Maine

Did you know...

• Maine is the only state in the United States whose name has one syllable
• Maine is the only state that shares its border with only one other state
• Approximately 40 millions pounds (nearly 90%) of the lobster supply in the USA is caught off the coast of Maine
• Maine produces 99% of all the blueberries in the country

And finally my favourite:

• 90% of the country's toothpick supply is produced in Maine

Where would the USA be without Maine! Probably irritated with all that food stuck between their teeth and no way of extracting it!

We love the National Parks and within Maine is the second most popular National Park: Acadia. Billed as "Rocky coast at the wild sea", it looks very different from the other National Parks we are seeing on our trip. Pictures definitely explain why and are far better than any words I could pull together:

NB: Images stolen from the National Park Website

The plan:

State:	Maine
Towns of Interest: (FB) = Firebreak	Portlands Brunswick
National Parks:	Acadia National Park
State Parks of Interest:	Grafton Notch State Park Camden Hills State Park
Places of Interest: (N) = Night Stay	Grafton Notch State Park (N) (Route 26) Screw Auger Falls (a walking path from Route 26 leads to this 23-foot waterfall lying in a narrow gorge along the Bear River. Many visitors enjoy wading in the shallow pools) Mother Walker Falls (V-shaped gorge, named for a long-time local resident, is more than 40 feet and 980 feet long. It's a short walk from Route 26) Moose Cave (in this 200-foot-long gorge, lying within a 45-foot-deep canyon in the bedrock, water skirts boulders and disappears temporarily into a cave beneath a huge granite slab. The loop trail to Moose Cave, off Route 26, is a quarter-mile long with some narrow spots and steep slopes) Spruce Meadow Picnic Area (lying in the park's northern portion, this picturesque setting offers tables (with grills) overlooking a wildlife-rich marsh and Old Speck Mountain) The Height of Land (One of the most picturesque places in Maine - go for the view) Acadia National Park (Nx2) Hulls Cove Visitor Center Cadillac Mountain Park Loop Road Seal Harbor Northeast Harbor Somes Sound Southwest Harbor Bass Harbor Head Pretty Marsh Penobscot Narrows Observatory (worlds tallest public bridge observatory) Camden Hills State Park Pemaquid Point Lighthouse Brunswick Portland Commercial Street The Portland Observatory Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. and Museum Allagash Brewing Company Tours Portland Discovery Land and Sea Tours Odyssey Whale Watch Eartha - the world’s largest globe Fort Williams Park Portland Head Lighthouse
Routes of Interest:	Route 1 (Coast Road) Route 26 (Through middle of Grafton Notch State Park)
Where to Stay:	Grafton Notch Camping in Grafton Notch State Park ($25) Acadia Camping in the National Park - must book in advance ($30) Portland Holiday Inn Portland-By The Bay ($80) Inn at St John ($57) Super 8 Portland/Westbrook Area - out of city ($48)
Useful Links:	http://www.maine.gov/dacf/parksearch/PropertyGuides/PDF_GUIDE/graftonmahoosucguide.pdf