Features
Maine’s 10 Prettiest Villages
Find out which villages Down East readers think are Maine’s prettiest.
The Troubadour
Don McLean, whose song “American Pie” topped the charts in 1972, continues to tour around the world. But for the past two decades he has called a Camden estate overlooking Lake Megunticook home. By Michael D. Burke
Homer’s Window
The newly restored Prouts Neck studio of Winslow Homer reveals secrets of the life and work of one of America’s greatest artists. By Deborah Weisgall
Rescue Me
Animal rehabilitators band together to care for the largest seal population on the east coast. By Cynthia Anderson
Departments
Where in Maine?
Can you identify this North Woods mountain?
Editor’s Note
When I was in high school and college, I spent my summers working in various capacities at the Black Point Inn on Prouts Neck. I started as a dishwasher, graduated the following year to the grounds crew, and even did a stint as a night watchman (a job that mostly involved chasing raccoons out of the hallways and local kids out of the pool) before I finally found my true calling as a bellman. I didn’t think much of the position at the time, but, in retrospect, I realize that working the bell desk was a pretty good gig.
The Mail
Your Maine
Readers describe their favorite place to explore Maine’s natural beauty.
Close Encounters
Those who dare to navigate the world’s second largest whirlpool are members of a fantastical fraternity.
Small Town
Discover this tiny village within a village.
What’s in a Picture?
A Camden Tempest
No Cell Service, Please
Vinalhaven high schoolers call for a classroom ban on mobile phones.
Pass = Fail
Maine Maritime Academy begins their football season September 8. But will its team actually complete a pass?
Is This Fire Truck Heaven?
A retired Topsham fire truck starts serving tequila.
Hog Wild
A population of feral pigs remains at bay in New Hampshire, but what if they cross the Maine border?
Maine Islands and the Internet
Maine’s island communities have struggled for decades to survive, much less to thrive. By Jeff Clark
The Upside-Down House
Fred and Hope Angier make everything new old again in this modern barn. By Edgar Allen Beem
Sea Glass for Gardens
Spruce up your outdoor space with these easy and colorful sea glass projects. Excerpted from Sea Glass Crafts by C. S. Lambert (Down East Books, Camden, Maine; hardcover; 104 pages; $24.95).
Perfection is the Goal
Everyone expects Shaw & Tenney oars and paddles to be flawless — especially the owners. By Virginia M. Wright
The Tree That Shouldn’t Be
A bestselling author and biologist solves the mystery of an ancient apple tree in Weld. By Bernd Heinrich
2 Cats
Eat Bar Harbor’s best breakfast at 2 Cats. By Kim Ridley
Locally Sourced and Deeply Fried
For three days every September, the Common Ground Country Fair in Unity becomes one of the state’s finest food courts. By Will Bleakley
The Dead Cat Museum
How an island boy’s curious business came to be immortalized by painter Jamie Wyeth. By Diane Sternberg
Fellow Travelers
A writer and a painter chronicle the mountains, waters, and landscapes of Maine.
September Calendar
Go here. Do this. See that.
From Our Archives: September 1964
A look at Down East forty-eight years ago.