Down East & Acadia
The Sunrise Coast
The Down East area of Maine is one of the most beautiful areas of the state and the country. Consisting of Hancock and Washington Counties, this area is home to Acadia National Park as well as dozens of other top tourist destinations.
The resort town of Bar Harbor (year-round population about 5,128) and extraordinarily popular Acadia National Park are the best-known features of Hancock County — between them the pair see more than three million visitors a year.
The easternmost county in the nation, Washington is nicknamed the “Sunrise County” because many argue that the sun hits here first as it wakes up the United States. A trip through this part of Maine reveals rocky and sandy beaches, dramatic oceanside cliffs, the highest tides in the country, and acres and acres of windswept blueberry barrens.
Little River Lighthouse
Timothy Harrison, director of Friends of Little River Lighthouse in Cutler, recently took Down East senior writer Virginia M. Wright on a tour of the lighthouse and keeper's house. In this video, he talks about saving the lighthouse, which was slated for demolition several years ago. The lighthouse keeper's house offers the only guest lodging in the town of Cutler. Friends of Little River Lighthouse is a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation. For more information, visit www.littleriverlight.org.
Crafted with Care
The Haystack Mountain School of Crafts not only produces incredible artisans and artists, it is an ever-evolving, artistic creation itself.
Lubec
Down East Senior Writer Virginia M. Wright spent a recent weekend in the Washington County town of Lubec, and brought back this memento of her visit. Lubec is celebrating its bicentennial this summer, and the downtown is dressed up for the occasion. Named for Lübeck, Germany, the town is home to Quoddy Head State Park and the candy-striped West Quoddy Head Lighthouse. The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Bridge connects the town to Campbello Island, New Brunswick, where Roosevelt had his summer home, now part of an international memorial park.
Bar Harbor Your Way
Whatever your interests, there’s plenty to discover in this seaside destination.
Horseshoes of Taunton Bay
By the light of a full moon at midnight, Elizabeth Peavey gets a firsthand look at what is believed to be the horseshoes’ northernmost breeding spot.
