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Showing posts from October, 2025

Maine (a.k.a. Western Ireland!)

Maine beckoned and we followed. Donna and I recently visited for the first time the beautiful Pine Tree State to do some hiking in Acadia National Park and experience the quaint fishing villages that dot the famously rocky coastline. We coupled our Maine odyssey with a quick stop in historic Boston so we could catch a Red Sox game at the revered Fenway Park. ( Editor’s note: The author really means so  he  could go to Fenway, a bucket-list item; his wife was happy to tag along.)   Maine reminded us of one of our favorite places – the west coast of Ireland. Like Ireland, Maine is largely undeveloped (a whopping 90% of the state is forested) and is sparsely populated. The extensive coastline – longer than California’s – is buffeted by the same Northern Atlantic Ocean. As you would expect, fishing (and lobstering) has been a major part of the state’s economy for centuries, as in Ireland. Note: In Bar Harbor, we had a meal in Paddy's, which claims to be America's closest Ir...