Go to Maine

In Author Stephen King’s 2005 commencement address at the University of Maine, he urges graduates to “Stay in Maine. Stay in Maine. Stay in Maine.”

After visiting Maine in August of this continuing COVID year, I am urging everyone to “Go to Maine. Go to Maine. Go to Maine.”

What a remarkable, beautiful, wild place. From dense forests to a rocky coastline to a great food scene to friendly people, Maine is a welcoming place. I can hardly wait to go back.

When my husband (Al) and I do return to Maine, we will return to Portland. We will stay at The Chadwick Bed & Breakfast, where we know Innkeeper Erin Abraham will be glad to see us (and we know her breakfasts will be delicious). We will walk along Congress Street and veer right so we can get to the harbor. We’ll eat at Boone’s or the High Roller Lobster Company. We’ll grab a cup of coffee and a pastry at Tandem, a converted garage, or we’ll pick up donuts (improbably made from potato) from Holy Donut. We’ll drive about 15 minutes to get to the Light House State Park and will hike for hours. We might even be lucky enough to get concert tickets to the lovely outdoor venue at Thompson’s Point.

On a slow day (but only in the “shoulder season”...after mid-October, we’ll drive about 3 hours to Acadia National Park (waiting until a little later in the year will ensure a thinning of all the other tourists who are clamoring to fill up hiking trails and rocky shoreline). We’ll avoid Bar Harbor (charming but slammed with people) and will opt for the equally charming and less busy Camden, where we will wander up to the top of Mount Battie.

We will go back and back and back to Maine. See you there...