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Accommodations, least costly. Fulton’s Cabins, Penbroke. Sixteen bucks a night.
African stuff, best and most. Deepest Africa Imports, Deer Isle. Proprietor Jackie Pelletier grew up in South Africa and is an authority on all things African. Running neck to neck with Jackie is Chris Covert at Arts and Africana in Hancock.
Airport, closest to Europe. Bangor International Airport. On the Great Circle Route, BIA is 500 miles closer to Europe than any other U.S. airport.
Antique cars, best collection. Seal Cove Auto Museum, Seal Cove. This is one of the nation's premier collections of vintage autos.
Apple pie, biggest piece. White House Restaurant, Jonesboro. Looks to us like a quarter of a pie.
Art gallery, best cooperative. Island Artisans, 99 Main St., Bar Harbor. Twenty-four area craftspeople run this outstanding gallery.
Bargain, best in Bar Harbor. The 21-cent cup of black coffee at West End Drug. A terrific buy—especially in summer when prices tend to baloon in deference to the perceived deep pockets of tourists.
Beach, best in Maine. Jasper Beach, Machiasport. America's Best Online lists Jasper as among the 25 best beaches in the United States.
Bears, most stuffed. Cranberry Hollow, Searsport. Proprietor Helen Kimmerly has collected stuffed bears her entire life and has hundreds of them on display. She will custom-make you a bear out of any old fur, wool, quilting or other sentimentally important material you have on hand.
Beer, best. Bar Harbor Brewing Company, Otter Creek. This company's Cadillac Mountain Stout took a platinum medal at the 1996 World Beer Championship.
Bells, best. U.S. Bells, Prospect Harbor. Richard Fisher's unique bells are lovely sculptures as well as functional noise-makers.
Bird carvings, best. Wendell Gilley Museum, Southwest Harbor. More than 200 carvings by the celebrated woodworker and painter.
Bird sanctuary, best. Stanwood Homestead Sanctuary and Museum, Rte 3, Ellsworth. Hundred-acre nature preserve is memorial to pioneer ornithologist Cordelia Stanwood (1865-1958).
Biscuits 'n' Gravy, best. Sam's Country Cafe, E. Machias. Agnes Tripp, a Southern gal, knows how it's done right.
 BLUEBERRIES, most items associated with same. DEBBIE'S BLUEBERRY WARE, Rte 1, Hancock. Besides her hand-crafted blueberry pottery, Debbie stocks a huge number of blueberry-related items.
Blueberry barrens, most expansive. Wyman's, Washington County. Ninety percent of the nation's wild blueberries come from this area.
Blueberry processor, world's largest. Maine Wild Blueberry Company, Machias. This company processes 250,000 pounds of berries a day and ships them as far as Japan.
BLUEBERRY SHOP most resembling a blueberry. WILD BLUEBERRY LAND, Route One, Columbia Falls. This dome painted blue is the perfect cretaive choice.
Book Shop, smallest. Pushcart Bookstore, downtown Sedgwick, is housed in a 12-by-14-foot former cheese shop. The shop provides a retail outlet for Pushcart Press and other small press publications.
Book shop, worst location. Silo Seven, Bangor. Located obscurely in the Bomarc Industrial Park, this unique shop stocks a wide range of New Age and inspirational material.
Breakfast Special, best. Governor's, Bangor and Stillwater. For $1.69, you get three pancakes, an egg, bacon and sausage, and a slice of homemade toast.
BUILDING CONSTRUCTED IN A WEEK FOR UNDER $500, best. PETITE RETREAT, Route One, Whiting. This ingenious sandwich of 6-mil plastic and forced hot air makes possible tropical temperatures throughout Maine's winter.
Building associated with American Revolution, only one in eastern Maine; Burnham Tavern, Machias. Place where patriots plotted first U.S. Naval engagement.
Buried treasure, most likely location. Machias vicinity. Some say pirate captain Richard Bellamy stashed loot hereabouts. It is also said that Paul Revere buried a cache of silver somewhere along the banks of the Penobscot River following the disastrous Penobscot Exhibition..
Canoe, largest manufacturer. Old Town Canoe, Old Town, Maine. This century-old company sells canoes through 800 U.S. dealerships and 18 foreign countries. For centuries, the Penobscot Indians built canoes here, and Old Town's original canoe was patterned after those built by these Indians.
Car ferry, fastest. The Cat, which travels between Bar Harbor, Maine, and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. This twin-hulled behemoth cut three-and-a-half hours off what had been a six-hour trip.
