Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Review: Maine's Most Scenic Roads

Author: John Gibson
Publisher/Format: Down East, 2nd Ed., pprbck, 192 pages
Year of publication: 2011
Subject: 25 Routes off the Beaten Path
Genre: Travel/guidebooks
Source: Review copy furnished by publisher

Leafing through this book solidified my conviction that we made the right decision to move to this glorious state.  Forty-four years ago, Mr. & Mrs. Tutu came from Newport RI (where we were stationed together on active duty with the Navy) on our honeymoon to Maine.  We had no agenda: we wanted to sea the lighthouses, the nautical museums, and just let the scenery dictate where we would go.  We got all the way up the coast to Quoddy Head Light, a trip we repeated three years ago on our anniversary.  We left reluctantly, vowing to return again, "to see the rest" and came back on vacation as often as we could.  It was not often enough.  So seven years ago, when we made THE MOVE, we promised ourselves that we would continue to explore this glorious state.

We have not had this little guidebook in our travel bag before, but we will now be using it extensively. We were pleased to see how many of the 25 routes we'd been able to cover (some in part, others in their entirety) as we drive to see friends, attend High School sports events (when hubby was coaching) and library meetings to tour each other's facilities, and to take the grand daughter on trips 'to see the Moosies'.   It's a gem of a book that fits easily into your glove compartment.  While you'll probably be more comfortable with a more detailed map if you're in an area where you've not ventured before, the author presents enough detail to guide you to little known gems and let you soak up the scenery.  It's not a picture book.  The traveler can take his or her own pictures, taste the food, smell the smells, and simply soak up the ambiance.  John Gibson just provides the compass to point you in the right direction.  It's a gem of a  book, and for those who live in the vicinity, it's the perfect volume for the guest room bedside table, or as a welcome to town giftt for newcomers.  We're certainly going to be sure to get a copy for our library (and not just because we're mentioned in the book!)

Many thanks to DownEast books for the chance to review this one.

3 comments:

  1. Still another to add to my ever-growing list!

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  2. NOW, you tell me about this book.

    I am in Eastport, for a couple of days, about as far north as I think I will go on this trip, but now I wonder what I might have missed!

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  3. I have so many places I love in Maine that when someone asks me for advice where to go, I talk their legs off. Most involve driving along the ocean, but I also love some western drives and I have fond memories of Long Lake. You just can't beat Maine for scenery.

    ReplyDelete

Welcome, thanks for stopping by. Now that you've heard our two cents, perhaps you have a few pennies to throw into the discussion. Due to a bunch more anonymous spam getting through, I've had to disallow anonymous comments. I try to respond to all comments posing a question, but may not always get to you right away.