Casco Bay

BAILEY ISLAND, Maine -- Bailey Island, along with Great Island, Orr's Island, several smaller islands in Casco Bay, and the Harpswell peninsula, belongs to the town of Harpswell, which claims to have more coastal miles than any other community in the nation. Its 217 miles of shoreline sweep along dozens of coves and inlets, jut around promontories, cling to necks of land so narrow that from almost any vantage point you can see water. Among the pleasures of exploring this place are the seaside vistas that appear at almost every turn, and nearly every water view has islands in it. Bailey is one of the northeasternmost...

CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine - Who has the best lobster rolls in Maine? If you ask around, you'll ignite a territorial catfight, with everyone arguing for their local favorite. But if you inquire of those same partisans where to find the best lobster roll with a view, the majority of Mainers probably will point you to the Lobster Shack at Two Lights on Cape Elizabeth. Not far from where Winslow Homer set up shop on Prouts Neck, this lobster-in-the-rough landmark overlooks that same boulder-strewn coastline Homer loved to paint.

BAILEY ISLAND, Maine -- Every now and then, one comes upon an inn where almost everything feels right: the accommodations, the decor, the setting, the innkeepers, even, miraculously, the weather. That's how it was when we visited the Log Cabin Island Inn on Bailey Island. A companion summed up this impression well the first time we walked through the door of our unit, called the Mount Washington Room, which actually was more like a small apartment. "This seems like the kind of place where people come and then don't move," he said.

CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine - The dramatic seaside scenery that has drawn people to Prouts Neck and Cape Elizabeth for nearly 400 years also marks a distinct change in geography. Scarborough Beach, on Prouts Neck, and Higgins and Crescent beaches to the north, are the last of the broad, sandy beaches that grace southern Maine's shoreline. North of Cape Elizabeth the coast is characterized by rocky spits and cliffs, fingery peninsulas, and a profusion of little islands. This is why Spanish explorers called Cape Elizabeth "Cabo de Muchas Islas," or Cape of Many Islands.

CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine - Who has the best lobster rolls in Maine? If you ask around, you'll ignite a territorial catfight, with everyone arguing for their local favorite. But if you inquire of those same partisans where to find the best lobster roll with a view, the majority of Mainers probably will point you to the Lobster Shack at Two Lights on Cape Elizabeth. Not far from where Winslow Homer set up shop on Prouts Neck, this lobster-in-the-rough landmark overlooks that same boulder-strewn coastline Homer loved to paint.

PORTLAND, Maine -- A new report says Maine's coastal waters are in good shape compared with much of the rest of the country, but it gives low marks to the Northeast as a whole. The US Environmental Protection Agency this month released its National Coastal Conditions Report. The report said that tests for pollution, oxygen, and other factors show that the overall conditions of US coastal waters is fair, the same rating given in a study four years ago. Maine and other states are rated in regional groups, not individually.

FREEPORT, Maine -- For several years, two friends and I have enjoyed a "girls' weekend" in late summer. We picked Freeport as the gathering spot because the one of us with children lives in nearby Portland. Being outdoors lovers, we would camp at Wolfe's Neck Farm, overlooking Casco Bay. We're not big shoppers, so we avoided the Freeport outlet stores, except for the year we had to rush to L.L. Bean on a Saturday evening because I had forgotten the one group camping item I was assigned to bring -- the stove.

CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine - The dramatic seaside scenery that has drawn people to Prouts Neck and Cape Elizabeth for nearly 400 years also marks a distinct change in geography. Scarborough Beach, on Prouts Neck, and Higgins and Crescent beaches to the north, are the last of the broad, sandy beaches that grace southern Maine's shoreline. North of Cape Elizabeth the coast is characterized by rocky spits and cliffs, fingery peninsulas, and a profusion of little islands. This is why Spanish explorers called Cape Elizabeth "Cabo de Muchas Islas," or Cape of...

The Boston Marathon is a great motivator. As roughly 27,000 runners cross the finish line April 16, thousands on the sidelines will be inspired. Maybe a marathon goes on the bucket list, but a shorter race may seem a more realistic first step. New England boasts a calendar packed with spring, summer, and fall road races of all distances. A top destination race combines convenience, good organization, tourist- and family-friendly locales, and festive atmosphere. The events listed here all offer a slice of New England - covered bridges and lighthouses or quintessential Main...

Nearly 60 students from Portland are headed to West Virginia to help with charitable housing work. The junior class of Casco Bay High School will spend this week in West Virginia volunteering on Habitat for Humanity's affordable housing projects, interviewing local residents who live in Habitat homes and taking photos for a report. The students raised nearly $40,000 from grants, corporate donations, fundraisers and family contributions so any student who wants to go can do so. Students will live at the Habitat facility in Almost Heaven, W. Va. The students...

FREEPORT, Maine -- For several years, two friends and I have enjoyed a "girls' weekend" in late summer. We picked Freeport as the gathering spot because the one of us with children lives in nearby Portland. Being outdoors lovers, we would camp at Wolfe's Neck Farm, overlooking Casco Bay. We're not big shoppers, so we avoided the Freeport outlet stores, except for the year we had to rush to L.L. Bean on a Saturday evening because I had forgotten the one group camping item I was assigned to bring -- the stove.

BAILEY ISLAND, Maine -- Bailey Island, along with Great Island, Orr's Island, several smaller islands in Casco Bay, and the Harpswell peninsula, belongs to the town of Harpswell, which claims to have more coastal miles than any other community in the nation. Its 217 miles of shoreline sweep along dozens of coves and inlets, jut around promontories, cling to necks of land so narrow that from almost any vantage point you can see water. Among the pleasures of exploring this place are the seaside vistas that appear at almost every turn, and nearly every water view has islands in it. ...

BAILEY ISLAND, Maine -- Every now and then, one comes upon an inn where almost everything feels right: the accommodations, the decor, the setting, the innkeepers, even, miraculously, the weather. That's how it was when we visited the Log Cabin Island Inn on Bailey Island. A companion summed up this impression well the first time we walked through the door of our unit, called the Mount Washington Room, which actually was more like a small apartment. "This seems like the kind of place where people come and then don't move," he said.

PORTLAND, Maine -- A new report says Maine's coastal waters are in good shape compared with much of the rest of the country, but it gives low marks to the Northeast as a whole. The US Environmental Protection Agency this month released its National Coastal Conditions Report. The report said that tests for pollution, oxygen, and other factors show that the overall conditions of US coastal waters is fair, the same rating given in a study four years ago. Maine and other states are rated in regional groups, not individually.

It's easy to shop until you drop in Freeport's 200-plus outlet stores, but shopping is not the only reason to visit this town notching the coastline just north of Portland. With a number of outdoor recreation and nature areas in and around town, hikers, bikers, and families with restless feet can find plenty of ways to get out and steep themselves in spring. And as an added bonus, this year marks with 100th anniversary of L.L. Bean so the legendary retailers is celebrating with a slew of activities and events.

PORTLAND, Maine -- With summer crowds flocking to Maine's beaches, scientists are asking visitors not to disturb the horseshoe crabs, whose mating season begins this month. "We don't really have a good idea of what the population numbers are," said Sue Schaller, who operates Bar Mills Ecological and helps coordinate an annual census of Maine's horseshoe crab population. Teams of volunteers are scouting beaches from Casco Bay to Bar Harbor to count the large, slow-moving, salt-water crabs, which head to shore to find members of the opposite sex and spawn just below the high-tide line.