Maine

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have you been? what is it like? i want to go to Portland...

― gareth, Monday, 27 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"I've seen Israel's arid plain, It's magnificent but so's Maine" - Jonathan Richman, Old New England.

go to the national park on mount desert island. eat crab rolls(crab salad on toasted hotdog buns), deepfried clams and of course lobstah. in the summer, there will be many tourists. in the winter there will be none. theres a special mountaintop on that island where tourists go to watch the sunset and it is so beautiful, and they have all watched so much TV that they sometimes applaud the setting sun. During the great depression, FDR's public works employment program built feats of masonry everywhere as an excuse to pay the unemployed: archway bridges and staircases built of slabs of stone up sides of hills. everything is covered in moss. And from Bar Harbor you can take the Blue Nose ferry across to Nova Scotia, and gamble the whole trip if you so choose.

― fritz, Monday, 27 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

The only place I've been in Maine are the outlet malls on the Maine/New Hampshire border. Those were nice and cheap. Also, I have a friend who was stalked by the conductor of the Portland Symphony for a brief period of time. So, obviously I think Maine is CLASSIC.

For a broader picture of life in Maine, you might turn to the writings of Stephen King, particularly _It_, _Cujo_, _The Tommyknockers_ and _Needful Things_.

― Dan Perry, Monday, 27 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Fritz just described my fave place in Maine as well (Bar Harbor and the whole national park on that island). Really lovely, and I can recall the view from the highest peak there vividly.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 27 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I lived in Maine for the summer after my freshman year at college. I had been recruited into the ranks of a bizarre pyramid sales company, and sold educational books door to door for three months.

After a week of sales training in Nashville, we drove to Portland, deposited one cohort, and continued to Brunswick, where I lived for the remainder of the summer. When we arrived in town, i had about $100 to my name, no credit cards, and basically my sales training with which to earn money. By knocking on doors, my roomie and I found an elderly couple who were willing to let us stay in their home.

But back to Maine itself. I was quite taken with the state. Being from Washington, I'm accustomed to primarily evergreen forests. I much prefer deciduous trees, so found the forests of the east coast to be quite beautiful. Of course, the fall leaves in Maine are a huge tourist attraction. Brunswick I remember as sort of a tri-cities area, with Topsham right across the river, and Bath a few miles down the road, home of Bath Iron Works, who built ships. Bowdoin college is in Brunswick, so there was the whole townie / school dynamic happening, and some record shops etc.

If I'm not mistaken, Maine has technically the longest coastline in the contiguous states, because of its jagged shape. We visited some fun boardwalks and ate at the largest seafood resaurant I've ever seen in my life. There were separate counters for crab, clams, fish, lobster, etc. and the place probably sat about 500 or so. Scary actually, in retrospect.

Sealing your driveway with tar in preparation for the winter months (reportedly brutal) was a huge deal. I also received the best haircut I've ever had while in Brunswick. This old character did not use clippers at all. He had a pair of scissors suspended over each chair on a coiled wire. To this day I do not understand exactly what he did so right, but for days afterward I was compelled to run my hands over my new crew cut and feel the silky smoothness.

I would also recommend Bar Harbor, but I only spent a day there. My favorite town was Grey, which I think was about halfway between Portland and Lewiston(?) There were about 5,000 residents, half country folk, half commuters, which made for a nice blend.

Anyways, yes, go there.

― Ron, Monday, 27 May 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

three years pass...

As usual, I'm going following Gareth's footsteps... So, I'm thinking of going there for Easter or during early summer. I'm looking for practical advice. How does one visit the state? Is a car mandatory? Are there trains that I could use to get around? How fun would it be to go there alone?

― Baaderonixx, born again in Xixax (baaderonixx), Friday, 10 February 2006 09:07 (twenty years ago)

You should bring a car. There is a train though called the Downeaster. You should go in summer though. From York to Portland is tourist trappery, but in a nice way. The best places are the spots of shore untouched by nostalgic hands.

― Mr Jones (Mr Jones), Friday, 10 February 2006 09:35 (twenty years ago)

Maine was cool.

No, really. It was something like 58 degrees in August when I was there.

Crabmeat sandwich infused with lemon juice bought on the street was unforgettable. Riding the mailboat was fun, too. I got drunk one night in some Portland bar called the Dancing Bear (???). Some drunk Boston guy started saying, "We picked Mason, you picked Dixon - you lost. End of story." I told him that at least I wasn't a Red Sox fan (this was in '98), and he bought me a beer.

