Features The Write Stuff. Maine boasts the country’s second most bookstores per capita, and we asked some notable Maine writers — Stephen King and Lois Lowry, among others — where they go to find their next good read.

Down East Magazine helps readers discover Maine restaurants, things to do in Maine, and the best restaurants, breakfasts, and travel adventures in the state. Down East is the ultimate resource for living in Maine and enjoying the hikes, beaches, food, and events for locals and visitors in Maine.

By Sandy Lang Photos by Peter Frank Edwards From our January 2025 issue. On a late-January evening at Absolem Cider Company, in Winthrop, wisps of smoke tinged with the sweet-tangy scent of cooking apples rose into the icy blueness.The cidery’s founders, Ryan Travers, Zack Kaiser, and Kevin Sturtevant, wearing headlamps, took turns chopping McIntoshes and Cortlands at a picnic table ...

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North by East Fire and Ice. A smoked-apple hard cider, brewed last winter, is now ripe for enjoying. Maine Moment What Floats Their Boats. For a group of winter sailors, racing tiny vessels is a pretty big deal.

Since 1954, the goal of Down East has always been to hold a mirror up to the state and to celebrate its independent character and unhurried way of life. Today, the magazine is known for its insight into compelling Maine characters, stunning photography and storytelling, reporting on issues shaping the state, and indispensable insight into the arts, food, travel, and culture.

The book was Living the Good Life: How to Live Sanely and Simply in a Troubled World, quietly self-published by the Nearings in 1954 before reemerging in the ’70s as one of the most influential texts of the back-to-the-land movement.In the years since, it has sold more than 200,000 copies, largely by word of mouth. Today, its most recent edition (now simply titled The Good Life) is in …

Features A Very Merry Down East Christmas Classic. In “Grandpa’s Christmas Present,” from our January 1963 issue, the author and his father and grandfather get themselves into some cheery holiday hijinks.

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Jan 2, 2025 · Somerset SnowFest Skowhegan, Canaan, and Madison February 14–22. From a downhill kayak race to an equestrian skijoring competition (horses pulling skiers through a track of gates, banks, and jumps), this festival packs some extra adrenaline.