Warning: Travelers who spend time in New England's northernmost state are in grave danger of becoming Maine-iacs! Once you've got Maine on your mind, you'll find that the addiction runs deep — to the cellular level, even. But it still won't compare to the true blue affection harbored by Mainers whose families have called the state home for generations. In fact, even if you fall in love with Maine, move there, and have children, your young'uns will still be considered to be “from away.” As the locals just might tell you, “Hatchin' chickens in the stove doesn't make 'em muffins, does it?”

The rule of thumb is that if at least three generations of your ancestors aren't from Maine — or even if your ancestors are from Maine, but you've moved away and then returned — you're “from away.” But don't for a moment think that you won't feel welcome among the natives. Mainers are renowned for their hospitality, and tourism is one of the state's most important industries.

The vast territory that is Maine was actually governed by Massachusetts until 1820, when it was admitted to the Union as the twenty-third state. Early European settlement attempts at St. Croix Island in 1604 and at Popham Beach in 1607 were unsuccessful, but in 1641, York became the first city in America with a charter from the English Crown. Today, while much of Maine's jagged, 3,478-mile Atlantic coastline is quite well developed, the northern inland regions are largely uninhabited. Keep in mind that Maine's large size means distances between cities and towns can be much more significant than in other New England states.

Choose Maine for a family beach vacation or a sailing adventure aboard a tall-masted windjammer, for a frenetic weekend of outlet shopping, or for quiet time in a woodsy lakefront cabin, for a wet and woolly whitewater adventure, or for a more leisurely but nevertheless stimulating moose safari. Whatever type of escape you choose, don't let being “from away” cause you to stay away.