The Hobbit Goes to Rockland, Maine I'm a hobbit. I like staying at home and tending my garden. My job is posting stories for GoNOMAD.com about having fun all over the world, but when the oppportunity to travel comes up, I always pass.

That trip to Paris -- Sony Stark will do a much better job than I ever could. You can judge for yourself once she writes it. No pressure, Sony. Send it in when you can.

That trip to Spain, Marina Solovyov... just wait 'till you see what she does with that; in fact you don't have to wait, look at her magnificent blog entries. I could write like that, too, but it would take me weeks and weeks, and Marina's stuff would still be better. She's walking the entire Way of St. James.

I love my job, but I don't want to go anywhere. I love where I live.

But when I saw that B&B tour in Rockland, Maine... I couldn't pass it up. Even though it was a six hour drive.

Do you have a practical member in your family? The one who says, after you've outlined your plans for ziplining through the rainforest or riding yaks in Mongolia, "We could have just as much fun at a B&B in Maine."

I have to state, here and now, by my own certain knowledge, they're right.

The Gulf of Maine is unquestionably one of the most beautiful places on earth. I could do my utmost to describe it, but I would still have to say, you have to see it for yourself.

There are at least 10,000 islands, and I could spend a memorable, life-changing day on every single one.

Even authentic Down East mariners enjoy touring the islands and bays of the Gulf of Maine. As one skipper said on the tour I just took, "This is the first time I've ever been through here without having my nose in a chart."

I had the same sensation once, passing through British Columbia on a freight train through the Rockies: "This is where God comes for vacation."  ¶ 8:51 PM