What Bangor is known for

The Bangor Destination is situated in the southeast corner of the state of Maine, including a sizeable amount of coastline overlooking the Gulf of Maine. The namesake of the destination is the city of Bangor, which is north of Penobscot Bay. The city is home to just over 32,000 people as of 2019, with a majority of its citizens—almost 90%—being White (Non-Hispanic).[6] Other notable cities in the region include Ellsworth, Bar Harbor, Belfast, Old Town, and Baileyville. Generally speaking, the destination is dotted with ponds, lakes, and other small bodies of water. There are hills throughout much of the landscape, though they are not particularly large. The Acadia National Forest in the area's southern portion is one of the more notable geographic features nearby. 

Bangor is the most populated city in the destination and is home to a variety of attractions. One of the unique aspects of the town is the Paul Bunyan statue which is made of fiberglass and stands 31 feet tall. The figure is situated over Bangor's Main Street, representing the prominent role that Bangor has had on the lumber industry in the United States over the year. More specifically, in the relatively recent past, Bangor has been "the lumber capital of the nation." Apart from the fiberglass figure itself, Paul Bunyan is a city icon that is used in a few businesses and marketing developments.[4] Other attractions of the town include the Bangor Municipal Golf Course with its 27 holes, the Rolland F. Perry City Forest, and Cascade Park. The former of these two parks is comprised of over 680 acres of wildlife habitats and offers visitors around nine miles of hiking trails. The latter—Cascade Park—is described by Bangor's government as "perhaps one of Bangor's most popular parks." It features a gazebo, various walking trails, a water fountain, and a collection of picnic tables; however, the main feature of the park is its waterfall, which is just over 20 feet tall.[2]

Concerts and other events have become a developing appeal for the city, in part due to the venues that are able to host such attractions. The Bangor Waterfront, situated on the Penobscot River, has a pavilion that can accommodate 16,000 viewers, and the nearby Cross Insurance Center has 8,500 seats that can be used for concerts. The town's emphasis on the arts and history is further evidenced by the presence of the University of Maine Art Museum and the Maine Forest and Logging Museum, respectively.[4] Finally, one specific business that has helped to drive the economy of the region is the Hollywood Casino, which is a 131-million dollar casino complex. The establishment contains a gaming floor with over 1,000 slot machines, a seven-story hotel, a four-level parking garage, and an off-track betting center for harness racing that occurs from May to June of each year.[1]

Though the destination has a handful of attractions that bring in tourists each year, little data is present regarding the exact number of annual visitors to Bangor. Based on weather, however, it is reported that the best time of the year to visit the area is from late June to early September when the temperatures are highest.[3] 

Geography

Located in the northeast tip of the United States of America, Maine is known for having warm summers and freezing winters with high levels of snow. The Bangor Destination follows the same patterns as the rest of the state, seeing average temperatures that range from 10 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit over the course of a year. It is rarely warmer than 88 degrees, even in the middle of summer, though in the winter, temperatures have been known to drop below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Because the cold temperatures in the area are more extreme than the warmer ones, the best time to visit Maine with regard to temperate weather is usually between June and September of each year.[3]

On most days, there is an average chance of about 50% for there to be noticeable cloud cover, ranging from "partly cloudy" to "overcast." Rainfall is also a common occurrence for the Bangor Destination, though typically, only a few inches worth of rain falls each month. Snow, on the other hand, falls in greater abundance during the winter, with average amounts of 12 inches for December and February, 14 inches in January, and 9 inches in March. It should be noted that these averages can vary drastically depending on the year.[3]

The Bangor Destination is primarily full of greenery and small bodies of water such as lakes and ponds. With few large cities, the area is dominated by wildlife in the form of flora, fauna, forests, and ocean bays. Acadia National Park, in particular, is a defining geographical feature of the region, and it rests on an outcropping of land that extends into the Gulf of Maine. The national park receives around 3.5 million visitors each year, making it one of the top ten most-visited national parks in the United States. The park features approximately 158 miles of hiking trails, 45 miles of carriage roads, and a fare-free "Island Explorer" shuttle. This shuttle acts as a method of experiencing the national park without the need to bring a car or other vehicle, though it is only available from late June to early October. For those who desire to arrive with their own vehicle, there is a requirement of the national park to make a reservation for vehicles between late May and mid-October. This is a process that cannot be completed at the park; it must be completed prior to arrival.[5]

There are a number of plants and animals that are indigenous to the area. Bangor is home to skunk cabbage, ostrich fern, painted trillium, common dandelion, yellow bedstraw, and the Oxeye daisy, to name a few.[7] Some of the region's native animals include snowshoe hares, white-tailed deer, black bears, porcupines, and beavers. Mallards and barred owls comprise some of the destination's population of fowl.[8]

History

The township of Bangor, which in turn is the namesake for the Bangor Destination, was first incorporated in 1791. The name "Bangor" is rumored to have been derived from an Irish hymn of the same name, which was one of the favorite songs of the pastor Seth Noble. Seth was a notable figure in the town's history, given that he was involved in the initial process of formulating a name for the city. Though the origins of the name "Bangor" are disputed by varying sources, one thing that is more universally accepted is the fact that the original name that was being considered for the town was Sunbury.[1]

Before the area achieved its formal incorporation into the United States, the economy was heavily driven by fishing and fur trading. These activities, among others, drew in some of the earliest European settlers to Maine. In 1759, much of the eastern portions of Maine (including much of the area of the current-day Bangor Destination) became a province of Massachusetts, which was a more formally-established state at that time. It wasn't until Maine became an independent state of its own in 1820 that the land would be transitioned out of Massachusetts' possession.[2]

By the 1850s, Bangor was considered the "lumber capital of the world" due to the large quantities of trees present in nearby forests and the naval stores, both of which brought wealth to the region in ways that it had never experienced before. Bangor became one of the busiest ports on the East Coast during that time, involving itself heavily in shipbuilding and other forms of commerce. When the country began to transition away from wood as the primary material in shipbuilding to other things such as steel, Bangor's lumber production saw an adaptation to a focus on pulp and paper, which continues to be one of the most important uses for the forest industry today.[2]

The city's focus on lumber production became a symbol for the area that has lasted into the modern age. This is emphasized most prominently by the 31-foot tall fiberglass statue of Paul Bunyan that is featured on Bangor's Main Street. Additionally, full accounts of the lumber industry's history and effect on Bangor can be found in the Maine Forest and Logging Museum.[4]