Maine is the greenest state in the US. Maine is the easternmost land in the United States

Maine belongs to the region New England and is the easternmost land of the United States. The first memory of Europeans settling here dates back to 1604. Then a French expedition, led by Samuel de Champlain, landed on the island of the Holy Cross. Three years later, the Plymouth Company established a British settlement here. Maine was originally part of Massachusetts, but on March 15, 1820, it separated and became the 23rd state of the state.

Geographic features

The region borders in the southwestern part with the state of New Hampshire, in the northwest - with the Canadian provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick. The entire southeastern border of Maine is washed by the waters Atlantic Ocean. The total area of ​​the state is 91.6 thousand square kilometers. At the same time, more than 13% of its territory is covered with water. In addition, a significant part of it is the spurs of the Appalachian mountain range. The highest point here is Katahdin, and largest lake- Moosehead. Macias is also located in the eastern part of the state. True, there is one nuance here. It lies in the fact that the issue of their ownership has not yet been settled between Canada and the United States.

Maine has a continental climate with snowy, cold winters and not very hot summers. Throughout the year, the air temperature here ranges from -18 to +27 degrees. Tropical storms, hurricanes, tornadoes and thunderstorms are extremely rare in the region.

origin of name

To this day, researchers have not come to a consensus as to why the state of Maine received such a name. For the first time in history, the name is found in one of the documents of 1622. According to it, Captain John Mason and Sir Ferdinand Gorges received a piece of land as a gift, which they intended to call the Province of Maine. In 2001, local authorities decided to establish a holiday - the Day of Franco-Americans. The corresponding written order states that the state received its current name in honor of the French province of the same name.

Population

Maine has a population of just over 1.3 million. Despite the small area, rather impressive territories remain uninhabited. This can be explained by the prevailing mountainous terrain and rather harsh weather conditions. In addition, during the year the number local residents changes depending on the season. The fact is that many Americans live here only in the summer, and leave at the end of the season.

As for the origin of the inhabitants of Maine, approximately 22% of them are English, 15% Irish, 14.2% Canadians and French, almost 10% Americans, 6.7% Germans. The official language in the region is English. At the same time, more than 5% of the inhabitants are fluent in French.

Cities

The state has 488 settlements of various sizes. The largest of them is the city of Portland, whose population is about 63 thousand people. As for the smallest, it is considered as such resort village Fry Island, in which not a single person is officially registered. The capital of Maine is Augusta. The population of the administrative center is twenty thousand inhabitants. The city is in a very advantageous position from a geographical point of view. In this regard, a number of agricultural and industrial enterprises operate here.

Tourism

Every year a large number of tourists visit Maine. Its sights are concentrated mainly in Portland and Augusta. In the first of these cities, the Art Museum, the Space Gallery and many local parks are especially popular. As for the capital, it is recommended to visit the Museum of the Military Historical Society, the State House and the Lithgow Library. Most of the objects that are cultural heritage for Americans, were erected at the very beginning of the twentieth century.

Local nature deserves separate words. Thanks to mountains, endless forests and beautiful ponds (one of the most picturesque is Chamberlain Lake), Maine is visited by tens of thousands of travelers from the US and other countries every year. Ocean landscapes are especially popular, a striking confirmation of which are the numerous easels on the ocean coast, which can be seen at any time of the year.

Economic development

The most developed industries in the state are industry and agriculture. Despite the predominance of rocky soil, potatoes, broccoli, green peas and oats are grown here in large volumes. Numerous firms specializing in the preparation of vegetables for sale are available in Maine. It should also be noted that the woodworking, shipbuilding and textile industries are quite developed. Fresh sea fish has become a separate item of Portland's income. Be that as it may, only a quarter of the local population is involved in all the above-mentioned industries combined. Most of the state's residents work in the service and tourism industries.

Maine
State of Maine
Nickname	"Pine State"
Motto	"I direct"
Official language	No
Spoken languages	English (92%) and French (5%)
Capital	Augusta
The largest city	Portland
By area	39th state
Total area	91,646 km²
Width	338 km
Length	515 km
% water surface	13,5
By population	41st state
Total population	1 328 302
Density	16.6 people/km²
Highest point	Mount Katahdin (1606.4 m)
Before statehood	County of Maine
Joining the Union	March 15, 1820 (23rd)
Administration site	http://www.maine.gov

Maine(English Maine, State of Maine, French État du Maine) - one of the US states that is part of the New England region in the Northeast of the country. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the south and east, the state of New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick to the north. Maine is the northernmost and easternmost state of New England. The state is known for its landscapes: rugged rocky coastline, low rolling mountains and dense forests, picturesque by sea, as well as sea food, especially lobster and shellfish.

For thousands of years, the only inhabitants of what is now Maine were Indians. At the time of the meeting with Europeans, the area was inhabited by Algonquian-speaking Indians. The first European settlement was founded in 1604 by the French on the island of Saint-Cros. The first English settlement was the short-lived Popham Colony, founded in 1607. In the 1620s, a number of settlements were established along the coast of Maine by the British, although the harsh climate and conflicts with local population made life very difficult for them.

By the 18th century, no more than half a dozen settlements remained in Maine. During the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, Maine became a battlefield for British troops and American patriots. Maine was part of Massachusetts until 1820, until its inhabitants voted to secede from Massachusetts. On March 15, 1820, Maine was admitted to the United States as the 23rd state, in accordance with the Missouri Compromise by a free state. Maine is the 39th state by area and 41st by population of the 50 US states and is also considered the state with the lowest crime rate.

