When is the best time to visit Maine? That depends on what you like to do! When autumn leaves begin to fall, there are terrific fall foliage Maine vacation packages. This is also apple picking season. At the end of the day, you can sip hot mulled apple cider by the fireplace.

In the winter, you can find terrific Maine vacation packages at the ski resorts. Even if you are not a skier or snowboarder, you can still enjoy romantic horse-drawn sleigh rides that will give you a good taste of tourism in Maine. If you just feel like relaxing, there are Maine vacation packages at the inns or bed and breakfasts, where you can read a book as you sip hot cocoa by the fireplace.

Do you like maple syrup? If you do, choose from one of the many spring time Maine vacation packages. This is when the maple trees are tapped for their delicious sap. Spring is also the season when the wildflowers are in bloom. What could be more glorious?

Maine Map

In the summertime, tourism in Maine centers on the lakeshores seashores.

Summertime is also when you can attend some exciting events in Maine. You can enjoy concerts under the stars, lobster bakes or antique festivals. For many people, summer is the season for Maine sailing. Maine currently has 14 famous windjammers. These ships played an integral role in Maine sailing history.

Two hundred years ago, before steamships or trains were invented; thousands of ships would race the eastern seaboard with the hope of being the first to market their cargo. These ships were called Schooners. They were identified by their two masts. These ships were designed in the 1700s. They carried bricks, Christmas trees, coal and oysters. At the time, these wooden ships on the water were the fastest means of transportation.

Then, in the 1930s, the Schooners could no longer compete with rail transport and steam power. Had it not been for an ingenuous man named Frank Swift, they would have been abandoned. Swift was an artist from rural Maine. He wanted the ships preserved as examples of Maine sailing heritage. Thus, in 1936, Swift offered his first windjammer cruise. The term “windjammer” was derived from the steamboat captains’ jokes about the Schooners. Eventually the name caught on, as did the idea of taking a Maine sailing vacation on these wooden ships. In 1977, the Maine Windjammer Association was formed. The association has 14 vessels. Seven have been designated as National Historic Landmarks. Two of these ships, the Grace Bailey and the Mercantile, were part of Swift’s original fleet. The fleet also includes two of America’s oldest commercial ships; a Gloucester fishing boat and an oyster fishing Schooner. Both were built in 1871. Today, they are an essential part of tourism in Maine.