses and cars unlocked even when gone for long periods of time. Violent crime is rare, but visitors to Maine or anywhere should safeguard their possessions. Risk of death from animals is usually remote, but black flies and mosquitoes may drive one mad. Automobile collisions with moose can be deadly for both the moose and the occupants of the vehicle. It is best not to drive too fast in areas frequented by moose. Many, but not all, areas with high risk of moose-auto collisions are marked with signs. Drivers from warmer climates should avoid driving on snow or ice covered roads.

[edit] Get out

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