We hit the road on Thursday late morning and headed off to Bangor. We opted to stay at the Bangor Holiday Inn on Oldin road. It was a nice hotel offering two pools, nice rooms and the restaurant made one heck of a Lobster Stew! The room rate was a little higher than I typically look for but it was a great place to stay.
We met a fellow riding a custom Harley Sportster on the morning we were leaving. He is one of the Maine Legion Riders and he and his wife were meeting some friends for a group ride. I guess Legion Riders from all over the state get together for a weekend ride each year. He told us his buddies would razz him if they found out they'd towed up and stayed at the hotel so we'll withold his name! He said he'll submit some of his favorite roads and rides from up there in the near future. I can't wait...
From Bangor, we headed up to Brownville Junction. Here's where one of the riding roads comes in to play. We took Route 16 from just north of Bangor (picked ti up off of 95 near Orono) up to Milo. This was roughly a 23-24 mile ride on some well maintained roads with through some beautiful country.
Once in Milo, we took Route 11 North towards Brownville Junction. If you like water, this is the place to be! There are a number of lakes in this area including Scootic Lake, Ebeemee Lake, West Pond, and many others. We've spent a great deal of time in this area over the years and would recommend it to anyone.
Route 11 also offers some amazing views and opportunities to see a great deal of wildlife. One road to wath out for is Route 7 which runs through DExter and Dover Foxcroft. This can be picked up in Milo. The views are amazing but it's not the best road we've been on. A little uneven and bumpy...
If you want to explore this region, and don't mind staying in a rustic cabin, you have to consider Dillon's Gunsmoke Lodge. It's a hunting lodge that's both affordable and beautiful. We chose to stay here on this trip and it worked out wonderfully. The lodge itself includes a great kitchen, large dining area, and bunks enough to sleep 8. It also has 4 showers and 3 commodes. There's also a cottage on the same property which has a double bed and more bunks. In addition, there's an in-law apartment upstaires from that. If you're planning a group ride, make sure to use this as your base of operations for a few days!
In time, we'll share some more riding roads in this area as we have a chance to map them out. Keep checking back for them!!!