DESTINATIONS By Michael W. Sasser
COASTAL MAINE hen you hear the expression "a tour along the coast" or some derivative, certain images might come to mind: secluded beaches abutting bathtub warm water, tropical splendor, tiki bars and waves suited for surfing. Maybe you even envision a certain stretch of waterfront – either Florida coast, the Pacific Coast Highway or Amalfi. You probably don't think potential blizzards and temperatures near zero, water much too cold to get into, fragrant fishing boats and not a spa to be seen for miles. What? Welcome to coastal Maine, home to miles and miles of coast unlike any other in the country and... well, not exactly what you might envision as you'd made your plans. Fortunately, it is even better than that. And, oh yes, the end of summer might just be the best time for a road trip tour of the coast of Maine. Yes, Maine has tony sections such as Bar Harbor, quaint but upscale cities and more than a few places that will conjure up memories of the last Stephen King novel you actually read. But the "real" Maine is far more authentically
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NOT YOUR AVERAGE COASTAL TOUR
rustic, affordable, grounded in the legacy of the sea and rugged landscape and disarmingly charming. A lot of things have been said about Maine, with the most honest perhaps being that it is the northernmost Southern state in the country. It isn't an insult. It's praise for the no-nonsense, rural atmosphere and salt-of-the-earth residents who are as slow to anger as they are quick to laugh, and who proudly recall those who came before them, carving this state out from a mountainous rugged seaside and an interior that remains, to this day, wild and largely untamed. Southern Maine's Kennebunkport is probably the best known resort-ish town in Maine. Besides good food, there is plenty to see and do here. The Ocean Avenue scenic drive is exquisite and quintessential coastal Maine. Arts and handcrafts are ubiquitous in the state and you'll find the Seashore Trolley Museum, Mast Cove Galleries, among many others, are well worth a visit; as are beaches Kennebunk Beach and Goose Rocks Beach. There are numerous lux hotels and resorts here too, many rich in character, just not necessarily Maine-specific.
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Done with the glitterati? Good, it's time to move on. Toss the map. Forget the GPS. And head north along the coast and a coastal islands of Maine for as much time as you can to explore the uncelebrated coast – a name you might never have heard of and might never hear of again, but which you will remember your entire life. Mostly small towns and villages dot the landscape between Kennebunkport and Bar Harbor and then beyond. You'll want to follow up on signs denoting locations, scenic routes, historic sites and other attractions. Throughout the hundreds of miles, you will find: • spectacular views unlike any others in the country • countless art galleries, artisan workshops, boutique bakeries (the visual arts and master mode ship makers are particularly worth mention) • cozy, friendly B&Bs you could easily envision yourself spending weeks at • friendly, charismatic locals – from artists and fishermen to cooks and a new generation of Maine residents committed to perpetuating Maine's maritime-artisan legacy And then there is the seafood. As in lobster. This is arguably the lobster capital of the country and other sea critters aren't far behind. Here is what you want to remember. A "lobster pound"
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is not for adoptions – it's for choosing which live lobster(s) you want to eat. Besides the usual boiled or roasted, you will want to enjoy lobster rolls and you will want at least one seafood bake on the waterfront. All sorts of restaurants and other venues offer these through the more temperate months and they are the delectable ubiquitous taste of Maine.
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This is where timing sets in. By August, the tourist trade is dimming and plenty of venues are stocked with more lobsters than there are customers. The result? Inexpensive Maine lobsters. I spent a week in coastal Maine small towns one year, all but gorging myself on the crustaceans, and I spent less than for a decent ME lobster dinner anywhere else on the East Coast. Meanwhile, the B&B rates resembled a Motel 6 in some other town; waterfront seafood bakes were marked down, uncrowded and fun, informative voyages on lobster boats were easy to find and delightful, and you could stock up on local goods (from jams to
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quilts and arts and crafts) at discount rates. It was a gourmet-discount-traveler epiphany. Of course, by August-September, the weather in coastal Maine is already switching, so your time can be limited here. There can be some cold nights and some tempestuous days this time of year. Shoot, there needs to be. Otherwise, no one would want to go back to their own parts of the world. Maybe touring coastal Maine isn't the vacation for everyone. If daily facials and pool bars are essential to you, then you might find a space in Maine for you, but you'd miss the essence of the unusual state. Maine is about immersing yourself in maritime history and culture, the country's best seafood and haunting topography. That's a lot for America's northernmost Southern state. Michael W. Sasser has been a travel writer for more than 20 years, for publishers ranging from Time Out and Frommer's to Miami Herald Custom Publishing and ABARTA Media. He is author of thousands of travel stories and dozens of travel books. Reach him at mikewsasser@yahoo.com.
