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There are currently a couple of great shops in both the Maine Mall in Southern Maine, as well as the Bangor Mall in central Maine, where local Native Americans in Maine own and sell goods in an impressive mall storefront.

What’s most impressive about these stores isn’t so much that they are well designed or that the decor is astonishing or flashy like so many other mall stores. What’s so impressive about them is the products, the goods - many of which members of the various Native American tribes in Maine created.

Just browsing through these stores instantly remind you that there are Native Americans in Maine who are part of an ancient civilization and part of tribes with such a long heritage that it’s really difficult to fathom. Sure, you may find a few trinkets or jewelry that’s Made in China - products that they use to fill out the shelves with as much product as possible - but if you look carefully you’ll come across hand-made products that the owners of the stores, or members of their tribe, created.

Observing Local Tradition of Native Americans in Maine

One of the things that I think about often while hiking throughout Maine or New Hampshire is how the Native Americans in the area managed to survive off the land so successfully. The point of my post here, today, is to reflect a bit on the traditions and history of not only the Native Americans in Maine, but those all across the country.

When you’re hiking with the family or on your next nature excursion, stop and take a good look around and imagine what life would be like if all you have to survive are the tools you can create from nature, the food you can harvest or hunt from the wild, and the shelter you can create from whatever the wilderness offers.

The one thing that I keep coming back to when I imagine this is how cold the winters are in this part of the country, and how difficult it must have been for these tribes to survive the harsh conditions.

One of the things that I’m sure gave strength to the tribe is their spiritual beliefs and practices, which essentially incorporated the land - their lives were completely integrated with the Earth and the environment. It’s difficult for Europeans to understand how completely opposite the two cultures are.

White Europeans strive to use science and technology to conquer nature and put it under the control of mankind, while the Native Americans found a way to coexist with the Earth in ways that provided nourishment and support for both the tribe, and for the Earth.

I would like to dedicate this post as a reflection upon the wonderful spirituality and heritage of the Penobscot Nation - the largest Native American tribe in Maine, and one with a very long and compelling history in this part of the country. The following video are members of the tribe performing “The Traveler” in Millinocket, Maine in 2009.

As you listen to the tribal music, I suggest you sit back and close your eyes. You’ll find that the sound of the drums serves as a tremendous soothing tone, while the chant takes you into a realm that you probably never imagined possible. Please take the time to listen to this wonderful performance, and share your opinion about the experience in the comments section below.

Tags: facts about maine, maine resources, native americans in maine

One of the ways I like to spend my lunch break or leisure time on the Internet is exploring the natural world through the camera lense of photographers throughout the world - and reviewing winter photographs of Southern Utah is an excellent example of that.

Southern Utah is one of the most magical, surreal, strange and stunningly beautiful locations in the world, and winter photographs of the Southern Utah landscape are almost as good as exploring the rugged terrain in person.

Top 5 Sites to See Winter Photographs of Southern Utah

During my lunch break today, I’ve decided to take a photographic tour of the Southern Utah wilderness, and I’m going to take my nature-loving blog readers along for the adventure. So without further ado, let’s start checking out the wonder of Southern Utah in the wintertime.

If you want to see stunning winter photographs of Southern Utah, the absolute top of the list is the photo slideshow at PhotoSafaris that offers you one of the most stunning photographic tours of “Utah’s Winter Panoramas” that you’ll find anywhere. Just scroll down and click on “watch slideshow” to receive a feast for your eyes.

You’ll find another amazing Utah photographer over at UtahRedRocks. From the main page, just go over to the right and review the various photo galleries. Click on any of them for an absolutely amazing treat. The gallery above comes from the photographer’s Arches National Park Photo Gallery - an amazing collection of Utah winter photos.

The photographer at Zion National Park is in love with wintertime in the Zion National park, and that love is reflected in his beautiful photography. In these galleries, like the one above, you’ll see the Zion National Park wilderness blanketed in snow. These photos will really make you want to jump in a plane and go exploring for yourself.

Trek Earth is another tremendous photo adventure website where you can find amazing large images of the Utah landscape. While the winter scenes aren’t organized in one group, you’ll find occasional ones, like the one above titled “Zion N.P. in winter” by photographer Marlis.

