Millinocket

I again will be traveling my 3 weeks in Maine this year, one of my side trips last year was ';The County'; looking for a quiet place to someday settle. This year I will be checking out the Millinocket area. Their website is under construction so I wasn%26#39;t able to get much information, so I%26#39;m turning to my Maine ';friends'; to give me some of their opinons. The housing market seems very resonable compared to other Downeast areas. Since I know very little about the highlands

maybe some of you could help. Houlton was not what I expected last year and Eastport is a bit farther than I want to go even though it is a beautiful area. I will also be looking into Winter Harbor, Millbridge, and maybe Lubec. So hit me with the good and bad!!! I%26#39;m a retired nurse so I don%26#39;t need to worry about the job market. Thanks.

Millinocket

You can pick up a house for a song in Millinocket. So cheaply that the rumor is that some rich folks ';from away'; have been buying houses in Millinocket just to have somewhere to stay when they visit Baxter. I have a friend who bought a New England hipped roof home for under $40k. The same house in a good subdivision in southern Maine(Brunswick and south) would be at least $200k+.

You get what you pay for. Millinocket is a small mill town, and it%26#39;s very far away from the kind of things that make life easy for me (mainly retail %26amp; places to eat) and the gorgeous coastline. I can%26#39;t imagine living so far away from ';everything'; and the winter is long enough for me, I sure don%26#39;t want it to last any longer, but that%26#39;s who I am. Maybe you would like it.

I%26#39;d pick Winter Harbor over MIlbridge, Lubec or Millinocket. Winter Harbor is actually a sweet little town. But, any of the places you%26#39;ve mentioned are just too small for me. I got al excited when the Target opened in Topham. That just aint gonna happen in any of the towns you%26#39;ve mentioned.

Have fun. When you finally find your ';niche'; at least you%26#39;ll know that you%26#39;ve looked everywhere and made an informed decision. What are the leading contenders so far?

Millinocket

I have to agree with MicheleS. Millinocket is a depressed mill town. You%26#39;d probably end up going to Bangor for everything from medical needs to a decent meal.

I have a feeling that Lubec is about to be discovered. It could be a nice place to live if only there was a decent restaurant there. Lubec is surrounded by water. I%26#39;ll bet it wouldn%26#39;t be hard to get a house with a water view. It definitely has an end-of-the-road sort of feel, if you like that. There are some nice hiking trails near the light house. The tides are awesome. And there is all of Campobello Island just across the bridge.

Still, of the places you mention, I%26#39;d pick Winter Harbor. It has a nice view of the mountains of Acadia. It even has a decent restaurant! I also get the impression that there is a sense of community there.

Thanks ladies for your imput. I%26#39;ve been to a lot of Downeast and I do like the small villages. I%26#39;m not a ';rich'; person wanting to spend BIG BUCKS on a second home and I figure as long as I%26#39;m in Maine I%26#39;m close to the coast. I have been in Cincinnati area my whole life but always come to Maine. The traffic,people, and crime has become sooo bad I wouldn%26#39;t mind needing to drive to ';Target';. I found by visiting Swans Island every year you get what you need before you take that ferry ride!!! Isolation from the larger towns sounds good to me!!

I have 5 houses I have picked out to look at when I%26#39;m there. Millinocket is the farther of them. I%26#39;ve done research on Winter Harbor and it does seem like a sweet little village.

I will be spending part of the time in Rogue Bluffs at a rental house so everything will be very drivable. I%26#39;m looking forward to getting back to Maine.

TT- Vacationing right? As a nurse- you%26#39;d have an easy and competitive job market.

The BAD-

Yes. It is a Milltown (sometimes open one..) Yes. Those of us in other parts of Penobscot county always chuckle ';your from millinocket huh?... he he he';. To which the canned response is a knowing..';yeah yeah yeah';.

The bad. You can%26#39;t go through the check-in gate into Baxter with your dog. Ok, so maybe that%26#39;s only bad for me....

