If you’re planning to visit the Boothbay Harbor Region this season and looking for a handy pocket map for reference on where to eat, dine, shop, what to do and most importantly how to get there, stop by the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce visitor center at 192 Townsend Avenue in Boothbay Harbor and pick up a copy of the latest 2014 Walking Map.

A whopping 45,000 maps are ready to be distributed to the Bath, Kittery and Yarmouth visitor centers and all over the Boothbay Harbor Region for visitors.

The map is loaded with a 110 listings spread out across seven categories: boating, food/dining, stay, gallery/artists, shopping, activities and services. “It’s only been a few days since they’ve been delivered and visitors are already commenting on how easy it is to find something on the map and how colorful it is,” said Michelle Davis, visitor and member relations coordinator. “The sub-categories, icons and detailed legend make it much easier for me to show them how to get to a place of interest. It works; the businesses pop right out at you.”

The walking map is a companion piece to the chamber’s highly popular and distributed Visitor Region Guide. Our special thanks to artist Brad Betts, owner of Down East Gallery, for his cover design and artistic contributions. Betts Plein Air oil-interpretation of Hendricks Head Lighthouse, Southport, is featured on the front cover. "I am pleased to have been selected as the cover artist for this year’s Boothbay Harbor Region Guide and Map,” said Betts. “Our region’s amazing scenic diversity has been the inspiration for many of my paintings.”

Knowing this was going to be a big year for his gallery, Betts’ instinct to advertise in the guide and map was on point. Only a few days ago, a visitor stopped in and said she wanted to find out where the Down East Gallery was located because she saw Betts’ artwork on the front cover of the guide and wanted to visit the studio. The walking maps had just arrived and since the Gallery advertised on the map too, a chamber associate was able to direct the visitor right to his Gallery located out on Ocean Point.

While the local art work makes the cover stand out in a sea of publications, it’s the pagination and layout within that are responsible for the user-friendly success of this map. Each year the chamber collaborates with Atomic Studios, a locally based design firm, and strategically positions the listings with a map of the peninsula inserted on one side and that of downtown Boothbay Harbor on the other side. “Through color and icons the viewer can navigate easily to find the type of business they are looking for,” said Atomic Studio co-owner and designer Dawn Guzzo.

This year, the chamber welcomed 20 additional listings with a significant increase in non-member listings. “What I love about this map is that it reflects a thriving economic region,” said Executive Director Catherine Wygant Fossett.

“Members and non-member businesses and organizations are always welcome to advertise in it making this map an all-inclusive publication for our region.”

So, come and visit us today at the chamber office on 192 Townsend Ave, Boothbay Harbor or give us a call at 207-633-5234.  “We encourage any business attending a travel show this season to promote our region by distributing our popular guides and walking maps at their booth,” said Fossett. “We’ll help you load up your car with maps!”