For more information, visit mainetourism.com.
DESTINATIONS
VANCOUVER
emperate waterfront weather? Ski by morning, bask on a beach by day, not in an expensive resort fantasy land? Smugly take selfies in one of the greenest largest human settlements? Bike, like everyone else? Immerse yourself in multiculturalism? Fine dining? Oh, and English is spoken universally, often in even authentic Asian restaurants? Welcome to Vancouver, British Columbia, on the nation's West Coast, nestled between mountains and the sea and possessing among the most temperate weather, greenest environments (it's one of the rare cities without a direct uber highway entrance and where public transit and bikes are the most common forms of transportation), and largest population of people of Asian descent (47 percent) and also Canada's largest number of American citizens. If it looks familiar to you, that might be because it is also the 3rd largest film and TV production center in North America. All those cable series you watch with settings that look like a U.S. set – but not quite the U.S. (probably cleaner)... yeah, that's probably beautiful Vancouver. 8 WIREMAG.COM #41 2018
IS THIS THE REAL LIFE? IS THIS JUST FANTASY? Vancouver (2.6 million pop. metro, 600k-plus in the city) has many of the appeals that a lot of North American West Coast destinations do. It has much of the sophistication in dining and culture as San Francisco (only without the junkie defecating on sidewalks charm), the outdoor recreation of Seattle, the quirky and Green indulgence of Portland, or the multiculturalism of San Diego or LA. It's a casual, utterly unpretentious fantasy land of depressurization, lush out of doors and Pacific/Asian-influenced version of the West Coast. Only in Canada, where people live up to the trope – they're really nice here. So, how to experience Vancouver? Since the chief appeal of Vancouver is depressurization, it's a good idea to explore a city tour of the four quadrants and neighborhoods of the city. Remember that your best days here will be enjoying the rain forest-influenced, mild, lush outof-doors and stumbling into a bookstore, tea shop or family-style Chinese restaurant you will remember for the rest of life. That's Vancouver.
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By Michael W. Sasser
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Asian food aficionados could eat in Vancouver at a different restaurant every day and not run out of revelations for months. Also, like other Pacific Northwest cities, it has adopted indigenous flavors and those of the sea, air and land around it to forge its own style. Salmon n' Bannock, Forage and Cardero's offer a look at the local, Bauhaus and elegant Five Sails Restaurant cover a good percentage of European flavors, and Blue Water Cafe is the place for high-end sushi and sustainable seafood. Accommodations are comparably West Coast. For more urban resort confines, there is the Shangri-La Hotel, Fairmont Pacific Rim and Rosewood Hotel Georgia; for supreme comfort, the Four Seasons, Laden Hotel and La Grande Residence are popular. And, yes, Vancouver has a solid LGBTQ community, is welcoming to the community and has a range of bars and clubs, although like many nightlife scenes today, is quite integrated. Whether you choose to indulge in the outdoors of Vancouver or the sophisticated friendly city environs, you'll find yourself decompressing, relaxing, talking to strangers and lingering over a coffee in a scenic garden environment. You'll find yourself wondering if this is real life.
Michael W. Sasser has been a travel writer for more than 20 years, for publishers ranging from Time Out and Frommer's to Miami Herald Custom Publishing and ABARTA Media. He is the author of thousands of travel stories and dozens of travel books. Reach him at mikewsasser@yahoo.com.
For more information, visit tourismvancouver.com. 10 WIREMAG.COM #41 2018
PHOTOS COURTESY OF TOURISM VANCOUVER
Don't miss massive Stanley Park, the Vancouver Aquarium, whale watching from Granville Island, Chinatown, VanDusen Botanical Gardens, Queen Elizabeth Park, or the Bloedel Conservatory. For culture, don't miss the Museum of Anthropology, theater at the Orpheum, or the Bill Reid Gallery (the only public Gallery in Canada dedicated to contemporary Indigenous Northwest Coast Art) and numerous small galleries around many-a-corner here. More active? Check out the skiing or fishing on distinctly different opposite outsides of the distinctly positioned city.