You'll never fall into tourist traps when you travel with Frommer's. Doing so is like having a trusted friend show you around, taking you to the places locals like best. That's because our guidebooks, unlike much of the competition, are written by resident experts--like Brian Kevin, the author of Frommer's Maine Coast, and the managing editor of Down East magazine. In this highly opinionated book, he'll help you sort through the options so you can tailor a vacation that's right for you. Frommer's Maine Coast covers all of the region's highlights--from the best beaches and lobster rolls to the most scenic places to hike, kayak, and sail. The book gives in-depth advice on how to tackle the wondrous Acadia National Park, the foodie scene in Portland, such small-town gems as York Village, Camden, Castine, and more. Our guide proudly contains: * Exact prices for every venue and activity listed, so there's never any guessing or nasty surprises * Detailed maps throughout, plus a handy pullout map * Savvy, hard-hitting reviews of restaurants, hotels, attractions, shopping, and nightlife in all price ranges, from luxe to backpacker-friendly * Helpful suggested itineraries so you can make the most of your vacation time

“A thorough and engaging history of Maine’s rocky coast and its tough-minded people.”—Boston Herald “[A] well-researched and well-written cultural and ecological history of stubborn perseverance.”—USA Today For more than four hundred years the people of coastal Maine have clung to their rocky, wind-swept lands, resisting outsiders’ attempts to control them while harvesting the astonishing bounty of the Gulf of Maine. Today’s independent, self-sufficient lobstermen belong to the communities imbued with a European sense of ties between land and people, but threatened by the forces of homogenization spreading up the eastern seaboard. In the tradition of William Warner’s Beautiful Swimmers, veteran journalist Colin Woodard (author of American Character: A History of the Epic Struggle Between Individual Liberty and the Common Good) traces the history of the rugged fishing communities that dot the coast of Maine and the prized crustacean that has long provided their livelihood. Through forgotten wars and rebellions, and with a deep tradition of resistance to interference by people “from away,” Maine’s lobstermen have defended an earlier vision of America while defying the “tragedy of the commons”—the notion that people always overexploit their shared property. Instead, these icons of American individualism represent a rare example of true communal values and collaboration through grit, courage, and hard-won wisdom.

This novel begins in 1969, and as Peter, Paul and Mary croon on the radio and poster paints are splashing the latest anti-war slogans. Suzanne, a poet, lives in a Maine beach house awaiting the birth of a love child she will name Sparrow. Claudia, who weds a farmer during college, plans to raise three strong sons. And Elizabeth and Howard marry, organize protest marches, and try to raise their two children with their own earthy, hippie values. By 1985, things have changed. Suzanne, now with a M.B.A., has taken to calling Sparrow "Susan." After personal tragedy, Claudia spirals backward into her sixties world—and into madness. And Elizabeth, fatally ill, watches despairingly as her children yearn for a split-level house and a gleaming station wagon. In this beloved, critically acclaimed first novel, Hood's clear, brave, and penetrating voice captures the spirit of three friends struggling to resolve their lives in a complicated time warp called lost youth.

WHEN YOU NAVIGATE THE COAST OF MAINE, A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS A Visual Cruising Guide to the Maine Coast takes the guesswork out of navigating Maine’s intricate, reef-strewn waters, ensuring that your next voyage through this coastal paradise will be picture-perfect. Inside you will find more than 180 full-color aerial photographs that provide "by-the-picture” navigational guidance for Maine’s treasured harbors, difficult passages, and hidden approaches. Author James Bildner has added chart segments and recommended course lines to these low-altitude photos, giving you a unique, at-a-glance guide to sailing around Maine. It’s like cruising with a masthead lookout to point the way. • Text descriptions of area with piloting instructions • Labeled approach lines • Low-angled photos with key navigation aides labeled • Chart segments from high resolution NOAA charts

From funky antique shops and country inns in sea captains' homes to out-of-the-way lobster pounds on breezy tidal inlets, Fodor's shows the way in this informative first edition.