The Pine Tree State offers plenty of restaurant options for hungry residents and visitors. Read our picks for the best food & dining in Maine. BEST SALADS FRANKIE & JOHNNY’S, Cape Neddick Chef John Shaw creates vibrant, internationally seasoned fare, including options for vegans and vegetarians. His huge ultrafresh salads are works of art and […]
bar harbor
Though I don’t get to the University of Maine Museum of Art, two hours north of me in downtown Bangor, very often, I have never been disappointed when I have. The Alan Bray exhibition I saw there last fall was the best solo show I saw all year and the I-95 Triennial 2013 (through June […]
Here are Richard F. Wright’s picks for the best used bookshops in New England. Let us know your favorite in the comments at the bottom of the page. BEST USED BOOKSTORES IN NEW ENGLAND The Montague Bookmill This shop fulfills the true definition of “destination” bookstore. After 25 years, visitors still commit to traveling to […]
Saving the rural New England bookstore is more than a pastime for Richard F. Wright; it’s a passion that drives him to visit, patronize, and write about local independent bookshops selling used and rare volumes. Here are his ten honorable mentions. To see his five favorite venues, visit Best Used Bookstores in New England. Big […]
New England
Slide Show: Country Roads in New England
Follow one of New England’s country roads and you’re likely to discover a world alive with color and charm — especially during foliage season. Our talented readers have bumped their way along many a back road to bring you this slide show of the roads that wind through New England’s landscape.
BEST GARDEN DOUBLE-HEADER Asticou & Thuya Gardens, Northeast Harbor On Mount Desert Island, it’s easy to pair Asticou, a 2.3-acre space famed for its Japanese sand garden, stone lanterns, azaleas, and waterlilies, with nearby Thuya, which blends semiformal English beds with woodland plantings. Asticou, Route 198; Thuya, Route 3. 207-276-3727; gardenpreserve.org BEST CRUISE INTO HISTORY […]
BEST WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE TRAIl Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, Wells The mile-long gravel Carson Trail loops through the reserve, passing tidal creeks, salt pans, and salt marshes, and providing excellent vistas for birdwatching. Interpretive signs explain sights. 321 Port Road (Route 9). 207-646-9226; fws.gov/northeast/rachelcarson/ BEST VICTORIANA IMMERSION Victoria Mansion, Portland First-time visitors’ jaws often drop upon […]
How To
Crafts | Make a May Basket
When I was a child growing up in Maine, my grandparents came to our house each and every May Day with little baskets filled to the brim with candies, animal cookies and popcorn. These vibrant baskets were decorated with frilled papers and tissue flowers and were a delight to look at, even after the contents […]
“If you don’t like the weather in New England, just wait a few minutes.” The quote, originally attributed to Mark Twain, has been re-uttered by many and adapted to represent everywhere, but this weekend, the original intent rang ever true. A storm system over the far north continued to swing bands of clouds over […]
New England
Best 18th-Century Inns: 7 Runners-Up
When you travel many hundreds of miles in search of the best old inns in New England, it’s hard to narrow the list down to only ten. Here’s our list of the seven runners-up. Blue Skye Farm Waldoboro, Maine In this gem of a house, the two-story central stairwell is patterned in a green-and-red pineapple […]
Has there EVER been a Columbus Day weekend in New England that nice? A full weekend of warm days, cool nights, fair breezes and endless sunshine was exactly what many parts of the region needed as the recovery from Irene continues. People were everywhere, enjoying the annual color display in numbers like I’d not seen in […]
In the summer of 2009, a violent incident between lobstermen on the remote Matinicus Island in Maine would change the close-knit community forever.