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Portland (Maine)Portland is Maine's biggest city and is the state's cultural and economic hub, attracting over three and a half million visitors each year. Originally a fishing and trading settlement, the town was destroyed three times over a hundred year period, and finally regained stability as a shipping port.
Unfortunately, over-zealous Independence Day celebrants managed to set fire to most of the city's commercial buildings, hundreds of houses and roughly half the city's churches in 1886, causing it to be rebuilt once again, this time in a Victorian style. Spectacular examples
of this architecture can be found in the mansions set along the famous Western Promenade.
Despite its tough beginning, Portland remains a beautiful city, ideally situated on a peninsula that juts out into Casco Bay, flanked by several small islands. Historic architecture blends with modern amenities and the city is a bustle of activity, making it one of the country's top cities to live in. Resplendent in natural beauty, Portland is highly popular in summer and visitors can enjoy boat rides; walks, shopping and dining at the Old Port historic waterfront; a visit to the Downtown Arts District or to the prominent Portland Head Light Lighthouse. The home of poet Henry Wadsworth-Longfellow is also well worth a visit, as is the Maine History Gallery, and for the kids, there is the Children's Museum of Maine.
Portland is a wonderful city to visit in its own right, with plenty of attractions, activities and sights for the visitor, and it is also a useful base from which to explore the rest of this beautiful state.
Getting Around: Portland is relatively easy to negotiate on foot, with plenty of attractions within walking distance of each other. The Old Port is worth exploring on foot, as is the Downtown Arts District. A car is worth hiring if exploring surrounding areas and parking is readily available within the city with free 'park and shop' options available at downtown parking garages. Tickets can be stamped for an hour's free parking at a number of downtown locations. The Portland Explorer Bus is another easy option, particularly for tourists. Operating from May to October, a ride is $2 (children under 12 ride free) and the bus connects major tourist attractions and several hotels.
Mount Desert IslandHome of the Acadia National Park, Mount Desert Island is a breathtaking place off the south east coast of Maine. The island is one of America's biggest, with a population of about 10,000. This population is swelled annually by roughly four million visitors who come to marvel at the rugged coastline, beautiful scenery and slow pace that have captivated people since the 1800s.
Evidence of Native American settlement on Mount Desert Island dating back roughly 5,000 years can be found in large shell heaps, though not much is known about the island's early history. Like the rest of Maine and surrounds, the island's European settlement was originally French, which was then later dominated by the English.
In the early 1800s, a group of writers and artists known as the 'rusticators' (due to their braving of the very basic accommodation and simple fare) began to put Mount Desert Island on the map, immortalising its lush forest, tall peaks (in particular Mount Cadillac) and its ocean scenery. Soon the island began to lure America's wealthiest families and the Rockefellers, Astors, Vanderbilts and the like soon set up ostentatious summer homes and a period of extravagance followed, tempered only by World War II. Fortunately, relaxation combined with conservation and many of these families enabled the protection of the island's flora and fauna by the creation of parks.
Today, Mount Desert Island is still a popular place to visit and offers plenty of activities such as hiking, fishing, watersports, horseriding and cycling; succulent Maine Lobster, and plenty of relaxation. Bar Harbor is a picturesque town, close to the Acadia National Park and worth a visit in its own right. Bar Island is accessible on foot from the pier at Bar Harbor, and the Shore Path showcases the island's spectacular scenery. When visiting Maine, an excursion to this island gem is an absolute must.
Getting Around: The Island Explorer fare-free shuttle operates late June to Columbus Day, stopping between various lodges and campgrounds on the island and in Acadia National Park. Visitors are required to purchase an entrance pass to the park.
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