MAGNIFICENT MAINE
By Paul Wade in Essentially America (2005)

OK, I admit it: I am biased. My honeymoon was spent in Maine, so mentions of the Pine Tree State always bring back happy memories. My wife and I stayed in a log cabin, set on one of the numerous fingers of granite that poke out into the clear water that laps the rocky coast. Since then, we have returned many times to explore the shoreline and the mountains, to munch lobster and corn on the cob baked in seaweed on the beach, sail on a windjammer and chug over to tiny islands where getting away from it all is guaranteed. No wonder car licence plates boast the motto 'Vacationland'.

Bigger than the other five New England states put together, Maine has a rugged vastness that takes many first-time visitors by surprise. The wilderness of the heavily-forested interior is as untouched as anywhere 'out West'. Then, there is the coastline. Longer than any other state's, it measures 228 miles as the crow flies, but 3,500 miles if you follow every wriggle and squiggle. Add in the islands, and the total approaches 5,000 miles. All this means that within half an hour of leaving their driveways, Maine's 1.25 million residents can be fishing or sailing, hiking or hunting. Even at home, they don't get in one another's way: only 230,000 people live in greater Portland, Maine's largest city.

America's easternmost state is all about seafaring. Its nickname, Downeast, comes from the sailors who sailed east and downwind from Boston to reach Maine. Moulded by landscape and climate, Mainers are rugged, independent and straightforward. In 1948, they elected Margaret Chase Smith to the US Senate, the first woman in the previously all-male institution. Locals still build boats and harvest the sea, log the forests and make paper; and they still welcome 'rusticators', as the tourists of 150 years ago were called.

No one seems quite sure why the state was named Maine. Originally part of Massachusetts, it was vital back in the 18th century when the 'King's pines' were chosen for the massive masts needed by the British navy. The only way to get deep into the forest was by river, the same rivers down which logs were floated out. Today, those rivers provide fine fishing and sedate canoeing, as well as the thrill of whitewater rafting.

First timers usually drive north along Maine's coast. Many stop in Kittery, just over the state line, where 120 outlet stores offer tempting savings of 20% to 70%. From here, sandy beaches in a string of resorts such as York Beach, Ogunquit and Wells provide perfect bucket-and-spade holidays. The Kennebunks, a trio of neighbouring villages, are best known nowadays as the long-time summer retreat of President Bush's family, while Old Orchard Beach offers all the fun of the fair. On Cape Elizabeth stands the Portland Head Light, a favourite of photographers and, most famously, painter Edward Hopper. One of over 60 lighthouses providing Kodak moments along the Maine coast, this is the oldest, built on George Washington's orders back in 1791.

Set on Casco Bay, Portland is one of New England's most successful renaissance cities. With restaurants, pubs and one-of-a-kind shops, it now offers much more than poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's home, the lively Children's Museum and the grand Museum of Art. A self-confessed foodie, I always head for the modern Public Market, with its focus on all things local: beer and fruit, bread and cheese. Over the past 30 years, the Old Port Festival in June has grown into the state's biggest excuse for a party. The port itself is a jumping-off point to Casco Bay's islands. Residents commute by ferry to school and to work; we go the other way, hopping on and off to explore islands with intriguing names such as Little Diamond and Chebeague.

Having seen Portland, it's decision time: to stay by the sea or to drive inland. Take Route 26 into the hinterland and I guarantee surprises all along the way. Sabbathday Lake has been home to a Shaker community since 1783. Only half a dozen of this sect survive, but a visit to the 1794 Shaker Meeting House is a must. Drive on past Poland Spring, source of the bottled water served in so many New England restaurants, and take the side road to Paris, a surprisingly posh community set on a hill. Pop into the library, once the Old Stone Jail, and ask about the fat prisoner who failed to escape.

Now you are in the rolling Oxford Hills, known worldwide for their gems and minerals, much sought after by 'rockhounds', who hunt for topaz, beryl and tourmaline. It's easier to buy them ready polished at Perham's, collectors and sellers of gems and semi-precious stones at Trap Corner since 1919. The road climbs steadily to Bethel, one of Maine's prettiest villages, complete with tree-lined village green and only a few minutes from Sunday River, a four-season resort that is growing in popularity with British skiers. Continue on up to Rangeley, the land of lakes. With over 100 from which to choose, there's always plenty of room for canoeing and kayaking. And for spying on birdlife, from loons and pileated woodpeckers to bald eagles.

