The Old Brick Schoolhouse

Two weeks ago, I heard a rumor that there was an early-nineteenth century schoolhouse in Aurora, Maine. With my camera, husband, and dog in tow, I went searching for that school. Half an hour and two wrong turns later- we found it. The schoolhouse is closed during the winter, but we were still able to get a few pictures of it and the surrounding blueberry fields.

Aurora is a small town, but there are apparently quite a few buildings on the endangered list. The schoolhouse was built in 1827 and is the oldest standing brick building in Hancock county. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Most buildings were made of wood at the time, however one of the town founders had been educated in brick-laying in Connecticut. It is an incredibly unusual building considering the time period it was constructed in and the material it is made of.

I think getting out of town is good for the soul and I was thankful for this little jaunt. Perhaps I will get a proper tour in the summer!

Bangor Bucket List

A local radio station recently posted a Bangor Bucket List and personally I did not care for it. It was one of those articles you could tell had been inspired by some local sponsors. I decided to create my own bucket list for the Bangor area. Enjoy!

1. Stalk Stephen King: Ok, don't literally stalk him, but do go take a peak at his house on Broadway! Whenever we have visitors we always make sure to drive by his super cool house.

2. Say hi to Paul Bunyan: If you drive down Main Street, you will not be able to miss the giant Paul Bunyan in front of the Cross Insurance Center. Go take a picture with this larger-than-life statue.

Image courtesy of wikipedia.com

3. Attend the American Folk Festival at least once: Bangor hosts the American Folk Festival the last weekend in August every year. Even if you are not a huge folk music fan, this is an event that takes over the city for a few days and is worth checking out.

4. Get your breakfast at Dysart's: It is the ultimate truck-stop diner. What more do you need to know?

Image courtesy of www.dysarts.com

5. Grab a bite of lunch with the Friar's: The friars of St. Elizabeth Monastery run a bake-shop in downtown Bangor full of huge, delicious portions. They do not have a website, but they do have a active Facebook page.

6. Say hello to the Duck of Justice: Bangor has a incredibly popular police department Facebook with the Duck of Justice as their mascot. They are known for having a great sense of humor and a huge number of followers. The Washington Post , the Huffington Post, even BuzzFeed have all commented on their popularity and success. Go say hi! This is one friendly bunch.

Image courtesy of the Bangor Daily News

What do you think? Would you add anything to this list? Did I miss anything quintessentially Bangor?