Maine offers numerous adventures, from summiting jagged peaks to kayaking cliff-lined shores. With vast forests, seaside villages and island getaways, the state invite seemingly limitless wandering.
Eating Local
Maine was at the forefront of the farm-to-table movement, and no matter where you travel in the state, you can find a memorable meal. There are so many ways to eat local, whether feasting on lobster at a dockside eatery on Mount Desert Island, slurping down some of America’s best-tasting oysters in Damariscotta, or tucking into Machia’s blueberry pie in the heart of a wild blueberry country. Portland is famed for its food and drink scene, but you’ll find plenty of culinary temptations beyond the city streets, and a growing number of ethnic restaurants cropping up in small-town Maine.
The Great Outdoors
Maine seems spoiled when it comes to nature’s gifts. It has hundreds of miles of coastline, encompassing sea cliffs, sandy beaches, and craggy wave-kissed shores. Offshore, there are countless islands for exploring, with scenic walks amid empty coves and misty forested shorelines, while villages nearby boast year-round populations that don’t reach into the triple digits. Inland, Maine has vast tracts of wilderness, with thick forests, alpine lakes and treeless boulder-strewn peaks. Such a magnificent landscape offers limitless adventures, and you can spend the day cycling along winding shore roads, kayaking beside curious harbour seals or hiking up above falcon’s nests to wondrous mountaintop overlooks.
Art & Culture
Maine residents are known for being independent and rugged, but they also have a soft spot when it comes to the arts. This is a state with a fabulous collection of artistic treasures, from famous works created by homegrown artists (at the Farnsworth Art Museum) to indigenous treasures from the tribes that flourished here before the Europeans arrived (visit the Abbe Museum). The state hosts a packed cultural calendar, with year-round plays, dance performances and concerts in Portland, and plenty of surprises beyond, including indie cinema in Bar Harbor, an experimental theatre in Stonington, and a classical-music fest in Brunswick.
Fun Times
Maine has plenty of one-of-a-kind restaurants and striking scenery, but it’s also an undeniably fun place. You can plan your trip around visiting state fairs, watching pie-eating contests and listening to old-fashioned jam sessions, or spend time frolicking on the beach followed by stargazing around a campfire. You can hit one of the state’s many food fests (dedicated to lobster, clams, oysters and blueberries), catch an open-air movie at the Bridgton drive-in or indulge in a bit of kitsch watching log rollers and pole climbers at Timber Tina’s Great Maine Lumberjack Show. Maine hasn’t lost its love of a good time.