Though summer is the most popular time for visits, Maine offers something for everyone during every season of the year.
The beautiful northeastern state of Maine is home to moose, blueberries, bald eagles and lobster. From its rugged forested mountains to the rocky coast, Maine is a testament to nature and beauty. The cities and towns of Maine are small when compared nationally, but each has its own character and charm, from the Portland, Maine's largest, to the tiniest villages sprinkled around the state.
The greater Portland area, in the southern part of the state, is home to about 230,000 people, making up nearly a quarter of the entire population of the state. While Maine has nearly 500 other townships and municipalities, the next largest one after Portland is Lewiston, with a population of 35,000. A few others have populations in the 20,000s but the populations of most Maine towns are below 10,000, with many more below 1000. These smaller towns are often the ones visited by outsiders, offering quaint New England charm, character and cuisine.
Nearly every town along the Maine coast offers some sort of seafood restaurant, from elegant dining to take-out, and of course the main entrée is lobster, fresh from the ice cold Atlantic. The larger cities, such as Portland, Lewiston, Auburn, Augusta, Brunswick and Biddeford offer a variety of dining options, hotels of every size and price, and museums and historical sites for tourists. Shopping is an interesting excursion in Maine: several of the larger cities have traditional malls; Kittery and Freeport are famous for their variety of outlet stores and special deals, and all the small towns have main streets dotted with antique stores, used book stores, variety stores and collectible stores, reminiscent of another era. Strolling through a small Maine town such as Bath, Damariscotta or Camden is a walk back in time. The streets are safe, the people friendly, and the air clean.
Farther north, away from the coast, many of the towns and municipalities were once mill towns on one of Maine's many rivers. Most of the mills have closed down, but several towns have taken advantage of the historic old buildings and created shopping malls, restaurants, businesses and apartment complexes. Sea Dog Restaurant in Topsham sits on the Androscoggin River just below the dam; it boasts beautiful views of the river and the historic Brunswick-Topsham Bridge. The tiny town of Lisbon Falls has made its mill into a shopping center of sorts.
Lake resorts and beaches are nearly as common as their ocean counterparts. Towns such as Belgrade, Greenville, and the towns around large Sebago Lake offer quaint cabins, small motels, and home-style restaurants and diners. Activities around the lake in summer may include water-skiing, fishing, boating, tubing, swimming, or just lying in the sun, soaking up the rays and the scenery.
Winter brings a whole new dimension to Maine with winter sports dominating the ski towns. Towns such as Bethel, Greenville, and Carrabassett Valley are bustling centers of ski rentals, snowmobile tours and ice skating once the snows begin to fall. Ice fishing is another common Maine excursion in the winter time. Most of the rivers have tiny smelting huts lining the banks, with hearty fisherman huddled inside.
Though summer is the most popular time for visits, Maine offers something for everyone during every season of the year. Come to Maine and discover why it is known as "Vacationland."
