When I talk to people about Maine, it's usually about all the things you can do here. Shop, eat, hike, bike, relax, swim, boat, and we'll do our best to accommodate whatever else you can think of. But like everywhere in the world, there are truths and fallacies. I have compiled a listing of some common misconceptions about Maine and the realities that real Mainers know.
True: there are moose in Maine
False: moose are everywhere
No, moose are not running rampant throughout the state. We don’t all have them wandering into the
backyard barbeque or holding up traffic downtown. Yes, there are moose here. In fact, in some places, like Moosehead Lake (hence the name) and in the Katahdin region and in the space between like the 100 mile wilderness, they say moose
outnumber people. I live in the city,
albeit a small city, but in my daily travels here I don’t encounter moose. When I was growing up in southern Maine, there was a
family legend about a moose trotting up into the yard one morning, very early,
and peeking in the windows. There was
also a story about a moose on the golf course in Bangor during a tournament, but I’m not very
clear on that one.
If seeing a moose is on your bucket list and one of the goals of your visit to Maine is to cross that one off, you will want to be certain that you will see a moose. I suggest that you contact one of the great outfits that offer moose safaris or moose photo tours. Here's a couple to get you started: Moose Photo Tours or Maine Moose Safari. Google "moose tours" or visit the websites for the Moosehead Lake Chamber of Commerce or the Katahdin Area Chamber of Commerce.
True: you can visit the beautiful beaches of York
and Ogunquit and you can have a great lunch in Boothbay
Harbor overlooking it all and you can
go on a whale watch from Bar Harbor.
False: you can do that in one day
I read the reviews and forums on TripAdvisor.com and on
Frommer’s to name a couple and I’m astounded at what people think they can
accomplish in one 24 hour period in Maine. People seem to believe that they can just
“hop” off the interstate and “pop” into Boothbay Harbor
for a quick bite. That “hop” can take
hours in the summer, with traffic backed up for miles and the “pop” can mean
some time waiting for a table or finding a parking space. I’m not trying to discourage visitors – just
trying to manage expectations. Maine may be a place you
can get away from it all in spirit but many parts of the state are just as busy
as urban areas around the country. Just
be realistic about it and have a good, relaxed time. You can leave your uptight suit at home. Know we’ve got traffic and waiting for a
table at a good restaurant just like you have at home. Also know that most people here will wave you
into that traffic and that the restaurant you’re going to eat at has seafood that
was caught this morning. The people are what makes the difference here.
True: you can eat lobster and blueberry pie every
day of your Maine
vacation
False: don’t bother coming if you’re not into
lobster or blueberry pie
Maine
is carefully crafting a culture of culinary excellence. Back in the late 90’s Bon Appetit magazine
declared that Portland, Maine
had more restaurants per capita than any other city in the US. Since then, the food scene here has just
exploded in a great way. The farm to
table movement is big here, as is the boat to table concept. Every season offers something fresh and delicious.
The Maine Restaurant Association's website can give you listings of where you can eat in the part of Maine you are visiting. They have a great new app that you can use while you're here to make decisions, make reservations, and make your trip mouthwateringly awesome.
True – you can drive 75 miles per
hour in Maine
False – that starts at the border
There’s a
show that I’ve attended in my role as marketing person for our tourism region.
It’s called the Big E or the Eastern States Exhibition. It is held each year in
West Springfield MA and goes on for 17 days. Each of the New
England states has their own building on the Avenue of States. My
organization, The Maine Highlands, was, of course, in the Maine building. I’m telling you this because
it ties in with my true/false above. Dozens of people came up to the map we had
displayed and asked “Where is it you can drive 75 miles per hour?” said with a
dreamy, I’ve-got-to-do-that voice. When I explain that the 75 MPH area begins
just north of Old Town and I point to where that is – about 3 ½ hours after you
cross the border on 95 from NH, they get either a depressed droop of the
shoulders or a determined I’m-gonna-go-there-someday look.
The speed limit was raised last September. The interstate is pretty darn straight and other than trees and the occasional deer or moose (see above) and the other drivers, there's a pretty clear path. Here's some info about it from the Bangor Daily News. The increased speed zone begins in Old Town and ends at the Canadian border in Houlton.
True – you can visit up and down
the coast’s quaint little harbors & coves
False – you can just meander along the coast, weaving in and out of the villages, snapping iconic photos along the way
Maine has 3500 miles of coastline. Do
you realize how many “meanders” that is? A LOT!
And if something looks like it’s only this far on the map, take into
consideration the things I mentioned above, like traffic, and then factor in
getting stuck behind a tractor or someone else looking for quaint harbors and
plan to see a few in a day. If you actually get out of your car you might enjoy
the experience more. Many times has the traveler laden with luggage poked a
camera covered eye out of the passenger side window, snapped a photo for their
“Maine” scrapbook, and drove off in a spew of dust and rock, anxious to get to
the next place. There is a better connection waiting for you if you get out and
walk around a bit. Check out the lobster boats and the general store. We’re a
friendly lot. You might find something more interesting to take a photo of
beyond the typical boats-in-the-harbor (although this is a very popular image,
I must admit) scene. Smell the harbor . . . BE the harbor . . ok, I’m kidding
there, but really, if you want a Maine
experience, get out of the damn car!
True – Mainers have an accent
False – ALL Mainers have an accent
Some do,
of course, have that Maine
accent that is noted on the bumper stickers about not getting there from here.
There are some people who personify the “Mainer” you see in commercials and movies. What you’ll find more than
the stereotype is that most of us are like most of you. We like to have fun. We
love our kids. We enjoy good food. We want to find some larger role to play in
the world. Some of us have French accents from the large influence of French Canadian heritage. Some speak more than one language and those other languages
can be Spanish or Sudanese. Or Arabic or Swedish. Just like the rest of the country, we're a mixed bunch of people, some born here and some "from away" who have made the choice to live here.
The Maine accent is a real thing, but don't expect it from the first person you meet when you come to Maine. You're just as likely to meet someone whose path had led them there as you are to meet someone whose feet first hit the ground here. For a few years, I worked in an office at the University of Maine in Orono where out of twelve of us, there were only four of us that were born Mainers. That's only a third. Everyone else had come here for other reasons. One moved with her family from New Orleans when she was in middle school, the daughter of faculty. Another moved here from Rhode Island when her husband's parents were ailing. Someone else moved from Austin TX to Boston for his education then married a woman who became an economics professor. My point is that you just never know where we are from originally and what brought us here to Maine. But you can ask. And we'll tell you. And you might find that we have more in common than you originally thought.
Maine Tourism statistics show that 80% of the people who visit Maine the first time come back. My guess is that they find so much to do, they end up making a list of what to do on their next trip. Those choices are solidified by the great experiences they have with the people here.
So just come to Maine and see for yourself what we're all about. Visit anytime.
Some websites to help you out:
VisitMaine.com
The Maine Highlands
Visit Bangor Maine
The Maine Beaches
Maine Camping Guide
Send me your comments and your Maine "truisms". I'll make it part of my Part 2 of this series about the real Maine.