The lighthouses were cool, too.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Friday, 10 February 2006 17:25 (twenty years ago)

Don't go at Easter. It rains through the end of May. Late June is optimal, or mid September/early October. You need a car. It's beautiful country, and I miss it.

― luna (luna.c), Friday, 10 February 2006 19:26 (twenty years ago)

Also, try a whoopie pie.

― luna (luna.c), Friday, 10 February 2006 19:27 (twenty years ago)

one year passes...

OK, I never got round doing this, but this year it's for real.

The only time I can go is early April, so I'll just keep my fingers crossed for the weather. I'm thinking of spending 4-days there and renting an secluded house by the sea with a bunch of friends. Is that a pipe dream? Any tips as to how to find accomodation there?

― baaderonixx, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 17:07 (nineteen years ago)

i think my eyes just welled up after seeing the words "whoopie pie".
places to go:

acadia national park
bar harbor (secretly one of the best places in new england)
mt desert island
mark's showplace
old orchard at the end of august when it's full of quebecois in speedos and hicks from every small town in northern new england. it makes for an interesting honkey tonk vibe.

― chicago kevin, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 17:15 (nineteen years ago)

mark's showplace is now called platinum plus, FYI

the weather may not be great in april. i'm personally hoping for snow, cos i'm going there to go skiing that month!

― bell_labs, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 17:17 (nineteen years ago)

LOHABSTAH!!!!!!!!!

WICKED AWES!!!!

― jh0shea, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 17:19 (nineteen years ago)

BAH HAHBAH is the shit, as is the rest of Mount Desert island. I highly recommend Schoodic Point as well (really all of Acadia).

Try to go early summer if you can (it's swarming with tourists by mid-July, oppressively so by August).

When choosing lobsters, don't choose the biggest ones you see--they tend to have thicker exoskeletons, and are therefore harder to crack and have about as much meat, if not less, than the medium-sized ones.

― max, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 17:23 (nineteen years ago)

Oooh, Mt Deset Island/ Acadia National Park / Bar Harbor = all great

Are whoopie pies a regional thing? Granted, I'd never heard of one until I moved to Boston but I assumed that was because I had a sheltered upbringing in terms of a lot of American snack foods. They're good!

― ENBB, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 17:23 (nineteen years ago)

The fams used to go up to Maine every summer when I was younger. They scored this amazing house in Kennebunkport through AAA, I think. Their travel service found it for us. It was old, a bit spooky, but really great.

I was up there for Easter one year. It snowed.

― molly mummenschanz, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 17:25 (nineteen years ago)

It was old, a bit spooky, but really great.

This is really what I'm looking for.

― baaderonixx, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 17:36 (nineteen years ago)

If you want, I can email the parents and ask how they got the info (with exact details, etc.)!

― molly mummenschanz, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 17:40 (nineteen years ago)

wow - that'd be great! If they just remember the name of the place, I can probably google it.

― baaderonixx, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 17:42 (nineteen years ago)

there's a railroad museum somewhere up near kennebunk that i thought was the shit when i was 6 years old. also, i can remember going up there in the early spring every year with my best friend jon and the first thing we'd do after crossing the piscataqua river was get off the highway and find lobster rolls. it was part of a spring ritual that happened between pitcher's and catchers reporting and patriot's day.

― chicago kevin, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 17:44 (nineteen years ago)

Thing is, I know the little old lady passed away a few years back, and I'm not sure if the husband was going to keep on renting out the other side of the house (the place was a mansion -- it was Booth Tarkington's secretary's house...). I'll send them an email right now and see if they have any info.

― molly mummenschanz, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 17:46 (nineteen years ago)

mark's showplace is now called platinum plus, FYI

i haven't been there in probably 9 years or so. that may have been the last bar i've been thrown out of. i also got sonned by gravity in a can't stand up so you'll roll down a hill into a pond beef.

― chicago kevin, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 17:49 (nineteen years ago)

i'm a little more mountain-obsessed than the average bear, but you should go to Mt Katahdin/Baxter State Park

― gabbneb, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 19:32 (nineteen years ago)

Platinum Plus also has a topless donut shop attached. Don't ask for cream with your coffee.

I've lived in southern Maine for the last six years after a decade in Baltimore & DC. Sometimes miss Baltimore, but I've never lived anywhere with the vibe of Maine. When people ask how you're doing, or say have a good day, they actually mean it. Still weird, but in a good way.

The "Dancing Bear" place mentioned upthread is a great bar/restaurant in Portland called "The Great Lost Bear." Has something like 70+ microbrews on tap, and great food, like the Mother & Child Reunion, which is a chicken sandwich topped with a fried egg, or the Lewiston Cheesesteak, which is a cheesesteak sub with a soft herbed cheese (like Boursin) instead of cheesewhiz. Yum.

