15 Aug - At Presque Isle (Revised)

15 Aug (Revised - Internet from the arcade building so will add a few pix)

We arrived at Arndts Aroostook River Campground at Presque Isle Maine Monday about 1pm.  The trip was about 159 miles and it took us a little over four hours.  We stopped for fuel once and stopped to view Mount Katahdin which is located in Baxter State Park.  Mount Katahdin is just shy of a mile high.  The start of the Appalachian Trail is in the park.  We intend to visit the park later this week, weather permitting.

Clouds cover the top of Mount Katahdin

Taken from a scenic pull-off from I-95

We got checked in to the campground and the RV set up without issues.  Our camp site is close to another RV, on the left or "opposite door side", but we don't do anything there so no big deal.  There is no one on our "door side" which makes it nice.  Full hookup again which sure makes it nice, but 30 amp electric rather than 50 amp.  All that means is we cannot use the rear air conditioner.  Ther way it looks right now, we surely won't need it LOL!  The sites are very nice but again, grass - no gravel or pavement.  That's fine when it is dry, and the dog loves it, but when it rains it can be a mess.  We had a little drizzle today while setting up and you can tell they got an inch or two a few days ago.  We have more forecast for Wednesday night and Thursday, so things could get a bit messy.

So after setting up we could not wait to head out and have a look at our previous residences.  Just to be on the safe side we used the GPS, but I am confident I could have found all three.

We did this in reverse order from when we lived there.  First stop was the last place we lived, 12 Twilight Drive Presque Isle ME.  This was base housing for Presque Isle Air Force Base originally, then when it closed Loring took it over.  We were really lucky to get it.  We only lived there about a year and then I got a three month early out to come back to Iowa for a job.  Other than some new siding, they look just like they did in 1976-1977.

This was 12 Twilight Drive.  The tree was not there when we were.  A duplex with two bedrooms, living room kitchen and bathroom  upstairs.  Unfinished but dry and usable basement downstairs.  That's where I set up my workshop to repair TV's and electronics equipment.

This is the other side of the duplex with a better view of the windows.

After that we drove around the area a bit and then headed to Caribou, about 15 miles north.  Before 12 Twilight Drive we lived in an upstairs apartment at 7 Myrtle Street in Caribou.  This is where we lived when Michelle was born.  Fonzi, our sheepdog also lived there!  Again, except for a little cosmetic work, it looks just like it did in 1975-1976

The window above the side entrance was our kitchen.  The window further back was our living room.  The bedroom and bathroom windows are hidden behind.

A view from the street.  

Just a few blocks from here is the first place we stayed, 18 School Street.  BUT, it is not called School Street anymore.  They tore the school down and built a nice fire station.  Since it is a fire station, I guess that is OK!!

A view from the front.  There were four apartments in there, if you can believe it!  The front lower, two upstairs, and the rear lower where we lived.  It was TINY.

Side view.  The driveway was ours to use but the garage was too small for a vehicle.

A little closer view.  The lower porch is where you would enter ours

Well, that was nostalgic!  So we cruised around town a bit and found the restaurant Doreen used to work.  The car dealership building where we bought our first car is still there but it is not a car dealer any more.  You guys don't care about all those details but it is sure interesting to Doreen and I since we were 18 years old and just getting started!

We drove around a bit more then headed back to the campground.  Doreen says I must have drugged her up and locker her in the basement as she cannot remember much at all about the towns.  I remember it like it was yesterday!

Tomorrow we plan to head up to Fort Kent and then swing east and south through Madawaska, Van Buren, Limestone, a lucch stop at the Rendezvous pizza place and then back tot he RV.  Doreen is hopeful she sees a moose, from a distance of course!