We've been to Bangor two or three times over the years, it's such a quaint town. On our visits we…read morealso stopped here. Even though he's not lived him this house for several years, it's still something fun to do. I mean what's a trip to Bangor without swinging by for pics? The house is actually now used as a retreat for writers. There is a second large house on the property as well (white one). The architecture on both houses is gothic meets Victorian meets Maine. Well-maintained property; the grounds and home exteriors are in top condition. I can only imagine what the inside looks like. Many folks make the pilgrimage to Bangor because of Stephen and his relationship with the town. Our visits were for that very reason. This stop is definitely a must for any fan of his work.

Nice little diversion drive by or park and take a selfie spot for Stephen King fans. Someone had…read moreeven tied a singular red ballon to the gate when we stopped.

I am quite familiar with this hall and its history having worked occasionally within the primary…read moreschool which is now its proud master. The building is under the local guard of the South Eastern Education and Library Board with the school staff and children taking good care of the hall. The building was erected in 1914 as a fitting tribute to Thomas Andrews Jnr - the shipbuilder and one of the main men on the construction of the Titanic. His family were present at the opening with his daughter cutting the first sod and his widow officially opening the hall. The building inside is cold and drafty but only when it is empty! During the school year it is opened to host wonderful school productions, choir and musical practices, sporting lessons and art displays. The children's work adorns the stairwells and the upper hall is a magical place to come and see the local children show off their musical and dramatic skills. As a non-local I have only ever had lovely times in Andrews hall and associate the hall not only with history but with the friendly staff and kids of the adjoining school.

We just drove by. A fun sight in Bangor but parking can be challenging since he faces a busy street.read more

I knew there was a giant Paul Bunyan statue in Bangor. I had no intention of making a special…read moretrip, but it turned it was a mile away from where we had lunch and it was generally in the direction we were traveling. If you find yourself in that situation, you may get 4 Star enjoyment out of looking at the Paul Bunyan statue. I'm no PB expert, but it seems consistent with images I've seen. Based upon quick internet research, it seems to be tied with Portland, OR for the second tallest PB statue in the US. The tallest is 49 feet and is in Klamath, CA. I've got to downgrade one star for the absence of Babe the Ox.

Drive out of your way to come here!! It will be a highlight of your visit to Maine. Amazing bog…read morewalk! I was stopping constantly and commenting out loud, "oh wow," or "oh my god." It's accessible for all, too! Just stunning.

I flew to Bangor a few weeks ago and met up with a friend from the internet: a kindly math teacher…read moreI've been playing in a niche word game called Letterpress since 2018. We'd gotten to know each other through the game, and he'd told me to let him know if I was ever in Maine. He ended up picking me up from the airport and taking me to a bog. I'm a writer, and I was in Stephen King country for a panel about the work of Stephen King. I couldn't help but notice that this was a great set-up for a Stephen King novel. Thankfully, my friend was who he said he was, and our bog adventure was on the Orono Bog Boardwalk. This was an incredible treat, one I doubt I would've found without some local guidance. The boardwalk is mostly in Orono, but it's accessible through the Bangor City Forest, which is itself a remarkable landmark. I'd never been to Maine before--or, as far as I'm aware, any kind of bog--and the scenic beauty took my breath away. The boardwalk ran right over the peat bog in a flat, easy one-mile loop. I'm in terrible shape, and I felt like I could walk around three times. The sights were astonishing, so much sky and greenery. The bog was less, well, boggy than expected. It was dense with vegetation rising up to meet the boardwalk, so it felt like we were floating across the top of a forest. Between the views and the clean, crisp October air, this was a heavenly excursion for a West Coast city troll like me. If we had an Orono Bog Boardwalk where I live, it would be clogged to capacity every day of the year. On a Tuesday morning in Maine, it was calm and quiet. We ran across maybe a dozen other people making their way around the loop. So not only did I not get murdered, I made a new friend and enjoyed a truly extraordinary morning walk. There may be bodies in that gorgeous Orono Bog, but none of them are mine.

This is a fantastic place to experience local talent in a welcoming and comfortable setting. The…read moreperformances are always entertaining, and it's clear how much passion and effort goes into every show. The staff is incredibly friendly and helpful, making the entire experience enjoyable from the moment you walk in. The theater itself has a cozy atmosphere that makes it easy to sit back and enjoy the performance. Highly recommend checking it out if you're looking for a great night out and want to support local arts.