Name

There is no definitive explanation for the origin of the state's name. The Maine Legislature passed a resolution in 2001 establishing a Franco-American Day, stating that the state was named after the French province of Maine. Other theories also point to other places with a similar name, and claim that the name was given by the settlers in memory of their homeland.

The first known mention of the current name is a land charter to Sir Fernando Georges and Captain John Mason dated August 10, 1622. Veterans of the English Royal Navy were granted a large tract of land in present-day Maine, which Mason and Georges "intended to call the Province of Maine". Mason served in the Royal Navy in Orkney, where main island called Mainland. A year later, in 1623, the English captain Christopher Levett, exploring the coast of New England, wrote: "The first place where I set foot on the land of New England was the island of Shoals, located in the sea, about two leagues from Maine." Regardless of origin, the name took hold in 1665 when the King's commissioners began using the name "Province of Maine" in official records.

Geography

From the south and east, the state of Maine is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, in the north and northeast it borders on the Canadian province of New Brunswick, and in the northwest - on the province of Quebec. Maine is New England's northernmost state and also the largest in area, covering almost half of the region. Maine is the only US state that borders only one other state (New Hampshire to the west).

Maine is the easternmost state in the US, while the city of Eastport and the town of Lübeck are the easternmost. settlements. Estcourt Station is the northernmost point in Maine and all of New England.

The landscape of the state was largely shaped by glaciers during the last ice age. Most of the state is mountain range Appalachians and its spurs. Appalachians - low and gently sloping mountains - the highest point in Maine, Mount Katahdin - only 1606 meters from sea level. Acadian National Park is home to Soames Sound and Bubble Rock. Soames Sound is the only fjord on the East Coast of the United States, its depth reaches 50 meters. Bubble Rock is a huge boulder, carried by a glacier for tens of kilometers.

Moosehead Lake is the largest lake located entirely in New England (the larger Lake Champlain is located on the border of the states of Vermont and New York, as well as Canada). A number of other lakes in Maine, such as South Twin Lake, were described by the famous American naturalist Henry Thoreau. Mount Katahdin in the Appalachians is the most northern point Appalachian Trail starting in Georgia. Michias Seal Island and North Rock, the state's easternmost points, are one of four areas disputed between the US and Canada. Also to the east, in the waters bordering Canada, is the Old Sow, the largest tidal whirlpool in the western hemisphere.

Maine is the least populous US state east of the Mississippi River. It has the nickname "Pine State" - about 83% of the land is covered with forest. The wooded areas off the coast are the least populated part of the state, with some pieces of land having no local government (a rarity in New England). For example, Aroostook Northwest, an unorganized area in the northern part of the state, has an area of ​​6910 km² and a population of 10 people. Thus, for each inhabitant of this territory there are 690 km² of land. Maine forests - broadleaf and mixed forests temperate zone in the south of the state and the New England-Acadian forests in the rest of the territory. On the coast is the Acadian National Park - the only national park in New England.

Maine has almost 400 kilometers of coastline (the coast of the Atlantic Ocean). The coastline is indented, there are many bays and thousands of offshore islands, along the coast there are cliffs, cliffs, beaches and fishing villages.

Climate

Maine is located in the humid continental climate zone. Summers are warm (generally not hot), winters are cold and snowy, especially in the north of the state. The hottest month is July, with temperatures ranging from 24–27°C to 15°C. January temperatures range from 0°C in the south of the state to -18°C in the north. The state temperature record (41°C) was set in 1911 in North Brighton, the most low temperature(−46 ° C) - in 2009 on the Big Black River.

Thunderstorms occur in Maine on less than 20 days per year, the least amount east of the Rocky Mountains. Tornadoes are rare, averaging twice a year and mostly in the southern part of the state. Annual rainfall ranges from 909 mm in Presque Isle to 1441 mm in Acadian National Park.

Story

The original inhabitants of what is now Maine were the Algolkian-speaking Indians: Abenaki, Passamaquoddy, Malesites, and Penobscots. The first European settlement here was founded by the Frenchman Pierre Dugua in 1604 on the island of Saint-Cros, among the founders was the famous discoverer Samuel Champlain. The French called the whole area Acadia. The first English settlement was founded in 1607 by the Plymouth Company in Popham, but after 14 months the colonists left it.

On the first day, we lost a lot of time in the American Niagara Falls, since I ordered new tires in the States with delivery to a service center there. Alas, it was not possible to sign up for an early time, I had to go by 10:00 and still cook for almost two hours while the car was changed into shoes and wheel alignment. As a result, we got to Portland in the dark, checked into a hotel and went to bed. Ahead was truly the first day of the trip

Day one (about 130 km):
Portland - Cape Elizabeth - Freeport - Harpswell - Brunswick

Half a day was spent walking around Portland - a large port, a fishing quay, docks, an observatory, wonderful parks. These phones are on every corner. I have no idea where they are calling.
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Typical coastal development - old houses occupied by various fish-crab-lobster companies.
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Cape Elizabeth is a suburb of Portland. There are parks, marinas and lighthouses.
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I can't imagine how you can not love lighthouses and not want to go around them all. There are about 70 lighthouses in Maine alone. This is our first Maine lighthouse - Portland's main lighthouse and the oldest lighthouse in Maine. I will definitely devote a separate post to lighthouses.
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Our first Manx lobster. Stayed in South Freeport on the ocean. In general, during this trip, we ate only lobsters and tried to do it not in decent restaurants, but in authentic and homemade eateries, cafes, eateries - where the romance of fishing life is much more clearly felt :) No matter how hard it is to guess, Maine lives off lobsters . It is scary to imagine how many they are bred and caught from the waters of the ocean, but lobster dishes are the main and sometimes the only menu item of any food establishment.
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And here is one of the attractions of Freeport. It is not easy to guess what is so special about this lovely building. And just here McDonald's is located, which allowed this branch of the global network to enter the list of the most unusual McDonald's. Did you know that McDonald's McDonald's in the Atlantic offers the McLobster Sandwich during certain seasons?

