Hype for the Future 64B: Notable Islands of Maine

Preamble

While novaTopFlex has already identified the notable attractions of Vinalhaven, North Haven, and Deer Isle, the following content will refer specifically to Monhegan, Matinicus Isle, Islesboro, Frenchboro, and Swans Island, as well as to the “mainland” termini of the ferry vessels. Each route shall be covered in an arrangement in which the distinct communities are referred to first.

Introduction

The State of Maine contains six (6) state ferries, with the most notable of ferry routes originating in the City of Rockland in MidCoast Maine. The MidCoast region provides access to the Vinalhaven Ferry, as well as to ferries for North Haven and for Matinicus Isle. Monhegan, located further to the south, is also served by ferry from the mainland at Port Clyde; however, the ferry routes are exclusively private, since the State of Maine does not operate a ferry route to the island.

Matinicus Isle

The ferry to Matinicus Isle, Maine, begins the journey from the City of Rockland, where Bixby Chocolate manufactures their chocolates and where the Farnsworth Homestead and Art Museum, the Center for Maine Contemporary Art, the hotel at Trade Winds on the Bay, and the Project Puffin Visitor Center are located. On the island side, Matinicus Isle is a plantation, thus with less autonomy than the cities and towns within the State. An island with a permanent population of under one hundred residents, the community is home to just a few amenities, such as the David Sears Gallery. The Maine State Ferry Dock at Matinicus is located on the eastern end of the island.

Islesboro

From the Town of Lincolnville, home to the Spouter Inn Bed and Breakfast and just a few other places to stay, the Margaret Chase Smith vessel provides access to the island town of Islesboro, home to the Grindle Point Sailors’ Museum and Lighthouse at the island terminus of the ferry as well as the Islesboro Historical Society more centrally located on the island.

Mount Desert Island

While Mount Desert Island is firmly accessible by way of the Maine road network, the communities on the island also provide access to Swans Island and to Frenchboro. At the Maine State Ferry Dock at Swans Island is the Swans Island Lobster and Marine Museum, while near the ferry terminal at Frenchboro is the community museum-library, simply named as the Frenchboro Museum-Library.

Each of the aforementioned state ferries contain the “mainland” terminus within Mount Desert Island at the community of Bass Harbor. At the southern end of the Bass Harbor area—and of all of Mount Desert Island—is the Bass Harbor Head Light Station. On the western side of the “mainland” island further north is the Sea Cove Auto Museum; however, the most notable portions of the island are further east, including the communities of Mount Desert and Bar Harbor as well as Acadia National Park. Within the latter is the Cadillac Mountain area, likely representative of the highest point in Acadia as well as throughout the entirety of Mount Desert Island.

Within the village area representing Mount Desert are the Somesville Museum and Gardens as well as the Gallery at Somes Sound. However, the Town of Bar Harbor is the chief settlement of the entire island, located on the eastern end of the island and most notable as the “Gateway to Acadia [National Park].”

Within the Town of Bar Harbor, the College of the Atlantic is located on the western end of the town, containing the George B. Dorr Museum of Natural History internally hosted on campus. The Bar Harbor Welcome Sign and Historical Society areas alike are located further east, along West Street following the junction with Eden Street. The West Street Hotel, even further east, is a signature place to stay in the town and on the island as a whole, with Balance Rock further east and the Bar Harbor Ghost Tours and the Abbe Museum located further south.

Monhegan

Located near the mainland terminus of the most traditional private ferry route to the Plantation of Monhegan is the community of Port Clyde, as well as the Marshall Point Lighthouse and Museum area. While Monhegan is often described as a summer colony due to the seasonal influx of temporary residents, as well as as an art colony thanks to the island nature and surrounding scenic beauty that residents will be exposed to, three of the most notable attractions for visitors on the island include the Lupine Gallery, the Monhegan House, and the Fish House Fish Market. With the exception of the residents situated internally within the island, automobile access is throughout the entirety of the area, and such vehicles must remain on the mainland by Port Clyde and the surrounding area.

Hype for the Future 63Q: Town of Blue Hill, Maine

Overview

The Town of Blue Hill is located in Hancock County, Maine, on the mainland with relatively close proximity to Mount Desert Island to the east. Blue Hill is perhaps most notable within the State of Maine for containing the Blue Hill Fairgrounds, where the fair is always hosted around Labor Day weekend. Apart from the Blue Hill Fair, however, the Town is also notably located along Routes 15, 172, 175, 176, and 177, with the Farmhouse Inn located along Route 15 in the outlying area and the Blue Hill Inn and the Blue Hill Bay Gallery located within the central village area.

Hype for the Future 62SUN: Where is America’s First Sunrise?

Disclaimer

The following content will specifically refer to the Contiguous United States and will respect the International Date Line. While Guam is often cited as the place where “America’s Day Begins,” the island territory in the Pacific Ocean is actually west of the International Date Line into the new day and very distantly removed from the mainland of the United States of America.

Contiguous United States

At least three (3) locations have been identified as seeing the first CONUS sunrise of the new day, including Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park; Mars Hill in Aroostook County, Maine; and Siasconset, Nantucket, Massachusetts. While the curvature of Earth plays a large role in defining the sunrise times, hills, mountains, valleys, and other features can also obscure the sun. Therefore, Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park is typically the first sunrise between early in October and early in March, while around the equinoxes, the West Quoddy Head area may be considered. For the general spring and summer seasons, the earliest sunrise is typically associated with the Mars Hill area, though closer to the equinoxes, the appearance of the Sun may be blocked by hills in New Brunswick, Canada 🇨🇦. Also, in any case, the State of Maine remains in the Eastern Time Zone, while the entirety of the Province of New Brunswick belongs firmly within the Atlantic Time Zone.

