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Augusta
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The capital of Maine since 1832,
AUGUSTA
is much quieter and less visited now than it was a hundred years ago. The lumber industry here really took off after the technique of making paper from wood was rediscovered in 1844, and Augusta also had a lucrative sideline - each winter hundreds of thousands of tons of
ice
, cut from the Kennebec River, were shipped out, as far south as the Caribbean, in a trade now all but forgotten by history. There are informative displays on Maine's landscape and industrial past at the lively
Maine State Museum
, a short way south of the capitol on State Street (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 10am-4pm, Sun 1-4pm; free).
If you plan to stay in Augusta, the best-value
accommodation
is the
Best Inn
(tel 207/622-3776 or 1-800/237-8466; $50-75), at 65 Whitten Road at the Maine Turnpike's Augusta-Winthrop exit. For
food
, the lobster rolls at
Burnsie's Homestyle Sandwiches
(tel 207/622-6425), on Hichborn Street next to the capitol, are favorites with the politicians, while
Curly's
, 750 Main St (tel 207/933-2745), does good, moderately priced seafood. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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United States,
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