Mainers love to disagree — our independent-minded senators are proof enough of that — and so this year we wanted to let you, our loyal readers, weigh in on our choices for the best of Maine. We won’t claim to agree with every one of your picks, but by and large we are pleased that we’re all seeing pretty much eye-to-eye in the Pine Tree State.

Best Boatyard
Wayfarer Marine Corp., Camden
This yard and marina boasts that its “craftsmanship is as beautiful as the setting,” and few mariners who have cruised the stunning waters on the west side of Penobscot Bay
would argue. 207-236-4378. www.wayfarermarine.com

Best Car Dealership
Charlie’s Motor Mall, Augusta
Eight brands, 240 employees, seven thousand vehicles sold annually. When it comes to shopping for a car, bigger means more selection, and the company Charlie Shuman opened twenty-four years ago has become one of the largest auto dealers in Maine. 207-622-7327. www.charliesmm.com

Best Travel Agency
Hewins Travel
In the Internet age, sometimes it’s nice to have a real person handle your reservations, and Mainers continue to seek out the network of six travel agencies that Steve Hewins started in 1982. 877-523-2145. www.hewinstravel.com

Best B-and-B
Camden Harbour Inn, Camden
The Camden Harbour Inn has always commanded one of the best views of the harbor and Penobscot Bay, but owners Raymond Brunyanszki and Oscar Verest have matched that scenery with some of the most luxurious accommodations in the state. 800-236-4266. www.camdenharbourinn.com

Best Hotel Resort
Samoset Resort, Rockport
For more than a century, guests have been responding to the Samoset’s stunning location on the shore of Penobscot Bay, with the eighteen-hole golf course and full resort amenities proving to be a delightful bonus for families and couples alike. 207-594-2511. www.samosetresort.com

Best Private School
North Yarmouth Academy, Yarmouth
Maine families want the best for their children, and for nearly two hundred years this coed day school has been preparing three hundred students annually for college and beyond, with a whopping 70 percent of students taking advanced placement tests. 207-846-9051. www.nya.org

Best Outdoor Sporting Store
L.L. Bean, Freeport
Come on, Cabela’s, you didn’t think readers would give you the top prize after only two years here, did you? After ninety-eight years, Maine’s signature retailer just keeps getting better.
877-755-2326. www.llbean.com

Best Wedding Venue
(Tie) Samoset Resort, Rockport
and Point Lookout, Northport
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a tie! With two incredible venues, one an easy putt away from the surf and the other with one of the best mountain views on the coast, it’s no surprise that brides and grooms had a tough time deciding. 207-594-2511. www.samosetresort.com. 207-789-2000. www.visitpointlookout.com

Best Boat Ride
Casco Bay Lines, Portland
This year-round ferry service keeps the Casco Bay islands alive for residents; for summer visitors, they allow for a delightful daytrip. 207-774-7871. www.cascobaylines.com

Best Art Gallery
Greenhut Galleries, Portland
Small city, big art. Readers decided this thirty-year-old gallery on Middle Street was the best place to find unique paintings and purchase Maine art. 207-772-2693. www.greenhutgalleries.com

Best Spa
Senator Inn & Spa, Augusta
Folks in Maine’s capital city like to pamper themselves just as much as anybody, and this surprisingly pleasant spot on Western Avenue is a great place for a soak or a wrap.
207-622-5804. www.senatorinn.com

Best Butcher
Curtis Meats, Warren
Mainers still know that if they want the best, freshest meat, they have to go right to the source. Readers decided this venerable midcoast slaughterhouse was the best in the state.
207-273-2574.

Best College
Bowdoin College, Brunswick
The competition was tight for this one, but apparently what was good enough for Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is good enough for our readers. 207-725-3000. www.bowdoin.edu

Best Caterer
Swan’s Way, Camden
Stacey Glassman transforms local seafood, meats, and produce into some of the most delectable meals in the Pine Tree State. 207-763-3996. www.cateringmaine.com

Best Bookstore
The Owl & Turtle, Camden
For forty years and two locations, this independent bookstore has fought off Amazon and Borders by building a loyal clientele of bibliophiles. 207-236-4769. www.owlandturtle.com

Best Jeweler
Cross Jewelers, Portland
No surprise here: Down East readers love jewelry, and they especially love this 102-year-old landmark on Congress Street. 800-433-2988. www.crossjewelers.com

Best Furniture Maker
Thos. Moser Cabinetmakers, Auburn
The master’s son is now producing his own line of furniture along with his father’s classic styles, ensuring that this handcrafted legacy will endure for generations. 207-784-3332. www.thosmoser.com

Best Community Bank
The First
Maine has no shortage of community banks, but since 1852 this midcoast institution has been serving customers between Boothbay Harbor and MDI (it also has branches in Calais and Eastport). 800-564-3195. www.the1st.com

Best Nursery
Skillins Greenhouses
With growing rooms in Brunswick, Falmouth, and Cumberland, this operation has been helping make Maine beautiful since 1885. 207-829-5619. www.skillins.com

Best Golf Course
Belgrade Lakes
Golf Digest said it was the best course in Maine, and Down East readers agree. 207-495-4653. www.belgradelakesgolf.com

