Perhaps it's because she was born under the sign of Aquarius, but Hilary Nangle has always had a passion for the coast. The ocean has been a constant in her life since she first watched the sun rise out of the Atlantic while she was waiting for the school bus.

In college, Hilary discovered her love for writing. She briefly pursued a graduate degree in Middle East studies, but when she realized that the career path wouldn't include Maine she dropped out and became a ski and white-water rafting bum. That introduced her to Maine's back roads and offbeat attractions, and her sense of wanderlust was ignited.

When she tired of her parents asking when she was going to get a real job, she drew on her writing strength, working as an editor for the North American Pro Ski tour, managing editor for a food trade publication, features editor for a daily newspaper, and now as a freelance writer/editor. She edits the state's tourism magazine, Maine Invites You; has contributed to numerous magazines, newspapers, and dozens of guidebooks; and is a travel expert for a local television show. In 2003, she won a Harold Hirsch award for magazine writing.

She never tires of exploring Maine, always seeking out the offbeat and quirky. To her husband's dismay, she inherited her grandmother's shopping gene, and can't pass a used bookstore, artisans' gallery, crafts fair, or antiques shop without browsing. She's equally curious about food, and has never met a lobster she didn't like.

Hilary grew up in Greater Portland, but she's been migrating up the coast ever since, and now calls the Mid-Coast home. She lives with her husband, photographer Tom Nangle, and an oversized dog, Zack, both of whom share her passions for coastal walks and Maine-made ice cream.