N.E. Wanderer: January 2017

If you've ever seen the movie Back to the Future, when Marty McFly, played by Michael J. Fox, goes back in time to 1955, you will understand the feeling I get when I go to Aroostook County. It's as though someone stopped the clock some 60 years ago because they knew that life was simpler - so why complicate things? At that time people in Maine were realizing the American Dream with their well manicured lawns and participating in community events with their friends and neighbors. That's the feeling I get even today when I visit Aroostook County.

There's something comforting about driving the undulating highways through rolling farmland and past faded barns with weather vanes squeaking and swiveling, guided by nothing more than the gentle winds. It makes me want to pull off the side of the road, take a deep breath and embrace the stress free surrounding.

Aroostook, known by locals as simply "The County", is larger than the states of Rhode Island and Connecticut combined, but has only 1.5% of the population of those states. So while, there are 4.6 million people in Rhode Island and Connecticut, the population of Aroostook County is a mere 70,000. It is also one of the largest counties east of the Mississippi River.

County Superspuds Barn, Mars Hill, Maine

So what do people do with all that open space? For one, they plant potatoes and partake of other agrarian pursuits. They also hunt and fish in the expansive woods, Ride ATVs and snowmobile on thousands of miles of marked trails, and all the while they enjoy the company of their friends and neighbors. And if these same friends and neighbors run into hard times, they come together to help them out.

The County is one of those rare gems in the Eastern U.S. that frequently gets overlooked. It's not that there's nothing to do, it's just that the people there don't make a point of bringing it to the world's attention, except when the World Cup Biathlon comes to the region, as it has a several times in the past few years.

It seems that every time I leave The County and I'm driving home, a signal in my brain is tripped and I start thinking about a return visit. There's something more authentic about The County, and it's more than the fact that the national chain restaurants and stores haven't flooded The County as much as other parts of the state. Sure, there are a couple of pockets where you can get your Big Mac or Dunkin Munchkins, but for the most part, the places at which you shop and the restaurants in which you eat are typically owned by the people behind the counter serving you.

My last trip to Aroostook County was in October 2016 when I stayed at the Caribou Inn and Convention Center, with it's nicely kept rooms and one of the largest indoor pools I've seen in Maine.

I took a meandering scenic route home, driving first to Limestone where more than 10,000 military personnel once lived and worked. Loring Air Force Base closed in September 1994, and much of the 14,500-acre facility remains idle. Some businesses have moved in, but the hustle and bustle of the area has been quelled for the past 20+ years.

Watch that hook. You could end up in another country

View from Canada into the U.S.

View from the U.S. into Canada

Ten miles south of Limestone is a unique golf course that straddles the U.S.-Canadian border. Aroostook Valley County Club's claim to fame is that the course and club house are in Canada and the Pro Shop and parking is in the U.S. The first fairway is so close the the boarder, you could hook the ball right into the U.S. The clubhouse was built on the Canadian side in 1929. Some speculate that this was done because the U.S. was going through a little thing called Prohibition at that time. It was legal to drink in Canada, but the same couldn't be said for Maine. Probably not such a far-fetched story given that many golfers do enjoy a cocktail after a round.

Interesting that the only sign that the course is split between two countries is the polished steel border marker next to the parking lot with "Canada" on one side and "United States" on the other. And no, you don't need a passport to play the course (I asked the Pro). Although I didn't play it, from what I saw the course was beautiful. To top it off, as if to confirm the beauty two deer strolled gracefully across the fairway as two golfers were teeing off from the first tee.

The pace in Aroostook County seems more subdued and less hectic. I remember years ago when Bethany and I were returning from a few days at Red River Camps, a remote sporting camp in the State-owned Deboullie Reserve. We basically had seen about two cars in four days, so when we got back down to Newport, Maine and were backed up at a traffic light with four other cars at once, we felt like we were in a traffic jam. Read more about our Red River trip here.

Given the pace, and the agricultural heritage of the area, more Amish families are discovering The County. This is a good thing, because there is plenty of farmland, just perfect for their lifestyle, and there's an out migration of native-born younger folks looking for work outside of Maine.

Amish moving to Aroostook

Another sign that was rather unusual, but not necessarily a surprise, is related to a sport that has grown significantly in Aroostook - Cross Country Skiing.

Roller Ski sign south of Fort Fairfield

The catalyst for this was the establishment of the Maine Winter Sports Center (MWSC) which has since changed its name to Outdoor Sport Institute. It was founded by Andy Shepard in 1999 to help re-establish skiing as a lifestyle in Maine. The organization built world-class Nordic facilities in Fort Kent and Presque Isle, and drew four biathlon World Cups to Aroostook County. It also probably doesn't hurt that Aroostook has a tinge of Scandinavian heritage.

The population of Aroostook was heavily influenced in the late 1800s by an influx of Swedes who were recruited to the region to farm the land. The thinking at that time was that the Swedes were hard workers who were already accustom to the climate, so why not populate Maine's northernmost county with people who are already use to this kind of environment? It worked. Today, you can still get a taste of Swedish culture at the annual Midsommar Festival in New Sweden.

Another major attraction are the motorsports trails. With over a 1,000 miles of ATV trails and 2,300 miles of snowmobile trails, residents also spend a lot of time exploring the vast landscape in Aroostook. And this winter, they've received at least a couple feet of snow already, so the trail groomers are keeping busy maintaining the trails for locals and visitors alike.

I could go on because I only scratched the surface of things to do in Aroostook. I didn't even get to the Allagash Wilderness Waterway, which makes up the last 92 miles of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail; the Patten Lumbermen's Museum, Acadian Village in Van Buren and the beautiful night skies where the Aurora Borealis puts on a colorful show. I guess we'll just have to keep going back until we've seen it all.

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