The real Downeast Maine, the chunk of land that runs from Machias along the coast as far as Calais, shares the beauty of the mid-coast region, but not the problems and annoyances. The craggy, rockbound coast that has filled so many pictures is here; so is the abundance of creatures, on the land, sea and air, that delight resident and visitor alike. Especially, Washington County has the Maine people, often soft-spoken and quiet, but always hard-working, warm and receptive. Washington County lacks the merciless traffic of the mid-coast, the air pollution, the fast-food restaurants and big-box stores.

Washington County offers clean air and water, huge swathes of green space, including state parks and federal wildlife refuge. Small towns and villages dot the coast and sprinkle through the wooded interior, while the city of Calais in the north and the county seat town of Machias in the south offer shopping and services for the region. Roads are clear -- a traffic jam in the region means four cars headed to town at the same time. Calais boasts two stoplights; the rest of the county has, and needs, none. US Route 1 offers a convenient and scenic drive from Machias to Calais, and state roads access the other population centers.

Just up the coast from Machias is the quintessential New England fishing village of Cutler. A sparkling harbor in the center of town is home to a fleet of lobstermen and fishing boats, along with century-old homes and views to die for. Just a few miles off Route 1 via state highway, Cutler is a destination unto itself, on the way to nowhere else. It is peaceful, relaxed, a place where children can walk to the neighbors and play along the beach in safety. The Cutler school serves grades K through eight, and high school students attend the nearby Washington Academy, a nationally-known private school in East Machias. Hidden on the seaward side of the island at the head of Cutler Harbor is Little River Light, restored to its shining glory of the 50's.

Ten miles from Route 1, at the end of state route 189, lies Lubec, the easternmost town in the United States. Formerly the home to a large sardine industry, the town now plays host to the regional medical center, as well as local fishermen and lobstermen. Just past downtown´s Water Street is the International Bridge, connecting to Canada´s Campobello Island, home to the Roosevelt International Park, the former summer home of President Franklin D Roosevelt, now restored and open to the public. Campobello also offers a large provincial park, a magnificent oceanside golf course, restaurants and recreational opportunities. Lubec´s downtown area boasts large homes, built by sea captains and industry leaders, on a self-guided walking tour. An excellent consolidated school, serving all grades, sits just above Mowry Beach, near the center. Two grocery stores serve Lubec and the other towns on the peninsula. West Quoddy Head Light, the easternmost lighthouse, has been restored and serves as the anchor for the state park at the eastern tip of the country, where the sun rises first in the US.

One mile from Lubec, by water, lies the small city of Eastport, on a finger of land out into Passamaquoddy Bay. Despite tides of twenty feet or more which sweep past around Eastport, the city boasts not one but two deep-water port facilities. The compact downtown, built on a hill over the harbor, is undergoing a renaissance, as the city evolves from a fishing and industrial center to a nexus of the new, creative economy. Fine artists, craftsmen and artisans call Eastport home, and galleries and performance spaces have sprung up to support their efforts. The city´s school system is well-respected and the state of Maine´s Boat School is located on the waterfront, training new practitioners in the industry that has been in Maine since before statehood. Still-affordable houses offer opportunity to join in the revival of this world-class city.

Dotted throughout the area on the other side of Route 1, away from the coast are small towns and traditional Downeast hamlets. Dennysville stands athwart the Dennys River, with a traditional white New England church standing sentinel among the towering pines. The tiny town of Charlotte boasts farms raising sheep and dairy cows, as well as more exotic species like llamas and alpaca. Both towns share the Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, home to moose, deer and the American Bald Eagle. Every year for the past decade and a half, one pair of bald eagles has returned to their nesting spot and raised one or two young eaglets. Watched from a comfortable viewing area, the young birds first attempts at flight are an amusing and inspiring summer event.

Throughout the region, the things that make people nostalgic for the ?good old days´ still carry on. Besides the traditions of hunting and fishing, sailing and other outdoor recreation, are the small town events, church suppers and summer fairs, with petting zoos and cotton candy, rides for the kids and 4-H exhibits for all. The pace of life is slower, but the modern amenities are available. Broadband internet and cable television are available in most areas; excellent hospitals, including an entirely new facility opened in July 2006 in Calais are nearby. Shopping, from small local stores to supermarkets and Wal-Mart are easily accessible. And, if you tire of fresh lobster and fish just out of the sea, there are McDonald´s and Dunkin Donuts in both Calais and Machias. Old fashioned values and modern day services co-exist along the rockbound bold coast of Washington County, Maine.

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