Down East: conclusion

Driving back home through Ellsworth was a bit of a shock, Route 1 returned to its over-developed, ugly self, which reminded us, gratefully, of all the things Down East Maine doesn't have:

• cell phone service. Not even my AT&T "World" Phone worked. The implications are clear.
• fast food, although Machias apparently has a McDonald's we didn't see.
• too much choice. For restaurants, we could choose from among (Princeton) one, (Lubec) two, and (Prospect Harbor) three, one of which was a bar.
• huge supermarkets. Most towns had only a small market, usually IGA.
• traffic. I can hardly remember any stop lights, let alone delays. On the Stud Mill Road, we passed a few pick-ups and a half-dozen logging trucks, in 50 miles.
• shoppes, olde or otherwise.

And what Down East has?