Chainsaw sculptor, world's best. Ray Murphy, Rte 1, Hancock. Ripley's Believe It or Not featured Ray after he carved the entire alphabet on a common lead pencil.
CLASSIC INTERNATIONAL CUISINE, best. THISTLES RESTAURANT, Bangor. South Americans Alejandro and Maria Rave have introduced loads of "new old food" to the palates of Downeasterners. No other regional restaurant has a menu that covers the traditional cuisine of so much of the globe.
City, nation’s easternmost. Eastport.
 CLAM CHOWDER, best. UNION RIVER LOBSTERPOT RESTAURANT, Ellsworth. Brian Langles's chowder won first prize in Ellsworth's annual Autumn Gold Festival. He describes his entry as being "as traditional as Maine can get."
Coastal footpath, Maine's longest. Cutler Coast Reserve, south of Holmes Cove. The 2,174-acre parcel contains 4.3 miles of isolated coastline.
Coffee, best buy. West End Drug Store, Main St., Bar Harbor. A cup of black offee at this venerable soda fountain is 21 cents and has been for years.
Community radio station, best. WERU, Blue Hill. Interesting and intelligent mix of materials.
Concerts, best free. The Pierre Monteux School for Advanced Conductors and Orchestra Players presents concerts the last Wednesday of July and each Wednesday of August. Call 207-422-3931 for details.
Crabmeat sandwiches, best. Perry's, Rte 1, Stockton Springs. Legendary sandwiches contain full half-pound of crab.
Crafts School, oldest and still best. Haystack Mountain School for Crafts, Deer Isle. This venerable institution has been offering instruction in crafts for over 50 years.
Croquet tournament, best. Claremont Hotel, Southwest Harbor. Among MDI's most time-honored traditions.
Cultural guide, best. The Maine Crafts Association publishes an excellent annual 80-page guide to the craftspeople of Maine. Write MCA, P.O. Box 228, Deer Isle 04627, or call 207-729-9943.
Cupolas, best. Woodshop Cupolas, Trenton and Town Hill.Phil Alley takes great pride in delivering the finest quality possible.
 DECOYS, best. NELSON DECOYS, Jonesport. Winner of too many awards to list.
Distinction, most dubious. Cutler's place near the top of the list of likely targets in any future nuclear confrontation. The U.S. Navy has a communications center here that keeps in touch with submarines aound the globe.
Donut Hole, first. Local legend has it that in 1847 Captain Hanson Crokett Gregory of Camden poked a hole in a biscuit to place it over one of the spokes in his ship’s wheel while he navigated. This native son inventor is remembered annually in Camden’s Hole in the Donut Festival.
Dorm food, best. College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor. Exotic grub most college kids can't imagine, much of which is grown on COA's 86-acre organic farm.The Princeton Review consistently rates COA Number One.
Dress shop, best. Grasshopper Shop, Bangor. Maine Times readers gave the hopper the nod.
Eagles, most. Pleasant Bay, east of Petit Manan. The ample supply of fish makes this the Maine coast's most popular habitat for bald eagles. The eagle population in Maine has rebounded; they are listed as "threatened" instead of "endangered" as they were in the 1970s. Still, Maine eagles are far from common, and a sighting is always an awe-inspiring surprise.
Easternmost point in U.S., Quoddy Head State Park.
Eggs Benedict, best. Testa's Restaurant, 53 Main St., Bar Harbor. The keys limes in the sauce make the difference.
European settlement, first in new world. St. Croix Island between Robbinston and Calais. In 1604, Samuel de Champlain and 80 other Frenchman took up residence on this well-protected five-and-a-half acre island. After one particularly unpleasant winter marked by hunger and scurvy, they retreated to Port Royal, Nova Scotia.
Fabled city of great riches, non-existent. Early explores to the New World sought to find Norumbega, a City of Gold said to lie along a great river in the north. This led them to what now is Bangor, where they found a bare-bones Indian camp.
Factory outlet, best known. LL. Bean, High St., Ellsworth. A wide variety of discounted items from Maine's most famous store.
Famous Mainers, nastiest. Samuel Waldo, an 18th century merchant prince who once controlled vast acreages in Downeast Maine. According to Maine State historian Thomas Griffiths, Waldo was aggressive, ruthless, avaricious, and without mercy, always ready to betray employees, servants, business partners, as well as friends and family. Waldo County is named for this miscreant.
Film archives, best. Northeast Historic Film, Main St., Bucksport. Said to be the country's premier regional moving image collection.
