Wednsday August 3, 2011
Gilead, Maine 1
Driving the backroads and scenic byways is the plan of attack here at Tracks of the Stonebear. You get to see a lot of unique places, cultures, local history, geography, AND meet and talk with local people. Sometimes this is the real treat of traveling.
Meeting and talking with the local people often is more revealing than any chamber of commerce brochure highlighting a few local historical spots. Listening,... you learn a lot more about the local culture values. You SEE the architechture, but listening to ,... as Paul Harvey would say... the rest of the story.... you get to put the puzzel pieces together and weigh the many facts and facets of the place that most tourists drive past and miss.
OK, we got to drive up Maine on the coast... see the rocky cliffs,.... Acadia....Schoodic penensula.... wouldn't take anything for it.... was the real Maine coastal thing. Gorged on Lobster; Lobster rolls. Rit said Lobster rolls were great... for sure. ... you actually can get tired of eating Lobster every day.
Now coming back off of this journey... on the backside heading home back to Alabama... Let's drive the upper part of Maine, New Hampsire, and Vermont. The back woods, ... the back country,... the wilderness.
Leaving Woodstock, New Brunswick.... camped overnight in Houlston, Maine as we were tired for the day.
Next morning headed down I-95 south to bangor and got off on Hwy 2west.... the road through the upper parts of Maine - New Hampsire, and Vermont. We wanted to see the upper North - back country... on the journey back home.
Bangor was a city on interstate I- 95south... jump over and past. Hwy 2west and started seeing the real back roads of Maine. Stayed at Stonybrook camp Hanover, Maine... Next morning 50* wake up , Strong black coffee, headed west, following the Androsgoggin River along the road is beautiful. Stopped at a Maine covered bridge... Maine rock formations are awesome...
Pulled over at a wide spot in the road, not even a crossroad, a "T". Railroad tracks running alongside hwy 2, a frontage road to see an old town hall building, a couple more wood buildings. ... a worker is up on a ladder working on the siding of a small building. Not a ghost town, but not thriving... just a quiet place now that had probably seen busier times of robust industry, logging, ect.
A light drizzle is falling, not enough to stop me from taking a few pix. T-bird goes over and asks the worker about the city hall. After a few outside pix... go over and see... turns out,... the guy is working on the original railroad station office; in the process of restoration at this site. The small building was moved back here to Gillead... it's original location.
Turns out, the guy working by himself, in the rainy drizzle is Hugh, one of the remaining residents,... AND one of the town historians. Hugh... Hugh Chapman, talks some about the history of the town. ... asks if we'd like to see the school house next door. Sure!
It is a one room schoolhouse, just like you'd remember as a rural grammer school kid. again,... in the process of being renovated and restored. Some historical items, book cases, desks, rand - macnally roll down maps, ect were being staged for eventual museum opening. Hugh had boxes of old pictures of Gillead. Very good.
Turns out, Hugh has co- authored a book of Gillead, Maine history. and it was neat to hear some of the stories of the town.
For all those small town historical societies, workers to preserve the town / villages histories... Thank You!!! The local committees of small towns that work on the town museums, the scenic byway committees; Thank you for for all your hard work (usually unpaid volunteers) to preserve the history for the following generations.
After meeting Hugh, I was not surprised that he was working by himself, doing carpentry work... out in the rainy drizzle. ... I consider him a friend for life. And I can tell you this... when you shake hands with Hugh; you know his word is good!
MARNE 45 # 161
Wednsday August 3, 2011
Gilead, Maine 1
Driving the backroads and scenic byways is the plan of attack here at Tracks of the Stonebear. You get to see a lot of unique places, cultures, local history, geography, AND meet and talk with local people. Sometimes this is the real treat of traveling.
Meeting and talking with the local people often is more revealing than any chamber of commerce brochure highlighting a few local historical spots. Listening,... you learn a lot more about the local culture values. You SEE the architechture, but listening to ,... as Paul Harvey would say... the rest of the story.... you get to put the puzzel pieces together and weigh the many facts and facets of the place that most tourists drive past and miss.
OK, we got to drive up Maine on the coast... see the rocky cliffs,.... Acadia....Schoodic penensula.... wouldn't take anything for it.... was the real Maine coastal thing. Gorged on Lobster; Lobster rolls. Rit said Lobster rolls were great... for sure. ... you actually can get tired of eating Lobster every day.
Now coming back off of this journey... on the backside heading home back to Alabama... Let's drive the upper part of Maine, New Hampsire, and Vermont. The back woods, ... the back country,... the wilderness.
Leaving Woodstock, New Brunswick.... camped overnight in Houlston, Maine as we were tired for the day.
Next morning headed down I-95 south to bangor and got off on Hwy 2west.... the road through the upper parts of Maine - New Hampsire, and Vermont. We wanted to see the upper North - back country... on the journey back home.
Bangor was a city on interstate I- 95south... jump over and past. Hwy 2west and started seeing the real back roads of Maine. Stayed at Stonybrook camp Hanover, Maine... Next morning 50* wake up , Strong black coffee, headed west, following the Androsgoggin River along the road is beautiful. Stopped at a Maine covered bridge... Maine rock formations are awesome...
Pulled over at a wide spot in the road, not even a crossroad, a "T". Railroad tracks running alongside hwy 2, a frontage road to see an old town hall building, a couple more wood buildings. ... a worker is up on a ladder working on the siding of a small building. Not a ghost town, but not thriving... just a quiet place now that had probably seen busier times of robust industry, logging, ect.
A light drizzle is falling, not enough to stop me from taking a few pix. T-bird goes over and asks the worker about the city hall. After a few outside pix... go over and see... turns out,... the guy is working on the original railroad station office; in the process of restoration at this site. The small building was moved back here to Gillead... it's original location.
Turns out, the guy working by himself, in the rainy drizzle is Hugh, one of the remaining residents,... AND one of the town historians. Hugh... Hugh Chapman, talks some about the history of the town. ... asks if we'd like to see the school house next door. Sure!
It is a one room schoolhouse, just like you'd remember as a rural grammer school kid. again,... in the process of being renovated and restored. Some historical items, book cases, desks, rand - macnally roll down maps, ect were being staged for eventual museum opening. Hugh had boxes of old pictures of Gillead. Very good.
Turns out, Hugh has co- authored a book of Gillead, Maine history. and it was neat to hear some of the stories of the town.
For all those small town historical societies, workers to preserve the town / villages histories... Thank You!!! The local committees of small towns that work on the town museums, the scenic byway committees; Thank you for for all your hard work (usually unpaid volunteers) to preserve the history for the following generations.
After meeting Hugh, I was not surprised that he was working by himself, doing carpentry work... out in the rainy drizzle. ... I consider him a friend for life. And I can tell you this... when you shake hands with Hugh; you know his word is good!
