5 Reasons Maine is the Best State

The following post was written by me and brought to you by Domain.ME, who I teamed up with for their #StateofME campaign.

Hands down, Maine is the best state. Where else can you get cheap lobster, dramatic coastline, serene mountains, and L.L. Bean boots? Of course, I’m slightly biased. I’m a born and raised Mainer. As I’m about to embark on an adventure taking me half way across the world, Maine will always be my home.

The more I travel the more I realize how lucky I am to grow up and live in such as beautiful place in the world. Even though very few people know where Maine is located on a map. So many people just give me a dumbfounded look when I explain where Maine is leaving me to tell people that I’m from “north of New York City.” The other half think I’m Canadian.

Over the years Maine has had some wicked awesome slogans like “Vacationland” and “where life should be.” Maine has always been a popular vacation spot for out-of-staters and Canadians. People come from all over the world to eat lobster, see the sun rise over Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, and relax at camp. Maine is the best place to live.

5 Reasons Maine is the Best State

Lobster, Lobster, and More Lobster

There’s no arguing that Maine has the best lobster. The lobster industry in Maine is almost as old as the state itself, but it wasn’t until the 1950s that the industry exploded in popularity. Today, hundreds of thousands of people come to Maine just to eat that famous red crustacean. Eat it whole. Slurped it as a chowder. Or mix it up with some mayo and have a lobster roll. No matter how you eat it, lobster is delicious. Ask the thousands of restaurants and cruise ships around the world that order Maine lobster daily. Why not come to the pier and eat it straight off the boat?

We Wore Flannel and L.L. Bean Boots Before It Was Cool

Are you waiting for your L.L. Bean boots? You’re not alone. Over 100,000 people are still waiting for their handmade, Maine-made boots that are now popular across every college campus in America. Freeport, Maine is home to L.L. Bean where you can buy just about everything under the sun from down jackets to a new hunting rifle to a new backpack. The best part? It’s backed by the lifetime warranty!

Way before J. Crew made flannel popular again with the hipster crowd, Mainers have been wearing it for years (most likely with L.L. Bean Boots). Flannel is not only warm, but soft and comfortable. It’s everything Mainers love. Also found at L.L. Bean!

Our Microbrews Are Wicked Awesome

Let’s get this straight first, saying “wicked” originated in Maine. Massachusetts natives will try to convince you it’s their thing, but they are totally lying. Secondly, Maine is home to some amazing microbreweries. Ironically, Maine was the birthplace of Prohibition, but now Mainers love a good local brew. From Allagash to Sebago Brewing to Bissell Brothers, Maine has a wide range of award-winning microbrews. If beer isn’t your thing, try the mead at Maine Mead Works for a delicious Maine twist on traditional mead.

Explore the Great Outdoors

Maine has it all – from rocky coastlines, to epic mountain climbs, to scenic Portland Headlight – there is something for everyone to enjoy outside. While Maine’s main tourist season is the summer months, Maine is great year-round. Hit the ski slopes during the winter months, enjoy the sandy beaches and thousands of lakes during the summer months, and hike during the fall months for the incredible fall foliage. Spring? Perhaps, you might want to skip “mud season.”

Acadia National Park and the charming town of Bar Harbor is the perfect seaside getaway. Hike (or drive) Cadillac Mountain and be one of the first people in the country to see the sunrise. Spend the day at Old Orchard Beach stuffing your face with fried dough and the famed pier fries. Hike Maine’s highest mount, Mount Katahdin. Perhaps, you’ll see a moose. Or, just take in the historic beauty of Portland’s Old Port.

Learn “Mainah”

Maine is certainly a unique state. So many people just think we’re part of Canada, after all, so many of us are of strong French Canadian heritage. Head north around the borders and you’ll hear a lot of people speaking French.

But don’t worry, we do speak English in Maine. Okay, maybe some semblance of English. We do have a bit of an accent. And not the so-called Maine accent on Murder She Wrote. Make sure you jump in the “cah” and head to “Camp” near “Bah Hahba.” “You can’t get there from here” though. You’ll quickly learn that Mainers have some interesting sayings and terminology. Just listen to Bob Marley, the Maine comedian, not the Reggae singer. In Maine, we like to go “upta camp.” Instead of lakeside cabins or cottages, we call them “camps.” Cottages are little houses on the ocean, mostly owned by the wealthy out-of-staters.

Maine is a special place. We are proud of where we are born and raised. We are a hardy and hardworking breed. We survive the harsh cold and snowy winters and relish the long hot summer days and the crazy tourists that come with it. Although .ME isn’t the official domain name of Maine, Domain.ME is special with the tie-in to the abbreviation for Maine. This makes it even more unique for Mainers. About 97% of Maine employers are small business owners. What better way to display your Maine pride then using the .ME domain name?

Domain.ME is a domain name provider that allows anyone (personal and/or business) to create a unique, safe identity online with a domain ending in .ME. They operate as a B2B, which means that people can register a domain name through one of 190 accredited registrars that operate as .ME resellers.

This post was inspired and sponsored by Domain.ME, the provider of the personal domains that end in .ME. As a company, they aim to promote thought leadership to the tech world. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Why do you think Maine is the best state? Disagree? What state is the best and why?