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Maine is bigger than all five New England states combined and its vastness ensures unspoilt landscapes and a getaway holiday whatever the season.
Famed as much for its seafood diet of lobster and clams as its rugged scenery of deep wooded valleys and dramatic coastline, Maine is a vast and inspiring destination.
Named after an ancient French province, Maine was firstly a French colony before it was taken over by English settlers in the 1620s as part of Massachusetts and it wasn’t until 1820 that Maine became a state in its own right. Although Maine is known as the ‘Pine Tree’ state thanks to the abundant pine trees of the state’s forested interior, Maine is famous for its indentured coastline of quiet fishing villages and countless coves guarded by the trademark lighthouses that dot the coastline of Maine.
Indeed there are two Maines – Coastal Maine and Inland Maine. The state’s famed rugged coastline is made up of ‘drowned’ valleys and mountains, after the original coast was sunk thousands of years ago leaving a smattering of islands, coves and peninsulas. Virtually all trade came to Maine via the natural harbours along its coast. Ships would sail from Boston, ‘down east’ to Maine before the prevailing winds, while today Coastal Maine attracts visitors from around the world. Coastal highlights include the fabulous scenery of Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, Kennebunkport, where the Bush family have a summer residence overlooking the Atlantic, the popular southern Maine beaches in York & Ogunquit, Wiscasset, described as the prettiest village in Maine, Boothbay with its oddly named islands and Penobscot Bay where you’ll find New England’s largest lobster fleet at Rockland and the famous Lobsterfest in Early August. Take a coastal drive around Maine and you’ll see thousands of red buoys bobbing up and down in the sea, marking the fleet’s lobster pots, not to mention the dozens of roadside shacks that sell fresh lobster and fried clams on a bread roll.
Inland Maine is a sparsely populated land of lakes, valleys and the thick pine forests that give the state it’s nickname. These pine trees also gave Maine its most abundant natural resource – timber, used to build boats for the Royal Navy in colonial times and to produce paper in modern times. Northern Maine was once famous for its log runs as thousands of felled pines would be sent down the Penobscot and Kennebec rivers. These days private forest roads are used to transport them with the help of giant logging trucks, while the landscape, in places like Baxter State Park and Allagash have managed to remain a rugged wilderness for camping, hunting, canoeing and fishing.
At the head of Casco Bay, Portland is Maine’s largest city boasting a 300-year history, with the cobbled streets and red brick buildings of the old maritime quarters around Old Port set out with chic boutiques and upmarket restaurants. Portland’s most famous son is 19th century poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, whose childhood home is the city’s oldest residence it’s most popular visitor attractions. While from Portland harbour visitors can catch a boat to Nova Scotia or take a whale-watching cruise.
Situated on the Kennebec River, Augusta is Maine’s modest state capital. Central to the city is the gold-domed State House, which like the Massachusetts State House in Boston, was designed by Charles Bulfinch, in 1832. Augusta’s other sights include the Maine State Museum, tracing Maine’s history and the Old Fort Western, America’s oldest wooden fort dating back to 1754.
For shopping in Maine the famous trading posts of Kittery and Freeport are where you’ll find everything from outdoor wear and camping gear to designer cloths and fine china.
Whether you’re looking for a wilderness destination, inspiring coastal drives, fall foliage or a sample of New England life, Maine has it all.
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