Maine

Vintage postcard showing
the many unusual town names
found in Maine.

Maine is an eastern state with the wilderness more often found in a western state.  One area in the far northern part of Maine has  a population of only 10 people in over 2600 square miles!  Almost 90 percent of the land is covered in forests with the remaining 10% as crop land, towns and cities.  Maine is situated in the far northeast of the United States, adjacent only to New Hampshire on the west side.  With 3500 miles of rugged coast on the Atlantic there are numerous lighthouses, ships, and some of the best seafood.  Maine Lobster is well known as the best lobster of all.  With so much forested land, it is understandable that wildlife is also abundant in Maine including deer, black bears, beavers and moose.  Outdoor enthusiasts can find an abundance of places to bike, hike, climb, ski, fish, hunt, canoe, kayak or sail. 

Maine Potato
Vintage Cartoon Postcard

Farms and Farmers’ Markets are also found throughout Maine.  Organic farms, family farms, dairy farms, potato farms, apple orchards, sugar maple farms and others provide a wide variety of farm goods.  There are farms where you can stay in a tent,  a yurt, or a bed and breakfast to just enjoy the country air or be part of a working farm.  There is an annual Open Farm Day in Maine when you can visit farms to see demonstrations.

It has been a long time since I was in Maine but we spent one very memorable vacation there with our children and another family.  An acquaintance had loaned us a cabin on a lake without charge since they only used it as a hunting lodge.  We were warned that it was off the beaten path and had not been used since the previous fall.  When you’re young with children and little money, free makes even a primitive cabin sound like a palace.  We loaded up the children, some food and our roughing it clothes and headed for Maine.



Fun Map of Maine



 We found that it was definitely off the beaten path.  After leaving the highway behind, we had 14 miles of gravel road before we hit the last section which was a dirt road.  Once we arrived at the cabin we decided that it was worth the trip in, but we also determined that we would leave for home when our food ran out.  While the children checked out the surroundings, the men cleared the cabin of critters and debris from the winter, swept it out and then let us in to see the place.  A pot bellied stove for heat and cooking, a pine log table and benches, beds made from pine logs to support mattresses, a sink and windows with views; it was a primitive but great cabin for kids to explore and enjoy.  Since some of the beds were in the loft, the older children were delighted.  With only two other cabins on this lake, we found peace and quiet and wonderful fun for the kids.  They picked fresh raspberries to dress up a plain cake for a birthday cake and decided an out house was fun but scary.  Waking up to see a moose walk by the window in the morning on his way to get a drink in the lake was exciting to all of us.  Canoe rides on the lake were special but the greatest moments were watching the stars come out at night and seeing The Milky Way and a million other stars.  

Blacksmith's shop for 1890'slumber camp
Lumberman's Museum - Patton, Maine



After we left the cabin we stopped in Patton, Maine to see The Lumberman’s Museum which shows how the lumber industry operated in Maine during the peak time of shipbuilding. The old equipment and how it was used helps you understand the difficult work these men endured. 

Otter Cliff, on Shore Line Drive, below
Thunder Hole - Acadia National Park

We also visited Acadia National Park to see Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on the eastern coast.  The kids loved a spectacular blow hole where the ocean waves slam into the rocks with such force that the water spurts out up to 40 feet in the air.  The noise it makes gives it the name Thunder Hole.  They thought it was wonderful because they got wet from the spray.



Windjammer Cruiser along
the rugged coast of Maine



Names like Bar Harbor, Kennebunkport, Portland, and Augusta are a few of the well known places that attract those who want to enjoy a real Maine experience.  Lighthouses dot the coastline, southern beaches attract sun lovers, restaurants and lodging are readily available, and of course there is all that outdoors!  Visit their website at   http://www.mainetourism.com for more detailed information.