Couple Tours 29 States, Realizes Maine Has Friendly Lobsters and Trolls

KEY POINTS

•Emily and her husband traveled through 29 US states last year and chose Maine as their favorite place to live.
•They visited six lighthouses in Portland and hiked in Acadia National Park, finding scenic spots and giant trolls made from recycled wood.
•Maine's lobster rolls, whoopie pies, wild blueberries, and friendly community, including lively soccer games, sealed their love for the state.

After clocking 29 states last year like it was an overambitious Pinterest board, Emily and her husband crowned Maine the king of all states. Their one-month Portland lighthouse binge included the US's easternmost West Quoddy Head Light plus the iconic Portland Head Light, which apparently puts on quite the beacon show. Inland, they hunted giant recycled-wood trolls at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens because regular nature walks were too mundane. Bangor greeted them with Stephen King's spooky house and a water tower allegedly inspiring 'It,' because nothing says quaint town like Pennywise fan theories. Culinary adventures were lobster rolls, whoopie pies, and potato doughnuts, not to mention wild blueberries so sweet they make store varieties look like sad gym raisins. All topped off with genuine small-town friendliness, including raucous neighborhood singalongs at Portland Hearts of Pine soccer games. They left plotting a snowy Maine sequel because who doesn’t want to immortalize frostbite memories?