I'm worried my teens are growing up too fast, so I booked a family vacation to Maine. The trip helped slow down time.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
Rebecca Hastings and her family
The author's family was able to reconnect in Maine.

Courtesy of Rebecca Hastings

I paid $900 a night to stay at a Victorian-era hotel with a former speakeasy in the basement and lots of classic charm — take a look

Tech Insider : Travel
the author outside blind tiger and the front sitting room
Blind Tiger in Portland, Maine, has fascinating connections to the Prohibition era and tons of classic charm.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I shopped at Hannaford, Maine's largest grocery chain. It had the best prepared food selection I've ever seen at a supermarket.

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the author outside hannaford supermarkets and the produce aisle
I went inside a Hannaford Supermarket in Scarborough, Maine, and think it should come to more states.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I ate at one of the oldest diners in the US, located inside a 1920s railcar. It was worth the hourlong wait for a seat.

Tech Insider : Travel
palace diner biddeford maine cheeseburger
Palace Diner cheeseburger with fries.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I'm a New Yorker who visited Portland, Maine, for the first time. Here are 7 things that surprised me.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
the author in front of port head light and a lobster roll from cousins maine
I recently visited Portland, Maine, for the first time and was surprised by how much I enjoyed the local food scene and touristy activities.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

A family who roadtrips 4,000 miles a year shares the best hidden-gem destinations in the US

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
Two images: Left: A lake surrounded by homes and fall trees reflected in the water. Right: A parent takes a selfie with a family of four inside a red kayak in a lake with evergreen trees and a rocky waterfall in the background.
Rob Taylor and his family of four take road trips to under-the-radar cities and national parks in the US.

DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images, 2 Travel Dads

I tried a famous fried chicken sandwich at Maine's oldest diner. It was worth the trouble to actually get it.

Tech Insider : Travel
the palace diner biddeford maine fried chicken sandwich and wedge salad
I tried the fried chicken sandwich at Palace Diner in Biddeford, Maine, and understood why it's known to sell out early.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I visited friends in a small town in Maine and found a hidden gem I'd travel to again and again

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
Two images. Left: The author stands in front of an ocean shore. Right: An aerial view of Belfast with fall trees behind buildings and boats on the shore behind the bay
The author visited visited Belfast, Maine.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider, halbergman/Getty Images

I moved from New York to Maine 4 years ago. I'm still surprised at how friendly people are and how far away everything is.

Tech Insider : Travel
Family posing for a photo on a field in Maine
The author and her family moved from NYC to Maine in 2020.

Courtesy of the author

I woke up covered in a painful rash. A caterpillar with toxic hairs was to blame.

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Browntail moth rash
The author woke up covered in tiny bites that looked like a rash.

Courtesy of the author

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