There are many interesting things to see and do around the hotel:

We’ve divided them into three groups:

• Greater Bangor Area (within 25 miles).
• Out of Town (within 50 miles).
• Day Trip items (better than 50 miles away, but well worth checking out).

Greater Bangor Area

Boating

Bangor Waterfront - The City of Bangor has been developing its waterfront and activities are always happening there. Of course, there are docks if you want to sail the Penobscot River.
Turtle Head Marina - This regional favorite can meet all your marina needs.

Education

• Bangor Theological Seminary (near downtown) - Founded in 1814, this ecumenical seminary is in the Congregational tradition of the United Church of Christ. Visit www.BTS.edu.
• Beal College - For over 111 years, the enigmatic Beal College is located just off I-395 on Main Street in Bangor. Visit www.BealCollege.com.
• Husson College - Renowned elite business school, and home of New England School of Broadcasting, Husson College is located between Broadway and Kenduskeag Avenue. Visit their site at www.Husson.edu.
• University of Maine - The University of Maine System spans the entire state, but the largest branch is the University of Maine at Orono. You’ll find the Maine Center for the Arts, the Alfond Arena (home of the nationally known Maine Black Bears hockey team), the Page Farm Museum (in the last original agricultural building on campus), the Hudson Museum of anthropology, and much more.

Visit www.UME.Maine.edu or: Page Farm Museum: www.UME.Maine.edu/~pfhm Hudson Museum: www.UMaine.edu/HudsonMuseum

Entertainment

• Bangor Municipal Golf Course - Both 9- and 18-hole courses available, an easy-to-walk (mostly flat) area. Golf Digest has rated the 18-hole course as one of the top 50 in the U.S., according to this site.
• Blackbeard’s Amusement Center - Right off the intersection of I-95 and I-395, you can play 36 holes of “the most challenging adventure golf in New England,” and this seems pretty darn accurate. If putting isn’t your thing, try the modern 10-cage batting facility or their Indy-style Go-Karts–they claim they’re the fastest on the East Coast, with a 1/4 mile, high-banked track. Visit them at www.BlackbeardsUSA.com.
• Hermon Mountain - If there’s snow on the ground, it’s skiing time at Hermon Mountain. There’s no need to travel for hours to find a good skiing spot; Hermon Mountain is right around the corner.
• Hollywood Slots Casino - Located on Main Street in Bangor just down the street from Bass Park and the Bangor Auditorium and Civic Center, here’s a full-featured slot machine casino for hours of fun.
• Bass Park: Auditorium/Civic Center, Bangor State Fair, and the Paul Bunyan Statue - With the huge statue of legendary logger Paul Bunyan towering before it with giant axe and pick, the historical Bangor Auditorium and more recent Civic Center is the hub of conventions and activity in Eastern and Central Maine. It’s also the site of the annual springtime Anah Temple Shrine Circus. - The annual Bangor State Fair is held on the premises; if you’re here in late July and early August, it’s a treat to enjoy! You’ll find midway rides and games, 4H and farm displays, live concerts, and even harness racing track and other things.
• Penobscot Theatre - Catch a play while you’re in town. Located on Main Street near the Joshua Chamberlain Bridge, you can visit them at PTC.MaineGuide.com.
• Penobscot High Stakes Bingo - Like Bingo? So do the Penobscot Indians, and they do a great job with it. Located on the Penobscot Indian Reservation near Old Town (known as Indian Island).
  Maynard F. Jordan Planetarium - Stargazing takes on a whole new meaning when you do it at a planetarium

Historical sites of Downtown Bangor

…such as the statue of Hannibal Hamlin (off Franklin and Central Streets), the spot where notorious mobster Al Brady and his gang were gunned down by Federal agents decades ago (on Central Street), and more.

• Thomas Hill Standpipe - Operated by the Bangor Water District, the 105+ year-old water tower once served all of Bangor. Today, it exists as an amazing monument. It’s halo-like ring of lights, at night, has been called “the diamonds in the crown of Bangor.” Once or twice a year, the Standpipe is opened for tours. If you’re not here for a tour day (check the Bangor Water District’s Standpipe page to see when), it’s worth a drive by (between Ohio and Union Streets, up Highland). If you can get up on top, the view is tremendous! (Interesting note: the Standpipe was featured prominently in Stephen King’s IT, as were many other Bangor landmarks [in the fictional town of Derry]; if you’ve read the book and know of the ultimate fate of the Standpipe, your visit may be all the more exciting.)
• Mount Hope Cemetery - Established in 1834 (the same year of Bangor’s incorporation), Mount Hope Cemetery is now roughly 264 acres in size. It is recognized as America’s second garden cemetery; like a park, it is visited regularly by the general public for educational and recreational purposes–as well as providing crematory, mausoleum, and related cemetery services. There’s nothing spooky here (in the daylight, anyway), and worth a walk through. (Note: it was the cemetery used in Stephen King’s Pet Sematary movie.) Visit www.MtHopeBGR.com.
• Korean War Memorial - Honoring all Maine service men and women who served in Korea, especially those who died there. The Memorial is located off Mt. Hope Avenue on the back side of Mount Hope Cemetery. Visit here for more information.

