Happy 198th Birthday State of Maine! On March 15, 1820, Maine separated from Massachusetts to become the 23rd state. That makes Maine 1386 years old in dog years! Now we may be a bit biased because we live here, but Maine is our favorite state! To celebrate Maine’s birthday, we thought we would share some fun facts.
Many early explorers visited Maine including John Cabot in 1498, Giovanni da Verrazano in 1524, and Samuel de Champlain in 1604. It was Champlain who named Mount Desert Island, the largest island off the coast of Maine.
Everyone knows famed author Stephen King hails from Maine. But did you know Judd Nelson of the Breakfast Club / Brat Pack fame was also born in Portland?
There are 65 Lighthouses in Maine, earning it the nickname of “The Lighthouse State.” Portland Head Light is the oldest in the state, commissioned by George Washington in 1787 and completed in 1791.
West Quoddy Head Lighthouse stands at the eastern most point on the United States. People come from all over the world to watch the sunrise over this iconic candy cane striped lighthouse.
Acadia National Park is also visited by people from all over the world. In 2016 they welcomed over 3 million visitors!
Everyone knows Maine is famous for it’s lobsters. But not everyone knows that the largest lobster ever caught in Maine measured 40 inches and weighed 27 lbs.! Each year over 40 million pounds of lobster are caught by Maine lobstermen.
Ok, you caught us. This isn’t the famous 27 lbs. lobster.
Maine is also the single largest producer of blueberries in the United States. Wild blueberries can be found growing along many of the hiking trails in the state, including the blueberry barrens at Kennebunk Plains.
In fact, Maine contains 542,629 acres of state and national parks and that’s not counting the numerous acres of regional land preserves throughout the state! So there are plenty of opportunities to go on a dog friendly adventure! If you would like to explore our favorite state, check out the many Trails, Beaches, and Scenic Walks on our Dog Friendly Places page! There’s a reason why Maine is also known as “Vacationland!”
Happy Birthday State of Maine!
