Top Ten Reasons to Go to Maine

Perched in the northeastern corner of America, Maine is a wild and woolly land of cliff-lined coasts, quiet forest roads, and beyond-charming fishing villages.

With a rugged maritime culture rooted in its immense natural beauty, Maine’s fresh-air appeal is unlike any other place in America. Look far into the deep-green backwoods and out over the waters of Penobscot Bay to discover a vacation destination that soothes your soul. I lived in Maine for three winters and found a million reasons to love it – but here are ten of my favorites.

Why Travel to Maine?

To eat lobster on the beach along with clams and corn, all steamed next to the ocean under a bed of seaweed, followed by a jump in the cold Atlantic to wash yourself off.

To sail on a traditional wooden schooner up the coast and jam the wind with a crew of salty sailors – or maybe even become one yourself.

To ride the mountain at the Camden Snow Bowl, the only ski resort in the world with a panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean. It hosts the National Toboggan Championships in February of each year.

To indulge in blueberry season with fresh pies, tarts, and pancakes – all served with Grade A maple syrup, of course. More about the chocolate than the fruit? Try a classic New England Whoopie Pie, a chocolate cake sandwich with oodles of white cream in the middle.

To go ice fishing. While sitting out on a frozen lake staring at a hole in the ice waiting for fish may seem a little boring, add a wood-fired sauna on shore and a glass of coffee brandy and milk (the unofficial Maine State Drink) and you will understand this New England obsession.

To tie a sled to the back of a snow mobile by a long rope and get your friends to pull you around. NOT recommended after indulging in the Maine State Drink.

To walk in a field of lupines, tall elegant flowers which dot the countryside in spring in a palette of purple, pink, white, yellow and fuchsia. Visiting in autumn? The bright red leaves of the sugar maple trees will blow your mind.

To truly understand the need for gloves, hats and scarves which are not accessories in Maine, but necessities (during the six-month snow season, anyway).

To share your days with the wildlife: sea lions who pop into bays at low tide, families of foxes playing in your backyard, bright birds of all colors, and the regal moose, lumbering through the backwoods of Maine and into your heart.

To breathe in the smell of the sea and the firmament of the forest, letting the raw salty air and deep piney green soak into your body and become part of your person.

While traveling feels far away now, we will be able to travel eventually. So while you’re still hunkered down, you can dream of Maine and plan one heck of a vacation!

Raised in the Fort Worth area, Shilo Urban moved to Austin, Maine, Paris, Seattle, New Zealand, and Los Angeles before finding her way home a few years ago. Along the way, she has had over three dozen different jobs, including high school French teacher, record label manager, and farmhand for endangered livestock breeds. She’s traveled to more than 50 countries and always has the next trip planned. Shilo has been a freelance writer for over a decade and has published in Fort Worth Magazine, Fort Worth Weekly, and Afar. Her interests include lost civilizations, jalapeño peppers, and Game of Thrones. She is currently writing a thriller and lives in Fort Worth with the stars of this article, Steve and Lenny.