Posted in Maine by Michelle

11 Incredible, Almost Unbelievable Facts About Maine

Living in or visiting Maine means you’re aware of just how quirky Vacationland can be. It’s not just the out-of-the-way towns and the unique restaurants run by wonderful, if not eccentric, locals. It’s also the fact that we’ve got a long history full of funny laws, strange stories and interesting people. Along with the wonderful outdoor things you can do here, the beautiful views and the great seafood, it’s fun to to love this state for other reasons. Including, these quirky, strange facts.

We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life as we all practice social and physical distancing. While we’re continuing to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, we don’t expect or encourage you to go check them out immediately. We believe that supporting local attractions is important now more than ever and we hope our articles inspire your future adventures! And on that note, please nominate your favorite local business that could use some love right now: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nominate/

1. The closest state to Africa is Maine. yotut / Flickr Maine is the most northeast state in the country, and the distance to Morocco is just 3,406. To put that into perspective, the distance between Florida and Morocco is 4,382 - nearly 1,000 miles more! 2. The giant boot outside L.L. Bean in Freeport has an actual size. jacksnipe1990 / Flickr This huge bean boot is an iconic thing to see when in Freeport. While just about all of us have a photo of us in front of it, did you know L.L. Bean has actually determined what size it would be in real life? Find someone who wears a 410 shoe and they'll be in luck! 3. Maine was the first state to ban alcohol during Prohibition. Jeroen van Luin / Flickr While the repeal came a mere five years later, Maine can safely say they were at the forefront of this now historic period of time. Even more interesting? The Portland mayor at the time eventually ran for president on the Prohibition Ticket. 4. It would take you over 9 years to visit ALL of Maine's islands. suckamc / Flickr That's not surprising when you consider that there are more than 3,166 islands here! And, only 1,200 Maine islands have an acre or more, 600 of them comprise 95% of the island acreage. 5. Maine sees America's first sunrise, but it's NOT where you think! atutuanita / Flickr This is a hotly contested issue. You really have three options for viewing the sunrise depending on the what time of year we're experiencing. Your options are Mars Hill, Cadillac Mountain or Lubec.



From late March to mid-September, you'll want to head to Mars Hill for first light. But, from mid-September through the first week of October you should head to Quoddy Head. If you want to work for your view and see it from Cadillac Mountain you have some more time. Be there between mid-October and early March and you'll be greeted by America's first light. 6. Maine's coastline increases in size by 2,000 miles when you include all of the islands dotting the coastline. smithat / Flickr One of the best Maine facts is that our coast is longer than the coast of California. But, what's really cool is that out craggy, coastal islands make the mainland coast even more impressive. 7. Maine's coldest day meant temperatures of -50°F in January of 2009. pavdw / Flickr It happened in Big Black River and it made the word "cold" take on a whole new meaning. 8. We all know it can get cold in the winter, but Maine is also the second coldest American state in the SPRING as well! captainkimo / Flickr Alaska is the coldest state overall, but when considering just the lower 48 states, Maine is in the top ten coldest during the winter and the absolute coldest during the spring. 9. Maine has the least expensive average car insurance premium in the country. dorret / Flickr According to insure.com, the average premium here is about $800. To help you feel even more fortunate, the national average is about $1,300. 10. Before he was America's best-known horror writer, Stephen King was actually a teacher. theuso / Flickr In fact, he was a teacher while he wrote his first novel, Carrie. 11. Maine has the highest moose population in the entire lower 48 states. jstephenconn / Flickr Vacationland is home to about 78,000 moose. No wonder we hear so many scary stories about people running into them. Be careful out there, Mainers!

While you’re in an especially I-Love-Maine mood, check out these 12 sentences that perfectly sum up what it’s like to live in the Vacationland.