Museums

• Cole Land Transportation Museum - The Cole Museum seeks to collect, preserve, and display a cross section of Maine’s land transportation equipment before they disappear forever. They also seek to remember, record, and display U.S. military memorabilia to forever remind future generations of the high price our comrades have paid to protect our freedom. This is a must-see if you’re in the Greater Bangor Area. Visit www.ColeMuseum.com.
• Maine Discovery Museum - “Maine Discovery Museum is too much fun!” That’s the truth! Filled with seven major interactive exhibit areas on three floors, the museum is the largest children’s museum north of Boston. It’s located in the historic Freese’s building. Visit www.MaineDiscoveryMuseum.com.
• Hose #5 Museum - The City of Bangor’s firefighting museum on State Street, between downtown and Eastern Maine Medical Center. This building was, until recently, an active fire station serving Bangor, until the newest station was built on the Hogan Road.
• Leonard’s Mills Maine Forest and Logging Museum - Maine grew because of its forestry and logging, and in fact Bangor was once “the lumber capital of the world.” Not too long ago, when loggers would float thousands of logs down the Penobscot River to Bangor, it was said that one could walk across the entire river without getting wet. The Leonard’s Mills Maine Forest and Logging Museum in Orono seeks to preserve this wondrous history. Visit them at www.LeonardsMills.com.

Nature / Hiking / Biking

• Seasonal walking path on premises and 1 mile from nature trail
• Downtown Bangor: walking/biking trail paralleling the Kenduskeag Stream from Franklin Street to outer Valley Avenue
• Chick Hill in the Clifton/Eddington area, an excellent afternoon hike

Other Stuff

• Stephen King’s house (near downtown) - The one and only Stephen King lives in a beautifully restored mansion on West Broadway in Bangor, between Union and Hammond Streets. If you’re a fan–and even if you’re not–this is worth a drive by just to see the wrought iron gate complete with ornate bats and spiders. Pictures from the sidewalk are fine, but please respect the Kings’ privacy and don’t trespass. Stephen and Tabitha King have been a wonderful force in our community, from major donations to build the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Eastern Maine Medical Center to helping fund a baseball diamond to restoring libraries and beyond. Visit www.StephenKing.com to learn more about him.
• Cascade Park - By far the city’s most beautiful and popular park, Cascade Park features a lighted water fountain and a water fall that’s more than 20 feet high. The park, which overlooks the Penobscot River, also has a small gazebo, picnic tables, and short walking trails. There’s a long history here, and Bangorites half-jokingly say more weddings have been performed here than anywhere else. Probably not, but a lot of them do take place here.

Restaurants

We’re right next door to the famous Dysart’s Restaurant! - In the July 2002 issue of Esquire magazine, Dysart’s was rated #31 on “67 Things Worth a Detour,” and this is. The service is unmatched and the corned beef hash is absolutely legendary. Don’t let “truck stop” fool you; this is as much a family restaurant. Visit www.Dysarts.com.

Services

Bangor International Airport - This busy international airport is a class act; and, sometime in the 1980s, was almost the landing site for the space shuttle when all other options were out. There aren’t likely to be any space shuttles landing here, but Concordes are known to make stops. Visit www.FlyBangor.com.

Shopping

Downtown Bangor

- such as the renowned Grasshopper Shop, Peruvian Link, and more.

• The Bangor Mall - In the 1970s, outer Hogan Road by Stillwater Avenue was mostly cow pastures. K-Mart went up, and a few car dealerships, but even then the Downtown Bangor district, airport, and Broadway areas were where the businesses were. Then, in 1978, the Bangor Mall turned barely-used farmland into a commercial lightning rod. Stores, strip malls, and other businesses sprung up around it. Now, 25+ years later, the Mall boasts about 80 fine stores. Around it are 200 others! If you want to do some heavy-duty shopping in a variety of retail venues, head over here. You can get off I-95 at the Stillwater or Hogan Road exits. Visit www.BangorMall.com.
• Old Town Canoe - Old Town Canoe is legendary for the unmatched quality of their canoes, and they’re manufactured up in Old Town. Just a 15-minute drive up Route 2 (beyond Veazie and Orono, near the University of Maine), Old Town Canoe does business on Old Town’s Main Street.

