The Maine Tourism Board proudly announced today that the Summer of 2014 is shaping up to be one of the busiest tourists seasons in the state’s history.
“Pretty much every hotel, motel, bed & breakfast, campsite, and spare room in Maine is booked through Labor Day,” Tourism Board Spokesperson Jill Bouchard told this Modern Philosopher. “It’s going to be a wicked busy Summer, and everyone from the Governor right on down the ladder is excited to welcome our friends from away!”
Who do Mainers have to thank for this giant boom in tourism?
“It’s the Zombies!” Bouchard exclaimed with a giggle. “Apparently, people are so addicted to The Walking Dead, and need their Zombie fix while the show is on hiatus. Ever since the show shot a live episode here last Winter to take advantage of Maine’s Zombie population, we’ve been inundated with calls from people looking to go on Zombie tours, asking if Zombie Hunting is legal, and wanting to take part in the Maine Zombie experience.”
Of course, Bouchard did have to explain to all the Rick Grimes and Daryl Dixon wannabes that Zombie Hunting is strictly prohibited unless one is a licensed Maine Zombie Hunter.
Maine’s law enforcement officials, along with Zombie Census Bureau Agents, intend to see to it that tourists follow the letter of the law.
“There are Zombie Bus Tours, Zombie Camp Outs, Zombie Walks Alongs, Zombie Tracking Classes, Zombie Survival Hikes, and dozens of other Zombie related events planned,” Bouchard continued. “Rest assured, all of these events will chaperoned by Maine Zombie Hunters and Census Bureau Agents.”
Guess it wouldn’t be good for business if tourists didn’t return home because they had been turned into Zombies. “That’s one part of the Maine Zombie Experience that we are going to make sure our visitors do not participate in this Summer,” she assured me.
My calls to Governor LePage about the state’s focusing on Zombies in its Summer tourism campaign were not returned. One source in the Governor’s office, however, told me that LePage is banking on a huge tourism season to get voters behind him with Election Day approaching. “His numbers got a bump after The Walking Dead shot that live episode here, so now he believes that Zombies are the magic elixir that will earn him four more years in office.”
Maine is a magical place, Modern Philosophers, but no amount of magic is going to conjure up another term in office for Governor LePage.
Unless he wants to let the Zombies turn him, and then runs as Maine’s first Zombie Governor. Then, he’s got a chance…
The Return of the Modern Philosopher 
who said zombies can’t bring back the dead?
Hmmm…I’ll have to ponder on that. 🙂
Bad news…my Summer Zombie Protection Kit won’t arrive for 6-8 weeks. Just missing Maine’s tourist season. Bummer! 😦
Your loss…
I suppose so…
My memory of Maine was a week long ski trip with school at the end of the season. Pretty place, but the majority of people we came into contact with did have a jaded sort of look about them. Seems almost a fitting home for the show. Is that where the majority of their episodes were shot, or was it just the one episode?
You should visit Maine in the Summer. It’s much more beautiful then…
There were no zombies in Maine when I lived there — at least not away from the coast and the places where most tourists go. I can honestly say we never saw any in Oxford County. 🙂
Well, come on back and you’ll see them everywhere!
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