Senior Beat
by Carol Higgins Taylor
Special to The Weekly
John and Marisue Pickering are explorers at heart. After moving to Maine in 1963, they wanted to know more about the state that would be their new home so the adventuresome couple set about making day trips to historical, cultural, natural and unusual places. Their thirst for knowledge has turned into a fascinating book, “Maine Beyond the Usual.“
For decades, the now retired University of Maine professors, plotted their trips, always with an eye to distance.
“We always started by figuring how long it would take to get there from Orono,” said John, an amateur photographer who preserved the memories of their travels on film.
“Before children, and even after children, whenever we had a day off, we’d go explore,” said Marisue. She is a self-described compulsive reader, examining every plaque on every statue in her path, and taking notes while John shot photos.
When the couple moved into Dirigo Pines Retirement Community, Orono, they had the opportunity to publish these short essays and photos under Pickering’s Picks in the facility’s newsletter.
The collection of essays and photos was intended just for family in the beginning, but the Pickering’s took an adult education class on self-publishing and a few short years later, “Maine Beyond the Usual” was a reality.
“One thing that surprised me is how many places we visited are on the National Register,” said Marisue. “It really shows how the local people really care enough to work with the state and the National Register to make that happen.”
The book comprises 50 locations, each with a stunning photograph and a short description. It’s for people who love Maine, either natives or visitors, and who want to learn about some unique places, that are truly “beyond the usual” such as parks, churches, bridges, sculptures, museums and much more.
“One of the things that touched me was all the Civil War memorials we found,” said Marisue. “Maine has made an effort to honor Civil War veterans.”
Also interesting are covered bridges, such as the one in Corinth. The Robyville Covered Bridge is one of only nine in the state. It was built in the 1870s and was reinforced with steel beams in the 1980s. It is still traveled by car today.
If you love big, beautiful trees, a trip to Madison in in order. There you will find The Pines which at first seems simply to be a park. Upon further investigation, the Pickerings discovered signage noting that this is “a National Historic Landmark, part of the Norridgewock Archaeological District and an ancestral home of the Abenaki people.” It is also the site of a 1724 horrific massacre by the English of the Abenakis people. The extraordinarily tall pine trees are breathtaking but also eerie.
If old cemeteries are your pleasure, head to Waldoboro to see the German Protestant Cemetery. According to the book, immigrants from Germany’s Rhine Region were recruited by General Samuel Waldo to settle the area in 1742. Sadly, many succumbed to the environment. The photo of the cemetery is both beautiful and haunting.
Ever heard of the Gomez Memorial? It honors “Estevan Gomez, a 16th-century Portuguese navigator and cartographer believed to be the first European to visit what is now Bangor,” according to the book.
As we head into the winter season, this is the kind of book you can enjoy while sipping a cup of tea, dreaming of summer and making a plan to visit some of these wondrous locations.
This is also the perfect holiday gift. “Maine Beyond the Usual” is available at BookMarcs in Bangor, the University of Maine bookstore, and.mainebeyondtheusual.com and amazon.com.
This book will make you fall in love with Maine all over again.
Carol Higgins Taylor is an advocate for seniors and owns a public relations firm in
Bangor. Email her at 4chtaylor@gmail.com.