ABSTRACT
MAINE, DOWN EAST To Mainers, “Down East” refers to the segment of the Atlantic Coast east of Penobscot Bay. More specifically, Down East begins after one travels through Ellsworth on U.S. Route 1 and passes the turnoff to Mount Desert Island, Bar Harbor, and Acadia National Park. By this definition, Down East is largely coextensive with the shoreline and inland forests of Washington County. North of Washington County lies Aroostook County, or simply “the County” to Mainers. While it, too, is located in eastern Maine, the County is not Down East but constitutes a vernacular subregion in its own right.