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Then we headed to Brunswick, where we planned to spend the night, but the time was still not very dark, although very cloudy. We didn't see much rain the first day. If we knew that it was on this evening that a fine drizzle would begin, turning into a large drizzle and periodically turning into a natural downpour, which would not stop until the very end of the journey, then perhaps we would ... have changed nothing in our plans. So, leaving our things at the hotel, we decided to go to the rugged coast of the town of Harpswell, or rather to the very tip of Bailey Island. There the road runs into the ocean.
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Day two (approximately 330 km):
Brunswick - Woolwich - Busbay Harbor - Pemaquid Point - Port Clyde - Bangor

In the morning it poured like a bucket. Visibility - zero, humidity 146%. The dog was not happy, neither were we. Near Brunswick, we stopped to gawk at the 121-year-old suspension bridge - the historic engineering legacy of Maine.
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A roadside lobster (I know it's called a lobster in Russian!) waves its claws affably and beckons to the restaurant. But we go further. We're going to the ocean again!
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Hoping to get into a secluded and quiet fishing village we rushed to the coast and ended up in an area of ​​secluded and quiet boarding houses, cottages, private villas and other private properties. Access to the ocean was difficult due to signs "Private property" And "Don't roam" .
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Having driven along private property and collided with a police patrol car, we decided not to seek adventure on our own backsides, so we moved to the famous resort town Busbay Harbor - Mannian Yalta. Crowded, cozy, beautiful, resort in the best sense of the word.
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Then there were the obligatory lighthouses: magnificent and delightful. The weather strongly impeded their consideration.
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The lighthouse at Pemawid Point is one of the most beautiful in terms of location. Rough coastline, boulders and stones. And of course, the endless ocean to the very horizon (let someone try to say that in this photo it is littered).
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Oh, isn't it lovely?
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And another charming lighthouse Marshall Point in Port Clyde - the most cinematic we've ever seen. And cinematic in the most literal sense, as many of you have seen it in the movies.
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Rain and fog are faithful companions on our trip.
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The most important jamb of our trip happened that evening. According to the plan, the overnight stay was planned in Bangor, where we went solely because it is the birthplace of the horror master, the great and merciless Stephen King. It was there that I found a good-natured and hospitable host, who was ready to shelter us for free (thanks, couchsurfing). But the first pancake, as expected, came out lumpy. Unfortunately, we were not ready for such an ascetic lifestyle. Even for one night. And it's not in an old, never renovated and very dirty house with holes in the floor mats, peeling wallpaper and crumbling walls, not in a rusty creaky bed from the 60s, not in the absence of any traces of cleaning or at least minimal maintenance. behind the house, not in the toilet and sink, which look worse than most public restrooms. It was the general atmosphere of uncleanliness and some kind of hopelessness in which we were to spend that night. We resolutely dismissed this possibility, hastily came up with a ridiculous excuse, and, wildly apologizing, fled to a nearby cheap hotel. Nevertheless, we gave the owner a real Quebec maple syrup and a magnet of Kiev, stuck a pin to Ukraine in his geographical map, on which the less demanding couchsurfers who stayed in this house marked their homelands.

After chewing on the aftertaste of the evening with a McShake and a Timhorton(!) muffin, we spent the night at the hotel and the next morning set off for Bangor in the dim, foggy, rainy light of the next day.

Day three (220 km):
Bangor - Bar Harbor - Mount Cadillac - Seal Harbor - Bass Harbor (lighthouse) - Ellsworth

We spent the first half of the day wandering around Bangor - the international capital of horror. Here lived and lives (periodically) the king of horrors and nightmares Stephen King. Here he grew up, here he wrote a significant part of his stories and novels. Bangor inspired the fictional town of Derry, which is the setting for King's most famous novel. "It" . Here, for example, is the same water tower described in the novel...
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And here is the mansion of Mr. Stephen King.
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The great and terrible K.
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Well, this is one of oldest cemeteries in the States. Amazing place, not gloomy and not scary.
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In general, Bangor surprised us a little. The local gay parade is no match for the Toronto one. Local "two gays in the village" walked in a cheerful bunch through the city center. The people hooted with joy and sincerely rejoiced. The atmosphere was very positive and festive.
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But get out of town. Running to the ocean, running to the Atlantic. One of the nicest resort towns I've seen is Bar Harbor.
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Ships came into our harbor...
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Bar Harbor is located in one of the most picturesque corners Maine - on the island of Mount Desert (desert mountain), on the territory of which there is a beautiful national park-reserve of Acadia. The highest point of the island and the park is Mount Cadillac (470m). Up leads scenic road, but in the fog we did not really manage to see it. Well, from the top, we saw a view that cannot be described in words.
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Or you might see something like this:
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There was a terrible wind at the top, slanting rain and the fog was so thick that even one's own legs were practically invisible. Having gone down to Bubble Lake, we realized that the weather was not going to improve.
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Therefore, we went for a drive around Acadia in the hope of getting to the beach and still swimming in this vile Atlantic Ocean. But it turned out that the section of the park road leading to the beautiful ocean beach- paid (20 dollars per car), and the beach is closed due to bad weather. So we had to travel further - to Seal Harbor ...
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And then to Bass Harbor. There was another lighthouse there. Our motto - "Not a day without a lighthouse!"
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Typical fishing village. Typical fishing weather. Typical fishing lobster traps. Typical seagull.
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A typical landscape is water meadows in the Maine style.
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Lobster on the grill. Eh, delicious! Overnight at a motel near Ellsworth, and uncertain plans for the last day of the trip. I wanted to catch more of the ocean, more lighthouses, more lobsters. I wish the weather was a little friendlier. I wanted to stay another day, or two, or a week, or...
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Day four, last (travel and pleasure - 530 km, total - 1400 km):
Ellsworth - Winter Harbor - Skudik Point - Prospect Harbor - Trenton - Augusta - White Mountains National Park (White Mountains) - Derby (border) - Toronto (home, suite, home).

