Fall Foliage Down East: The Colors of Maine

Maine, the state whose license plates boast that it is “Vacationland,” was once thought of as a place for city folks to admire dramatic waves on rocky shores, snap pictures of lighthouses, douse lobsters and clams with butter, and spend cool summer days browsing through antique shops or art galleries, or watching the kids collect sea glass or search for starfish on rocky beaches.

July Fourth marked the beginning of Maine’s summer. On Labor Day, thousands of cars lined up at the toll gates on the Maine Turnpike, headed south.

Those days have passed. Today, Labor Day is the beginning of Maine’s fall tourist season. Maine’s reputation for spectacular foliage has quietly equaled or surpassed Vermont’s. Its fifty-seven species of deciduous trees begin changing colors as early as late August, and by September 15 the state’s official website tracks the spots where colors are most spectacular.

For Mainers gearing up for the third tourist season of the year (the first was the winter ski season), fall visitors are known not only as leaf peepers but as the “newly wed and nearly dead,” a dry Down East reference to the fact that visitors with families have returned home, and those visiting in the fall are generally couples and groups of older adults.

Spectacular foliage is just a start to what awaits them, whether they come for a weekend, or a week.

Along the coast, cruise lines out of Ogunquit, Portland, Boothbay Harbor and Camden run daily trips along the shoreline, ensuring visitors a view of rocky cliffs, lighthouses, islands, and evergreens blended with the reds, yellows and golds of deciduous trees. Those interested in a closer look at the foliage might sign up to see Maine by bicycle and join the Maine Foliage Tour, beginning in Portland October 3 and ending October 8.

Or perhaps they’d like to hike in one of the many state parks: Camden Hills boasts Mount Battie, and a spectacular view of Penobscot Bay; Reid State Park is almost two miles of white sandy beach; and for the most adventurous, Baxter State Park, in the northern part of the Maine, offers over 200,000 acres of wilderness and Mount Katahdin, over 5,000 feet tall, and the end of the Appalachian Trail.

Another mountain, Mount Washington, in New Hampshire but close to the Maine border, is a beautiful drive up route 2. At her foot is North Conway, a town full of outlets, and, just across the Maine border, from October 3-October 10, is the Fryeburg Agricultural Fair, one of the largest fairs on the east coast, and worth a visit all by itself. Other outstanding agricultural fairs in Maine are the Common Ground Fair in Unity from September 24-26 and the Cumberland Fair, close to Portland, from September 26 through October 2.

Just driving up route one, in addition to admiring the fall foliage surrounding the small harbors and charming nineteenth century villages, visitors will pass through town after town full of enticing art galleries, craft shops, farmers’ markets, historical buildings, antique shops, and, of course, restaurants offering perennial Maine seafood favorites.

For foodies, besides the agricultural fairs, local apple picking and cider mills to visit, Maine wineries and local brewpubs to check out, from October 21-23 there is Harvest on the Harbor, a three-day cooking celebration which attracts culinary fans from throughout the United States to celebrate Maine’s local cuisine. Last year Bon Appétit Magazine named Portland the “Foodiest Small Town in America” and Harvest on the Harbor proves it, providing opportunities to sample local food, wines, beers, spirits, vote for the best lobster dish of the year, and showcase the work of 250 local chefs. Tickets sell out early.

Flights to Portland and Bangor airports are easy to find, and rental cars available at both airports. Amtrak’s Downeaster travels from Boston to Portland. The Downeaster leaves from Boston’s North Station. If you’re traveling from further south by train, you’ll arrive at the South Station in Boston and will need to either take a cab to the North Station, or take a Trailways bus which goes from the South Station in Boston to Portland. There are motels and hotels in the major cities in Maine, and there are bed and breakfasts throughout the state. Mainers are very hospitable and would be happy to point out the best places to see in their towns.