Insights & Opinion about Maine travel from those who know

Getting about
Sailing
Schooners
Lighthouses
Food
News & Events
MaineSail Gear
Weather

Downeast
> Bar Harbor
> Blue Hill
> Castine
> Deer Isle
> Eggemoggin Reach
> Southwest Harbor
> Mt. Desert Island

Midcoast
> Camden
> Cushing
> Damariscotta
> Friendship
> Port Clyde
> Rockland
> Rockport
> Tenants Harbor
> Wiscasset

Islands
> Islesboro
> Matinicus
> Monhegan
> North Haven
> Swan's Island
> Vinalhaven

Southcoast
> Bath
> Boothbay Harbor
> Freeport
> Portland
> Wiscasset
> Yarmouth

Spring arrived late; June's rainy; July promises sun!
Spring arrived late this year, and it's been rainy along the Maine coast. But, when the sun comes out in July, it'll be beautiful. Indeed, even June's typical fog has a unique Maine charm. But, July is when summer really begins on the midcoast and downeast. Here's a stunning shot taken on the midcoast's Hatchet Cove in Friendship; it was captured just after a Canadian front passed through, making way for summer's arrival.



The National Weather Service predicts that summer 2009 will be one of the hotter's ones recently, which makes the cool coast of Maine even more attractive. While the prevailing winds in the winter are from the frigid NNW, summer brings cooling breezes from the Atlantic out of the SSE — great for sailing and escaping urban heat!

New, good gas news for this summer!
Relax, if you're planning a vacation and dreaming of the Maine coast!

“The big run-up in gasoline prices at the pump, 45 cents a gallon in the past month (May), may soon ease, many oil and gas analysts say,” according to USA Today. "Most of the increase has been taken."

The newspaper reports that the average per-galon price for regular gasoline nationwide was $2.50 recently. That's up 55% for the year and higher than expected for this summer, it is well below the $4-a-gallon of last summer.

Maine cops ready with speeding tickets

If you decide to drive in from the south, watch out for the State Police on I-95 and I-295. Recently, they’ve seemed to be especially aggressive on the Maine Turnpike and on the interstate stretch around Freeport.

The National Motorist Association ranks all 50 state from best to worst on their attitude about speeding. Low scores mean they rank high, and have a bad attitude about speeding. The six New England states are fairly aggressive, with Maine at about mid-way for the region, but in the top 30% nationwide.

Here's the breakdown: Massachusetts, 10; Vermont, 16; Maine, 17; Rhode Island, 22; New Hampshire, 24; and Connecticut, 32. MSN has a story on the highway ticketing tendencies of the police; click this link.

MaineSail offering Amazon gear
Responding to that percieved need, MaineSail has joined with Amazon.com to create MaineSail Gear, a selection of quality products -- from baby gear to the top guide books -- that can make travellers' Maine vacations more enjoyable [PS: Amazon has a Columbia "Cathedral Peak" — whatever that is! — vest on sale that we rally like and think is idea for Maine!]. Full Story.

Getting about in Maine demands patience
Locals say Maine has two seasons: Winter and Road Repair. They’re not kidding, and this makes travel on Maine's roads problematic. Full story

Time to set sail on the Maine coast
For a true Maine experience, there's hardly anything more exciting -- and relaxing -- than a multi-day sail onboard a wind-powered schooner. And the Penobscot Bay has a full dozen of these historic boats that offer trip durations ranging form a couple days to a full week.

The boats range from 46 to 132 feet in length on deck with cabin accommodations for six to 40 passengers. Smaller boats, such as the Mistress, don't necessarily have tighter accommodations than the larger vessels.

Mistress is the smallest in the multi-day fleet and takes only six passengers. By contrast, some of the boats in the 60-foot range take 20-or-so passengers. Read Schooners. MaineSail offers a narrative of a week's sail on Penobscot Bay so that you can learn from those who've been aboard a sailing schooner. Read Sailing.

First light, highest tide
Maine is the northern-most and eastern-most state in America. As such, it receives the nation's first -- and some say its best light. Through the years, artists (and tourists) seem to have agreed. See for yourself!

Frommer's dozen
Portland, Maine, squeaked into the top 12 in last year's [2007's] Top Travel Destinations. "Fantastic mix of culture and education" with several Gourmet hit restaurants." "Extreme weather," though,can make Maine travel challenging. Full story

Speedy Jaunt
The CAT is a high speed passenger and car ferry operating on two Maine travel routes:Portland - Yarmouth, NS, and Bar Harbor - Yarmouth. Carrying upto 775 passengers and 240 cars across the Gulf of Maine, the ship operates from May to October. In our opinion, The CAT is the best way to travel between Maine and Nova Scotia, and the most fun.

Stay in "The real Maine"
To get an authentic Maine experience, you should stay more than a few nights. When considering where you'll stay, include bed and breakfasts, inns, and InnSeason that will essentially allow you to live like a local. You can book a resort like InnSeasons Resorts with no more commitment than you would for a hotel. Try the InnSeasons Resorts for a stay in a traditional seaside town.