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Friday, September 28, 2012

Fright at the Fort is a True Halloween Thriller



© Copyright Gail J. VanWart All Rights Reserved
Fort Knox in Prospect from the Bucksport, Maine

Not many people in America enjoy such a grand fortification as a community focal point as the residents of Bucksport, Maine. Their view of Fort Knox in Prospect is a scene to behold. The fort, named after Major General Henry Knox, America's first Secretary of War, was established in 1844 in preparation of a British battle on the Penobscot River, which never materialized. It now stands proudly as Maine’s most visited historic sight. 

Courtesy of Friends of Fort Knox
Three Witches - Photo by Kate England
 Courtesy of Friends of Fort Knox 
As serene as it looks most of the year, during October, Fort Knox becomes perhaps the largest spook house in the state of Maine, maybe even on the entire East Coast. Who knows? What I do know is, it’s a somewhat spooky, giant window into the past. You can look beyond its granite and brick construction and into the very spirits of those who once lived in its dark and chilly confines. Many visitors have claimed to have seen and heard remnants of another era who are still clinging to the fortification to this very day in their afterlives. Don’t just take my word for it, do an Internet search. You’ll discover plenty of reports of pretty believable evidence from paranormal experts of ghostly footsteps and spectral apparitions of the soldiers who were once encamped there.

Courtesy of Friends of Fort Knox
Photo Courtesy of Friends of Fort Knox 
If you’ve never done so, imagine visiting Fort Knox for a planned haunted event. I’m sure hair will rise up on the back of many necks there this year, as it executes its 13th annual Fright at the Fort event. Friends of Fort Knox, the non-profit, historic preservation organization that oversees and plans fort activities, reported 9,200 people attended their 2011 Fright at the Fort and, since they’ve doubled their efforts, expect an even larger crowd this season. When you add to those previously mentioned spirits, still clinging to the fortification in their afterlives, some concocted—yet thoroughly convincing—demons, ghouls, zombies and witches, you can’t help but have a frightfully perfect Halloween thriller. Exactly what Friends of Fort Knox strives for!

Courtesy of Friends of Fort Knox
Waldo - Photo by Jamie Pellerin
Courtesy of Friends of Fort Knox 
The four opportunities to experience Fright at the Fort this year are on October 19, 20, 26 and 27, from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m.  Plan to arrive before 8:30 p.m. to allow enough time to be properly frightened.

Other upcoming October 2012 events at Fort Knox are ghost tours scheduled on October 6 and 13, and a special Belfast Maskers theatrical production—a positively terrifying retelling of Robert Lewis Stevenson’s Jekyll and Hyde—dramatically staged on the fort’s parade grounds October 12 and 13.
©Copyright 2012 Gail J. VanWart All RightsReserved
Ghost hunting can be fun at Fort Knox any time of year.


Photo Courtesy of Friends of Fort Knox
Click picture to view larger poster.

For more information about Fort Knox in Prospect, Maine, visit www.fortknox.maineguide.com and for advance event tickets, call 207-469-6553.



















© Copyright 2012 Gail J. VanWart  All Rights Reserved


Gail J. VanWart is a regular contributor to theSCENE,
a publication of Courier Publications LLC in Rockland, Maine





Monday, September 24, 2012

Acadia National Park; It's a Nice Ride


© Copyright Gail J. VanWart 2012 All Rights Reserved
Blae enjoys the view along the Park Loop

Yes, Acadia National Park is a nice ride. Of the 58 National Parks in the United States, Maine is home to a real beauty, Acadia National Park. It’s not only the first U.S. National Park east of the Mississippi River, many of its 120 miles of historic hiking trails where originally established as long ago as the late 1800s.  Plus, the park’s carriage road system and stone-faced bridges make park exploration pleasantly accessible while blending nicely with the natural environment. 
© Copyright Gail J. VanWart 2012 All Rights Reserved

© Copyright Gail J. VanWart 2012 All Rights Reserved

© Copyright Gail J. VanWart 2012 All Rights Reserved

© Copyright Gail J. VanWart 2012 All Rights Reserved
Do you see the deer? 
© Copyright Gail J. VanWart 2012 All Rights Reserved



From the Atlantic Ocean’s edge to Cadillac Mountain’s 1,530 foot summit, foliage at Acadia National Park is just starting to take on shades of yellow and red from autumn’s color pallet; early hints of the colorful scene to come. When wild Asters start to bloom and red Rose Hips replace Rose buds, the weather this time of year in Maine is perfect for taking a dog for a ride. So, Blae jumped into the back seat of the car and we headed for Acadia National Park where we enjoyed a relaxing journey on the Park Loop and up Cadillac Mountain, making plenty of stops along the way. Then we traveled over to Schoodic Point for a different perspective.