It is a big-ass state, so pick a spot to explore and plan to come back to explore another spot. If you choose to do Bar Harbor in April, most everything is still closed. Incredibly pretty, but expect to cook.

― EZ Snappin, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 21:21 (nineteen years ago)

i haven't been back there since the ice storm in 98 or 99. i remember driving up from boston 5 days after the storm to see some friends living in south portland and we couldn't park at their place because their apartment was on a hill and the side street was still covered in about 3 1/2 inches of ice. it was surreal driving back from freeport or wherever at night and coming to a spot on the grid where the power still wasn't restored. to the left was the ocean, totally black, up on the hill in front was portland, mostly lit, behind us was freeport, mostly lit, but this one curve was totally pitch black and it was really disorienting.

but that was a different era, there may have been other causes for the disorientation.

― chicago kevin, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 21:25 (nineteen years ago)

there is this tiny lunch place in portland that has the best fries...they are fried in DUCK FAT. the place is called "Duckfat." they are hallucinogenic, basically.

― bell_labs, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 21:34 (nineteen years ago)

they have them in chicago too at hot dougs.

― chicago kevin, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 21:37 (nineteen years ago)

i'm craving a raw 56 degree day so i can drive up to kittery for a lobster roll on a toasted bun. but the drive would probably be about 1,100 miles. : (

― chicago kevin, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 21:38 (nineteen years ago)

Wait - the topless donut shop is real!!!???

Someone told me about this on New Year's Eve and the next morning I swore it was a mixed up drunken memory because I mean, c'mon, a topless donut shop?

That might just be the best thing ever.

― ENBB, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 21:48 (nineteen years ago)

yeah, it's been around forever. forever meaning the early/mid 90s.

― chicago kevin, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 21:50 (nineteen years ago)

xpost - the ice storm WAS incredibly disorienting! we didn't have power for about a week, school was cancelled, tree limbs were snapping off everywhere and smashing people's cars. everything looked smooth and glassy. i remember having to drive to freeport to take a shower.

also, topless donuts are real. i've never been though.

― bell_labs, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 21:57 (nineteen years ago)

i've had some weird times in vacationland, tubing in a lake on mushrooms and having a moose swim past, being in the woods in the same condition and having a bear walk past, driving up to old town in february with rte 95 being one lane (the outside half of the inside lane and the inside half of the outside lane) and doing about 10 360's when we skidded off the highway at our offramp sending us into the woods. the accidental b & e when we went to go crash at a friend's house and it turned out she'd moved away a month before. falling into that fucking pond.

i should stay the hell away from maine.

― chicago kevin, Tuesday, 27 February 2007 22:06 (nineteen years ago)

four months pass...

Maine.

Tell me of Boothbay, Pemaquid, Moosehead, Sebago, Rangeley.

― gabbneb, Thursday, 19 July 2007 23:00 (eighteen years ago)

Sebago=AWESOME. Cleanest body of water I have ever been in. Drool worthy.

Pemaquid=my old lady dragged me to this one foggy/drizzly afternoon. Lighthouse, lovely old rocks, crashing ocean=perfect. Sort of stereotypical "Maine" place, but worth it.

We're going in August for almost two weeks

I can't wait.

― Mr. Que, Thursday, 19 July 2007 23:05 (eighteen years ago)

(Haven't been to any of the other places. We're doing Mt. Desert Island this year.)

― Mr. Que, Thursday, 19 July 2007 23:06 (eighteen years ago)

hey, Pemaquid is an oyster, isn't it.

― gabbneb, Thursday, 19 July 2007 23:09 (eighteen years ago)

Rangeley

Years ago I was in Rangeley on the first winter day when the temperature went above 50 degrees F. People were walking around in t-shirts and shorts and eating ice cream. And in complete fulfillment of my Maine stereotype, the locals did say "AYUH." I spent awhile then wandering around the ME/NH/Canadian border area and I can't wait to go back and just sit in a boat on one of the lakes.

Don't forget to check out the Wilhelm Reich museum in Rangeley.

― Elvis Telecom, Thursday, 19 July 2007 23:19 (eighteen years ago)

Thanks

If you go to Acadia, do you really want to stay in Bar Harbor as opposed to another part of the island? Isn't it overrun by cruise ship people? I suppose the food is going to be there?