Fish hatchery, nation's oldest. Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery, East Orland. Check out the visitors' center, aquarium, picnic area and boatlaunching ramp.
Fjord, unique. Somes Sound, Mount Desert Island. Only fjord on U.S. Atlantic coast.
Flags, most to have flown over a Maine community. Four. At one time or another, British, French, Dutch and American forces have controlled what now is Castine.
Flora, most indigenous. Wild Gardens of Acadia at Sieur de Monts Spring in Bar Harbor. Maintained by the Bar Harbor Garden Club, these gardens are a showcase for the native plants of Acadia.
Florist, best facility. Bangor Floral, 96 Center St., Bangor. Situated in an old church with lovely stained glass windows, a perfect ambiance for flowers.
Fog, most. Downeast Maine. It's official; no place on earth is foggier than Downeast Maine. Records are kept, and each year Downeast Maine most always logs at least 180 foggy days.
Fort, best. Fort Knox, Prospect. Underground stairways, brick archways, ramparts of master stone masons, and old canon make this a great place for kids to play. Some of its walls are 40 feet thick.
Gallery, best in a terrible location. The Barter Family Gallery, West Sullivan. Phil Barter's wonderful and sought-after paintings way off the beaten path.
GALLERY, most beautifully situated. The Gallery at Caterpillar Hill, Sedgwick. The awesome view from here competes with the world's best.
Garlic, most. The Olive Garden, Hogan Road, Bangor. If you’re really into garlic, check out the Mediterranean Garlic Shrimp. It’s loaded!
Gate, most celebrated. Stephen King's, West Broadway, Bangor. King's bat and cobweb creation attracts hoards of gawkers.
Golf Clubs, least expensive. Bucksport Golf Club, Rte 46, Bucksport. Lynn and Wayne Hand will match or beat anybody's price on clubs they have in stock. This course, rather a well kept-secret, is Maine's longest 9-hole layout and a pleasure to play.
Golf course, best municipal. Bangor Muni. Golf Digest called it one of the country's 100 best.
Golf course, most historic. Kebo Valley Club, Bar Harbor. Maine's oldest course (1888), eighth oldest in the country. For years, Walter Hagen held the course record; President William Howard Taft took a 27 on Kebo's infamous seventeenth.
Golf Course, untouchable hole. Nobody has ever reached the 600-plus 18th hole at the Bar Harbor Golf Course in Trenton in two shots.
Golf Course, worst name. Barren View Golf Club, Machias. to my mind, this name suggests desolation, waste, sterility, unprofitability, and dreariness—all sorts of negativity. (It's actually named for the quite beautiful blueberry barens it overlooks, but this probably wouldn't occur to first-time visitors.)
Granite, most famous. The fine pink stone of Crotch Island, must off Stonington. Sherwood Pink granite from here was used in President Kennedy's Arlington Cemetery memorial.
Hamburger, biggest. Eagles' Nest Restaurant, Rte 9, Eddington. The burgers here look like small meatloaves.
Hand-crafted musical instruments, best. Song of the Sea Dulcimer, Bagpipe and Folk Harp Instrument Shop, West St., Bar Harbor.
Headland, highest on Atlantic coast north of Rio de Janeiro. Otter Cliffs, Acadia National Park. Three-hundred-plus-foot cliffs.
Hemp products, most. Bar Harbor Hemporium. Thousands of pieces of clothing and accessories, all made of this wonderous, environmental friendly material.
Hot Dogs, most ways served. Downeast House of Dogs, Southwest Harbor. Plans are to serve them at least a hunded different ways.
HOT SAUCE, hottest. THE MEX, Main St., Ellsworth. They make it themselves.
Ice Cream, largest serving. Spencer's Homemade Ice Cream, Bradley. The small cone here is a triple-decker anywhere else. Ask for a dish.
Inn, most famous haunted. Lucerne Inn, Rte 1A, Lucerne-in-Maine. A long-deceased caretaker has spooked countless guests.
International park, world's only. Roosevelt Campobello International Park, connected by bridge to Lubec. Technically in New Brunswick, this 2,800-acre park is where Franklin Delano Roosevelt summered as a boy.
July Fourth Celebration, earliest. Cherryfield, Maine. Festivities are always the last full weekend before the 4th, (which can put them in June).
Kayaks, best. Baldwin Kayaks, built in Orrington. These unique fiberglass vessels are labors of love.
Kayak Symposium, best. L.L. Bean's Atlantic Coast Sea Kayak Symposium, an extravaganza of outdoor workshops, classroom seminars, and boat demonstrations held annually at the Maine Maritime Academy in Castine.
