A Walk Through Bangor
Kenduskeag Stream in Downtown Bangor
This post was originally published September 14, 2017.
Maine is famous for its acres of woods housing moose and bears and its rugged coasts overlooking lobster boats at work. Between the potato fields and National Parks, Maine has a few popular cities, though most people wouldn’t think of them as anything other than large towns. At just over 30,000 people, Bangor is one of these cities.
Bangor (mispronounced as Banger so often that a video was made about it) is the largest city in Northern Maine, which says a lot, considering it's over 3 hours away from the Northern border with Canada. Canadian tourists can occasionally be seen flocking the city in their large tour buses, taking on Bangor’s small mall.
Fish brought settlers to the shores of Maine, and lumber brought those settlers further inland. Bangor’s brick buildings used to be acres of trees, launching the city into an industrial center built on the lumber industry. And where other than Bangor would be the perfect place to find North America’s most famous Lumberjack?
Downtown is a 31-foot-tall statue of Paul Bunyan, a folklore giant, who cut down trees across the continent and created some of the most recognizable landmarks, including the Grand Canyon, which was carved out by the large axe Paul Bunyan dragged behind him. On top of that, he had a pet blue ox. There’s no ox accompanying this statue of Paul Bunyan, but it does hold a time capsule that will be opened on February 12, 2084.
If the city of Bangor feels familiar to anyone who has never been, they might be getting flashbacks of a fictional town called Derry. Possibly, some concerning murderous clowns come to mind. But don’t worry. Derry is only loosely based off Bangor, and I personally have not bore witness to any serial killer clowns. I have, however, seen Stephen King’s house multiple times. The creator of Derry and all sorts of enthralling terrors, lives in Bangor in his own little (big) creepy house, which just recently was spotted with a red balloon in the window.
The city of Bangor does its best to connect to the art culture that is so prominent in Maine’s coastal towns. Painted benches decorate the downtown, along with murals and trails connecting to Maine’s inspiring wilderness.
Cascade Park sits across the road from the Penobscot River, but the river is probably the least interesting water feature in the area. Built in 1934, the focal point of Cascade Park is the large fountain that shoots water 25 feet up in the air. Not only that, but the water changes color at night. Water feeds into the fountain from two waterfalls set into the hillside, which, unfortunately, do not change color. Bangor should get on that. Beyond the trees on the hill are winding grass trails that are busy with middle school cross-country teams in the fall. During the school day though, its just me and the humming bugs in the field.
In another part of the city, a forest is well-maintained for visitors. Trails are groomed year-round for running, biking, or casual sauntering. In the summer, the boardwalk opens. 4,200 feet of wooden walkways are suspended over a bog that took 11,000 years to reach its current state. The bog technically crosses the city line into Orono, despite only being accessible through the Bangor City Forest. The peatland is home to critters ranging from birds to bears. Carnivorous plants are also common in bogs because the acidic soil forces the plants to get their nutrients from passing flies. Bogs are also great places to find archaeological remains as demonstrated by my excursions in Ireland, but this bog is not one where people are digging for bodies. (Murderers this is not an invitation). This bog has been protected as a National Natural Landmark with check points detailing information about the wildlife. I worked on my tan as I stopped to identify the carnivorous pitcher plants and examine the height of the bog’s water from a floating pole. In the midst of a fast-paced world, it’s nice to know that Maine always has a quiet spot nearby. Even in the middle of a city.