― gabbneb, Friday, 20 July 2007 01:08 (eighteen years ago)

FUCK MAINE. I FUCKING HATE FUCKING MAINE. RRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH

― andi, Friday, 20 July 2007 05:53 (eighteen years ago)

If you go to Acadia, do you really want to stay in Bar Harbor as opposed to another part of the island? Isn't it overrun by cruise ship people? I suppose the food is going to be there?

I'm married to a smartie pants. We're not staying anywhere near Bar Harbor.

― Mr. Que, Friday, 20 July 2007 13:58 (eighteen years ago)

one month passes...

Oquossoc - "aquasock" or more like "opossum"?

― gabbneb, Monday, 27 August 2007 18:32 (eighteen years ago)

two weeks pass...

Sebago=AWESOME. Cleanest body of water I have ever been in

yes, tho gabbneb has been in it now so all bets are off. also, we found an even awesome-er lake that shall remain nameless.

― gabbneb, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 02:15 (eighteen years ago)

YEAH I WENT IN THAT MESS TOO ITS ALLL FFFFED UPPPPP

― Mr. Que, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 02:19 (eighteen years ago)

I HAVE HAD ALL THE MOUNTAIN LAKES

― gabbneb, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 05:14 (eighteen years ago)

CAMDEN, ME is one of my most favoritist of the ME locales. Mr. Que has requsted that his ashes be scattered on the beach of OGUNQUIT, ME, which is also pretty, pretty, pretty nice.

― quincie, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 21:13 (eighteen years ago)

ogunquit is the new provincetown that's what i heard

― jergïns, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 21:16 (eighteen years ago)

the best beach in maine is popham beach.

― bell_labs, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 21:25 (eighteen years ago)

ogunquit is kinda ritzy-ditzy but very awesome.

― Mr. Que, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 21:26 (eighteen years ago)

Maybe I was in the wrong parts of Ogunquit, but it always seemed like boardwark/fair atmosphere to me. Lots of taffy pulls and air-brushed t-shirts.

― molly mummenschanz, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 21:28 (eighteen years ago)

OH NO YOU DIDNT

― Mr. Que, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 21:29 (eighteen years ago)

I love all these beaches. Maine in general, really.

― luna, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 21:29 (eighteen years ago)

ACADIA

― river wolf, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 21:29 (eighteen years ago)

old orchard beach when it's abandoned and snowy and you're drunk watching the tide come in at night is a great beach

― jergïns, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 21:29 (eighteen years ago)

(it is fairly crowded, but we went late in the season and found a quiet beach)

(gabbneb, I am making it my life's mission to find yr hidden mountain lake.)

ACADIA WAS AWESOME

― Mr. Que, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 21:30 (eighteen years ago)

i got got in a snowstorm on Katadhin in late September! Wearing shorts! Whoops!

― river wolf, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 21:30 (eighteen years ago)

rw at one point we were hiking in acadia and my wife was all, "river wolf would love this place" and i was all "LOLOLOLOLOL"

we're gonna try for Katadhin next summer, maybe

― Mr. Que, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 21:31 (eighteen years ago)

Nunan's Lobster Pot in Cape Porpoise may be one of my favorite restaurants EVER. The fear that the building will collapse while you eat your lobster just adds to the fun!

― molly mummenschanz, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 21:31 (eighteen years ago)

oh nice, Mr Que! i probably would have loved it!

guys, do a search for ACADIA on flickrs

― river wolf, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 21:32 (eighteen years ago)

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1077/1270824244_d7a0c91286.jpg?v=0

― Mr. Que, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 21:32 (eighteen years ago)

like why the fuck am i in chicago

― river wolf, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 21:33 (eighteen years ago)

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1167/1269962969_aa2c07a035.jpg?v=0

― Mr. Que, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 21:33 (eighteen years ago)

acadia is a treat. my ex-gf who went to COA had fun winter hiking stories

― jergïns, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 21:33 (eighteen years ago)

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1144/1270827254_c4bb7e5454.jpg?v=0

^^These were all taken by yrs truly

― Mr. Que, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 21:33 (eighteen years ago)

we got caught in ogunquit playhouse gay traffic jam because navigator gabbneb likes the skinny lines on the map

my hidden mountain lake is not actually so secret. it is named after a place in golden gate park.

Maybe I was in the wrong parts of Ogunquit, but it always seemed like boardwark/fair atmosphere to me.

the York Beach parts?

― gabbneb, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 21:35 (eighteen years ago)

that last one looks like fun!

― river wolf, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 21:35 (eighteen years ago)

yup. that's right.

it's been a while.

