Dawnland Tours LLC, Bar Harbor

The collective of Native American tribes who inhabit Maine refer to themselves as the Wabanaki, which means "People of the Dawn." They took this striking moniker because, as residents of the easternmost state, they were the first people in the country to greet the sunrise each morning. Dawnland Tours, a 100% native-owned company, traffics in little-known facts like these, telling the the often unheard—or forgotten—portions of the area's history.

Backed by a research team comprised of historians, curators, and museum professionals, the company helms tours throughout Bar Harbor and Bangor that explore the sometimes macabre, sometimes humorous, and always fascinating tales that lurk outside the pages of history textbooks. During the walking expeditions, a certified interpretive guide leads participants through haunted spots, local cemeteries, old churches, and other sites of interest, regaling them with stories of everything from Indian vampires to thrilling shipwrecks along the way.