The last day of the trip was the longest. The plan was as follows: first, we close the last section of the route - the non-island part of Acadia Park. Then, if the weather is merciful (a little bit of sky, a little bit of visibility), then we will definitely return to the island of Acadia, to the beach and to Mount Cadillac. I also really wanted to return to the pearls of the Gulf of Maine that we missed due to the weather - the fantastically beautiful towns of Camden, Rockport, Rockland, Owls Head. Well, after all this, we move home, spend the night somewhere after the border, in order to return home after lunch the next day. What happened in the end...

The non-island part of Acadia Park is a small piece of wonderful nature on the Skudik peninsula. To be honest, perhaps it was here that we saw the most beautiful and most majestic Atlantic Ocean. It is here that you must go without fail and without fail.
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It is here that the Atlantic shows itself in full power, breaking ocean waves on the harsh granite coastline, dotted with ancient magmatic inclusions.
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Seagulls defiantly do not care about the beauty of nature.
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In geology, there is such a thing - a dike - these are cracks in rocks filled with (most often) solidified magma. Almost the entire rocky coastline of the Skudik Peninsula is an excellent example. But I'm not a geologist, I was more interested in waves. Right here, on the very extreme point peninsula, on Skudik Point, the Atlantic Ocean appeared before us in all its glory. Here, probably for the first time, we were splashed not with rain, but with ocean spray from violent and unstoppable waves. the main task last day and the whole journey was accomplished.
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On the way back, the sun treacherously began to peek out from behind gloomy clouds, and the hope dawned that the weather would improve, giving us an additional chance. We even rushed to Mount Desert Island, but had to turn around halfway, as visibility dropped to zero again.
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Oh yes, the final beacon of the trip was the US Navy Prospect Harbor Lighthouse, which was closed to the public. Of course, I still found the opportunity to photograph it, climbing over slippery stones to a point where the military fence does not interfere with the view. All this will be in a separate post dedicated to the lighthouses of Maine.
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Last lobster meal. The province is preparing for the Independence Day. We met a sailor in a snow-white dress uniform in a home eatery, who, after eating lobsters, with incredible gallantry and politeness, bowed and flirted with rural girls and women. Indeed, if not for the form, I would have thought that this was a professor of literature and ethics - he used such poetic turns.
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Epic fail trip - hopes that the US post office works on Sundays. Unfortunately no. Therefore, it was not possible to send postcard letters from the Atlantic coast.
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The way back was remembered for a not very obligatory stop in the capital of the state - the city of Augusta. Here I really wanted to be photographed hugging the monument to Samantha Smith - the very girl - the ambassador of peace, who appeared in newspapers and on notebooks during my childhood. Unfortunately, either the data was incorrect, or they searched badly, but they never met Samantha in Augusta, so we went home. On the way we passed by Norway, Naples, and other world geographical toponyms. Geography is very popular in Maine. Evidence of this is such a direction indicator: Paris, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Mexico, Peru, China ...
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Well, at sunset, we drove into the White Mountains - a mountain range and national reserve located in New Hampshire. I specifically laid out the return route in such a way as to make a detour through these mountains - insanely beautiful places! It is here that Mount Washington is located (the peak is 1917 meters) - the place with the most changeable weather and record-breaking strong winds (in 1934, gusts at a speed of 372 km / h were recorded !!!).
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I won’t tell you that, just like on the way to Maine, and on the way back, we were constantly covered by storm showers, because of which sometimes we had to just stop on the side of the road and wait out the bad weather, because it was simply dangerous to drive. But after all it was fresh and very sunset ...
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We decided not to spend the night anywhere and rushed straight home, reaching our own bed around 6 in the morning. It's been one long 22-hour day...

Summary: 3100 km. Sea An ocean of emotions and impressions. Of the missing, it is worth noting: unvisited Camden, Rockport and the desert in Freeport, unfound Samantha Smith, unsuccessful experience of couchsurfing, not bathing in the Atlantic, half-eaten lobsters, unsent postcards, unseen horizons, missed on the road and unseen beacons due to fog ... All this leaves us a considerable supply of unfinished business, requiring a speedy return to (to this moment) the most beloved of all states is Maine.

The state of Maine is located in the most northeastern part of the United States, its capital is the city of Augusta, and Portland is considered the largest and most populous city. This state has its own nickname - Pine. The cost of rest in Portland, the main city of the state, will cost an average of 45 - 67 thousand rubles per person. In general, prices here are not the highest in the US, and there are a lot of attractions.