― molly mummenschanz, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 21:36 (eighteen years ago)

i have a secret waterfall i'm not telling anyone about

― bell_labs, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 21:36 (eighteen years ago)

the last one was BEEEHIIIIIIIVVVVVEEEEE aka Beehive

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1353/1269969939_29718f7e7b.jpg?v=0

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1254/1269968957_fb1b6aa6eb.jpg?v=0

Pond on the other side of Beehive^^

― Mr. Que, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 21:37 (eighteen years ago)

acadia is fucking beautiful... watching the sun rise on mt. cadillac or picknicking on schoodic point = ALL TIME CLASSICS

― max, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 21:50 (eighteen years ago)

we climbed this one

http://showcase.netins.net/web/nored/w/ss04/aer.jpg

― gabbneb, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 22:02 (eighteen years ago)

secret lake

http://gilmorecamps.com/images/main/misc_mtnnorth.JPG

― gabbneb, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 22:10 (eighteen years ago)

I love the phonetic characteristics of the Maine dialect.

― youn, Tuesday, 11 September 2007 23:46 (eighteen years ago)

FUCKING FUCK MAINE EEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

― andi, Wednesday, 12 September 2007 05:01 (eighteen years ago)

six months pass...

http://bangornews.com/news/t/aroostook.aspx?articleid=161983&zoneid=175

― gabbneb, Monday, 31 March 2008 21:29 (seventeen years ago)

one year passes...

Wait - the topless donut shop is real!!!???
Someone told me about this on New Year's Eve and the next morning I swore it was a mixed up drunken memory because I mean, c'mon, a topless donut shop?
That might just be the best thing ever.
― ENBB, Tuesday, February 27, 2007 4:48 PM (2 years ago) Bookmark

Cease to exist . . .

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/06/fire_destroys_t.html

― Chaki Demus & Pliers (ENBB), Wednesday, 3 June 2009 16:14 (sixteen years ago)

Oh I don't think that was the original topless donut joint. Phew.

― Chaki Demus & Pliers (ENBB), Wednesday, 3 June 2009 16:16 (sixteen years ago)

That was the topless coffee shop upstate. I think the one attached to the strip club might have closed a while back - haven't driven by for a while so can't confirm, but I used to hear it mentioned on their radio ads.

― EZ Snappin, Wednesday, 3 June 2009 17:21 (sixteen years ago)

two years pass...

Stephen King kinda should do something with this:

http://www.sunjournal.com/news/city/2011/10/25/police-use-dna-identify-body-found-storage-locker/1105967

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 25 October 2011 18:24 (fourteen years ago)

two years pass...

Ok so I love this state. It's fantastic.

― maybe/whatever/so what/boring (admrl), Friday, 11 July 2014 01:52 (eleven years ago)

it's a good state

― call all destroyer, Friday, 11 July 2014 02:15 (eleven years ago)

My week there was not enough.

― it's not rocker science (WilliamC), Friday, 11 July 2014 02:16 (eleven years ago)

My 11 years there were both enough and not enough. I miss a lot of things.

― EZ Snappin, Friday, 11 July 2014 03:25 (eleven years ago)

nine months pass...

i'm going to maine! renting a cottage with a piano and a bunch of drums in it! close to acadia! stooooooooked

― groundless round (La Lechera), Thursday, 16 April 2015 00:08 (ten years ago)

nice, pls enjoy maine

― call all destroyer, Thursday, 16 April 2015 16:56 (ten years ago)

acadia is just spectacular, have fun!

― marcos, Thursday, 16 April 2015 16:58 (ten years ago)

gonna have so much fun!! mr and i are celebrating his bday there and i am pretending it's my bday too.
pls tell me some other cool places to go/things to do/eat around the acadia/surry area?
also i'm going to need to do some grocery shopping -- is this going to be easy?

― groundless round (La Lechera), Thursday, 16 April 2015 17:48 (ten years ago)

No idea about Acadia, but if you're in Portland for more than a few hours, go to Strange Maine (book/record/??? store). You won't be disappointed.

― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 16 April 2015 17:56 (ten years ago)

eleven months pass...

should i go to ME

― 龜, Monday, 11 April 2016 17:33 (nine years ago)

of course

― call all destroyer, Monday, 11 April 2016 17:36 (nine years ago)

five years pass...

I am going for the first time, to help some friends restore a cabin on their property for a few days and then just hang out and do fun stuff for a few days. They live on Swan's Island, so we won't have a whole lot of time in the remainder of the state, but lord I am stoked. Longest trip away from Philadelphia since we got here in 2017, and first big trip since the cancer year of 2019.

― heyy nineteen, that's john belushi (the table is the table), Friday, 16 July 2021 16:27 (four years ago)

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