Many travelers picture lighthouses and succulent lobster dinners when they think of Maine. While these things shouldn't be missed on any visit to the Pine Tree State (yes, that's its official nickname), Maine has plenty of other worthwhile sights and indulgences. From inland mountain wilderness areas to white sand beaches along one of the more spectacular coastlines in the nation, the state is a delight for vacationers of all types. Even fans of a certain notable literary figure will find plenty of sights to make their trip one for the ages.
With such a rocky, craggy shoreline where heavy fog is common, the chilly, choppy waters off the coast off Maine have long been hazardous to mariners. The coast is home to a number of lighthouses, some of which are quite historic and scenic. The Portland Head Light on Cape Elizabeth, just south of Portland, is one of the most-visited of Maine's lighthouses. There's a small charge for the museum and inside tour, but the park surrounding the lighthouse is free to visit. North of Portland, Pemaquid Point Light is one of the state's most photographed light stations. It represents Maine on its commemorative state quarter.
The Appalachians reach deep into the heart of Maine and include the state's highest peak, Mount Katahdin. The 5,258-foot mountain looms over Baxter State Park and is the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. Mountains right at the shore set Maine apart from other East Coast states. Cadillac Mountain, inside Acadia National Park, rises 1,532 feet above sea level right at the Atlantic. It's an incredible sight to see from spots along the shore, but the view from the summit is the most awe-inspiring, especially when watching the sunrise -- between October and March the summit is the first place in the U.S. to catch the sun's rays.
Long stretches of beach exist between many of those rocky points jutting out into the Atlantic. The beaches of Maine have long been the playground of the idle rich, locals and tourists alike, who come to bask in the sun during the summer. Places like Old Orchard Beach and Ogunquit Beach have picturesque sandy strands and quaint villages worth exploring. Old harbor towns such as Bar Harbor and Bath are the quintessential small New England towns where you'll find plenty of places to eat Maine lobster and watch the fishing boats glide in with the day's catch. Two state parks -- Crescent Beach and Popham Beach -- contain magnificent stretches of undeveloped coastline.
One of the best-selling authors in history hails from Maine and uses many of its locales as settings for his fiction. Stephen King's Maine isn't the one you might see in travel brochures. It centers more on the landlocked parts of the state, especially in and around Bangor, the city the acclaimed horror novelist calls home. The local tourism bureau sponsors monthly bus tours of sights related to King's work, and SK Tours of Maine offers excursions on a daily basis. If you've ever enjoyed a Stephen King book or want to experience a side of Maine that tourists don't normally see, a King-inspired trip around non-touristy Bangor fits the bill nicely.
