Pat Gallant-Charette
Frigid waters, jellyfish hordes, riptides, and things that go bump in the night — nothing has stopped sexagenarian Westbrook aqua-woman Pat Gallant-Charette on her quest to beat marathon swimming's globe-spanning challenge.
George H. W. Bush and family
In 2015, Down East conducted the following written interview with then 91-year-old George H. W. Bush, discussing the former president’s love of Maine and the role that the family’s Kennebunkport home at Walker’s Point has played in the Bushes’ public and private lives. The interview never ran in the magazine. We present it here, alongside photographs of the Bushes at Walker’s Point, courtesy of the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum.
Camp Ellis
In summer, Camp Ellis moves at its own carefree pace. But beneath the sultry calm, the beach enclave is waging a desperate battle with rising seas.
Richmond, Maine
Off the beaten path, Richmond’s old-fashioned downtown is way ahead of the "shop local" trend.
Portland, Exchange Street, 1970s
To paraphrase Thomas Wolfe, you can’t go to the Old Port again. Or can you? Author Suzanne Strempek Shea revisits the Portland she once knew.
Penobscot Valley
It’s long been known as “the heart of Maine,” and it only takes a quick spin through the Penobscot Valley to see why. From the mighty Penobscot River, which once carried timber from the great North Woods, to the University of Maine, to the home of Stephen King, the region is as authentically Maine as they come.
Dancers in the Bossov Ballet Theatre at Maine Central Institute.
It’s not in the mountains. It’s not on the coast. But something about friendly little Pittsfield perfectly evokes the Maine community ethic. (Also, ballerinas!)