A Month of Fun: Thursday, July 10
Down East Editors' picks for fun ways to celebrate every day this month.
Board Patience on the Penobscot, Bangor
These days, people don’t often associate the inland city of Bangor with the high seas. But back in the nineteenth century, the Queen City was one of the busiest ports on the East Coast, heavily involved in shipbuilding and commerce by virtue of being the lumber capital of the world. Trains and later highways eventually put an end to the grand age of sail, and the city, like most, turned its back on the water. But the mighty Penobscot still runs strong through Bangor, which despite its inland reputation is located only twenty miles (via the river) from Penobscot Bay. Revisit Bangor’s maritime history by boarding Patience for a one-hour cruise on the Penobscot with the Downeast Windjammer Cruises & Ferries company (it also offers numerous coastal cruises on Mount Desert Island). Patience was built in Stonington in 1982 as a replica of a late nineteenth-century steam ferry. You can catch the sights on the open-air, upper deck or in an enclosed area below. And you’ll even learn some additional history about the river and the city it cuts through, as most cruises are narrated. Check out the company’s Web site for up-to-date schedule information and inquire about its dinner and sunset cruises on Fridays. The cruise departs from a dock near the Sea Dog Brewing Company on the Bangor waterfront (dock number three). 207-941-0952. www.downeastwindjammer.com/BangorHarborCruises
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