Out and About Near Bangor

Mariaville Falls

The Frenchman Bay Preserve is not far from Green Lake Fish Hatchery. One of the trails is to the Mariaville Falls, about a 1.4 miles hike. We had the place to ourselves. The stair step falls are not that dramatic, but very tranquil and a nice walk through the woods.

Orono Bog Boardwalk 

Located just north of Bangor, this boardwalk was developed as a cooperative project sponsored by the city of Bangor and the University of Maine. The one and a half mile boardwalk trail provides access to the Orono Bog. This rare peat bog covers 600 acres. 

 

The outer areas of the bog are dense almost like a rain forest.

Pitcher Plants Emerging From the Brightly Colored Peat Moss

The central area of the bog has limited vegetation due to lack of nutrients in the peat.

Cole Transportation Museum - Bangor, Maine

The Cole Transportation Museum is a collection of over 200 vehicles illustrating Maine's evolution of land transportation. The museum was started by Galen Cole, CEO of Cole Express Corporation, a trucking company that was sold to Roadway Services in 1993. Galen Cole's goal was to preserve all forms of transportation, including recreational vehicles, motorcycles, trains, farm equipment, sleds, logging trucks, snowplows and more. The museum opened in 1989.

This reminded us of the Twin Pines Milk delivery trucks of our childhood.

These are different generations of the Cole Express truck fleet.

1936 1-1/2 ton Chevrolet Wrecker

The train was placed here and the museum built around it.

Sno Cat used by utility crews in Maine.

Reconstruction of a 1928 Covered Bridge

Owls Head Peninsula

We drove about 70 miles southwest to Rockland to visit the Owls Head Peninsula. It is a beautiful drive along the Maine coast. 

Owls Head Transportation Museum

This museum is home to a collection of more than 150 cars, aircraft, motorcycles, bicycles, carriages and engines. 

Isetta and Volkswagon Beetle

Austin Healy

Early Travel Trailer

Owls Head Light Station

This twenty foot tall light house tower is fairly short since it sits atop a 100 foot high cliff. The lighthouse was built in 1825 at the entrance of the Rockland Harbor.

The views from the top of the cliff are magnificent.

Knox Museum in Rockland

The Lupin reached full bloom in early June.

 

Graduation Day for the Salmon Fry

The fry are growing and are moving from the Nursery tanks to the outdoor pools. It is round-up day. We all grab a net and start scooping the fry into portable tanks which are moved by a forklift to the 20 and 30 foot outdoor tanks. They will remain in these tanks until they are released into the rivers next Spring. 

Round-Up

The Fry's New Home

The Outdoor tank area is known as the Big Top

The Brood Stock (this years egg producers) remain inside.

Atlantic Salmon

 

Circle Tour to Lubec, Maine

We took an all day (259 mile) road trip east following the Atlantic Coast as far as the most easterly point in the United States circling back through Moosehorn NWR and returning via inland road State Highway 9. 

Fort Machias/Fort O'Brien State Historic Site

Fort Machias was built in 1775, at the mouth of the Machias River, immediately after the first naval battle of the American Revolution.  This state historic site is one of few Maine forts active during three wars -- the American Revolution, War of 1812 and the Civil War.  During the Civil War, Fort O'Brien was built over the ruins of the old Fort Machias.

 Lost Fisherman's Memorial

We arrived in Lubec around lunch time so we had our picnic lunch overlooking the Bay of Fundy. Because of Covid-19 border closure we couldn't cross the short bridge to Campobello Island in New Brunswick to visit Roosevelt/Campobello International Park where FDR vacationed in the summer.

Lost Fisherman's Memorial

Mulholland Point Lighthouse on Campobello Island in New Brunswick

 West Quoddy Head Lighthouse 

This lighthouse sits at the most easterly point of the United States. The current tower, with distinctive red and white stripes was constructed in 1858, at a cost of $5000. There is a museum and Visitor's Center that were closed. 

Saint Croix Island International Historic Site

During a brief stop here we learned that this was the site of a 1604 French settlement, one of the first European settlements on the north Atlantic coast. The French assumed the climate would be similar, however the settlers knew nothing of the Artic air flow from the north and quickly discovered they were not prepared for a North America winter. Trapped and cut off from the mainland, almost half of the settlers perished. In the spring the survivors successfully moved and settled inland. 

Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Fort Knox State Historic Site

Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory

On a day off, we headed west toward Belfast, Maine, to see this beautiful bridge. This cable-stayed bridge was opened in 2006. It is one of only four observation bridges in the world. The only one in the United States. Our first experience was driving over this beautiful 2,120 foot long bridge on US 1 near Bucksport spanning the Penobscot River. We bought a combination ticket to the top of the Penobscot Narrows Bridge and also to adjacent Fort Knox. The elevator took us 420 feet up to the observatory at the top of the eastern bridge pillar. This was considered the 2nd floor on the elevator.

Fort Knox State Historic Site

Adjacent to the bridge is Fort Knox, built to protect the defenseless Penobscot River from the British. All enemy ships traveling upriver to Bangor must travel past the narrows of the Penobscot River. Construction began in 1844.The fort was occupied only twice, during the Civil War and the Spanish American War. No enemy ships ever appeared on the Penobscot or threatened the towns upriver. The fort has two levels and contain mounts for 135 cannons. Fort Knox was the first and largest fort built in Maine. 

Penobscot Narrows Bridge in the background.

Belfast, Maine

Formerly a prosperous ship building town on the Maine coast. The town contains many early Victorian homes built by wealthy sea merchants. This fishing town is located on Penobscot Bay. We took the one mile Belfast Harbor Walk along the downtown waterfront.

Fort Point Lighthouse

We stopped briefly at Fort Point State Park to view the Fort Point Lighthouse built in 1836 located at the mouth of the Penobscot River.

One of the only remaining fog bell towers, built in 1890, stands just beyond Fort Point Lighthouse.