Separated at Birth: Northeast Harbor, Maine and North Easton Village, MA

Northeast Harbor, Maine, is scenically located where the ocean meets the mountains in magical Acadia National Park, Mt. Desert Island, Maine. North Easton, MA, is a southwest Boston suburb with stunning examples of H.H. Richardson architecture, nice tree-lined streets, a quaint historically preserved downtown and many trails, ponds and streams.

What do the two communities have to do with each other? Absolutely nothing, but they do share a hauntingly similar looking downtown district. So as to not stretch the truth, Northeast Harbor's downtown is a bit longer in size with more shops, but the general architecture strikes an uncanny resemblance:

Northeast Harbor, Maine...

and North Easton Village, MA!

Incredible isn't it? We'd actually like to start a "Separated at Birth" section on the blog. If you know of communities that strike a resemblance with each other, please feel free to post on this blog!

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Sick of the New England Snow? Take a Warm Weather Vacation!

We love New England. It is a place we live and love with its great mix of mountains, ocean, history, excellent quality of life and all the fun attractions. But winter 2008/2009 in New England has become unbearable -- one nasty storm after another. Before you break your back shoveling snow once more, consider a warmer destination vacation getaway. Have Junior down the street do the shoveling (and please pay him!) while you're walking a nice warm beach in beautiful places like Aruba, Cancun, Bermuda, and Cleveland (just kidding on the last one). After this winter, you deserve it!

Don't get us wrong: Winter is a nice place to be in New England. The snow-covered villages, the skiing, the winter community events -- this is the place to be if you like a quaint, cozy winter vacation. But to live here year-round and endure a tougher winter than usual has its limits. With a higher than average snowfall this winter, we feel stronger than ever that a warmer climate would provide a nice respite. Here are a few vacation getaways that should do the trick:

Aruba

Grand Bahama Islands

Bermuda

Cancun, Mexico

Grand Caymen Islands

Key Largo, FLA

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Miami Beach, FLA

Montego Bay, Jamaica

Orlando, FLA

San Juan, Puerto Rico

If you have a favorite warm weather place, we'd love to hear about that destination. Although we New Englanders are loyal to our native land, we also feel the need once in a while to come out of the frozen tundra.

Additionally, as always, please let us know your favorite places in New England. That is our business, but on this post we'd thought it'd be nice to warm up to the thought of a summer vacation in the winter!

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Thoughts on the Main Street Cafe in North Easton, MA

Article and photo by Eric H.

We recently reviewed -- and reflected upon -- our experiences at the Main Street Cafe in North Easton, MA. In the article, we not only focus on the delicious breakfasts and lunches at the Main Street Cafe, but how this restaurant brought back childhood memories of a revered bakery in Northeast Harbor, Maine (Acadia National Park). We think you'll enjoy the connections we draw -- and photos to validate the possible nexus between the two businesses.

Strictly from a food point-of-view, If you're looking for an excellent traditional, old-fashioned breakfast and lunch dining experience, we heartily recommend the Main Street Cafe!

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