Maine is known as the land of moose and lobster traps – for good reason. The eastern-most of the United States is an outdoorsman’s paradise, with a rocky coast, pine woods and sparkling lakes. The scenery is so beautiful that a few of Maine’s lakes were memorialized by poet Henry David Thoreau. As to the state’s name, that possibly came from the nostalgic leanings of original French colonists in 1604, who may have been referring to an area in France.
Trees outnumber Maine residents by a wide margin, which makes the Pine Tree State the perfect place to go for a bit of communing with nature. The state is well-known for its hunting, fishing, skiing, snowmobiling and hiking opportunities. Camp in the rolling hills and you’ll discover nature’s ups – moose, deer, bear, beaver, foxes – and downs – gnats, mosquitoes, black flies, no-see-ums – in equal measure. After romping through the interior, to go kayaking and fishing along the thousands of Maine’s glacially formed bays and inlets.
Visit the chilly and sparsely inhabited town of Lubec if you want to be the first person in the United States to see the sun come up or Machias Seal Island and North Rock, if you don’t want to be sure whether you’re in Canada or the US. Maine is also the northern end of the Appalachian Trail; the state has the largest tide pool in the hemisphere (called Old Sow), the only fjord in the east (Somes Sound) and the only nationally protected land in New England (Acadia National Park).
When all of your outdoor activity makes you hungry, try some wild Maine blueberries ( in pies, jams, muffins or by the handful), one of the locally brewed beers, or some fresh seafood. Towns along the coast are known particularly for their lobster and many celebrate during the summer with large community lobster dinners.