Most of America's romantic nostalgia is reserved
for the Old West, but some should be held over for the Old East, Maine. Chances
are your preconceptions about Maine - visions of dense forest ending suddenly
as a jagged coastline drops into the sea - aren't far from the truth. Much
of Maine is defined by its coastline. Though it doesn't cover nearly as much
ground, Maine's coast is as long as California's. Much of it is rocky and
broken only by 71 lighthouses. And up North, by the state's border with Quebec,
timber companies still harvest Maine's tall pine woods. Because it's the least
densely populated state east of the Mississippi, Maine doesn't have the big
cities and superhighways to distract nature. Perhaps that's why so many Americans
come to know the state through its natural products: 99% of blueberries sold
in the U.S. are grown in Maine, and 90% of the lobsters eaten across the nation
are plucked from Maine's waters.
But as much as its delicious exports, the image
of Maine is what has sustained America's love affair with the state. Maine's
long history and salty local character have inspired a library's worth of
Stephen King horror. And if its rugged seascapes and clapboard B&Bs didn't
live up to expectations, tourism wouldn't be one of Maine's biggest industries.
Now that you're moving to Maine, there are a
couple things you'll want to keep in mind:
- Maine's population is 1,274,923. Seven out of eight Mainers (as Maine
residents are known) live in small towns.
- Maine is bigger than it looks. Just one of Maine's counties is bigger
than Connecticut and Rhode Island combined.
- Maine winters aren't easy. The fact that earmuffs, the snow plow and
the thermostat were all invented here should give you a clue how cold
it can get.
- The eastern most point of the United States is at West Quoddy Head.
- Maine boasts over 500,000 acres of state and national parkland.
- Maine is the only state that shares its border with only one other state.
- By law, any Mainer that keeps their Christmas decorations up past January
14th is subject to a fine.
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