"Maine, the way life should be," was the saying painted on the faded sign on the border between New Hampshire and Maine. Well, I thought to myself as I continued along the Appalachian Trail, which torrential rains had turned into a vigorous brook, it's the way life should be if you're an amphibian.

But as the miles rolled away under my boots, I began to believe the saying. Around every bend, atop every mountain, were views that stretched for miles. In the little towns nestled in the valleys along the trail, I'd expect to see Aunt Bee and Opie sitting on a porch. When I completed the trail, I returned to Pennsylvania long enough to pack, moved to Maine and stayed for about seven years.Most people, when they think of Maine, imagine its rocky coastline and dozens of lighthouses. But there are two Maine's. The one I love is the sprawling western mountain region that many tourists skip. It's affordable, it's beautiful, and you'd be hard-pressed to see it all.Getting ThereYou can save time by taking interstate routes from Pennsylvania to western Maine, a trek that will take you about ten to twelve hours. But a trip to Maine would not be complete without a swing to the west to see New Hampshire's White Mountains and a trip to the peak of Mount Washington; you can break up your trip by staying overnight in the area.You can drive your personal vehicle up and down the mountain, or opt to jump in one of the commercial vans which include a driver, narrated tour and wear-and-tear on their brakes."I'm going to remember that for the rest of my life," said Mary Ann Yeneskie, Barnesville. "The wind was unbelievable at the top, and the views were amazing."Yeneskie and Cathey Schimpf, Barnesville, and Shirley Gross, Drums, made the trip to Maine last week, accompanied by me and my lucky German shorthaired pointer, Jamie. We rented a camp on Webb Lake, in Weld, a town which is southeast of Rangeley.AffordableRangeley is an upscale destination but vacationers can find an abundance of affordable camps in the surrounding area. A Maine "camp" is typically a cottage which has not been winterized. Most are loaded with classic books, a refrigerator that Pennsylvanians would have recycled thirty years ago and a fireplace. The camps are "rustic" in varying degrees; you can search "western mountain region Maine camps for rent" to find the headquarters for your vacation.Keep in mind as you search that bodies of water described as "ponds" may be markedly different in size than Pennsylvania ponds. We would call them lakes. You'll pay more for waterfront - we couldn't decide which we'd like more, waterfront or mountain views. On average, you can expect to pay about $50 per night, per bedroom.Finding a MooseThe moose is an animal a bit maligned by locals, often called a "swamp donkey" because of its long ears and fondness for underwater vegetation. I learned while I lived in Maine that although I could see moose every day, it would be difficult to find one whenever people came to visit and wanted to see one.Nightly we drove circuits of paved and dirt roads, the "moose loops" I recalled, with no luck. For my friends' amusement, I imitated the drawn-out, deep moaning call the moose make during the mating season, but explained that it would not call them out of the woods at this time of year.On our last night in western Maine, we still hadn't seen a moose. Mary Ann Yeneskie decided that she would walk up into a meadow and do a moose call. The fact that she had not previously ever done a moose call did not stop her. She took a deep breath, and let fly a high-pitched call that sounded more like a cross between something you'd hear in the Ghost Busters movie and a person learning to yodel.Yet inexplicably, with much noise of branches breaking, a young bull moose instantly burst from the woods and onto the dirt road, only about fifty yards away from us. We can't know whether she called him, or scared him out of his wits. Either way, we all got to see and photograph a moose.The Way LifeShould BeConsider this fair warning. Western Maine winters are long. The first snowfall covers the ground in October; you will not see the ground again until May. But during a summertime vacation, Maine will seduce you with its stunning views, clear waters and slow-paced life; you may begin to feel you'd like to live there.That's what happened to me - I hiked through Maine in June. I was a "flat lander" which is what Mainer's call people who are from anyplace south of Massachusetts. I was not prepared for winter snowfalls that buried swing sets; not accustomed to having to jump out a window to get outside, because the house doors could not be opened.If you go, restrain yourself from collecting real estate brochures. But if you do visit and buy a camp, please let us know - we are already planning to return next summer to the place which is the Way Life Should Be.