Maine is the largest of the New England states (as big as the other New England states combined) in the northeast corner of the United States with beautiful scenery. 80% of the state are forested (pine forests); therefore Maine is also called: Pine Tree State.
- Countryaah – Cities in Maine: List of all municipalities in the state of Maine, including cities and towns of Maine.
Maine has over 2,200 lakes with countless shores, over 5,000 rivers, and mountains and valleys. There are 63 lighthouses on Maine’s coasts alone, and the coastline is 5,500 miles. However, the coasts are mostly inaccessible because they are privately owned. Only 2% of the coasts are in public hands.
There are numerous islands in front of the coast. The largest of the islands is Mount Desert Island, on which Acadia National Park is located. The roads partly follow the coastline and offer interesting views. The tidal range of ebb and flow is higher in Maine than anywhere else in the United States; in Passamaquoddy Bay a height difference of 8.5 m is reached.
The capital Augusta has just under 20,000 residents, the largest city is Portland with over 65,000 residents. The coastal regions, which are populated in summer, are high tourist areas. The more you go inland, the closer you get to the wilderness.
Climate and Weather
The climate is maritime-warm temperate with partly heavy precipitation. The state is smog-free and is in season all year round. Summers are pleasant with an average of 21 to 32 degrees Celsius, even in the higher elevations. Winter also brings closed snow cover, but is not extremely cold, the average temperature is 5 degrees.
The Indian Summer can be experienced in the last week of September to the second week of October (from the north via west and central Maine to the coast and the south). Spring is an insider tip, as the summer holidays in the USA have not yet started.
Security
No particular security risks are known. As always in tourist strongholds, theft is a particular problem here. To traffic the form Elche (moose) a particular danger zone. The animals are numerous in Maine and almost blind. Every year, several motorists are killed in collisions with these generally good-natured animals. Moose are mostly active at dawn and dusk. In spring they lick the (grit) salt from the streets.
Shopping
- Freeport is the birthplace of factory outlet shopping. It all started with the casual wear manufacturer LL Bean (open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, still open today; www.llbean.com), now the whole of Main Street is a mall.
- The Outlet Mall in Kittery (SR 95, Exit 3) is considered one of the best in the USA, 120 stores over a mile.
- Taxes: The sales tax (sales tax) is 5.5%, the lodging tax (hotel tax) is 7%.
- Import regulations: The maximum number of imports allowed into the state of Maine is: 1 gallon of whiskey, 1 gallon of spirits (wine, liquor), 1 pack of beer
Main sights
Acadia NP
cliffs and lake landscapes offer an intense experience of nature. It is the National Park with the second largest number of visitors and the first national park in the eastern US. The park covers the bulk of Mount Desert Island and offers 273 km of trails for biking, hiking, and horseback riding.
The Park Loop Road leads past parts of the coastline, sandy beaches and coniferous forests and extends to the summit of Cadillac Mountain (at 466m the highest point on the island and the entire Atlantic coast, known for the panoramic view of the surrounding forest and water wilderness, especially beautiful at sunset). The Thunder Hole is a rock hole with thundering surf. The Carriage Roads are a network of 70 km of former horse-drawn carriage roads, now used as walking and cycling routes.
Maritime Museum & Shipyard, Bath
The history of the 200 year old Bath shipyard is presented as a museum (243 Washington St.).
Windjammer Cruises, Camden
Enjoy the freedom of the seas on a giant sailing ship.
Maine State Museum, Augusta
The history of Maine with interesting exhibits (State House Complex, State St. – Free admission, open daily, Mon – Fri 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sat 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Sun 1 p.m. – 4 p.m., Tel. 207-287- 2301)
Whale Watching, Bar Harbor
Observe humpback, fin and other whales as well as dolphins, porpoises, seals and puffins on boat tours. The port of Bar Harbor is the attraction of this place (otherwise there is nothing special dereres!), Which at the entrance to Acadia National Park is located. The tourist information can be found at the ferry terminal, otherwise the capital of the region has all the tourist facilities.
Portland
Portland is the liveliest of the cities in Maine (Casco Bay Peninsula). The main attractions are the Portland Museum of Art (7 Congress Sq., The largest art museum in Maine with works from the 18th century to the present day; here you can find works by John Singer Sargent, Rockwell Kent and Winslow Homer, as well as European Impressionism through to Surrealism with works by Degas, Monet, Renoir, Edgar Degas, Picasso, Munch and Magritte), the theater at the Portland Performing Arts Center and the Portland Symphony Orchestra. The surrounding area offers 160 km of nature and hiking trails, 11 public golf courses and 124 tennis courts. To ensure that your hiking gear is complete, we have a checklist for your hiking vacation in the USA created.
Baxter State Park
Baxter State Park is 137 km north of Bangor. The two highest mountains in the state of Maine can be found here. Baxter Peak is 1,605 m high, the summit of Mount Katahdin and the highest point in the state. It marks the end of the Apalachian Trail, which begins in Georgia and is 3,200 km long. State Road 159 runs through the park, but all other roads are unpaved.
Hotels, apartments and holiday homes
Hotels, apartments and vacation rentals in Maine can be found at www.booking.com.
Lobster stocks
Off the coast of the state of Maine, the number of lobster traps set up increased from 1.5 million to 2.7 million between 1982 and 1997, almost doubling it. The extinction of the lobster, feared by scientists, following the fate of cod, did not occur. On the contrary: in the same time the lobster population tripled. Apparently the lobsters have arranged themselves very well. They take out the bait that the lobster fishermen have put in the lobster traps, but they don’t get caught in the nets because they are still young and slim. In this way, the baits laid out as additional food even contribute to the population growth.
Lobsters are Maine’s most widely-drawn marine animal. When classic sea fish such as cod and halibut were overfished in the 1990s, fishermen turned to hunting for lobsters. The traps must be sunk in the sea with bait and pulled up again individually after a few days with a winch, but the lobster catch can be carried out near the – safe – coast.
Due to the growing lobster population, the officially prescribed lobster catches are being observed less and less by fishermen. The so-called Lobster Hatcheries, in which lobsters are bred, also contribute to this. While in nature, on average, only every fiftieth egg survives and grows into an adult lobster, the breeders have a yield of 50%. Only when the young lobsters are no longer threatened with cannibalism by conspecifics are they released from the breeding farms into the open sea. There the lobsters grow to sizes that are worth catching in five to seven years.