More Resources about Exploring Beautiful Utah

If you are interested in taking a trip to see this magical and exciting land, the following resources will provide all that you’ll need to plan out your trip and determine what areas you want to see. There are also photo galleries at many of these official sites as well.

• National Park Service - Zion National Park
• National Park Service - Bryce Canyon
• National Park Service - Capitol Reef
• National Park Service - Arches National Park
• National Park Service - Canyonlands National Park

If you do take a trip, or you know of additional resources for visiting and exploring Utah, please share your insight in the comments section below.

Tags: national parks, nature photographs, Winter Adventures, winter weather

As the holiday season approaches, thoughts of snowstorms, christmas lights and Christmas winter scenes fill your mind and tempt you with memories of holidays past and the Christmas celebrations to come.

One of the greatest things about winter is that there are so many winter activities that you can do while enjoying the many Christmas winter scenes that unfold in the community and in nature. In the spirit of the holiday season, I’ve decided to share a few beautiful Christmas scenes that I came across online while I was searching for snowshoeing photos.

Beautiful Christmas Winter Scenes

Just as the holiday songs describe, spending time downtown and in the city is highly enjoyable during the holidays. The town square is always blanketed with multicolored lights, and most often you’ll find a giant Christmas tree towering over the passers-by. As you walk down main street, you can hear the familiar clanging of the Salvation Army bell, and the wonderful scent of pumpkin spice coffee or hot chocolate as people walk past you, warming their hands on each side of their steaming cup.

It’s not a dream - it’s the experience that you can have by getting out there and taking a walk down main street in the town or city near you. To encourage you, I’m going to publish a few of my favorite Christmas winter scenes.
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Tags: christmas scenes, holidays, nature photographs

During our anniversary in August, my wife and I visited the coastal Maine town of Ogunquit as part of our annual tradition. We were aware of the approaching hurricane, and while we were nervous about the potential for weather to completely ruin our weekend together, we kept our hotel reservation and forged ahead. On the weekend of August 23rd we arrived to a completely sun-filled Maine coast and not a hint at all that a category 4 hurricane was just off the coast. To say we were shocked and pleasantly surprised would be an understatement.

The Amazing Effects of a Hurricane

We had never been anywhere near the coast when a hurricane had ever passed through this area of coastal Maine. In fact, hurricanes usually don’t - they most often head out to sea or they crash inland far South of northern New England, so we were not at all prepared for what we were about to see.

After spending a nice evening at a local restaurant and having a few drinks, we called it an early night - ready to explore Perkins Cove and the surrounding area in the morning. The next day, Sunday, when we looked out the window, we were completely mesmerized by the ocean. The first thing we noticed was that the wind on the land had obviously picked up a bit, but the sun was still shining and the temperature was relatively warm. However, as we approached the guard rail at the edge of the Perkins Cove parking lot and gazed out over the Atlantic Ocean, we just stood in absolute awe at the monstrous waves that were crashing against the rocky Maine coast. I had my SmartPhone with me, so I snapped a few shots of the approaching waves - unfortunately the small 1.5 megapixel lens did not do Hurricane Bill much justice.
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Tags: hurricane, maine coast, ocean

Want to learn a few facts about Maine? One of the best kept secrets of this part of the seacoast are the many family portrait ideas that you’ll find scattered across the York, Maine part of the east coast. We live barely half an hour from the Maine seacoast, and I’m always shocked that the York Maine Chamber of Commerce (or York Beach Maine Chamber of Commerce?), doesn’t feature more images of this stunning coastline on their home page.

Family Portrait Ideas When Visiting York, Maine

Just last weekend, we took the girls to our favorite hangout, York Beach. One of the facts about Maine that you’ll find at the York Maine Chamber of Commerce website is the fact that the Nubble Lighthouse, right down the road from York Beach, is one of the Maine lighthouses most featured in photographs and artwork. However, just down the road, right on the beach itself, you’ll find an ocean view and a coastline that’s really hard to describe unless you’re sitting right on the beach - smelling the ocean air and gazing out over the cool Maine coast.
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Tags: facts about maine, york beach, york maine, york maine chamber of commerce