> Which reminds me: how much of the article linked to below is truth, and how much is mere comedic exaggeration?

If it's exaggerated at all, it's only by omission. Well, I actually shouldn't comment, because I only skimmed the article rather than reading it, but everything in it seemed pretty darned accurate. The thing is, the article obviously doesn't report on all the things that are exactly the same there as anywhere.

Another thing to keep in mind is that Bar Harbor is STRICTLY a tourist trap. Moose, lobster, and maple syrup are all reasons people *go* to Maine, and so Bar Harbor is going to have a LOT of quaint little shops like "Cool as a Moose." Wander around more residential Maine towns, and there will be significantly less doting on the things tourists identify with Maine.

Maine is actually a drop-dead gorgeous state if you stay out of its run-down towns (too many Maine towns are poor ones; Bar Harbor, being a tourist trap, is not one of them). The entire northwest quarter or so is basically unpopulated. A lot of it is composed of Baxter State Park, which was donated to the state on the condition that it *won't* be developed. That area of Maine is absolutely nothing but mountains, lakes, and forests. You can go hiking or camping in that area and get breathtaking views almost wherever you go, and because the area is so large and lacking in highways, you can do it without having to share with a skillion other tourists. Depending on where you go, you might run into a handful of other hikers or no one at all.