57°F
The Best Western White House Inn is conveniently located right beside Interstate 95 on about 40 acres of land in central Maine near the coast and Acadia National Park, as well as near inland Maine attractions, the University of Maine at Orono, and Husson University.
Fort Knox & Penobscot Narrows Observatory
Acadia Zoo
The Bar Harbor Oceanarium and Lobster Museum & Hatchery
Wendell Gilley Museum of Bird Carving
Moosehead Lake Region
Baxter State Park
White Water Rafting
Bangor Municipal Golf Course
Hollywood Casino
Cross Center, Bangor State Fair, and the Paul Bunyan Statue
Maynard F. Jordan Planetarium
Statue of Hannibal Hamlin (off Franklin and Central Streets)
Thomas Hill Standpipe
Korean War Memorial
Seasonal walking path on premises and 1 mile from nature trail
Downtown Bangor: walking/biking trail paralleling the Kenduskeag Stream from Franklin Street to outer Valley Avenue
Chick Hill in the Clifton/Eddington area, an excellent afternoon hike
Welcome to the Bangor Region! You will find yourself surrounded by friends as you enjoy the area and what the communities have to offer.
The Bangor Region was recently ranked first among small cities in the special millennium edition of Places Rated Almanac, and it will not take you long to find out why. You will find the Bangor Region provides something for everyone.
The Bangor Region is centrally located in the State of Maine, making it the perfect headquarters for day trips. Commonly referred to as a “Gateway” because of its central location, Bangor is a great hub for those inclined to set off on a new adventure and explore all of the opportunities Maine has to offer. In fact, there’s no excuse for boredom! With Maine’s temperate climate and beautiful four seasons of fun, there’s no way to do everything in only a few days.
Heading north you can experience the wonders of Baxter State Park, the northern end of the Appalachian Trail. If you prefer fresh water, you can explore the natural wonders of Moosehead Lake, one of Maine’s largest lakes. Heading towards the coast, you can spend a day exploring this country’s second most visited national park, Acadia. From rugged seaside cliffs, sheltered beaches, to mountain vistas, Acadia truly deserves its popularity. The Camden-Rockport region also provides visitors with an opportunity to explore many quaint towns along Maine’s coast, with lots of hidden fun.
But why leave Bangor? There are lots of fun things to do right here.
The history of the Bangor Region is as long and winding as the Penobscot River itself. Early European explorers sailed along the Maine coast in search of Norumbega, the fabled stone city where natives dressed in fur trimmed with gold. The first expedition up the Penobscot dates back to 1525, when a Portuguese sailor named Estavao Gomes sailed all the way up the river to what is now Bangor. In 1604, Samuel de Champlain also searched up and down the river for that fabled city, with the help of a Penobscot Indian guide.
This region was first settled in 1769—as Kadesquit Plantation—by Jacob Buswell, his wife, and nine children. They became the first Europeans to settle at the mouth of the Kenduskeag Stream. During several years, Europeans would alter the name of the plantation from Kadesquit to Condeskeag to Kenduskeag. The river itself played a huge role in shaping the fortunes of the Bangor Region. Large sailing vessels, the mainstay of transportation during this period, were built and traveled along towns up and down the Penobscot Bay, including upriver to Bangor. Of course it was timber, Maine’s primary resource, that drove the economy.
As America continued its expansion into the nineteenth century, the demand for fuel and shelter grew at an unprecedented rate; and Maine’s white pine was prized above all other wood for those needs. The timber trade, along with Bangor’s harbor, made this region the “lumber capital of the world.” Lumberjacks harvested the northern Maine woods and sent their logs down the Penobscot River where they were picked up by runners in Bangor. Even though the timber boom eventually diminished in the Bangor Region, it not only put this part of Maine “on the map,” but also shaped our community and our people.
All the resources that were in place to help support the lumber industry continued to thrive. They maintained this region in prosperity through the years. The Bangor Region has continued to grow into an educational, retail and cultural center for northern and central Maine.
In 1791 settlers decided to incorporate themselves as a town. Because Maine was part of Massachusetts at the time, the settlers had to petition the Massachusetts General Court to become incorporated. The Rev. Seth Noble convinced his neighbors they should call their town Sunbury. Noble’s neighbors gave him the task of going to Boston to deliver the town’s petition.
While waiting to present the petition in Boston, Noble began whistling his favorite tune: “Bangor.” When a court official asked Noble what his town wanted to be called, Noble was caught off guard. Daydreaming, perhaps, Noble thought he’d been asked the name of the tune he’d been whistling. So instead of saying “Sunbury,” he said “Bangor.”
So Bangor it was. On February 25, 1791, the General Court approved Bangor for incorporation.
Maine is recognized as one of the most healthful states in the nation—summer temperatures average 70 degrees F and winter temps average 20 degrees F. Maine abounds in natural assets—542,629 acres of state and national parks, including the 92-mile Allagash Wilderness Waterway, Acadia National Park (the second most visited national park in the United States), and Baxter State Park (location of Mt. Katahdin and the northern end of the Appalachian Trail—the 5,267-foot Baxter Peak on Katahdin is the first spot in the United States to see the sunrise!). Maine boasts 6,000 lakes and ponds, 32,000 miles of rivers and streams, 17 million acres of forestland, 3,478 beautiful miles of coastline, and 2,000 islands. Maine forests cover 90 percent of the state.