Hype for the Future 62G: More on the Saint John Valley

Introduction

The Saint John Valley is located at the northern edge of the State of Maine and traversed by United States Route 1 in a relatively west-to-east direction, with Fort Kent at the northern terminus of the highway. Infrastructure is rarely maintained in excess of two lines, and the population of the region is quite minimal with respect to the populations elsewhere in the State.

Tante Blanche Museum

The Tante Blanche Museum is located in the eastern part of the Town of Madawaska in Aroostook County, Maine. The Acadian Landing Site is located adjacent to the museum, and the Acadian Cross Historic Shrine is located immediately overlooking the Saint John River opposite the Edmundston area of New Brunswick, Canada 🇨🇦. The museum site is named for Marguerite Blanche Thibodeau Cyr, respecting her heroic actions following the 1797 famine in the region.

Adjacent historical sites to the Tante Blanche Museum include the old schoolhouse area and the Fred Albert Museum from the history of François Albert Jr.

Musée Culturel du Mont-Carmel

Located in rural Grand Isle, Maine, along the Saint John River opposite the Province of New Brunswick, Musée Culturel du Mont-Carmel represents the Acadian heritage, so for visitors, Welcome to Acadia! Bienvenue à l’Acadie!

The former Roman Catholic Church hosting the Acadian heritage museum has officially been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since circa 1973 followed by the 1984 cessation of services from the Notre-Dame du Mont-Carmel. Apart from Acadian heritage sites, Québecois cultural traits can also be featured, perhaps quite surprisingly, at the museum site.

Hype for the Future 62F: Town of Van Buren, Maine

Introduction

Located in the Acadian Saint John Valley of Northern Maine and Aroostook County, the Town of Van Buren is most notable in tourism for the Acadian Village, a living history museum and tribute to the early Acadian settlers on both sides of the Saint John Valley.

Amenities

Like most of the Saint John Valley, the region in Northern Maine is largely residential, though the scenic and recreational elements are also relevant to the Francophone lifestyle and experience within the northernmost sections of the State. In the village area of Van Buren, however, are only the basic services for travelers including a motel and a few local shops, which are typically not accustomed to tourists, including Acadian tourism, as much as to Francophone tourism at times.

Hype for the Future 62E: Town of Madawaska, Maine

Introduction

The Town of Madawaska is located in Aroostook County, Maine, and is smaller than the Canadian City of Edmundston, Madawaska County, New Brunswick, on the opposite side of the Saint John River.

Acadian Heritage

Like much of Aroostook County, and especially the Saint John Valley, the Madawaska area is largely determined by the Acadians and their cultural influence and heritage throughout the region. Influence also comes from the United Empire Loyalists, many of whom had previously settled in Saint John, New Brunswick, or in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, during the Loyalist migration to British North America.

Heritage Sites

Though a mostly residential and small-scale commercial community without much in terms of business opportunities, the Town of Madawaska does not have much in terms of sites associated with heritage, unlike the Canadian city opposite the Saint John River. In Madawaska itself, the Inn of Acadia is a two-star hotel, and the Martin Acadian Homestead and Learning Center is located further west and also defines culture in the region.

Infrastructure

While the United States Customs 🛃 and Border Protection of the Department of Homeland Security maintain an official border crossing in the area between Madawaska and Edmundston, the only internal highway of the United States serving the Madawaska area is United States Route 1, serving west-to-east as a north-to-south route.

Hype for the Future 62D: Town of Fort Kent, Maine

Introduction

Fort Kent is a town located at the northern terminus of United States Highway 1 in Aroostook County, Maine, and is located in the Saint John Valley.

Infrastructure

Three main highways exist in the Fort Kent area. United States Route 1, largely descended from New England Route 1 in the region, exists to service the communities along the eastern border of Maine with New Brunswick before turning to finally parallel the Atlantic Ocean. Route 11 is a north-south state highway roughly following the central spine of the State of Maine, though the actual highway route is located somewhat further to the east. Route 161, which also cuts through Fort Kent, leads west toward Allagash and east toward Caribou by way of New Canada and dispersed Swedish settlements in the region. Though Route 11 is largely directed through remote rural areas of the Maine North Woods, the next community of any significance is the Town of Ashland, at the junction with eastbound Route 163.

University of Maine

Though not the main campus of the University of Maine (UMaine), which is located in Orono in Penobscot County, the Town of Fort Kent contains the University of Maine-Fort Kent, serving a disproportionately Francophone community in northern Maine opposite the Canadian Province of New Brunswick and relatively nearby to Edmundston, NB.

America’s First Mile

The phrase “America’s First Mile” refers to the northernmost mile of United States Route 1, as the highway enters the United States from Canada opposite the Saint John River, though the area on the Canadian side is actually more rural.

Historic Sites

While not much exists within the Town of Fort Kent—not even the traditional “college town” vibe nor the associated amenities—the Town is actually home to the Daigle-Dube House and the Fort Kent State Historic Site.