If you plan your vacation in Maine, then you must definitely visit its capital. It's very green and beautiful city, which contains a large number memorable places. For example, the Capitol building, which is visited in weekdays, admission is free.

Augusta is home to the large Maine State Museum with rich exhibits on archeology, nature, and industry developed in the state. The museum is open on weekdays, the entrance is paid, about two dollars per adult and one dollar per child. In Maine, there is a wooden fort Old West Fort, which was built by the first colonists.

When visiting Portland, you should pay attention to its creative workshops, the Old Port, as well as the Portland Museum of Art.

When spending your holidays in Maine in 2019, be sure to study the prices in advance and make interesting route for all attractions.

Maine is well known among tourists for its unique nature and good climate.

Maine beaches

From the east, Maine is washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, so vacationers have a great opportunity to visit magnificent beaches. For example, Sand Beach is different amazing nature and white sand. The purest turquoise water, small rocks, pine trees - all this creates excellent conditions for family vacation. Many tourists choose this place for practicing various sports. On the beach there are changing rooms, equipment rental, you can go surfing.

Acadia National Park

It is located next to Mount Cadillac and covers an area equal to 200 square kilometers. It was opened to the public about a hundred years ago. On its territory there are a large number of islands, Mount Cadillac 500 meters high, Eagle Lake very popular with tourists.

On the territory of the park you can meet numerous wild animals, as well as observe the life of marine life. Due to the climate, the park is closed to visitors during the cold season. However, even for the period from July to September, the number of visitors is estimated at millions of tourists.

Desert Maine

This so-called pseudo-desert appeared as a result of improper human agricultural activities. Her total area is 16 hectares, and it is located near the city of Freeport in a pine forest, no matter how surprising it sounds. Now popular tourist place. There is a sand and farm museum and many souvenir shops. The cost of visiting is approximately twelve dollars for an adult and six for a child.

Sugarloaf Ski Area

Thanks to a variety natural landscapes in Maine relax on the ocean coast and ski in the mountains. This ski resort is very popular, there is a chance to ski, sled, skate, sit in cozy restaurants and enjoy the local nature. You can improve your skiing skills, the average course costs about $ 700.

Weather and climate in Maine

The informal name for Maine is the Pine State. Indeed, there are a large number of coniferous forests and the climate is rather harsh. average temperature in summer it does not exceed 27 degrees Celsius, and winters are usually snowy and cold. Therefore, for those who want to bask in the sun, it is best to come to the state in the height of summer.

In winter, holidays here will seem a little boring, especially for those who are used to the beaches and do not go in for winter sports. However, most tourists go on vacation to Maine, because this state has a huge plus. On its territory is the Appalachian mountain range, and the mountains reliably protect the earth from destructive tornadoes, typhoons and hurricanes. These natural phenomena in Maine are a huge rarity. If small hurricanes do occur, they are not destructive and do not affect the quality of tourists' recreation.

How to get there

Get to Maine by plane. Flights to the USA fly daily from the main international airports in Moscow and St. Petersburg. However, they keep in mind that there is no direct communication between Russia and Maine. Therefore, you should take a direct flight to any major US city, and then transfer to another flight or use ground transportation.

There is an international airport on the territory of the state, but there is no direct connection with Russia. Maine also has a major international port linking Maine with Canada. Therefore, it is possible to get to Canada, and then make a trip by water, by ferry.

state map

Art Workshops in Maine

Lovers of art and a quiet secluded vacation visit Monegan Island. Officially, this island belongs to the state of Maine, but life there is completely different. This nook with virgin nature, where more than a hundred years ago the local bohemia created its community.

Painters, graphic artists, sculptors, masters of arts and crafts live here permanently (or temporarily) and create their masterpieces. Through the joint efforts of local artists, the Association for the Conservation of Nature and Cultural Identity of Monegan Island was created. The activists of this Association organize thematic exhibitions and cultural and entertainment events, introduce tourists to the best examples of their art and arrange interesting meetings with admirers of their talent.

Monegan Island is a real "city of artists" in miniature. And also this is a great place for a secluded, calm beach holiday away from city noise.

Main Attractions

Maine: Portland Museum of Art

Lovers of beauty should definitely visit the Portland Museum of Art. The two-storey building in which the museum is located is the most interesting architectural monument. The permanent exhibition features works by American and European artists from the 17th and 18th centuries to the present day. There are also temporary traveling exhibitions.

A lot of schoolchildren come to the museum, especially during the holidays. Order group and individual excursion service and also use an audio guide in English or other European languages. There are souvenir shops on the territory of the museum, where they buy miniature copies of the works of art presented in the exhibition, as well as souvenirs with state symbols. In addition, there are several cafes and free Wi-Fi internet access.

Grand Museum of Maine

Apart from art museum, there is a historical museum in the state, or the so-called big museum state of Maine. Lovers of antiquity will certainly like it here. The exposition of the museum tells about the life and life of the inhabitants of the state of Maine, from time immemorial (when the indigenous people of America lived in the state) to the present day.

The exposition presents unique artifacts obtained during archaeological excavations: fragments of dishes, clothes, jewelry, reconstructions of ancient burials. It is also good to get acquainted with the detailed plans of the most ancient settlements. There are unique reconstructions of everyday scenes from the life of the indigenous population of Maine.