I spent a pleasant evening at the Penobscot Theatre Company as part of last month's Maine Book…read moreFestival. I was on a panel about suspense and the influence of Stephen King, and it was fun to have that event in the heart of Derry/Bangor. The theater was attractive, with a nice stage and a spacious seating area. There were some cool chandeliers that looked like crystal jellyfish. I gather that the theater is a town landmark and important cultural institution, putting on a full roster of shows when it isn't hosting one-off literary events. There was a little bar off to one side of the theater, apparently called The Stage Door. I hung out there with friends and new acquaintances before and after the panel. I got to try two cans of local beer, the Orono Tubular Hazy IPA and the Sacred Profane Dark Lager. Both were delicious beers that I never see at home. I had a lovely time at the Penobscot Theatre Company and am glad I got to visit on my first trip to Maine. I'd recommend it for all your Bangor theater needs, as well as any events about the great Stephen King.

We were looking for things to do, and my wife came across the Cole Land Transportation Museum. She…read moresaid it had trains, and we both love trains (who doesn't?) so we made the trip. After paying the entrance fee, they do offer a free "scavenger hunt" placard divvied out by easy, medium, and hard. They each have photos of emblems or things for you to try and locate throughout the whole facility. You then write them down under the pictures with your erasable marker. The Cole family made their fortune in the trucking industry and eventually sold the business in the 90s. A very loving family, and after seeing and reading about Cole Transportation, seemed like a wonderful place to work for that treated their customers and employees right. The patriarch of the family eventually established the idea for the museum, and got to work. The museum has many aspects of transportation within, and lots of Maine background stories. There's Snowplows, Fire Equipment, Farm Equipment, Cars, Trains, Military, Construction vehicles, Sleighs, and so much more. The signage gives everything you'd want to know about the vehicles and artifacts, and if you want more info, any of the volunteers (most, if not all are military veterans) can probably answer your questions. If you have young children, you'll probably be in and out of here as I'd have to bet that most young children would be relatively quickly bored even with the variety of exhibits. But, my wife and I actually spent several hours slowly going up and down each aisle so we could get a good look at everything. The place was not full at all. The museum says they sponsor many school trips there and "be a friend to a veteran" talks. They sponsor essay writing contests with topics such as "What Freedom Means to Me." They have pictures of their former 18-wheelers with patriotic slogans painted on the sides entered by school children and voted on by committee. This museum shouts out loud that you're proud to be an American and able to live the American Dream. It's $7 for adults to enter, and all children are free. Well worth it and very happy to support local businesses. FYI, we ended up finding just over half of the "hard" scavenger hunt items. We'll have to look for more next time.

By no means am I a transportation enthusiast, but for $7, I got a lot out of it and had a good…read moretime. There is quite the collection of various modes of transportation (tractors, cars, sleighs, buses, train cars, etc.). Our group of twenty-somethings had a great time learning and enjoying the various photo ops. I can see people of all ages enjoying this museum.

Staff helped this tourist out by recommending the Bog Walk (Bangor next to City Forest), river walk…read moreparking and several local restaurants ~ for bfast, lunch & dinner!!! Plus a not to be missed shop: Ampersand, an "everything store"!! It was!! The staff member said, "Our library is the soul of this town" & I believe her!!

This is the main, and only, library for the picturesque town of Orono - home of the beautiful…read moreUniversity of Maine campus - which is almost adjacent to the city of Bangor, the big player in the area and which many might not know has an important international air hub. While Bangor's library building has a neoclassical bent, Orono's apparently newer library is a simpler structure that's perfectly suited to New England. The Orono Public Library has everything most patrons will need. There are the typical stacks intended for adults, a children's area, a decent DVD movie collection, a conference room or two, computers, and comfortable upholstered chairs. So, while it may look like a big house from the outside, there are all sorts of areas for specific collections and purposes once inside. One might give the Orono Public Library 3 stars for doing what a library is supposed to do. However, two other things stood out about this library and take its rating up to 4 stars. The first was how clean and well maintained it was. The second was how friendly and helpful the staff was. Library employees from sea to shining sea will help you, with a good many of them having smugness issues they can't seem to shake. That wasn't the situation here. They were genuinely interested in the patron. Perhaps that's because, being in the state's main college town, they flex with a broader demographic base. I appreciated the way I was treated as a visiting guest to the library while in the "vicinity" of Acadia National Park. Clearly, the Orono Public Library is an enjoyable and productive library to patronize.