© Copyright Gail J. VanWart 2012 All Rights Reserved
Schoodic Point

© Copyright Gail J. VanWart 2012 All Rights Reserved
Blae, September  2012

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Ken Burns called our National Parks, “America’s Best Idea” in his 2009 six-part documentary for PBS, Blae and I think he was right. Certainly, Acadia National Park is a place where you can truly discover history and explore the nature of our American heritage. If you are interested in supporting America’s best idea, you can do that, too. Visit America's Best Idea Today.

Did you knowU.S. citizens over the age of 62, can claim a lifetime pass to all 58 National Parks for a one time fee of $10. FMI :



By Gail J. VanWart © Copyright, 2012 All Rights Reserved
© Copyright Gail J. VanWart 2012 All Rights Reserved
Blae






Gail J. VanWart is a regular contributor to theSCENE
a publication of Courier Publications LLC in Rockland, Maine


Saturday, September 8, 2012

Maine’s Fourth Annual Lighthouse Day


©Copyright Gail J. VanWart 2011, All rights Reserved

Sometimes referred to as North America’s castles, our lighthouses in the United States have, over the years, provided us with more than signals warning of impending danger along our coastlines. Each lighthouse serves as a little beacon of history and projects insights from the experiences of past “keepers” and their families we can learn from today. Much of our coastal history could have long been forgotten if it had not been recorded in a lighthouse keeper’s log.

© Copyright Gail J. VanWart 2011 All Rights ReservedIn Maine alone, more than sixty unique beacons of history dot the rocky Atlantic coastline, both on and off shore. Wherever you happen to be along the Maine coast, there will be a lighthouse somewhere nearby. If you want to take a closer look at one, inside and out, mark September 15th on your calendar. More than 15,000 people visited Maine’s twenty-four open light stations during their 2011 open lighthouse event, which proved to be the largest effort of its kind in the nation with 4,100 people climbing up into the towers to experience first hand a lighthouse keeper’s view. I’m very happy to say, in spite of my fear of heights,  I was one of them.

© Copyright Gail J. VanWart 2011 All Rights ReservedMy light of choice last year was Owl's Head, land based and southeast of Rockland (and pictured in this post). I’ve always enjoyed the pleasant walk in to the light and I adore the legends surrounding this station, especially tales of “Spot the Lighthouse Dog” whose final resting place is on the lighthouse grounds near the fog bell which brought him fame. And, I can’t help but love its legendary, and probably, downright, fibs. They, too, are charming in their own way and may contain a speck or two of truth. The biggest of such "fibs" I’ve heard is the tale of lighthouse keeper William Masters and his heroic rescue of Richard Ingraham and Lydia Dyerin in December of 1850. Both Ingraham and Dyerin were reportedly frozen alive into blocks of ice on the deck of their vessel during in a winter storm. Masters supposedly took them ashore and thawed them back to life in his kitchen. (If you believe that, I have a lighthouse for sale in Baxter State Park you can make an offer on.)
© Copyright Gail J. VanWart 2011 All Rights Reserved© Copyright Gail J. VanWart 2011 All Rights ReservedThe Owl’s Head light tower, itself, is an easy climb as it is only 30 feet tall. However, it stands on top of a rock formation nearly 70 feet in height that provides a 100-foot focal plane for the tower’s Fresnel lens. You’ll find interesting historic facts and trivia on display in a kiosk, thanks to former lighthouse keeper, David Bennett, who generously constructed it for the entrance to the grounds. You’ll also be pleased with the beautiful picnic area and ample parking.

Many other Maine mid-coast light stations will be participating in the Open Lighthouse event and I myself, plan to take in several for a full day of lighthouse activity.

© Copyright Gail J. VanWart 2011 All Rights Reserved


For more detailed information, maps, and tour guides for Maine’s Lighthouses and Open Lighthouse Day visit these links:


The U.S. Coast Guard, the State of Maine and the American Lighthouse Foundation will present the fourth annual Maine Open Lighthouse Day, September 15, 2012, rain or shine. Most of the lighthouses participating will be open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.



© Copyright Gail J. VanWart 2011 All Rights Reserved
Blae hopes you'll pay your respects to Spot
while visiting Owl's Head Light.

© Copyright Gail J. VanWart 2011 All Rights Reserved
One story on display in the kiosk is how
Owl's Head got its name. 

Gail J. VanWart is a regular contributor to 
theSCENE, a publication of Courier Publications LLC in Rockland, Maine  https://www.facebook.com/theSCENE1

© Copyright 2012 Gail J. VanWart   All Rights Reserved