Maine claims America’s first chartered city—York, in 1641.
Maine has 63 lighthouses, including Portland Head Light commissioned by President George Washington.
Maine is the vacation home to former president and first lady George and Barbara Bush (Kennebunkport).
Maine zinc and copper deposits are some of the biggest in the country.
Maine is America’s largest blueberry growing state, raising 98% of the low bush blueberries in the United States. Potatoes rank third in acreage and third in production nationally.
Maine is the home to such great writers as Stephen King and E.B. White.
Maine is internationally famed for its shellfish, averaging nearly 40 million pounds of lobster harvested annually.
Maine earmuffs were invented in Maine by Chester Greenwood in 1873.
Maine has more moose per square mile than any other state.
Maine consists of 16 counties with 22 cities, 424 towns, 51 plantations, and 416 unorganized townships. Maine has one county (Aroostook) so big (6,453 square miles) that it actually covers an area greater than the combined size of Connecticut and Rhode Island. Maine is about 320 miles long and 210 miles wide, with a total of 33,215 square miles—about as big as the other five New England states combined.
Maine until 1958, Maine held its presidential elections two months before the rest of the country. People said “As Maine goes, so goes the nation.” They looked at the results from Maine to predict who would be president.
* State Capital: Augusta
* Population: Approximately 1.2 million
* State Gemstone: Tourmaline
* State Fossil: Pertica quadrifaria
* State Cat: Maine Coon Cat
* State Insect: Honeybee
* State Bird: Chickadee
* State Tree: White Pine
* State Fish: Landlocked Salmon
* State Motto: Dirigo (I lead)
* State Animal: Moose
* State Floral Emblem: White Pine Cone With Tassel
* State Song: “State of Maine Song”
No animal is more symbolic of Maine’s northern forests than the moose, as officially attested by its adoption as Maine’s state animal and its appearance on the state seal. With its thick-set body, short neck and inordinately long legs and head, the moose is spectacular, but surely not the most beautiful animal in the forest. But when you see it roam the boggy places, the tangled undergrowth, or the deep snow, you realize how wonderfully adapted the moose is to its environment.
The moose is the largest antlered animal in North America, and the largest member of the deer family in the world. A large male, or bull, may be as long as 10 feet, 7 feet tall at the shoulder, and weigh three-quarters of a ton. No lightweight herself, a large cow may weigh nearly a half ton. Only the bulls have antlers, and they are usually palmated, up to 6 feet across the widest spread, and can weigh hundreds of pounds.
In North America moose are found from coast to coast, from the Arctic tundra south into the northern United States. They are distributed statewide in Maine but are most abundant in northern, western and eastern counties, where the climate, habitat conditions, and relatively low deer populations are favorable for moose.
Observing moose in their natural habitat has become a popular activity for many people, and is locally important to the tourism economy. It’s an enjoyable leisure pastime, and one requiring no special equipment. Even serious moose watchers use only a pair of binoculars, and maybe a camera and a canoe.
The best period for moose watching is late spring to mid-summer, when the animals are likely to be seen in shallow ponds or in and around roads. A common belief is that moose seek the water at this time for relief from the heat and flies, but new research suggests that the real reason is their need for sodium, depleted from their bodies after the long winter. Biologists say aquatic plants fulfill that sodium “hunger” much better than other moose foods. Their sodium craving also attracts moose to roadsides, where they find salt accumulated from winter spreading on the roads.
The period from late August to mid-September is another good time to see moose at the ponds-particularly cows with their calves. At other times, moose are wherever you find them, and this includes everywhere from the deep woods to downtown areas, where an occasional stray moose may wander.
A few words of caution
Moose are not considered dangerous, but they should not be startled or approached too closely on land or in the water. Cow moose are often very protective of young calves; and during the mating season, in late September and early October, the bulls can be aggressive.
Be constantly alert when driving in moose country. Hundreds of moose, and several people, are killed each year in moose/vehicle accidents.
* One of the easiest ways to see a moose is to simply ride on Rt. 15 between Greenville and Rockwood at sunset during the summer months. The back road from Greenville to Shirley is also a good road for moose watching. There are several boggy areas along the roadside which are frequented by moose.
* Current estimates place Maine’s moose population at about 25,000.
* Moose breeding, the rut, is in late September and early October. Bulls over the age of 4 are dominant breeders. Cows may have their first offspring at 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 years of age. The first birth of a cow is usually a single calf and twins are common in older cows. Moose calves, born in May or June, weigh about 30 pounds and stay with their mother through the first winter.
* Most Maine moose are younger than 14 years and a real old moose might reach 20.
* In late spring and early summer, moose often look “scruffy” because they are shedding their winter coats and sometimes rubbing places itchy from ticks.
* Concerns about a declining moose population in Maine during the early 1900’s led to increased restrictions on hunting until, in 1935, legal moose hunting ended. As the number of moose increased over the next 45 years, so did interest in restoration of moose hunting and in 1980, the legislature authorized a conservative and limited open season on moose. Even though hunting has resumed, the moose population has continued to increase and there are more moose now than in 1980.
The best places to see moose in Maine are:
