Boating rules are unusual things: no one really studies them. Think about it. In order to go hunting, you have to take and pass a hunter's safety course. This requires you to study safety tips and laws about hunting. In order to drive, you have to take a driving test. Again, you have to study the rules. Every student coming out of driver's education has spent agonizing hours memorizing mundane details from rules of the road and traffic laws. When it comes to boats and other water transportation, however, people are left on their own to learn the laws. So what can get you in trouble in the water? Here's a look at some of the laws on Maine's books that range from sensible to bizarre.

BROWNVILLE While the coast of Maine tends to attract most travelers and tourists, many other parts of the state are just as beautiful this time of year. And if you pay attention to a particular sign at the entrance of Gulf Hagas, a gorge located just 90 miles from Bangor in the mountains of central Maine, it is a part of the Appalachian Trail known by few and open to all who want to traverse it.

Often called the 'Grand Canyon of Maine,' the three-mile gorge is perhaps the most breathtaking showcase of Maine's natural beauty. From small waterfalls to a 130-foot drop, Gulf Hagas is preserved and managed through The Maine Appalachian Trail Club and is part of the final 100 miles of the Appalachian Trail corridor that ends at Mt. Katahdin.

Contra dancing is mesmerizing. People weave in and out of each other, sometimes in lines and sometimes in clusters, all directed by a single caller. Swinging skirts, smiles and laughter fill the room. It's intricate and simple all at the same time, like a giant tapestry formed by small stitches. Even beginners can catch on to the simple steps. 

Not only is contra dancing fun, it's also happening in Bangor. The third Friday of every month, people of all ages assemble at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bangor to get their swing on. The dances are run by the board of directors of the Penobscot Contradancers. Mary Anne Eason, president of the Penobscot Contradancers, says there are many benefits to contra dancing.

Sunkhaze NWR provides ample recreation opportunities

There are many opportunities for adventure and recreation along the Penobscot River. While most people are headed to Baxter State Park to encounter Katahdin or Acadia National Park for scenic ocean vistas, Bangor area residents don't have far to look. Located in Milford, the Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge affords ample opportunities to encounter nature.

More than 200 species of birds call the refuge home. Hours can be spent paddling the different streams that snake through the refuge. And snowmobile clubs maintain trails for snowmobiling and cross-country skiing.

As Phish prepares for the first show of their summer 2013 tour, at Darlings Waterfront Pavilion in Bangor on July 3, a look back at some of the legendary band's Maine visits is in order.   

Although details surrounding many of Phish's early shows remain sketchy, most authoritative accounts agree that the band's first three Maine appearances took place in January 1989 with an initial stop in Bar Harbor at College of the Atlantic's Gates Center Auditorium on January 20^th.  

On the following evening, Phish headed up route 1A for a show in Orono at the now defunct Oronoka restaurant and motel, famous for their "Food You'll Remember" and meals that were seemingly never-ending.  It is believed that the group spent the night upstairs at this venue where they returned for another show almost exactly one year later.

ORRINGTON - The wheels are always turning at the Winslow home in Orrington. Terri Winslow and her husband Doug have been bicycling in the Trek Across Maine since 2009, and in order to stay race ready they ride as often as they can, even peddling in their living room during the cold Maine winters.

"I ride all winter long on my trainer," Winslow said. "And I try to do 300 miles on the road before the Trek, which takes three solid months of training."

The Maine State Police's Tactical Team

People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.

George Orwell

Many times when there is a crime that hits a lot of headlines you'll read the line, 'The Maine State Police Tactical Team also responded to the call.' But unless it's a huge call, you might not hear much more than that. And that is generally how most current and former members of the Maine State Police Tactical Team like it.

Ice cream flavors to really scream about 

There is something fantastically simple and complex about odd ice cream flavors. By the time your brain freezes, your mind is blown by what you are actually putting into your mouth. It's the Food Network meets 'Fear Factor' for the not-so-daring frozen food lovers. If that sounds like you, then listen up. This is your treasure map to chilly confections that make vanilla and the usual suspects (I'm looking at you, twist) seem, well, vanilla.  

Whether you're from away' or not, you'll want this book

Some people are born lucky - others have to move to Maine from somewhere else. Mark Ricketts has a book for those poor souls: 'A Flatlander's Guide to Maine,' ($16.95, Islandport Press) is filled with amusing observations that have been colorfully illustrated by this famous flatlander.

Some may be familiar with Ricketts's work in The Bangor Metro with his column by colorful Maine native Earl Hornswaggle, the oldest man in the state. Or with 'Moose Mountain,' which classed up the weekly publication The Maine Edge (if that's possible). 

BANGOR The Maine Hacker Club, with support from the City of Bangor, University of Maine, Eastern Maine Development Corporation, Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications, Links Website Design and other groups, will hold a Maine Civic Hack Day in coordination with the National Day of Civic Hacking. This unique event, held June 1 and 2 in Bangor and Portland, brings together community members, software developers and both the public and private sectors to use technology to attempt to solve community problems.