Best Ski Resort
Sugarloaf, Carrabassett Valley
Mainers know it as the “’Loaf,” and our readers say it’s still their favorite peak in the state. 207-237-2000. www.sugarloaf.com

Best Camping
Acadia National Park
Whether you want the accessibility of Blackwoods or the quiet of Seawall, the two campgrounds within the national park let you lay your head right in the best of Maine. 207-288-3338. www.nps.gov/acad

Best Restaurant
(Tie) Fore Street, Portland
and Primo, Rockland
We can’t blame our readers for being unable to decide between these two culinary standouts. Better try them both. 207-775-2717. www.forestreet.biz. 207-596-0770. www.primorestaurant.com

Best Breakfast
Becky’s Diner, Portland
Our readers get up early — as in 4 a.m. early — and they know that Becky’s on Commercial Street is the place to get a great early omelet and a cup o’ joe. 207-773-7070. www.beckysdiner.com

Best Brunch
Harraseeket Inn, Freeport
Scallop fritters, espresso/ancho-rubbed ribeye, chilled Maine lobster — when it comes to setting the table for Sunday brunch, the dining room in this Freeport hotel knows how to satisfy hungry Mainers — and, apparently, Down East readers. 207-865-9377. www.harraseeketinn.com

Best Lunch
King Eider’s Pub, Damariscotta
When you want a cozy spot to saddle up with a crabcake and a pint, you can’t beat the brick and wooden interior of this downtown Damariscotta favorite. 207-563-6008.
www.kingeiderspub.com

Best Dinner
Primo, Rockland
Readers decided that if you want to go all out, it’s worth the trip to Rockland to taste what chef Melissa Kelly is pouring into her delectable creations. 207-596-0770.
www.primorestaurant.com

Best Lobster Roll
Red’s Eats, Wiscasset
There’s a reason people stand in that line beside Route 1. And it’s delicious. 207-882-6128.

Best Lobster Shack
The Lobster Shack at Two Lights
Cape Elizabeth
Gourmet, Bobby Flay, and now Down East readers have all sung the praises of this seaside eatery, where the lobster rolls and fried clams are rivaled only by the bold Atlantic views. 207-799-1677. lobstershacktwolights.com

Best Maine Chocolate
Wilbur’s, Freeport
Taking home the top prize is simply the icing on the cake for this tasty Freeport chocolatier. 207-865-4071.

Best Beer
Shipyard, Portland
Readers decided that Maine’s largest brewery is also its best. Our appreciation for sudsmaster Alan Pugsley [Down East, May 2010] is no secret, either. 800-273-9253. www.shipyard.com

Best Wine Shop
Rayr, Rockport
Sleepy Rockport village is waking up these days, and our readers decided that the fine wines, coffee, and artwork offered up at this new shop are a great way to toast its revival.
207-230-7009. www.rayrwine.com

Best Candy Shop
Haven’s Candies, Westbrook
Maine has a sweet tooth, and Down East readers satisfy it by digging into a truffle or some taffy from this nearly century-old candy emporium. 800-639-6309. www.havenscandies.com

Best Clam Chowder
Gilbert’s Chowder House
Portland and Windham
You might think you’d find the best chowder in a touristy spot like Camden or Boothbay, but Down East readers say these understated eateries dish up the best bowl in the state. 207-871-5636 (Portland), 207-893-0700 (Windham). www.gilbertschowderhouse.com

Best Fish Market
Harbor Fish Market, Portland
Even if the Grand Banks aren’t producing the catches that they used to, Mainers still get the freshest cod, haddock, and sole from this fishmonger on Custom House Wharf.
800-370-1790. www.harborfish.com

Best Cheese
State of Maine Cheese Company, Rockport
Vermont may have its cheddar, but the MOFGA-certified organic milk that goes into the Caerphilly, Derby, and other cheeses sold here are some of the best in Maine. 207-236-8895. www.cheese-me.com

Best Coffee
Rock City Coffee Roasters, Rockland
More tourists than ever are discovering all that the Knox County seat has to offer, and a latté from the baristas here is sure to warm up even the foggiest summer morning. 207-594-5688. www.rockcitycoffee.com

Best Beach
Popham Beach State Park
150,000 summer visitors can’t be wrong, and neither can Down East’s readers. 207-389-1335. www.maine.gov

Best Island Getaway
Monhegan
It’s only ten miles off the mainland, but Monhegan might as well be another world. And that’s just the way everyone, from visitors to the island’s seventy-five year-round residents, like it. 207-372-8848. www.monheganboat.com

Best Hiking
Acadia National Park
We know readers voted this the best hiking in the state, but by our way of thinking, it’s quite possibly some of the best in the world. 207-288-3338. www.nps.gov/acad

Best Shopping Town
Freeport
Sorry, Kittery. With L.L. Bean, the new Freeport Village Station outlet center, and old faithful outlets like Cole Haan, the shopping mecca on the shore of Casco Bay over Maine’s southern outlet hotspot is our readers’ choice. But wait until next year. . . . 207-865-1212. www.freeportusa.com

Maine Medical
Center, Portland
Talk about a sweep. Best hospital, maternity ward, emergency room, nursing center — Maine Med won them all. When it comes to taking care of Mainers, it seems the state’s largest hospital has got a winning system. 207-662-0111. www.mmc.org