By Erica Chung
Known for the distinct charm of its small coastal towns, Maine still offers the curious traveler the same profound simplicity that E. B. White found so beguiling about his saltwater farm in North Brooklin. Though each of Maine's coastal towns is said to have its own unique character, all of them share in the stark beauty of Maine's landscape and the unique saltwater culture that has made Maine the American hub of shipbuilding and lobster fishing today.
The coast of Maine can be divided into roughly four parts: the Southern Coast (closest to New Hampshire and the rest of the continental US), the Portland area, the Mid Coast, and Down East, which refers to the part of Maine closest to Canada. Down East also officially includes the Acadia region of the state, but due to Acadia's high tourism and cultural relevance, many guidebooks refer to it as an altogether separate area. Throughout the coast, one can indulge in boating tours, hiking, golfing, and water sports, and lobster pounds tend to be too numerous to count.
The Southern Coast's primary three towns are Kitterly, Ogunquit, and Kennebunkport. All three towns tend to be annual summer retreats for well-heeled (and often famous) New Englanders, with Ogunquit being the most firmly established as a resort town out of the three. A little further north lies Portland, Maine's largest city. Stop by Cape Elizabeth on the way to the city to visit Maine's oldest and most photographed lighthouse, Portland Head Light, built in 1791. The collection at Portland's Museum of Art ought to satisfy any art lover, and even the most casual shopper should take some time to wander through the Old Port and Congress Street to see some of the more interesting wares being sold there. While it may lack the provincial charm of a smaller village, Portland offers a myriad of shopping and dining experiences, and travelers often stop in town to purchase any forgotten items.
Of the towns dotting Maine's Mid Coast, Camden and Rockland are probably the best known. Visit the Farnsworth Museum in Rockland for its collection of Wyeth paintings, and hop on a windjammer tour in Camden to experience the beautiful Maine seascape up close.
The Maine that E. B. White loved and knew was the Maine of the Acadia region. The Whites lived in the Blue Hill Peninsula of Acadia, one of the meccas of cultural activity in Maine. Although the White's handsome old Colonial in Brooklin is no longer open to the public, the tourist can engage in many of the same activities White did in the same and neighboring towns. Just next to the White's old home is the headquarters of WoodenBoat magazine, which offers one or two week classes in shipbuilding, navigation, and marine carving, just to name a few. Anyone in the market for a new or used yacht can stop by the Brooklin Boatyard, founded by E. B.
White's son, Joel White in 1960 and currently operated by Steve White, Joel's son. For the more gastronomically inclined, the Sow's Ear Winery in Brooksville specializes in 3 varieties of English hard cider and in sulfite-free blueberry, wildberry, and rhubarb wines. Fresh Maine blueberries can be found at most street stands and farmers markets throughout the state from late July to early September, and are thought to be the best in the country.
The true reason for Acadia's popularity with tourists is Acadia National Park, Maines only national park and well worth the visit. The park offers spectacular views and hiking trails for the novice and the professional, but one can also take a one or two hour carriage ride instead. Afternoon tea is served at Jordan's Pond House, and, just as White relaxed with his family over dinner at a lakeside cabin in Once More to the Lake, travelers can enjoy popovers over tea with the deep nostalgia that only a freshwater lake in a saltwater country can bring. In the quietude of the Maine woods, with hot tea warming ones hands as the evening arrives, it is easy to sense the same calming magic that spirited White out of his New York City apartment and onto his beloved saltwater farm.
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