Table of Contents

Spanning the tidal Machias River way down the coast, the village of East Machias hasn't forgotten its roots -- and isn't about to. By Virginia Wright.
Savvy entrepreneurs have been touting Maine's fresh air and stunning scenery since the first tourist set foot here 150 years ago. By Edgar Allen Beem.
Hiking in the Maine woods, I never dreamed I'd actually encounter a bear, and I don't think I could have predicted my reaction -- or the bear's. By Elizabeth Peavey.Although it remains virtually unknown in Maine, the Green Acre Baha'i School in Eliot has been welcoming people from around the globe for over a century to pray for world harmony. By Tess Thompson.
A splendid new bridge just north of Augusta is already proving to be a shortcut for motorists heading Down East from I-95.
More Mainers are discovering the benefits of renting out their own homes during the summer -- to the delight of many vacationers. By Joshua F. Moore.
With increasing frequency the megayachts of the super-wealthy are showing up in Maine harbors -- and turning into instant tourist attractions.
For baby boomers on Harleys, Maine's highways and byways are hog heaven. By Henry Lofton.
Ever been flummoxed by all the strange abbreviations and acronyms on the map of Maine? You're not alone.
First-timers strolling the new boardwalk through Orono Bog often find themselves struck by "bog awe." By Jennie Pfander.

Musings and opinions on the birds that actually herald the new season here, a bit of test marketing that was almost a slap in the face for Mainers, and one of the reasons Jay Leno thinks fondly of Maine.
Making transactions with no paper trail -- and thus avoiding any taxes -- is a dying practice in Maine. By Jeff Clark.
A paper mill here may become a new recreational center employing hundreds. Plus other editorials about a peculiar turn of politics in Portland, the curious relationship between Maine population and the number of government workers, and a bad idea in Bar Harbor.
If your summer plans include air travel, two Maine Web sites might be your best friends. Plus tips on a tour of Portland's 250-year-old Tate House, an outfit that will teach you to sea kayak in the shelter of Biddeford Pool, a delectable dining room you should know about near Millinocket, and a heads-up on the Smithsonian's traveling show about the great American barn. By Andrew Vietze.
Expertly prepared fare with an appreciation for organic ingredients is the secret behind a new southern Maine standout. By Michael Sanders.
A UMaine biologist guides readers to the best angling in the Pine Tree State. By James R. Babb.
A sneak peek at what's going on in Maine during the vacation season this year.
A circa-1870 photograph shows a Thomaston mansion almost in ruins, saved only by the stature of the man who once lived there. By Joshua F. Moore.
An island idyll in the North Woods was memorable for all the wrong reasons. By Nick Lyons.