Out of Town (26-50 miles)

• Penobscot Marine Museum - “Discover your maritime past at the Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport, Maine.” Visit www.PenobscotMarineMuseum.org.
• Fort Knox - This isn’t where the gold is kept, but is is the first Fort Knox. Originally built to protect the Penobscot River Valley from British naval invasion, particularly to keep them from sacking Bangor (then a very important port), Fort Knox never actually saw combat. The benefit to its construction is that we can enjoy it today. Tour the countless dark stone corridors, see where the barracks were, visit the jail cells, climb on the many historic cannons (and even in the big one, if you can fit!), or just enjoy the well-kept grounds (walking, picnicking, etc.). Visit www.FortKnox.MaineGuide.com.
• Acadia Zoo - Located on Route 3 in Trenton, between Ellsworth and Bar Harbor, the 15-acre Acadia Zoo exhibits 45 species of animals. There are Maine natives such as birds, porcupines, foxes, white-tailed deer, and of course moose. There are also exotic species not native to Maine, such as monkeys, gibbons, leopards, and reindeer.
• The Bar Harbor Oceanarium and Lobster Museum & Hatchery - Lobster is synonymous with Maine, and here you can learn all about them. And while you’re there, visit the harbor seal tank and other attractions at the Oceanarium. This is located off Route 3 and across the causeway.
• Acadia National Park - Originally started from land set aside by President Woodrow Wilson in 1913, today Acadia National Park is in the top 20 visited parks in the nation. It’s easy to see why. Whether you’re driving or climbing up Cadillac Mountain, walking or biking the famous Carriage Trails, visiting the awesome Thunderhole, sunning and swimming on Sand Beach, or picnicking on the beautiful grounds, the beauty of Acadia is something nobody visiting Maine should pass up. Visit www.Acadia.National-Park.com.

Acadia National Park named #2 Outdoor Destination by the TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice

• Bar Harbor - World-famous Bar Harbor is well-known as the perfect companion to Acadia National Park. On Mt. Desert Island and on the Atlantic Ocean, downtown Bar Harbor has something for everybody in the way of unique shops and Maine wares. The waterfront gives access to The Cat Ferry (which goes to Canada), the Bar Harbor Whale Watch (a must-do event if you’re in Bar Harbor, especially if you’ve never seen a whale before), and more. Visit www.BarHarborInfo.com.
• Wendell Gilley Museum of Bird Carving - Founded in 1981, the Wendell Gilley Museum of Bird Carving is the major showcase for the work of world-renowned bird carver Wendell Gilley, a Southwest Harbor native who was one of the two or three recognized pioneers of this indigenous American art form. For 50 years before the Museum opened in 1981, Wendell Gilley carved in his home garage-workshop, a few blocks away. There, Gilley developed a hobby into a profession and earned a reputation as one of the best bird carvers in America. He sold carvings, from miniature songbirds to life-size birds of prey to collectors from near and far and all walks of life. At the same time, Gilley’s wife built a collection of over 100 of her husband’s carvings. Gilley estimated that he carved over 10,000 birds, hundreds of species. When the Gilley home became crowded with eagles, chickadees, owls, ducks and other bird carvings and the steadily growing stream of visitors, became too much for the couple to handle, fellow carvers, friends and patrons took steps to establish the Wendell Gilley Museum. Visit this extraordinary site at www.WendellGilleyMuseum.org or, better yet, stop by and check it out.

Day Trip (51+ miles)

• Moosehead Lake Region - Taking Route 15 out of Bangor (it begins as Broadway), a few hours of pleasant driving will bring you truly into the Maine wilderness. The Moosehead Lake Region is replete with lakes and ponds as well as forests. Moosehead Lake gets its name from its distinctive moose-like shape when seen from the air.
• Baxter State Park - Former Maine Governor Baxter donated this beautiful expanse of land to the State of Maine for the enjoyment of its people and visitors. The hiking and nature trails are many here, but most notable is the eminent Mt. Katahdin. Katahdin marks the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, and at 5,267 feet, it is the first spot in the United States to receive sunlight in the morning. Only 13 feet short of one mile high, for years climbers have summitted Baxter Peak and added their contribution to a towering pile of rocks; eventually, it’s hoped that the pile will grow to hit that elusive one mile mark.
• White Water Rafting - If whitewater rafting is your thing, try the famous Allagash Wilderness Waterway.
• Roosevelt Campobello International Park - RCIP was formed in 1964 under a joint agreement by President Lyndon B. Johnson and Canadian Prime Minster Lester B. Pearson (who recognized the importance of FDR in the histories of both countries. Here you can visit the cottage and the grounds where Franklin Roosevelt vacationed, and the woods, bogs, and beaches where he tramped. Just offshore are the waters where he sailed and relaxed. This international park is an excellent stop on your trip. Visit www.FDR.net.