July 16 - Caribou: the Most Northeastern City in America

What a treat to be in Maine! Today I went to Caribou to hit the second corner in my “Four Corners” summer trip. I headed north from Portland, Maine this morning on highway 95 and then took highway 1 from there. It was wonderful to reach such an important landmark just 16 days into my summer trip, allowing me time now to spend a few extra days exploring the northeast. I am staying the night in a small town called Saint Albans not too far from Bangor, Maine at the home of a generous Bunk a Biker host.

The trip north was very restful and pleasant as the upper part of Maine has less traffic and is much less populated than southern Maine. It was very relaxing and peaceful to drive along through first forests and then farmland on my way to the most northeastern city in the US. I saw many roadside stands for new potatoes and numerous picturesque farmhouses and barns with Gambrel style rooflines. Apparently this style of roof is popular in Maine because it is inexpensive to build and easy to remove snow from.

I stopped at a scenic overlook to admire the view of Mount Katahdin, the highest mountain in Maine with an elevation of over 5,000 feet. It had just rained so the air was especially clean and crisp. It was invigorating to see the nice panorama of this mountain and it various peaks. The tallest of these peaks, Baxter Peak, marks the northern end of the Appalachian Trail.

One of the interesting things I noticed is the varied names of cities, roads, and counties within Maine. Being from Oregon I am used to familiar names that are rather easy for me to spell and pronounce – names like “Oregon City” or “Sandy.” Here I saw signs for “Millinocket” and “Mattawamkeag.” I chucked thinking what it must be like for a kindergartener from one of these towns learning to write their address. It has been wonderful to be in such a different part of the country than what I am used to. I am glad that I have two more days here.