Maritime museums

The sea plays a huge role in the life of Maine. It is not surprising that the Great Maritime Museum is located here, as well as the Museum of Lighthouses. Maritime Museum view models of ships made in the Maine shipyards, as well as authentic nineteenth-century wooden structures. But the pride of the exposition is a model of the Wyoming schooner with six masts, made in full size.

The museum book a group tour to the local shipyard. Rockland is located unique museum lighthouses. The exposition presents exhibits of the most famous lighthouses in the United States. The guide tells visitors about how the lighthouse works and what it is for, and also helps to understand the intricacies of the lighthouse.

Monument to Samantha Smith

On the territory of the state of Mn is the only monument in the world to Samantha Smith. Once this girl was a real celebrity in the Soviet Union. Little Samantha heard on TV about the Cold War between Russia and the United States and wrote to the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU Andropov that the American people do not want war. Andropov was moved to the depths of his soul and invited the girl to Russia, and she became a real ambassador of goodwill.

Unfortunately, soon after the fateful visit to Russia, the girl's life was tragically cut short: she died in a plane crash. Once upon a time, all the girls in the USSR wanted to be like Samantha Smith, and her portraits and touching stories about her were printed in every textbook. in English. Perhaps acquaintance with this monument will help someone remember their Soviet childhood.

Education

Maine is one of the main educational centers of the United States. Here is the University of Maine, where young people master a variety of specialties. IN educational institution scientific research is carried out in the field of natural and human sciences.

The University of Maine Library is considered one of the largest libraries in America. Books of all genres are presented, including rare and old ones. And the local university is also famous for the fact that it was here that the famous American writer Stephen King, the master of the psychological thriller, received his higher education.

Features of national cuisine

The fishing industry and agriculture play a huge role in the life of Maine. That is why the national cuisine is traditionally famous for seafood and vegetable dishes. In terms of vegetables, potatoes play a major role, as there are many extensive potato plantations throughout the state.

Maine potatoes are famous for their extraordinary taste and are imported to all parts of America. And local fishermen deliver lobsters and lobsters to cafes and restaurants every day. calling card state is considered a hot lobster roll. Fast food outlets try seafood burgers. They are somewhat reminiscent of the classic options, only they differ in a more delicate taste.

What to bring as a gift to family and friends

There are a large number of high-end boutiques, large shopping centers and small, cozy souvenir shops in Maine. Souvenirs with state symbols are brought as a gift to relatives and friends: T-shirts, mugs, magnets and stationery.

It should be borne in mind that in the center these goods are much more expensive than on the outskirts. They buy quality clothes, shoes, watches and jewelry. Gourmets will certainly be delighted with canned local seafood. And from Monegan Island you can bring paintings and products of arts and crafts made by local craftsmen - members of the artists' community.

Maine is one of the most interesting places in the United States of America. To make your trip memorable for a long time, make a list of places you want to visit in advance. This will help you not get lost.

The most interesting thing in Maine is, of course, museums and wonderful nature. And do not forget about the national cuisine: there are no such seafood anywhere else. Resting in the state is very convenient, because there is a developed infrastructure and everything that tourists need is available: cafes, restaurants, hotels, shops, sightseeing views and a variety of active recreation areas.

The first half of the story is about a trip to the northeastern United States.

Part 1: arrival in Maine; acadia national park
: Shooting the Atlantic puffins - Bar Harbor - homecoming.

By mid-summer, we were finally tired of the humid 37-degree Texas bath, and decided that everyone needed a break. At a time when most people are trying to go south to the sea in the summer, many "southerners" do exactly the opposite: they try to climb as far north as possible.

A big vacation was not yet in sight, but a week around American Independence Day (July 4) could be snatched away. The state of Maine was chosen as the destination, or as it is more correct to call it in Russian - “Maine”. First of all, because of the weather: 22 ° C seemed to us an unattainable paradise; the presence of the ocean also played an important role, as did the presence national park Acadia NP, which has long dreamed of seeing. In addition, I wanted to paint over another square on the map of the visited states. For us Main became the 36th, and for little Sashenka - the fourth.

Maine is in the extreme northeast of the country; it is the closest part of the USA to Europe. The origin of the name "Maine" is unknown. According to one version, it is associated with the French historical region of Maine, according to another, it was first used by settlers from England who lived on the islands and designated mainland lands as “main” (English “going to the main” - “go to the mainland”). Maine has existed as a separate state since 1820 following the Missouri Compromise. He entered the US 23rd in a row.
Well, for all fans of horror movies, the name of the state should be well known, since the famous Stephen King is a native of these places, and in many of the writer's books, events take place in Maine.

Remembering how many extra things for the child I collected during the winter trip to New Mexico and Colorado, I drew the appropriate conclusions, cutting down the luggage very much. This time it was necessary to travel by plane, wherever you want or don’t want, but you need to carefully monitor the weight of the suitcases. But still, there were more baby things and toys in terms of volume than both of us put together :) The child flew without a place, “in parent lap”. For half of the flight time, she entertained herself and those around her with joyful googling, and for the other half she simply fell asleep. There were no screams from pain in my ears, although I mentally prepared for such a development of events, having read the impressions of other mothers.

There are no direct flights from Houston to Maine, so we decided to fly to Boston, and then rent a car and catch up with the remaining 290 miles on wheels. At the Alamo car rental center near the Boston airport, Logan was pleased with the fact that they were allowed to choose any of the cars presented in the parking lot in the declared category; they are usually more specific.

