Louise is amazing…thank God I’ve got her to be my tourist guide. For the last EIGHT YEARS she’s been doing an outstanding job and all I have to do is FOLLOW HER INSTRUCTIONS !!!! Well today is no different. She wanted to stop at The Penobscot (love that name…) Narrows and see the amazing bridge by the same name. The Penobscot Narrows Bridge and observatory is supposed to be the “Crown Jewel” of coastal Maine with its spectacular views, stunning design and unique and historic Fort Knox.
We enjoyed the ride up to the observation deck this morning. It didn’t take but a few seconds and we were at the 420 foot level or 42 stories above the river.
This turns out to be the “tallest OCCUPIED” structure in Maine. “As soon as the elevator stopped and opened the doors at the 42nd story, you had a full length window directly in front of you. It was a great stop for the morning and one that we highly recommend to all that head this way. Prior to getting to the bridge we stopped to explore the boardwalk
and village of Bucksport ( now I’m not saying this is a strange name but…). Bucksport is a really small community with a HUGE view to enchant you every time you come into town.
That view reminds you of the history of Fort Knox and Waldo-Hancock Bridge. Now talking about history, let’s explore a short version of the history of Fort Knox. First off, it never found it’s self-involved in a war or skirmish but was commissioned in 1825, just 13 years after the British seized control of the river.
Two years later the US government then recognized the importance of the Penobscot River and built this fort to secure and maintain the severance of this river and Bangor’s ship building industry. Fortunately there never was another run up the river by the British and the only shots that the fort made from their huge cannons
were shot in practice only. It’s design was “perfect” for such a place on the river so maybe that’s the reason the Brits decided to stay away. Now, it’s the perfect backdrop for the tallest observatory in the world and one of the most beautiful bridges we’ve ever had a chance to see and drive across. Fortunately we arrived when the fog was totally engulfing the river and the bridges.
I say “fortunately” because of the picture possibilities before me…I just hope that I did a decent job of capturing it. Sitting beside the “new” Penobscot Narrows Bridge we found a ghost… The Waldo-Hancock Bridge
was built in 1931 and one day found that it wasn’t doing what the populous needed. The total height of the Waldo was 135 feet and cost $850,000 at that time. Now the question is; what are they going to do with it??? When you see the two bridges side by side, either in the fog or in the sun, they present a great picture of now and then...
