What's New in Maine in 2011 The Tides Beach Club

Media Contact: Charlene Williams

Publicist for the Maine Office of Tourism

207-623-4177; [e-mail]

What's New in Maine in 2011

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  The Tides Beach Club is Kennebunkport’s newest Oceanside hotel and restaurant. The modern, coastal décor, expansive lobby and incredible ocean views create distinctive accommodations in the popular southern coast town. The beachfront inn features 21 guest rooms, including two suites with private decks. www.tidesbeachclubmaine.com
  

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  The Tides Beach Club's sister property, Hidden Pond, will open the season with some unique new additions. The 60-acre secluded resort will unveil new bungalow cottages, a tree house spa and a new restaurant, Earth. www.hiddenpondmaine.com
  

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  Samoset Resort in Rockport, Maine has undergone major renovations to be debuted in the spring of 2011. The renovations include the addition of a full-service, seaside spa, an Italian restaurant and three new luxury guest cottages. www.samoset.com
  

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  The Maine Maritime Museum in historic Bath is now offering an additional tour to nearby Bath Iron Works to their daily schedule. This one-hour trolley tour, from Memorial Day to Columbus Day, takes you behind the gates of Bath Iron Works to see how modern U.S. Navy destroyers are built. www.mainemaritimemuseum.org
  

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  American Cruise Lines will sail the brand new Independence along the Maine coast in 2011. The itinerary includes stops in Portland, Boothbay, Bar Harbor, Rockland, Camden, Belfast and Bangor, Maine. Other special event cruises are scheduled throughout the year, such as the Maine Lobster Festival cruise. www.americancruiselines.com
  

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  The town of Lubec’s 200th Birthday Celebration will take place June 21 – July 9. America’s easternmost town will mark its Bicentennial with public concerts, a parade, a week-long art auction and a celebration at West Quoddy Head Lighthouse. http://lubecbicentennial.org/
  

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  Two new events are planned in Maine for 2011. These and more events can be found at www.visitmaine.com:
  
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    The Maine Starlight Festival is planned for Sept. 23 – Oct. 2. Astronomy clubs, planetariums, observatories and science centers throughout the state will hold star watch parties, solar viewings, sunrise and sunset events, and hands-on science activities for children.
    
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    A lineup of national and international-touring solo and group acts are planned for the Saltwater Celtic Music Festival at Thomas Point Beach & Campground in Brunswick July 31.
    

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  Maine Huts & Trails completed the Grand Falls hut. The hut is the third of 12 planned backcountry huts connected by 180 miles of non-motorized trails in Maine's scenic and remote Western Mountains region. www.mainehuts.org
  

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  Zip lining has been added at Sunday River Resort for summer fun at this popular ski resort. The lines are routed through the woods, over natural rock cliffs and deep ravines as they make their way down the mountain. www.sundayriver.com
  

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  2011 will be the first full season of the Bibby and Harold Alfond Children’s Garden at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. Every member of the family will delight in this imaginative two-acre garden full of features inspired by beloved children’s literature – with a Maine accent. www.mainegardens.org
  

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  The Ogunquit Dog Park is now open. The new dog park is an added amenity for visitors to the quaint seaside community of Ogunquit. The park is open 7 a.m. to dusk, seven days a week. www.ogunquitdogpark.com
  

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  Rangeley’s rich outdoor sporting history, traditions and personalities have come alive in the highly anticipated new Rangeley Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum in Oquossoc, the heart of Maine’s fishing and hunting since the mid 1800s. This rustic museum, modeled after a 1900s taxidermy shop, provides for the confluence of the past, present and future in telling the story of the region's outdoor sporting heritage. http://www.rangeleyoutdoormuseum.org/
  

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  The Down East Sunrise Trail recently opened another 53 miles making the 85-mile multi use trail system extend from Washington Junction near Ellsworth to just west of Eastport. The trail is a converted railroad corridor that offers recreational users expansive coastal views. www.hcpcme.org/transportation/sunrise/.
  

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  Carrabassett Valley's Sugarloaf Ski Resort has embarked on their 10-year development plan with terrain expansion to Burnt Mountain, which has created up to 270 acres of new terrain and 655 new acres when the entire project is complete. This will double Sugarloaf’s current skiable acreage and make it the largest ski area east of the Rocky Mountains. The new terrain will all be gladed, “sidecountry” terrain, offering skiers and riders a one-of-a-kind backcountry style experience, with the security of patrolled, inbounds terrain. www.sugarloaf.com
  

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  The Grand Harbor Inn is now open in Camden. This new waterfront boutique is situated along beautiful Camden harbor at Bayview Landing and is surrounded by unique shops, fine dining and schooner and kayak tours. The rooms and suites at the inn offer unparalleled harbor views. www.grandharborinn.com
  

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  A new brochure and website, Maine Performs, will guide you to Maine's performing arts including dance, theater and music. www.maineperforms.com.
  

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  Maine will soon unveil their new Lobster App – a mobile application that will provide mobile phone users with a wealth of information on the state's iconic lobster. Users will be able to access information on everything from finding Maine restaurants serving lobster to lobster boat tours.
  

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  Maine Foodie Tours, located in Portland, now offers tours for large groups. Tour options include a two-hour culinary walking tour of Portland, a two-hour cooking class, and a two-hour shopping spree at gourmet shops in the city named the "foodiest small town in America." www.mainefoodietours.com
  

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