7:00 AM

You start your day with a cup of coffee from Bold Coast Coffee. The local roaster recently opened a café in East Machias at 447 Main Street, serving small-batch beans roasted on-site. It’s become a morning ritual — good coffee, quiet morning, and a few minutes to yourself before the day begins.

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8:00 AM

You head to work at Down East Community Hospital, the regional hospital serving Washington County. As a radiologic technologist, you run imaging equipment and work with physicians to help diagnose patients. The hospital is one of the largest employers in the Machias area, and the work is steady and meaningful.

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12:00 PM

For lunch, you take a short walk to Bad Little Falls Park, right in downtown Machias. The park sits along the Machias River where a series of waterfalls cascade through a rocky gorge. You eat your lunch on the viewing platform and watch the water — it’s one of the most scenic lunch spots in Downeast Maine.

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1:00 PM

After lunch, you resume your shift at the hospital, working through your afternoon imaging schedule.

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5:00 PM

After work, you drive to the Bold Coast Trail in Cutler, about 20 minutes south. This dramatic coastal hiking trail follows the cliffs above the open Atlantic, with views of rocky headlands, sea stacks, and crashing waves. It’s some of the most spectacular hiking in Maine, and you often have the trail to yourself.

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7:00 PM

For dinner, you head to Helen’s Restaurant on Main Street, a Downeast institution known for its homestyle cooking, fresh seafood, and legendary pies. Helen’s sources from local farmers, fishermen, and artisans, and the menu reflects the best of what Washington County produces.

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8:30 PM

After dinner, you walk through downtown Machias. The University of Maine at Machias campus brings students and cultural events to the area, and the town has a quiet resilience that’s characteristic of Downeast communities.

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10:00 PM

Back at home, you feel the deep satisfaction of living in a place where the land and sea are wild, the community is tight, and the pace of life gives you room to breathe. Machias isn’t for everyone — but for those who choose it, there’s nothing quite like it.

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