kowen16

Hi All!

My fiance and I are major Stephen King fans and are planning a trip to Bangor, Maine to do the SKTours in April 2017. We really don't get to do much traveling so we have decided to drive there so that we can experience places on the way there and/or the way back. We know it's a crazy long drive but we've driven to NYC a few times.

What is there to do on the trip up there and the trip back? Also, what is there to do in and around Bangor, Maine?

Thanks in advance for any advice and suggestions!

Gretchen

I think it will be a nice drive. You sort of need to line out for us what the tour involves, how long, when you'd have to be there and how much time overall you have.

dfrostnh

The bad news is the Cole Transportation Museum in Bangor won't be open until May 1.

How many days do you plan just to get to Bangor?

Do you have another interest such as visiting micro breweries?

Ackislander

Yes, how long have you got for the drive in each direction?

What do you like to do?

It will be very chilly in Maine, chilly in Massachusetts, pretty cool through the mid-Atlantic states, so not really beach weather anywhere. So that's out.

The Boston Marathon is always April 16, if that works.

But, for example, here are some military sites on the way up:

Harpers Ferry, Gettysburg, West Point, Colt Collection at the Museum of Connecticut History, Springfield Armory National Historic Site, the armor collection at the Worcester art museum, the Museum of WW II in Natick, MA.

Art museums or foodie sites are just as easy. What do you like?

Gretchen

I am a BIG fan of getting a map (you can print it these days) and sticking pins in it for things I'd like to see along a route.
I think Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water might be a candidate--but that is just an idea for something you might like to search for.
Lots to see up New England way--historic towns, etc.

By planning some things you may maximize your trip by driving a longer distance than usual one day to spend some time at a place the next day.

Don't forget to leave time to enjoy the cuisine.

emalloy

The OP needs to come back and answer some questions. A trip to Spartanburg or Columbia would involve a very different route/sites/stops than one to Myrtle beach etc.

emalloy

Posted on the wrong thread.

Ackislander

But the idea was right

kowen16

I'm sorry, I don't get the chance to get on the computer during the day to check forums or I would have answered these questions sooner.

I didn't give many specifics because we don't have specifics yet. I was hoping to hear some ideas for things to do, places to visit, and then plan the trip accordingly.

I teach at a year round school and we have most of April off. My fiancé is flexible as well for the amount of time he can take off, so I just wanted to see what there is and plan the drive up there/back based on how much time we would need to do those things. We may even push the trip to the end of September next year because we might need to put money aside for the honeymoon in April, now that I think more about it.

The SK tour is just one day out of the whole trip and a 1/2 day at that, so I didn't really think that was important to include.

Thanks for your suggestions so far!

kowen16

We like museums and historical sites. I am also a children's literature specialist and enjoy visiting the homes or important sites of influential authors. I haven't done any research in to if any such places might be on the route but if you should happen to know of any, please share!

emalloy

This site has a list of author's homes, many of which you could work into your trip. The only one of these I've visited since I was a kid is the Mark Twain Home in Hartford, CT where he wrote many of his most well known books. The Harriet Beecher Stow house is nearby and that has tours also.

http://americanwritersmuseum.org/affiliates/

dfrostnh

Concord MA/Lexington would be an interesting visit for Louisa May Alcott and I would also add Fruitlands in nearby Harvard MA as a follow up. Great list, emalloy.

Portsmouth NH is a major historical area and convenient to I95.

kowen16

Thanks so much! I would love to see those places.

Ackislander

Portsmouth, NH, is also a major craft brew center with a significant number of brewpubs. You might have to hit it going and coming to do it justice.