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Maine Travel Guide

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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.

Contents

Regions

Maine Regions
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Maine Regions

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

Along the coast:

Inland:

Cities

Some of Maine's major cities are:

Other destinations

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 decidely 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.

Talk

There are native French speakers in the St. John Valley of far northern Maine, and a strong Acadian tradition in central Maine, especially Lewiston-Auburn. Visitors to Maine are said to come "from away," and are commonly told, "You can't get the-ah from he-ah." 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.

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. 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.

Get around

A car is necessary for getting around in Maine. 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.

See

  • Whalewatching
  • See the "Indian Summer", the colorful foliage of the New England summers
  • 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.

Do

  • Lake and ocean swimming
  • Surfing
  • Hiking
  • Camping
  • Bicycling
  • Sea Kayaking. Paddle the entire coast along the Maine Island Trail [2].
  • River Kayaking
  • Whitewater canoeing
  • Snowmobiling
  • Historical site seeing

Skiing

  • Black Mountain, in Rumford
  • Eaton Mountain, Skowhegan, +1 207 474-2666, [3].
  • Lost Valley, in Auburn
  • Mt. Abram, Locke Mills, +1 207 875-5000, E-mail: mtabram@skimtabram.com, [4].
  • Sugarloaf, 5092 Access Rd, Carrabassett Valley, Kingfield, +1 207 237-2000, E-mail: info@sugarloaf.com, [5]. And golf in the summer.
  • Sunday River, in Bethel
  • Saddleback, Rangely, +1 207 864-5671, E-mail: info@saddlebackmaine.com, [6].
  • Squaw Mountain Resort, Greenville, +1 207 695-1000, E-mail: info@bigsquawmountain.com, [7].
  • Shawnee Peak, Bridgton, +1 207 647-8444, E-mail: ski@shawneepeak.com, [8].

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.

Eat

  • Fresh Maine Lobster
  • Fresh Seafood of all kinds, crab, scallops, shrimp, clams. you get the idea.
  • The best blueberries in the country... pancakes, muffins, bagels...

Drink

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, 74 Hollywood Blvd, Whitefield, +1 207 549-5530. [9].
  • Rocky Bay Brewing, 230 Park St, Rockland, +1 207 596-0300. [10].
  • Sea Dog Brewing Co., in Bangor.
  • StoneCoast Brewing Co., +1 207 838-3985, [11].

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.

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. 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.

Get out


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