Back to Maine Exiles Message Board homepage
Heather Stocks Pixley (
heather.s.pixley.02@alum.dartmouth.org ) White
River Jct, VT
8/6/06 -- 01:04:44 PM
Originally from HARRINGTON, MAINE. Just visited
western Maine for a week-long camping trip. It is
strikingly different from my childhood refuge on the
coast yet feels like home.
I read the recent article about this site in the Sun
Journal, "Pining for Maine" and am so relieved. Ms.
Coogan is quoted in the article as having written,
"When I'm there I just feel centered..." and Mr.
White was included in the article as having said
that if he doesn't get his "fix" by visiting his
home state often, he "begins to wither inside".
Until I read that article, I thought I was insane.
Those statements are true for me as well and I
haven't met anyone who can understand where I'm
coming from.
I'm moving to Indianapolis to take a new position in
late October - I am saddened that I will be further
from Maine but remain thankful for my discovery of
this website and to whoever decided to build the
Bangor International Airport.
**************************************
Cookie (
cookiecoogan@yahoo.com ) -- Ithaca, NY
8/5/06 -- 02:41:19 AM
Just returned from an all too short trip home.
You could live in Maine for a lifetime and still not
see or do all the wonderful fascinating stuff there
is to see and do there.
We crammed in quite a bit though. Sunday, we went to
Moxie Falls and Lake Moxie after a picnic lunch at
the rest area near Wyman Lake. I have always wanted
to see it and it was gorgeous. Absolutely wonderful.
And the smell! Nothing like the smell of the woods
especially near a stream. I wish I could bottle that
smell. We continued to Lake Moxie, where I counted
25 ducks and a goose family near the dam! A little
girl was feeding the ducks, while the goose family
watched at distance.
Monday, we visited another nearby falls I had never
heard of before this trip. I only found out about it
because I saw it in my mother's Gazetteer: Houston
Brook Falls in Pleasant Ridge Plt. across the
Kennebec from Bingham. We spent several hours
playing in the pools beneath the falls. We caught it
at a great time. It was very impressive because of
recent rains. Apparently, it's gentler (but still
beautiful) in drier times. It is now one of my
"official favorite places in Maine." I know I will
return there again.
We camped under the pines at Lovejoy Pond in Albion
that night, and Tuesday morning, we rose at 5am and
left at roughly 6. Thanks to the folks who sent me
email and posted here about The Airline. It did not
disappoint. Driving to Bangor, we stopped at
Dysart's for breakfast and were STILL in Calais by
10am! Wicked good road now. My dad said it used to
be hairy. Absolutely gorgeous scenery of woods,
lakes, fields, streams, blueberry barrens AND I got
a big kick driving over the Whalesback esker.
In Calais, we turned right and went down good ol'
Route 1. We took photos at the 45th parallel in
Perry. We shopped at the Quoddy Wigwam. Then we
continued down to Lubec where we crossed over to
Campobello. Then we went down to West Quoddy and
stood as far east as you can stand in America.
Enjoyed the display in the lighthouse and the nice
people who greeted us and showed us around. BTW:
while the rest of the country was baking, I had to
wear a sweatshirt down there!
>From there we continued down Rte. 1. We bought some
wholesale blueberries at Wild Blueberry Land which
is just as cool as a tourist trap can be. Great pie!
Then we went out to Schoodic. It was my first time
and I fell in love with the scenery and the rocks.
Since unbearable heat was predicted for Wednesday,
we decided to stay on the coast. I always say "This
year, we're not going to go to Acadia. We're going
to do something different." But every year, we
somehow end up there. It must be my favorite place
in Maine. We didn't have much money, so we found
some free stuff to do. We avoided Bar Harbor
completely. Instead of swimming at Sand Beach, we
opted for the Seal Harbor town beach. Then we went
up Mt. Cadillac which you can still do for free (we
did buy stuff up top. A minor contribution, but a
contribution nonetheless). It was 92 degrees up
there, but with the breeze, it was a "cool" 92. The
sky was blue though a bit hazy from the heat. You
could only barely imagine Katahdin out there in the
distance.
We returned inland on Wednesday night and camped at
the Pond again. It rained, but what's camping in
Maine without a little rain? The tahps were all
secure and we remained relatively dry.
Thursday, something posessed me to drive to Freeport
to get my kids the lobster I had promised them for
months now. Oddly, we did nothing else BUT eat in
Freeport. We got great parking but nobody really
felt like going to LLBean again and, well, I guess
we just weren't in a retail mood. Tourist traffic
was relatively light so it didn't take hours to get
through town. It was a rainy Thursday, so perhaps
that cut down the tourist traffic. But I was also
concerned that Mt. Desert and Ellsworth didn't seem
as crowded as in the past. It makes me think that
perhaps tourism is down because of high gas costs.
But perhaps it was just that we were there in the
middle of the week.
Friday, we had to come home. I wish I could have
stayed through the weekend so I could have spent
more time with my people who had to work while I was
at play. Unfortunately, I had to return to NY for my
own weekend work so it was a short visit this year.
So short that I feel I must find a way to get back
in the fall or winter. I simply didn't get enough.
