Maine is mind-bogglingly huge (Portland, Bangor: how much, home, live in)

[Last1Standing]

A neighbor told me last week that she went on vacation in "northern Maine." She was talking about Acadia National Park. If you drive from Kittery to Lubec, that feels like a very long drive. But you're still in the lower third of the state (approximately)! We talk about Lubec as if Maine stops there. It's amazing to contemplate how much of Maine lies north of that latitude.


And yet, Maine ranks only #39 in size among the 50 states.


This is why I want to move to Maine: endless adventures for the rest of my life, compared to my small home state. On the other hand, it's not always easy to get to those adventures.



Among forum members who are Maine residents, who lives the farthest north?

[dubthang]

I am far from the north (Portland), but I do explore quite a bit. Having a solid vehicle to get around in (on and off road) will really allow you to enjoy Maine.

I have a Land Cruiser that I use for my adventures. It is heavily modded, and I can sleep in the back of it if needed.

[nalabama]

Originally Posted by dubthang

I am far from the north (Portland), but I do explore quite a bit. Having a solid vehicle to get around in (on and off road) will really allow you to enjoy Maine.

I have a Land Cruiser that I use for my adventures. It is heavily modded, and I can sleep in the back of it if needed.

Have you had to lift your LC for your adventures? Taller tires? Lockers?

We’ve only come in the summers, but I know there will be a winter trip someday.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by Last1Standing

A neighbor told me last week that she went on vacation in "northern Maine." She was talking about Acadia National Park. If you drive from Kittery to Lubec, that feels like a very long drive. But you're still in the lower third of the state (approximately)! We talk about Lubec as if Maine stops there. It's amazing to contemplate how much of Maine lies north of that latitude.

A number of times I have had to look up the Northern-most Latitidue of Maine [ The Northernmost point of Maine is Estcourt Station, a village within the Big Twenty Township in the State of Maine. It is the northernmost point in Maine. At Latitude 47.4582°N ], and the Southern-most Latitude of Maine [ The Southernmost point of Maine is Cedar Island in York County Maine, at Latitude 42.9747°N ]

Mainers are usually amazed to learn where the midway point lays [ The midway point [midway between North and South] is a line at Latitude 45.21645°N ].

... Among forum members who are Maine residents, who lives the farthest north?

I live about 20 miles North of Bangor, which is in the Southern half of the state.

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by Last1Standing

A neighbor told me last week that she went on vacation in "northern Maine." She was talking about Acadia National Park. If you drive from Kittery to Lubec, that feels like a very long drive. But you're still in the lower third of the state (approximately)! We talk about Lubec as if Maine stops there. It's amazing to contemplate how much of Maine lies north of that latitude.

And yet, Maine ranks only #39 in size among the 50 states.

This is why I want to move to Maine: endless adventures for the rest of my life, compared to my small home state. On the other hand, it's not always easy to get to those adventures.

Maine is the biggest state in New England by far, but compared to many western states, it isn't all that big. But it sometimes feels bigger to people who haven't traveled here much because the roads are often two lanes and they twist and turn and wind.

Example:

My dad, who grew up in Montana and now lives in New Mexico came for a visit and wanted to do a bunch of running around. He got out the map and said, "Let's go here!" We told him that would be great, but he needed to realize it was a good three-hour drive from our house. He pointed at the map and said, "No way! It's can't be that far!"

Because in his "western" brain, a 100 mile trip means you hit the highway, put the pedal to the floor, and you're there in 90 minutes. It infuriated him that there wasn't an Interstate that could take him to where he wanted in just a couple of hours. There was only twisty, turny highways winding through small villages where the speed limit often went down to 30 mph for miles.

I love the slower pace of life in Maine. But it can sometimes freak out the go-go-go brains of people from out West.

[Parnassia]

The difference in "scale" was one of many weird things I noticed when I moved to NJ for a job. Grew up in CA and worked in western states and AK most of my career. The concept of distance (what was a "long" trip and how long it might take to drive) was so different. You'd look at a road map and almost know how far the distance was in each inch and how long that inch would take to drive without thinking too hard about it. In NJ I was constantly misjudging road trips, overshooting places I was looking for and ending up hopelessly lost. Always getting buried in the mazes of little squiggly traffic clogged roads instead of long open stretches of highway between towns. Not to mention the speed people lived at. What some local might refer to as a mountain to me were barely hills. It was quite disorienting. Didn't help that the sun rose over the ocean instead of setting over it or the weather arriving from the land instead of the sea . While I certainly don't regret spending a few years on the east coast to experience such a different reality and there were specific places and people I enjoyed, in general I found it wearing...just "off". Couldn't wait to get back out west. When an opportunity came up I jumped on it. I'll never forget how I felt when I saw the plains spread out in front of the car instead of behind it. Almost an unclenching of the body.

[dreamofwinter]

You're not kidding! I live in eastern Washington County (not quite Eastport or Lubec), and have to drive to Portland tomorrow for the first time. While I'm excited for the sightseeing, the sheer length of the drive is intimidating. I came from California, where you would think I'd be used to things being spread out, but I guess I'm still losing that interstate mindset (gladly!)

So far most of my exploring has been within a 2-3 hour range of my house... Houlton, Millinocket, Bangor, Bar Harbor - and with the exception of Millinocket, has all been errand-associated. I really need to get out and explore just to explore! OP, you are correct about the endless adventures. Heck, I have those right here on my property, between the wildlife and the occasional neighbor.

[seamusnh]

ME is about the same size as the other 5 New England states combined....

Also, Maine is the US state closest to the continent of Africa.

[dubthang]

Originally Posted by nalabama

Have you had to lift your LC for your adventures? Taller tires? Lockers?

We’ve only come in the summers, but I know there will be a winter trip someday.

Mine has a 3" lift with 35" tires. No lockers yet, but they are on the list. These mods are only needed based on where you want to go. There are many places that are accessible with only a good set of tires, and proper driving skills. I have definitely arrived at the end of a rough trail before only to discover a Toyota Corolla (or similar) there, and wondered how they made it that far.

[Last1Standing]

Originally Posted by Mark S.

Maine is the biggest state in New England by far, but compared to many western states, it isn't all that big. But it sometimes feels bigger to people who haven't traveled here much because the roads are often two lanes and they twist and turn and wind.

Very good point, and this is why I love New England. When I was looking for a state to move to, my first choice was Oregon, which is about 2.5 times larger than Maine. But I found the geography of the high desert east of the Cascades tedious: the roads go straight ahead forever, without the vegetation ever changing, nothing but ponderosa pines and scruffy desert bushes. You drive 50 miles and you don't really end up anywhere. Whereas in New England you go up and down hills and around curves and you come to a new town every 5 miles. I loved Oregon but it didn't feel like home (the Northeast) so I settled on Maine as my number 2 choice.