Is Downeast still The Magazine of Maine? (Augusta, Eastport: hotel, live in)

[Zarathu]

Originally Posted by little eggplant

After we moved to ME, I had Downeast for a while but gave up because it seems too geared for the out-of-state crowd.

This is sort of a bad thing in a way. While everyone here knows I have property on MDI and am moving there in 2011 after I retire in 102 days, I tend to think that I am very knowledgeable about things to do on MDI.

I never cease to be amazed about people who show up to visit with us on the island with places to go and things to do which I never knew existed. And when I ask where in the world they found these things out, it was in one of the magazines that is for "tourists". As a soon to be local, I would certainly appreciate knowing about these places and stuff so I could support it.

I have the same problem and have had the same problem with the PA Dutch Country tourist area I've lived in for the past 33 years.

Maybe everyone should subscribe to the tourist magazines for their area so they can acutally know what's going on!!

[PAhippo]

I like the magazine but then, hey, I'm one of the out of state tourist type people.

[Jellybean50]

It's funny - I have subscribed to Down East for probably about 30 years, and had also subscribed to Yankee for many, many years. Back when they changed the Yankee format, I stopped subscribing. But I still like Down East.

Like some of the others - I havent moved to Maine yet (next year). So maybe i wont like it anymore then!

edited to add: I also subscribe to two Maine newspapers, and have been there TONS of times

[dmyankee]

We are always travelling into places you will never find in a coffee table book or magazine. Places we don't want you to know about. The Delorme people just sent out forms for the game wardens and bilologists to fill out for the next update of their maps. There are plenty of places they don't want anyone to know about. Views, ponds, bogs, waterfalls, plane crashes, railroad memorabilia, long lost logging camps, sporting camps and farms. Most of them accessable by jeep, most access not noted on the maps.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by dmyankee

We are always travelling into places you will never find in a coffee table book or magazine. Places we don't want you to know about. The Delorme people just sent out forms for the game wardens and bilologists to fill out for the next update of their maps. There are plenty of places they don't want anyone to know about. Views, ponds, bogs, waterfalls, plane crashes, railroad memorabilia, long lost logging camps, sporting camps and farms. Most of them accessable by jeep, most access not noted on the maps.

We stumbled upon many of those places in our travels around the state. I learned not to always trust the Delorme maps when they tell you a bridge is out or a road stops. We have found some really unique places over the years. One was a logging camp abandoned in the 60's with a bottle dump you could only dream about, undisturbed for over 80 years.

[Easybreezy]

I stopped Downeast magazine years ago as I felt it had become too fru-fru.

Just recently, I stopped my Yankee magazine subscription. I was very disturbed about the new format, didn't like it, but kept it a while as I had a decent price for the remainder of the subscription.

However, when it came to renewing Yankee this time, no interesting subscription offers were offerred to me-a very long term subscriber. I've opted not to renew at this time. I can find out a lot from the Yankee website as well as a variety of websites located in Maine. That's how to read the Bar Harbor Times and Bangor Daily News at this time.

BTW: I'm one of those "From-Away" people (Upstate NY is not all that different from Maine at times) but have been visiting Maine for over 40 years.

[moughie]

[quote=dennis s;799615]I've been getting Down East since 1983. I used to look forward to the curmudgeon writings of Caskie Stinett on the inside back cover writing about life in Maine the traditional way.

I love Caskie Stinett!!!

[slyfox2]

I agree with Coaster. But they don't make magazines for the common people. The common people are too busy with life and kids and working to have time to buy travel magazines. Essentially this is what these locality magazines are. Downeast, Yankee, Island Living. Don't confuse them with a magazine about your local life.

They are simply about travel. If you like to travel and see new places, then you get a magazine about those places. Even those of us who actually live in Maine can enjoy them because when we want to travel they give great suggestions for places we never went. And if you have friends who are visiting you, then these magazines can be especially useful to help you with new ideas of places to visit and go. But they won't tell you the common things. You'll probably not see an article about Finn's in Ellsworth and their great veggie sandwich in Downeast Magazine.

The most recent issue of Yankee has the best of New England in it and there are a number of bests that are local to Ellsworth, but while I know them by name, I never went there. Now I will, just to see if I agree with the magazine.

[mainebrokerman]

Originally Posted by slyfox2

I agree with Coaster. But they don't make magazines for the common people. The common people are too busy with life and kids and working to have time to buy travel magazines. Essentially this is what these locality magazines are. Downeast, Yankee, Island Living. Don't confuse them with a magazine about your local life.

They are simply about travel. If you like to travel and see new places, then you get a magazine about those places. Even those of us who actually live in Maine can enjoy them because when we want to travel they give great suggestions for places we never went. And if you have friends who are visiting you, then these magazines can be especially useful to help you with new ideas of places to visit and go. But they won't tell you the common things. You'll probably not see an article about Finn's in Ellsworth and their great veggie sandwich in Downeast Magazine.

The most recent issue of Yankee has the best of New England in it and there are a number of bests that are local to Ellsworth, but while I know them by name, I never went there. Now I will, just to see if I agree with the magazine.

You do bring up a good point- many natives dont do or go to touristy places- sometimes we avoid them because of traffic, etc,
so, when in the dr.s or dentist waiting room, reading magazines about maine, you are thinking, Ive heard about this-but never went,...

[tatans]

Originally Posted by deerislesmile

I have read Downeast magazine for most of my life, and in recent years I have felt a slight disconnect with it. I find most of the stories, advertising, and information appear to be targeted at either people who don't live in Maine (tourists or dreamers) or to PFA (that's People From Away) yuppies who want to know where to go on a weekend out of Portland, rather than to the common people of Maine. It seems too glossy and not at all gritty enough to be "The Magazine of Maine"... Am I the only one who thinks this?

Discuss.

As a come from away, I wanted to get the scoop on Maine(tourist) I got an issue and gleaned that I should be wealthy, own a BMW, and plan to spent $300/night at hotels, well, we decided to come anyway, stayed off the expensive coast, hit all the small towns and stayed at local motels for great service and food and chatted with the Maine locals and had a terrific time, our big city treat was in Augusta and really enjoyed it,(especially the revitalization of the downtown) did not hit the "Quaint" seaside towns as we felt we did not want to hobnob with the Kennedys. Our rural ramblings were great and we plan to do it again