50K in 50 States by 50 Years Old
Maine— 54.45Km, Mar 10–12 2022 and prior
- Pre-2022: At least 25Km wandering around Portland on many visits. Likely 50K plus but can’t confirm.
- Mar 10, 2022: 8.57Km in Boothbay Harbor (rt 1 | rt 2) just to get oriented (photos including a brutalist door)
- Mar 11, 2022: 9.75Km to Lobster Cove Meadow Preserve and touching on Apalachee and Pine Tree Preserves as well plus some other wandering. (photos)
- Mar 12, 2022: 11.13Km to the Aquarium and back, in the cold rain, plus some wandering around town. Turns out my rain jacket is not waterproof after all. (photos)
Where to get some distance in Maine
Maine is stunningly beautiful in all seasons (though, to be fair, perhaps a bit less so in mud season). It has the coast, it has mountains, it has one end of the Appalachian Trail. So what can I add to this?
- Portland is one of my favorite cities in the world. It is coastal. Insanely walkable. Bursting with some of the best food in the north east. Home to many breweries if a beer walk is your thing. Mainers are super friendly folks. I’ve visited several times and spent hours letting my feet lead to whatever seemed interesting. My visits were all pre-challenge and pre-pandemic, so I won’t write up any details except to encourage you to visit and explore. Terrain: city sidewalks, mostly flat with gentle low-rise hills.
- Boothbay Harbor is in the mid-coast area, between Portland and Acadia National Park. We visited in the winter, when the town is mostly locals (less than 2000 year ‘round residents). You can’t turn a corner without finding some sort of stunning view — water, hills, nature reserves, all easily walkable. It’s the kind of town where everyone waves and greets you as you walk past or might stop and chat. Terrain: depends on what you do, but there’s plenty of city sidewalk or safe paved street shoulder to walk on though be prepared for hills, some quite steep.
Celebrating Maine’s Indigenous Voices
The Wabanaki Nations are made up of the The Aroostook Band of Micmacs, the Houlton Band of Maliseet, the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Motahkokmikuk, the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Sipayik, and Penobscot Indian Nation. There are many native-led initiatives in Maine that work on issues ranging from conservation to restorative justice.
The indigenous-led Nibezun project has successfully reclaimed 85 acres of sacred land to preserve it for the Wabanaki and others.
The Bomazeen Land Trust works to protect and honor culturally significant spaces.
Eastern Woodlands Rematriation works to restore polycultural food systems and knowledge of traditional medicine and foodways.
Wabanaki REACH is a restorative justice organization that supports the self-determination of Wabanaki people through education, truth-telling, restorative justice, and restorative practices in Wabanaki and Maine communities.
The federal government recognizes four tribes in Maine — the Wabanaki Nations — and as of the 2020 census approximately 0.7% of the population identified as American Indian.
I have set myself a goal of completing at least 50Km in all 50 states by the time I’m 50. To acknowledge that I’m traveling on land that was stolen from others, I am donating $500 to the First Nations Development Institute for each state I complete.
Thank you for reading and supporting me on this journey. If you’re able to chip in — for your state, or for all 50 states — you’ll help me double the impact I’m able to make on my own.
If you’re from Maine or living there right now, please consider supporting the Wabanaki Alliance, any of the organizations listed above, or donating to another local and indigenous-led organization.
