“Maine is a joy in the summer.
But the soul of Maine is more
apparent in the winter.”
~ Paul Theroux ~
Ogunquit, ME 2025
Repeat after me, “There’s no place like Maine… There’s no place like Maine… There’s no place like Maine.” Okay, there’s no Dorothy, Toto or ruby slippers in this story, but the great State of Maine does play a leading role.
I’ve been to the 23rd state in the union several times in my lifetime. But, its been a NY minute as the kids would say. Since Covid drew a distinct line in the sand in 2020, vacations are now remembered as before or after Covid? My last holiday in Maine definitely falls into the before category (circa 2015).
Previous trips included camping, glamping and hotels: they conjure up a potpourri of fond memories that have been saved to the physical and mental hard drive(s). We traveled to Acadia National Park, Boothbay Harbor, Kennebunkport and even made a stop at L.L. Bean. Truth be told, having spent a lot of my youth in Vermont, the visit to the L.L. Bean flagship store in Freeport was a spiritual journey, a holy pilgrimage, a right of passage all rolled into one. Angels sang as I walked into the mecca and life has never been the same.
Our 2025 excursion wouldn’t be as spiritual, but would focus on on the charming seaside village of Ogunquit. The quant town located on the Southern Coast of Maine would prove a gracias host with a plethora of cafes, antique shops, restaurants and three (3) miles of pristine, soft, white sand beach.
The Pine Tree State is a place of majestic beauty and captures the rustic, old school feel of New England. It’s a land of extremes; vast pine forests and mountains on the western landscape and rocky, granite coastlines on the eastern border.
Ocean of Blue - Main Beach, Ogunquit, ME 2025
Before we get too far along… a few facts about Maine:
It’s the largest state in New England with 35,380 square miles.
It’s bigger than all the other New England states combined (Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island & Connecticut).
L.L. Bean has its flagship store in Freeport, ME. It’s open 24/7, 365 days per year. Outdoor adventure never sleeps!
Maine has 3,478 miles of coastline if you include the bays, coves and inlets. This is longer than the coastline of California.
It’s the Moose capital of the lower 48 states with an estimated population of 75,000.
Maine is home to 65 historical lighthouses. The oldest is the Portland Head Lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth (1791) while one of the most photographed lighthouses in the world is the Cape Neddick Lighthouse (often called Nubble Light) located in York.
The slogan “Vacationland” can be seen on license plates and was first used in 1936 as a depression-era campaign to promote tourism.
