There are many wonderful itineraries in New England and none is more different from the rest than the trip up the coast of Maine with its rugged beauty and picturesque charm. In the lower portions of the coast the seaside villages are all relatively near the road, while above Portland the geology of the Ice Age created long fingers into the sea as the ice retreated and you have to travel miles down winding backcountry roads to reach the tips of some peninsulas. What makes this itinerary so special is the fact that your pace is by necessity very leisurely since the roads wind from one lovely town or harbor to the next. You couldn’t drive fast if you wanted to—and, believe me, you won’t want to.