The planes stopped here to refuel on their way to Red Flag 15-4 at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. Red Flag is a get-together where pilots from the US and NATO and other allied countries practice in realistic aerial war games! Who knew!
Thursday, August 27, 2015
My 50th State!
Believe it or not, in all my travels, I had only been to 47 states. With Vermont and New Hampshire recently under my belt, the only state left was Maine. Our first stop was Bangor, and there are several attractions right in town.
We were welcomed by Paul Bunyan himself. Though not the first Paul Bunyan I've met, this is certainly the largest, at 31-feet tall. Even though Paul's wife, Lucette, has tried to make him eat healthier, Paul still weighs in at 3700 lbs.
Remember the Maine! This is the shield and scrolls recovered from the wreckage of the USS Maine, blown up in the Havana, Cuba harbor in 1898.
And Stephen King lives here! I love his unique fence, with the spider webs and bats.
We went on the short hike on the Orono Bog Boardwalk. It was pretty cool walking on top of 20 feet of peat moss.
But the neatest thing we saw was this Tomato Caterpillar, complete with lots of eggs.
We were there during the Bangor State Fair.
And of course we saw some cute little animals.
In the nearby town of Prospect is the Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory, the tallest bridge observatory in the world at 420 feet.
Unfortunately, by the time we got to the top it was pretty foggy.
But out on the point, I could see Fort Knox. I can never pass up a fort, so that was our next stop.
The fort is made of granite and was built between 1844 and 1864.
It was used during the Civil War and the Spanish-American War.
You can wander all around on your own, poking into all the nooks and crannies.
Fortunately, we brought a flashlight, because it's necessary in some places.
Oh, excuse me - I didn't know this room was occupied!
By now the fog had cleared, and we could see back to the bridge.
We stayed in Bangor right next to the airport, and one morning there were some strange planes taking off. First 5 Israeli jet fighters -
Then 5 Jordanian jet fighters -
And then 5 more Israeli jet fighters. Hmmmmm..... Maybe I should turn on the news. But I Googled it instead and found out the scoop.
The planes stopped here to refuel on their way to Red Flag 15-4 at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. Red Flag is a get-together where pilots from the US and NATO and other allied countries practice in realistic aerial war games! Who knew!
The planes stopped here to refuel on their way to Red Flag 15-4 at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. Red Flag is a get-together where pilots from the US and NATO and other allied countries practice in realistic aerial war games! Who knew!
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If you make it up to "the county" (Aroostook Co), be sure to visit Aroostook NWR... it's located between Limestone and Caribou. If you come up before Wednesday we'll give you a great tour of the Refuge. Happy Travels!
ReplyDeleteNow wait a minute. I recall a famous politician saying there are 57 states... ;c)
ReplyDeleteA belated welcome to my home state. I've been lurking here reading your blog for seven years, give or take. I would have liked to show you some rusty stuff, like the old steam locomotives abandoned in the woods, an old copper mine next to the airport just a half mile from where you were staying and one of the oldest graveyards in the Bangor area. Maybe next time, assuming we aren't pushing up daisies.
ReplyDeleteWow, 50 states, that's quite an accomplishment! Maine looks like an interesting state. Great photos! :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats on an impressive milestone.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your 50th!! I have high hopes of getting the last 2 of the lower 48 on this trip but with the fries I dont know its wait n see...Love Maine, its a beautiful state.
ReplyDeleteTHAT'S the bridge I told you we went up. I just didn't know where it was.
ReplyDeletewell done, grasshopper...
ReplyDeleteCongrats on visiting all 50 states!!
ReplyDeleteRED FLAG was later matched by Canada's MAPLE FLAG in Cold Lake, Alberta, where we have seen many nations participating. In fact we lived in the flight pass of those fighters. It was ear-deafening.
ReplyDeleteBeing in Bangor you shoulda come see us on Campobello. Only 25hrs away!
We were in Bangor the other day to do a return at Best Buy and to get some repair work done at a car dealership. I said we could run into Stephen King any time, I'm sure he does errands too!
ReplyDelete