Created 31-Aug-10
Modified 24-Sep-18
Welcome to Day One of our 3 Part Honeymoon. Our intent was to begin by going to Bar Harbor, Maine and letting things "unfold" from there. Our plans changed abruptly when we turned off Rt #95 in Bangor to find that there were approximately 40 miles of traffic backed up all the way to Bar Harbor. So, after giving this some thought (about 10 seconds worth) we did a 180 Degree turn and went into Bangor for the night.
The next morning we headed north for Baxter Park, the home of Mt. Katahdin, our second choice for a honemoon. We had great memories of camping and hiking in Baxter Park and we looked forward to seeing how things have held up over the years. We weren't disappointed. Baxter Park has remained primitive by design. There is no electricity, no phones and only dirt roads for getting around. Overlooking it all is Mt. Katahdin, the highest mountain in Maine and one of the tallest in the east. Most people who have climbed it rate it #1 over all others for the challenge and the views...and we both agree. It is also the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail that starts in Georgia. For Bob, it is extra special because the view from the top includes the whole expanse of the Allagash Wilderness Watershed where he used to guide canoe trips. Of course, we also had to find "the bridge". The bridge is where Pam, as a little girl, saw a bear coming down the road. She immediately called out to warn her family only to hear her father ask her to go down to the creek and retrieve a can of bear that was cooling in the water. Turns out that Black Bears don't bother you if you don't bother them.
After checking out Baxter Park we followed the Golden Road, a logging road that cuts through the wilderness to Rippogenous (Rip) Dam a major installation that has been used to create electricity and move logs from the Lake above to the Pennobscott River below.
We ended up camping at the Allagash Gateway Campsite where we met a few real Maine Characters.
© Robert Peek Photography