But I *loved* every minute of the time we did have!
Thanks for listening to my travelogue and thanks
again to those folks who gave me info about The
Airline. I'm really glad I took that drive!
**********************************
Pat (
maiinahstwo@aol.com ) -- Ormond Beach, FL
8/4/06--08:26:38 PM
To Carolyn in Oregon.
We, too,MUST have SAM's italians when in MAINE.
You may be as surprised as I was to learn that SAM'S
original store was not the one on Main Street in
Lewiston. We used to get those .25 cent sandwiches
every Friday night from that store.
The first was, though, on Minot Ave. in Auburn...in
general area of the old JIMMY's Diner...but on the
other side of the street.
Another surprise I got was that the Simonis's first
hot dog stand was also on Minot Ave. in Auburn...in
about the same area as Sharlane's.
*******************************
Brenda A -- Holly Springs, NC
8/3/06 -- 09:56:15 PM
To MJ from Bath - I've been exiled in central NC
since 1997. (The only reason I'm in NC is my
husband's job relocated us here!) Jobs ARE plentiful
around the metro areas - especially in an area
called Research Triangle Park (near Raleigh). The
climate here is fabulous. Don't worry about the warm
southern summah's - almost everyone has central a/c.
Another benefit of living in NC - no snow to shovel!
When it does snow, it melts within a day or 2. If
you like sports - central NC is where it's at - home
of the 2006 Stanley Cup champions Carolina
Hurricanes. Good luck!
****************************************
Jeffrey B. Roth (
jbroth@superpa.net ) -- Bendersville, PA
8/3/06 -- 12:06:17 PM
Hi folks -- I used to live in Lewiston-Auburn,
West Paris, and Orrs Island. I am looking to get in
touch with a few people -- one of whom visited this
site a few days ago, Carolyn Vallerand Tucker, who
now lives in Oregon. I found a letter from her that
is 32 years old and had not been opened. It had been
stuck in a book and I just found it. I used to work
at Rap Place in Lewiston in the early 70s and drove
a green MGB and also a green Triumph Spitfire. To
see my pic go to my blog at
www.theroguereporter.blogspot.com. I wanted to
say hey to Carolyn -- others include Napoleon, Deke,
Chris and others.
Hope to hear from some of you.
****************************************
Jeanne (
tgif@cfl.rr.com ) -- Cocoa, FL
8/2/06 -- 07:29:00 PM
Hi,
Just went to Maine, I am from the Jay area.
I had lobsta, Sam's Italian's, whoppie Pies, Steamed
Clams & Fried Clams. Saw 'real' green trees,
mountains, swam in Bear Pond. Maine is a breath of
fresh air... literally.
*************************************
Steve White (
mainerinexile@bellsouth.net ) -- Dallas, NC
8/2/06 -- 09:45:33 AM
To mj from Bath. It does appear that NC is kind
of a favorite (if that's a great choice of words)
among exiled Maineiacs. I'm pretty sure that in all
the years I've been posting here, there are probably
more ppl lving, or have lived here in NC that were
from Maine and post in this forum. It probably has a
lot to do with the fact that NC still seems to
thrive (at least in and around metropolitanareas)
when other parts of the country are in the dumper
economically. If you find the right areas here it
seems to have a lot of Maine's charm as well. I'm
moving back to Maine as soon as I can. If you're
looking - I have a home for sale in one of the most
quaint little towns I've ever lived in. hint,
hint.....
Good luck.
*******************************
Stratton Wayne St. Clair (
strattonstclair@mac.com ) -- Roanoke, VA
8/1/06 -- 05:24:03 PM
It is 98 outside and Gawd awful humid. I am
reminded 32 years ago, 1975, it was my first summer
in Maine. The Coast Guard cutter I was on, the Duane
out of the Maine State Pier in Portland was sent up
to Rockland to take part in their Lobster Festival.
Turned out to be the hottest day on record on the
Maine coast, 102. and we had to march around in our
full dress blues. We were miserible. To add insult
to injury the air conditioning on board ship was
broken so we all slept on deck that night. In
typical Maine fashion, the next day it was 52 and
foggy.
*********************************************
mj -- Bath, ME
7/31/06 -- 07:45:53 AM
As I expect most exiles leave Maine because they
can't find work. I am planing to leave Maine and
would like to know if North Carolina is a favorite
among Mainers, if not, what do they suggest other
than CA and Fl.
***********************************
Mike S (
treebuggy@yahoo.com ) -- Jay, ME
7/31/06 -- 12:17:34 AM
Hi, just got this site from the Lewiston S-J.
GREAT site. No longer in exile as I was for 30+
years. Had the (mis?)fortune to suffer disabling
injury when visiting here in 1994 & stayed here.
Somebody asked about the "Airline" drive. We both
are from the Calais end & drive home often. From the
start in Brewer to Rt 1 in Baileyville takes about
1:45 (or 2.5-3.5 if it's a nice touring day).
Beautiful ride with most of the way excellent roads
now. Never realized how much I missed only visiting
every few years. So good to be back in Maine. All
the "good money" I made couldn't replace being of
lesser means but BACK!!