Through a series of tunnels, we got out of Boston to the north, and along the way we were amazed at how accurately people comply with the speed limit rules on the roads, not even exceeding 5 miles. With our Texas driving style, we looked like real “speedy Gonzales” against their background :)

The child fell asleep instantly, comfortably sitting in a chair under a blanket, so without stopping anywhere, an hour later they were already crossing the border with the state of New Hampshire. There was nothing to drive along it, a tiny 20-minute piece, and of course it was worth looking into one of the “liquor state store”, because. New Hampshire is one of the 18 US states that has a state monopoly over the wholesale and/or retail trade in alcohol. Prices in such stores are low, comparable to those in Texas, although usually everything is more expensive in the north. After buying all sorts of wine for ourselves and friends who also planned to drive up to Maine a day later, we soon found ourselves in the pine state. And I must say that the nickname was given to Maine not in vain: endless coniferous forests stretched along the sides of the road, filling the air with a heady aroma.

There were no businesses accompanying the road at all: in order to eat or refuel, one had to move out somewhere to the surrounding villages. For gasoline (regular), they wanted an average of $2.80 per gallon, which was 20-30 cents higher than Texas prices. After the bustling city of Ellsworth with quite developed infrastructure(Home Depot, Lowe's, Wal-Mart, Shaw's chains), Milbridge, our intended overnight stay, was only 30 miles away.

Having passed the bridge over the Narraguagus River, we quickly found a cottage rented for vacation ($100 per day). The house was built in a typical New England style, not very remarkable from the outside, but inside it is cozy and equipped with everything you need for a comfortable stay.

Three bedrooms, living room, kitchen, bathroom with a dozen towels of various sizes and toiletries. A veranda ran along the perimeter of the house; a grill is at the disposal of the guests. The hosts were so kind that they even brought and assembled a crib for little Sashenka, inherited from one of their grandchildren. So we didn't even have to carry a portable sleeping area for a child.

A huge lawn in front of the house completed the picture, the groves on the sides completely hid from the neighbors. A staircase descended from the far end of the lawn, leading directly to the river bank. From the place we were completely delighted and can safely recommend.

We called the owner, who immediately came from a neighboring site. We talked with him “for life”, how they live here, eat and sleep. 99% of the population is white, even in the service industry and road services. For those coming from the American South, this is _very_ striking. However, recently Mexicans have begun to appear in the state. They come to work on blueberry plantations (season in August) and seafood processing plants. In particular, some specific type of eel, which the locals not only do not eat, but even disdain to touch. The eel is exported to Korea, where it is considered a delicacy.

In general, what can be said about the area where Top news, broadcast on television for three days - a lost elk in one of the towns of the state?! A busy life for people! But the main thing is that this suits many, and to change the usual way of life for bustle of the city, marzipan and fildepers they disagree :)

Along the way, we received a lot of advice from the owner on local attractions, a topographic atlas, many different guidebooks for Maine, a city newspaper, and even ... a good bird guide. Knew, knew how to bribe!
After a light dinner with wine, fatigue took its toll, and we passed out before we even had time to properly watch the local news.

The next morning we decided to start with Acadia National Park, not the island part of it, where most tourists tend to, but from the mainland, called the “Schoodic Peninsula”, 40 miles east of the main point of entry.

Much of the Skudik Peninsula was formerly owned by John Moore, a Wall Street-born financial tycoon. In the 1920s, Moore's heirs donated these lands to public use with the condition that they should be used as a park, as well as for biological and other scientific research.

In the 30s, the peninsula had already come under the wing of the Service national parks(National Park Service) and was assigned to Acadia NP.

A good one-way road is laid along the coast, conveniently bending around all the main points of the peninsula. Schoodic Point is the southernmost of them, from which the powerful surf looks most impressive. And also, diabase dikes are best seen there - large “veins” of dark basalt that have carved their way into the old granite.

About 5 miles from Ellsworth we stopped for lunch at Ruth Murphy's. Maine's signature dish is lobster. They are boiled in salt water in outdoor cauldrons at restaurants (lobster pounds) and served with melted butter. You can order different:

"cull" - a lobster with one, the largest claw;
"chicken" - female, usually no more than a pound in weight; it is believed that it has the most tender meat;
"hard shell" and "soft shell". Soft shell (recently replaced by chitin lobsters) are practically not subject to transportation, so the only chance to taste them is in Maine itself. The average price is $12.

It is noteworthy that up to 90% of the lobster catch is taken outside the state. In cooking, lobster is considered a delicacy. In food, meat is used from under the shell, in the tail, legs, liver and caviar. Salads, aspic, croquettes, souffles, mousses, soups are prepared from it. For optimal culinary qualities, a lobster must be at least six months old and weigh at least 500 grams. According to the Guinness Book of Records, the largest lobster caught in Canada weighed just over 20 kg.

But the traditional “Maine” clam chowder was not at all liked in that restaurant. I am a fan of this soup and was very disappointed when they brought the local version with hot milk instead of cream. The texture is not the same, and the taste is different. Still, I like New England chowder more, but more daring, but with crackers. I think!
There is also a variation with tomatoes (Manhattan clam chowder), but New Englanders consider the addition of tomatoes a barbaric New York habit, to the point that in 1939 a bill was introduced in the Maine House of Representatives to ban tomatoes in seafood soup.