If you opt for the coastal route, follow I-295; 10 minutes from Portland, you can't miss Eartha. At 41 feet in diameter, the world's biggest rotating globe marks the headquarters of mapmakers DeLorme in Yarmouth. A few minutes further on is a store with no locks on the door. Yup, that's the boast at LL Bean, the iconic outdoor clothing and gear shop founded in 1912. Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, this is at the heart of Freeport, yet another shopping magnet, this time with 170 outlets, designer shops and restaurants.

Trees are everywhere in Maine, and locals say that the New World's first wooden boat was built in Popham, on the Kennebec River, back in 1607. The Virginia, a 30-ton pinnace, was sturdy enough to sail the Atlantic and was the forerunner of a Maine tradition that thrives today. Learn all about it at the fine Maine Maritime Museum, overlooking the Kennebec in Bath, just south of the historic Bath Iron Works where shipbuilding is still a major trade.

Bath is on Route 1, the scenic coastal road that leads to photogenic towns: Wiscasset, Damariscotta, Newcastle and Rockport. Two of my favourites are gritty Rockland and pretty-as-a-picture Camden. As the self-styled Lobster Capital of the World, Rockland is known for two things: its annual lobster festival and its collection of paintings by three generations of the Wyeth family at the Farnsworth Art Museum. Camden is guarded by Mount Battie and overlooks Penobscot Bay. Those 'from away' that have fallen for its charms and moved here include crafts people, sailors and folks who fancied running a bed-and-breakfast inn. Every other house seems to be a B&B, from grand old Victorian homes to cosy cottages. The temptation is to stop here and go no further, but Camden is only halfway up this glorious coastline. The further you go, the fewer the people and the more distracting the panoramas. But keep your eyes on the road: this is where moose thrive. Weighing in at 1,500 pounds, the official state animal is usually more resilient than your hire car.

Another way to explore Maine is to fly in to Bangor. The town is home to best-selling horror author Stephen King, whose house has spidery wrought iron gates. As staff at Betts, the local bookshop, will tell you, many of his spine-chilling novels draw on local landmarks. From Bangor, it is only an hour and a half to one of Maine's primary attractions: Acadia National Park. With over 47,000 acres, the park encompasses about half of Mt Desert Island (pronounced like dessert), and its granite mountains, clear lakes and rocky shoreline have attracted holidaymakers ever since those rusticators of the mid-19th century. Follow the 27-mile Park Loop scenic drive, or walk, pedal or ride a horse along the 57 miles of car-free carriage roads. Stay in buzzy Bar Harbor or quieter Southwest Harbor; get around on the free Island Explorer shuttle bus; and take afternoon tea at Jordan Pond House, where the popovers - not scones - are the speciality.

Maine is so vast that we have yet to explore every corner. Friends insist that we hike in unspoiled Baxter State Park, twice the size of the Isle of Wight and spiked by magnificent, mile-high Mount Katahdin. My canoeist brother-in-law recommends paddling the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. My mate Barry raves about Eastport on Moose Island in Passamaquoddy Bay, on the US-Canada border, where the tides rise and fall a massive 26 feet each day. All great ideas; but I might just sit on top of Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park and watch the sun rise. It's the first place in the USA that the sun strikes each morning.

MAINE IN BRIEF
Size: 33,215 square miles (39th largest)
Population: 1,275,000
State capital: Augusta
Largest city: Portland
Nickname: The Pine Tree State
Date of statehood: 1820 (23rd)
Time: 5 hours behind the UK
Climate: Hot summers, cold, snowy winters, short spring, long fall/autumn

TRAVEL NOTES
For 3 to 6-days aboard a windjammer (like a schooner), check out the Maine Windjammer Association. To see how a lobsterman works, join Captain Tom Martin for a lobster cruise from Portland Harbor. Or, take the new sightseeing train along the coast from Brunswick to Rockland.

Accommodation: whether you want to stay by the sea, in the mountains or on a lake, all the popular hotel associations are well-represented, such as Best Western. Maine has a huge choice of fine B&Bs and small inns, such as The Danforth in Portland, a spacious 1823 house a short walk from the Old Port (tel: 001 (207) 879 8755). Stay on a lake or by the sea at a resort, such as The Inn by the Sea, two steps from sandy Crescent Beach on Cape Elizabeth (tel: (207) 799 3134). Between Rockport and Camden is Samoset Resort, overlooking the sea on 230 acres, including a championship 18-hole golf course (tel: 001 (207) 594 2511).

Further information, Maine's official website is www.visitmaine.com.