*************************************
Carolyn -- Myrtle Creek, OR
7/30/06 -- 03:48:34 AM
I've been away since 1989. I grew up in Greene
and attended Leavitt High School. I moved around a
bit in my 20's and lived in Appleton, Auburn,
Buckfield, Camden, Lewiston, Lincolnville and
Turner.
I still have bouts of homesickness, especially
around the summer solstice when the wild
strawberries are just ripening in my folk's fields.
I've only made it back 3 times in 17 years. I was
hoping to get back this summer but I just got a new
job so I have no vacation time accrued.
I do remember a Lum's on Lisbon St. If I remember
right it was a few blocks east of the East
Ave/Lisbon St intersection. There was a Dunkin
Donuts on the same lot.
When I have been home a stop at Sam's for an Italian
is mandatory. Preferably the original store on Main
St. I've tried duplicating Italians at home here,
and they aren't bad, but they're NOT really
Italians.
****************************
Carol -- Bowie, MD
7/29/06 -- 12:17:50 PM
I remember Lum's in Bangor. We used to go there
for dinner when were in Bangor shopping or
something. It was a big treat. I'm heading home on
the 5th for a week on Toddy Pond. It will be great
to see friends and family. And there will be plenty
of seafood!!!
****************************************
Cookie (
cookiecoogan@yahoo.com ) -- Ithaca, NY
7/28/06 -- 11:47:51 AM
Hi Folks--
Gearing up for my annual trip to the homecountry!
Dad said the weather's supposed to be nice next
week. I hope he's right because we plan to camp!
I think I remember a Lum's in the Bangor area. Am I
right? It was a loooooooong time ago.
I have a question that maybe some of you can answer.
I don't know whether I'll get answers in time, but
I'm curious:
How long does it take to drive "The Airline" (Rte.9)
from Bangor to Calais? I've always wanted to drive
that road because my brother said it's beautiful and
the pix I saw in Down East a couple years back
corroborate his report.
Found another wicked-good Maine site with excellent
photos at
http://www.thedailyme.com. Check out their "off
the beaten path" pages for some excellent photos and
suggestions for hikes. The news at The Daily Maine
comes from Dexter, Maine and features news 'n' stuff
from the folks around that region.
*****************************************
Pat (
mainahstwo@aol.com ) -- Omond Beach, FL
7/27/06 -- 07:27:42 PM
Cheryl,
I don't recall a LUM's in Lewiston but there sure
was one in So.Portland...on Main St. The food was
pretty good...a favorite place for after bowling. It
later became WOK-IN and we walked in once and
walked out...never retturned....yuk!
***************************************
Cathy -- Beverly Hills, FL
7/27/06 -- 02:40:32 PM
Thanks to whomever posted the picture above that
I sent which was taken at my sister's camp in Strong
on the 4th. That's my very old Katahdin 16'canoe. I
don't know if I left the cursor in the picture or it
was added later, but since it seems to be pointing
at something I thought I would add that we call that
mountain range "The Sleeping Giant." Can you see
why?
Editor's Note: The cursor in
the picture was our error and we removed it.
Much prettier without it.
***************************************
Stratton Wayne St. Clair (
strattonstclair@mac.com ) -- Roanoke, VA
7/26/06 -- 05:52:48 AM
LUM'S was a regional chain...I worked as a waiter
at the one in South Portland one summer in the late
70's. The food was OK. I think as a chain it went
under in the 80's.
*************************************
Dawn Thomas (formerly Toronto) (
dawnthomas9@hotmail.com ) -- Citrus Heights, CA
7/25/06 -- 01:26:52 PM
Anyone out there from Machias?? I was born in
Machias and most of my family live there now. They
are the Pritchard family. I left there when I was
about 9 years old or so and have been back 1 time. I
am going to be going back next year. I miss it so
much. Believe me, it is a lot different than
California. I would love to communicate with someone
from Machias who may remember me. Thanks:)
**************************************
Barb Peano (
momyd@hotmail.com ) -- Marquette, MI
7/24/06 -- 06:42:04 PM
Born and raised in Aroostook County I have missed
alot of exploring Maine. I spent the first 20 years
of my life in Houlton having graduated from HHS 62.
I have wanted to just sit on the coast and meditate
for hours but have never done that , probably won
t be able to now with a sick hubby. Am envious of
all you mainiacs living on the coast of Maine. All
I ever saw was farmlands.
LUVYA ALL
*************************************
Back to Maine Exiles Message
Board homepage
Steve White (
mainerinexile@bellsouth.net ) -- Dallas, NC
7/24/06 -- 09:02:39 AM
Lum's! Sure, I remember Lum's. There was also one
out near the old exit 8 off the turnpike near
Westbrook. I'm not sure if it was a national chain,
but there were quite a few of them in New England...
***********************************************
Cheryl Brown (
mainebrown@verizon.net ) -- Auburn, ME
7/23/06 -- 05:48:52 PM
At a family gathering today, my brother mentioned
a restaurant,Lum's, that he remembered that was on
outer Lisbon St. in Lewiston. None of the rest of
us, including my folks, had any memory of it. Does
it ring any bells for anyone?
**************************************