Our Southern Coast is all these things. It is the flirtatious belle at the masquerade ball with a different mask in hand for each suitor. This is the reason we love it. Although neither of us was born here, we decided to stay because of the coast's many offerings and their proximity to each other. From the southernmost point of the state to the tip of the Boothbay Harbor peninsula -- the coverage area of our guide -- it is a little less than a three-hour drive. Many of our towns have fewer than 2,000 people and don't even have centers to mark them (although most do have a little town hall hidden back in the woods somewhere). Then there are the towns such as York and Old Orchard Beach that seem to disappear altogether once the souvenir shops and arcades close after summer and all the tourists head home.

Just across the bridge you'll find Kittery, which has a population of around 10,000. Famous since the late 1980s for the outlet stores located on a mile-long stretch of U.S. Highway 1 entering town (remember, the locals know it as Route 1), Kittery is also noteworthy for the beauty of the Piscataqua River and seafront. It assumes an important role in Maine history -- Kittery is the oldest incorporated community in the state. The town celebrated its 351st birthday in 1998. While the outlet mall area is certainly a central component of the town's economy, the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Seavey Island plays an even bigger role. Once supplying jobs for close to 25,000 people during World War II, the shipyard is still one of the largest employers for both York County and the New Hampshire seacoast with approximately 4,000 employees.

York, the next town you'll encounter heading north, is comprised of four distinct areas: York Village, York Harbor, York Beach and Cape Neddick. The second-oldest community in Maine, York has a fine history museum, attractive riverfront and seafront and a small harbor where the York River flows into the sea. Two popular beaches, descriptively called Long Sands and Short Sands, are found in York, and it is the home of one of the most photographed lighthouses in the United States, familiarly referred to as "The Nubble" at Cape Neddick.

About a mile north of the lighthouse, you can enjoy the Victorian charm of York Beach village, which features a number of eateries and an enjoyable Main Street area. The population of the town is around 15,000, but unlike Kittery, which has far fewer places to stay, York's population swells to around 40,000 in summer. With those kinds of numbers it isn't difficult to see that tourism forms the backbone of this community's economy.

Continuing north on Route 1 you'll come to the towns of Ogunquit and Wells. Until 1980 Ogunquit was part of Wells, and the towns still share a school district. Ogunquit boasts a delightful Main Street area and a picturesque fishing village-turned-shopping area in Perkins Cove. A marvelous walking path called the Marginal Way leads from Main Street to the Cove, where you will find a small harbor with boats bobbing at rest and a white painted drawbridge designed strictly for pedestrian traffic.

Ogunquit is famous not only for its beauty but also for the artists who have been attracted to it through the years. At the turn of the century, painter Charles Woodbury instituted the Ogunquit art colony by offering painting classes. By the 1920s to late 1940s, the town's status as an art destination was firmly established, having attracted artists such as Marsden Hartley.

Today Ogunquit is still a mecca for artists, and you'll find a wealth of galleries throughout the town. You'll also find a number of tourists. Like York, the population of this town booms in summer, but in significantly lower numbers. Off-season, the population of Ogunquit lands somewhere around 1,000.

What Wells may lack in charm it makes up for in natural beauty. If you take the time to wander off U.S. 1, you'll enjoy the "woodsy" atmosphere normally associated with the northern part of Maine. Along the seafront you can enjoy a long, sandy beach backed by a tidal river and frequented by seabirds. Or if you prefer, you can take a self-guided walk through either Laudholm Farm and the Wells Reserve or the Rachel Carson Nature Preserve, both of which are found here. 

Kennebunk and Kennebunkport are next as you journey north. Entering Kennebunk on Route 1, you'll see a Main Street that has retained much of its early 20th-century character. Stop in at the highly respected Brick Store Museum, which houses art and artifacts detailing the Kennebunks' past. As you head down Maine Highway 35 (Summer Street) from Main Street, look for the magnificent architecture for which the Kennebunks are noted, including the much-photographed, Federal-style "Wedding Cake House," which is a private residence.

Unlike neighboring seacoast towns, many of the businesses in the Kennebunks stay open year round. In summer you can enjoy the towns' beaches, but all seasons offer fun in the form of romantic getaways at area bed and breakfast inns, shopping on Main Street or in Dock Square and gastronomic delights in fine restaurants. In fact, the Christmas Prelude, held in early December, is so popular that sidewalks are filled with happy people strolling, shopping and enjoying the old-world charm of a Maine winter.

Biddeford Pool, so called to distinguish it from the city proper, is one of the most beautiful communities in Southern Maine. Located south of Biddeford center off Maine Highway 9, you'll find a large tidal pool, a number of sandy beaches and lovely, quiet, tree-lined streets perfect for bicycling or strolling.

The city of Saco lies just across the Saco River from Biddeford. Whether you're looking for a town with a quaint Main Street and stately homes, one with long stretches of sandy white beach, or one with great amusement parks, Saco can fill the bill. Home to the Funtown/Splashtown USA and Aquaboggan amusement parks, Ferry Beach State Park and about 4 miles of great beach, Saco also boasts a great Main Street shopping area and beautiful homes along tree-shaded avenues.

North of Saco and east of Route 1 is Old Orchard Beach. Famous as a resort destination that rivaled Newport, Rhode Island, at the turn of the century, Old Orchard Beach (population about 7,500) retains much of its Victorian seaside charm. You'll find an amusement pier jutting out to the Atlantic, the Palace Playland amusement park along the seafront and fast-food vendors selling summer fare such as fried dough, hot dogs, cotton candy and pretzels along with pizza and fried clams. The beach is wide, sandy and somewhat crowded in summer unless you walk a few hundred yards from the pier, but Old Orchard Beach is a happy, fun place beloved by families who return year after year.