But I%26#39;d disagree with those warning you to stay away. If you went to Houlton and survived, you%26#39;ll love Millinocket!

Millinocket and the area around it is a bit of a gateway to the primitive, fun maine.

TT- If you are looking for a place to stay, try Big Moose Campground. (I know.. me and my campgrounds..). But they have full blown camps and cabins as well as the more traditional. They are outside of town on the way to Baxter. They sit directly between 2 lakes and on one of them. There are float plane activity with tours etc. And a small store. NC Rivers bases their West Branch Rafting out of there too.

I%26#39;m sure there are many others. Check out sporting camps etc. Great places to meet others too.

For Millinocket try 5 Lakes Lodge or Twin Pine Camps. Both very classy.

Have you looked at Machias? My friends who are looking to escape the metro Bangor area have purchased a waterview home there. Machias has UMaine Machias, so it%26#39;s a college town, and the downtown looks to be on the up and up. There is a bunch of gorgeous architecture. It has the best grocery story for miles around, but--sniff, sniff--no Target.

Speaking of college towns, on your way to Millinocket, duck thru Orono. That%26#39;s a sweet town where you can get to most of what you need without having to go through more than one or two red lights. Only four miles to the nearest Target. :)

Waterville, too, another nice college town and real estate prices there should be low by Maine standards.

BaxterMe, I know how well you like camping,etc from your posts!!! I don%26#39;t need a place to lodge, all that is taken care of. Last year on my way to Houlton and surrounding areas, we decided to stay at Mt. Chase Lodge in Shin Pond for 1 night. BIG MISTAKE!!! we felt like we were in a Stephen King novel. We waited for an hour for the owners to show, even though that morning they said we could check in at 1p.m. There was no one else staying in the cottages and it was very eerie. We left a note and stayed at Ivey%26#39;s in Houlton!!! That was about as much ';roughing'; it that I wanted!! I love the outdoors, I grew up on a farm. There isn%26#39;t anyplace in Ohio I want to be in. I love the beauty of every part of Maine I%26#39;ve been in the last 15 years. I will find my heart in the right town soon.

Hmmm. Was thinking about different towns for you TT- Don%26#39;t remember which you%26#39;ve tried so far.. but here%26#39;s a few that I%26#39;ve visited followed by a few I haven%26#39;t but are on the list to get to ...

Deer Isle/Stonington

Surry

Ellsworth

Bucksport/and surrounding harbors

Winterport/Searsport can be interesting

Lincolnville Beach

Northport or more specifically BAYSIDE!!!

WinterHabor really is special. Not sure everyone sees that though year round.

Inland....

Cumberland I love

Orono has inumerable outdoor %26amp; art entertainment opportunities as it is so close to Bangor and has the biggest University in it. If you find you like Orono (I work here) You should make time to visit when school is in as it is a completely different town vs when student are not here. (i don%26#39;t live in Orono, just work here, prices for Bangor Area will be in the high end for Orono compared to towns just north and across the river.

West Old Town

Oddly enough... I found solice in Wytopitlock and Orient. (I%26#39;ll deny if repeated)

I like the outskirts of Millinocket

Presque Isle is another special place that is an aquired taste.

Beach Hill and Chemo Pond (not really towns but... more areas.)But some year round homes

Pushaw Lake (accessed by any number of ';sides'; with each a different feel, and not far from Bangor ... Glenburn, Old Town, Hudson, Orono)

Holden is becomming a nice residential/rural area that is between MDI and Brewer/Bangor

Grand Lake area

On list my list to get to

Gouldsboro

Castine

Ashland

St.Froid lake

Allagash waterway

Vansboro (yes really)

St.Croix River

Cutler and area

many more ... but, tharr%26#39;some ideers ferya

Michele S. and any others: What do you think about the Blueberry F estival in Machias in August? Good, bad, or otherwise?? What will the weather, traffic and %26#39;squitoes be like that time of the month? Thank you :)

Have never attended the Blueberry festival, so can%26#39;t say.