 KIDS, best place to take them. OCEANARIUMS, Bar Harbor and Southwest Harbor. Educational, interesting, unforgettable.
Liars, biggest. They guys who occupy the Liar's Table at Tall Barney's Restaurant in Jonesport. Every day they meet to exchange tall tales.
Lighthouse, most photographed. Bass Harbor Head Light, Bass Harbor. Said to be the world's most-photographed lighthouse.
Lobster, biggest. That would be Wilbur the Lobster, the 20-foot-long fiberglass creation lurking outside Ruth and Wimpy's Restaurant in Hancock. A few years ago, Roadway Expressed included Wilbur on its list of the nation's 12 most interesting things to see.
 LOBSTER, largest number of ways to have it fixed. Fisherman's Friend Restaurant, Stonington. Choose from any of 30 different ways, some of which are fairly mind-boggling..
Lobster, least expensive. Eaton's Fish Pier, Sunshine. Last time we checked, the basic lobster dinner here was $7.95. (Equally inexpensive lobsters can occasionally be found elsewhere, depending upon the time of year and current market prices.)
Lobster museum, unique. The Oceanarium, near the head of the island, Bar Harbor. Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about lobsters, generally related by a crusty old Maine lobsterman. There’s also a lobster hatchery here.
Lobster Roll, world's best. The Castine Variety Store, Castine. Lots of hardshell lobster; up to three times as much as some; probably a quarter pound. Not much mayo. Low price: $9.99. These rolls were featured in a Travel and Leisure article about the coast of Maine.
LOBSTER STEW, best. FISHERMAN'S FRIEND RESTAURANT, Stonington. Best in Maine, according to Yankee Magazine..
LOG HOMES HANDCRAFTED, only ones in Maine. TUCKER MOUNTAIN LOG HOMES, Sullivan. These homes are works of rare art that must be seen to be appreciated.
 MAINE-MADE PRODUCTS, best edible inventory. MAINE'S OWN TREATS, Rte 3, Trenton.
MAINE-MADE PRODUCTS, most. BLUE MOON IMAGES GALLERY, Surry. Everything they sell (except frames) was made in Maine.
Maritime exhibits, best. Penobscot Maritime Museum, Searsport. Also Maine's oldest maritime museum.
MARINE SUPPLIES, least expensive. TUGBOAT MARINE SUPPLY, Columbia Falls. Nobody, but nobody, undercuts the Colloras.
Meatball sub, best. Papa Gambinos, Bangor.
MEDITERRANEAN BISTRO, best. CLEONICE, 112 Main St., Ellsworth. If any restaurant in these parts is worthy of four stars, it's this one.
Microbreweries, most per capita. Bar Harbor, Maine. The number keeps changing, but no place in the country has more. We do like our beer.
Miniature golf, best course. Pirate's Cove Adventure Golf, Rte 3, Bar Harbor. Two 18-hole supercourses.
Minibrews, most. Dennett's Wharf Restaurant & Lobster Bar in Castine always serves at least nine locally brewed beers and ales.
Mittens, warmest. Red Wagon Quilt Craft Shop, Route 1, Pembroke. Alma Bednarik has developed a way to knit 100 percent wool mittens that are probably the world's thickest and warmest, perfect for Maine's suz-zero winters.
Moccasins, biggest selection. The Trading Post, Rte 1, Perry. A hundred varieties.
Mountain, highest. Cadillac Mountain, Mount Desert Island. At 1,530 feet, Cadillac is the highest mountain on the Atlantic coast north of Brazil.
Mouse factory, largest. The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor. Every year this research laboratory produces several million hybrid mice, peddling them to research facilities around the world.
Mountain road, best engineered. The road to the summit of Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park. The grade of this remarkable road never exceeds 11 degrees.
Movie theater, most historic. Criterion Theater, Bar Harbor, This 1930s art deco landmark is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Musical instruments, best hand-crafted. Song of the Sea Dulcimer, Bagpipe and Folk Harp Instrument Shop, West St., Bar Harbor.
Mustard, only stone ground. Raye's Mustard Mill, Eastport. Here is the nation's last mustard manufacturer doing it the old-fashioned way-crushing selected mustard seeds and spices between huge stones.
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NUT COLLECTION, world’s largest.
ONLINE INFORMATION for Downeast Maine, best. 
ROCKS & GEMS, biggest selection. 
SUNDAY BRUNCH, best. 
WINE, best selection. 
YARN, largest selection.