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Group Promotes Inland Maine "Tourist Loop" Along Route 26.

May 07, 2008 - POLAND -- Western Maine and the Lakes Region might not be as well-known as coastal Maine, but a group of businessowners and nonprofit groups is hoping to change that through an initiative called the Gems of 26.

The hope is to create a "tourist loop" that links five organizations: the Maine Wildlife Park in Gray; Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village in New Gloucester; Poland Spring Resort and Poland Spring Preservation Park in Poland; and McLaughlin Garden in South Paris.

The idea began as an informal conversation. All groups are tourist attractions, and all found they were frequently asked to recommend their visitors' next destinations.

"People would always ask, 'Where should I go next?,'" said Dana Lee, Poland town manager, who is also serving as an administrator for the Gems of 26.

"Pretty soon they started thinking, 'Maybe we should get together in a much more conscious way,'" Lee said.

After a few meetings, the five organizations -- all of which except Poland Spring Resort are nonprofits -- came up with the name Gems of 26 and decided to create a product.

"Each (member) is contributing a certain amount of money to create a product that's basically a little map," said Lee.

The map will be distributed to visitors' centers throughout the region, Lee said.

The group has also registered a Web site, www.gemsof26.com.

"We have some material already done up, it's just a matter of putting it on," Lee said.

The initiative will likely be up and running by the end of the month, said Lee.

Lee hopes the Gems of 26 will draw tourists' attention inland.

"When tourists think about going to Maine, they think 'I'm going to have a lobster roll and see a lighthouse,'" he said. "Well, there's more to it than that."

Western Maine and the Lakes Region "have a lot of really neat historical and cultural attractions," said Lee.

Lee believes the attractions can benefit from their proximity to Portland.

"A lot of people are worried about spending money on gasoline, and they're worried about how much they're spending to be entertained," said Lee.

"Here a family can travel a very short distance from Gray to South Paris and see a lot of unique things," he said. "People can really enjoy western Maine for little or nothing."

By ISAAC KESTENBAUM, Portland Press Herald, May 1, 2008


Lakes:
Regions: Sebago


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