And you say bans on marijuana, homomarriage, abortion... Tomatoes in the soup are much more important! No, but what? After chasing a moose for three days, and then they will also serve a clam chowder with tomatoes, it’s not far from a nervous breakdown :)

After a hearty lunch, it is supposed ... no, not to sleep, but to go further, to explore the main part of Acadia. Only 15 miles from Ellsworth; the signs are well placed. On the way to Mount Desert Island, there were numerous lobster restaurants and various souvenir shops. In my opinion, one of the best souvenirs to bring back from Maine to decorate your home is lobster trap buoys. Usually they are very brightly colored (to be clearly visible in any bad weather), and each fisherman uses only his own combination of colors or ornaments. By law, lobster fishers are only allowed to pull traps with their own markings, and the colors of the buoys must be present in the colors of the boat. In the past, floats were all wood, but now many are made of foam.

Having paid $20 per car (the pass is valid for a week) to enter this part of Acadia, one could now enjoy all the benefits of the park. First of all, it's a 27-mile roundabout highway, with which it is convenient to make radial sorties through the surrounding forests and mountains.

For those interested, there is also a historical museum, a small botanical garden (Wild Gardens of Acadia), a carriage road system built with the money of Rockefeller Jr.; not to mention the numerous forest reservoirs, where it is very good to freshen up on a sunny summer day. True, not for the inhabitants of Texas - for us, the water is far from comfortable :)

But there were still a lot of people on Sandy beach, all the branches of the road to the beach were forced by cars, even a policeman was on duty. Swimming, pushing elbows, or even just sitting on the sand on each other's heads was not part of the vacation dream package, so we took a long-awaited respite in another place, at Jordan Pond. Nestled between the Penobscot and Pemetic mountains, this body of water in the center of the park is very recognizable because of the two curves on the opposite bank known as "The Bubbles". This is the deepest lake in the park (46 meters), where salmon and lake trout feel great.

Finally, it's time to explore the main treasure of Acadia - Mount Cadillac. Modern name the mountain received in 1918 (before that it was simply called “Green”) in honor of the French traveler and explorer Antoine de La Mothe-Cadillac (a famous brand of cars is also named after him). At 470 meters above sea level, Mount Cadillac is the most high point the entire east coast of the United States, up to the Mexican Yucatan.

An excellent road leads to the top of the mountain, ending with an extensive parking lot. And then you can just walk on a rather flat top, and admire the views of the Porcupine Islands in the bay. Like much of Acadia, they were carved out by a receding prehistoric glacier.

There is a common misconception among the people that Cadillac Mountain is the very first point in the United States that the sun's rays touch every morning. One of the popular activities among tourists in Acadia is just climbing to the top to meet the “first sunrise of the nation”. However, the Cadillac is the first to meet a new day only in the autumn-winter period, and not at all in the summer, when the park is visited by most people.

I had to take turns walking along the trails at the top, as my daughter successfully fell asleep in the car, completely ignoring the beauty, so someone needed to stay by her side.

Having descended from the mountain, we got through to friends, agreeing to meet in the already familiar city of Ellsworth, at the Union River lobster pot restaurant. The restaurant is open from June to October and has a very varied menu. The children were impressed by the huge 42-year-old lobster, which one of the chefs showed to everyone. They were not going to cook it, rather, it served as a kind of mascot for the restaurant. And what there were bright orange mussels in blue shells, crab cakes, clam chowder (quite right for my taste!), And even Blueberry ale, which actually contains blueberries - everything was to my liking.
After dinner, we went to our Millbridge, hidden from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, where we ended the evening pleasantly on the lawn by the river.

The next morning we spent quite lazily: the children ran along the sand, collected shells, even one-year-old Sasha scored a good collection of “treasures”. The owner of the cottage looked for a short time from a neighboring plot to see if everything suits us, and if he can do anything else for us. How could such beauty not suit?! Quiet, calm, family place, to which there were no complaints at all.

A little later, they all went together to Roque Bluffs State Park, located about an hour north of Milbridge. In the park, you can swim immediately in both salt and fresh water, which are separated only by a narrow spit. We had a great time, we didn't even want to leave. On the way back, we made a short detour through the town of Jonesport, where we took out a whole mountain of seafood in one of the roadside “lobster pounds” to arrange a real seaside feast in the cottage. And the accompanying sunset crowned such a beautiful summer day in the best possible way.

It's Independence Day (July 4th). This large-scale holiday is revered by many Americans, and besides, it is an official holiday. It is better to stock up on food and drink in advance, because. on this day, many shops and services are simply closed.

In the afternoon, after a rather relaxed morning in the cottage (and what? Vacation, we have the right!), We decided to still see something in the surroundings, eventually choosing the Petit Manan Wildlife refuge reserve. On the way, we grabbed booklets and a map of the area from the reserve office in Millbridge, and in 30 minutes we were already there. Given that we had children aged 12 months to 9 years with us, we stopped on a simple, 6-kilometer forest trail to the shore of Dyer Bay (Birch Point trail).

The description bribed: “Excellent trail for a family or group of friends to walk side by side”, i.e. “the perfect trail for a family or group of friends to walk along” and the promise of a variety of wildlife. True, we did not meet anyone larger than a woodpecker in the end, but the absence of mustachioed-striped ones brightened up vast blueberry fields with already ripe berries, although usually the peak falls on August. In general, the forest was very reminiscent of the one near St. Petersburg, if you go by train towards Kalishche: quite light, with a mass of small reservoirs with dark water, and extensive blueberry-cloudberry-cranberry thickets along the bottom.

In the evening we finally tried the grill at the cottage, having a dinner of scallops with Riesling; and dispersed long after midnight.

Katerina Andreeva.
Houston, Texas - Maine, USA.
July, 2010.