USA Guide
New England
Maine
Celebrated as "the way life should be," spectacular Maine lives up to its laurels. As large as the other five New England states combined, Maine has barely the population of Rhode Island. In theory, therefore, there's plenty of room for its exuberant influx of summer visitors; in practice, the majority of these head for the extravagantly corrugated coast. You only really begin to appreciate the size and space of the state, however, farther north or inland, where vast tracts of mountainous forest are dotted with lakes and barely pierced by roads – more like the Alaskan interior than the RV-cluttered roads of the Vermont and New Hampshire mountains. This region is ideal territory for hiking and canoeing (and spotting moose), particularly in Baxter State Park, home to the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail.
Maine's climate is famously harsh. In winter, the state gets quite snowy and the landscape is marked by snowshoes, buzzing snowmobiles, and the peaceful criss-crossing of skis. Officially, summer is spread between two long weekends: Memorial Day, (the last Monday in May) and Labor Day (the first Mon in September). This is Maine's most popular season, and heralded by sweet corn and lively lobster shacks; its end is marked by tasty wild blueberry crops – ninety percent of the nation's harvest comes from Maine – and the cheery blue berries show up in everything from pies to pancakes to chicken dishes. Brilliant fall colours begin to spread from the north in late September – when, unlike elsewhere in New England, off-season prices apply – and the frosty sweater weather is great for apple picking, leef peeping, or simply curling up with a blanket and a book.