Maine Minutiae : The Queen City

The Queen City

One thing different about living in New England compared to Texas is the size difference in the rivers between here and there. What we call a river back home, is called a stream up here. There are actual cities built along side the rivers - like Bangor, the third largest city in Maine. The first recorded history of Bangor dates to 1525 when Esteban Gomez of Portugal (himself a Captain on Magellan's round-the-world voyage) was commissoned by Spanish King Carlos V to find the Northwest Passage to the Orient. Bangor wasn't permanently settled by Europeans until the late 1760's as a fishing and fur trading post. Shortly after Maine became a state in 1820, the availability of huge quantities of lumber turned Bangor into one of the busiest ports on the East Coast. However, with the advent of steam powered and steel ships, sawmills and wooden ships were no longer needed in large numbers. Later, however, downtown Bangor became one of the first cities in the country to have a trolley system and the city was a retail haven for people in the area. 1911 was a tough year for the Queen City, as maineguide.com notes : "In spite of the Great Bangor Fire of 1911, which destroyed much of the downtown area, and several disastrous floods, Bangor remains the cultural center for Central and Eastern Maine.  Tourists enjoy visiting it’s many surviving historical sites, such as the early 19th century homes of  lumber barons of the past, the Isaac Farrar Mansion/Symphony House, the Bangor House, (once known as Bangor’s finest hotel) where crowds were addressed by such Presidents as Teddy Roosevelt and William Taft..." Bangor today is home to author Stephen King and also houses the Hollywood Slots Casino. (I don't know if Big Steve goes there or not...:) ). With a census count of approaching 32,000 in 2000 and large retailers and restaurants in town, Bangor has all the amenities of a big city with the pace of a small town. Plus it sits on the banks of the Penobscot River. Fish.Fear.Me. The Queen City - the Crown Jewel of Central and Eastern Maine.

Texas Tidbits : The Concho City

San Angelo

If you read more than one post on this blog, then you know that I am a trees and water kind of guy, like in East Texas. For some unknown reason, however, the rugged beauty of the desert has a bit of a mysterious hold on me. I can't explain it, other than to say it's a sort of sagebrush voodoo or something. Segue to San Angelo. San Angelo is one of those places where it's not quite desert and  it's not in the Piney Woods or Big Thicket, I could live there and be happy. It doesn't exactly hurt my feelings that there is a state park and O C Fischer Lake lies within the park and snuggles up right next to the San Angelo city limits. The city got its humble beginnings when after the Civil War, Fort Concho was established as an outpost to protect the flood of settlers heading west to find their fortunes. At one time Fort Concho was home to the Black Cavalry, which the local Native Americans called the "Buffalo Soldiers", earning great respect from the white soldiers they served with and, of course, the Indians. In those days, San Angelo was a trading center for settlers in the area, but as sanangelo.org states "The discovery of oil and gas, the influx of light manufacturing, the initial development of a communications center, the establishment and growth of Angelo State University, and the growth of the medical community provided diversification to a growing community. Today, this city of 90,000 is the trade and services hub of a 13 county area, supported by agriculture, manufacturing, education, business and health services, military, tourism, and retirement." Geographically, San Angelo is almost the bull's eye on the dartboard that is Texas and it ain't far from being a bull's eye on the dart board of places to live.

Plus One : Arkansas, The Natural State

I haven't done a Plus One in a while and for that I apologize. I was going over the list of states that have visited our little neck of the internet woods recently and noticed that we are blessed to have a few new readers in Arkansas. Therefore, I concluded that The Natural State would make a fine Plus One subject today. Something I learned today is the origin of the state's name. Here's Wikipedia : "The name "Arkansas" derives from the same root as the name for the state of Kansas. The Kansas tribe of Native Americans are closely associated with the Sioux tribes of the Great Plains. The word "Arkansas" itself is a French pronunciation ("Arcansas") of a Quapaw (a related "Kaw" tribe) word "akakaze" meaning "land of downriver people" or the Sioux word "Akakaze" meaning "people of the south wind"." Arkansas, formerly part of the Louisiana Purchase, was the 25th state to join the Union (June 15, 1836) and did so just as neighboring Texas a few weeks earlier gained its independence from Mexico. Arkansas has produced some of the most famous people in recent American history - in sports, Paul "Bear" Bryant, Lou Brock and Jerry Jones; entertainment, Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell and Floyd Cramer and in politics, William Jefferson Clinton. Arkansas is not called The Natural State for nothing. It's one of the most scenic states in the country. Need proof? How 'bout this? Or this. There's a slideshow right here that I offer as further evidence. Now that there is plum purty and 2.8 million Arkansans are very proud people..."people of the south wind".

Colorado Chronicles : Byron "Whizzer" White

Byron "Whizzer" White

One of the most prestigious and most respected men to come from Colorado (other than John Elway) in the last 100 years is Byron Raymond White. Born in Fort Collins June 8, 1917, Byron White's life journe would see him become a great athlete and, more importantly, an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, appointed by John Kennedy in 1962. White was a star halfback for the University of Colorado football team in the 1930's, where he was given the nickname "Whizzer" (a name that would stick with him for the rest of his life) for his on-field exploits. He also excelled in basketball and baseball while at CU. Beyond being a an exceptional athlete, White was an outstanding student, was elected Phi Beta Kappa and earned a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University, later returning to the USA "to make some money" playing pro football for the Detroit Lions. BookRags.com has more on Justice White. In 1993, after 31 on the Highest Court in the Land, White retired and returned to his beloved Colorado, going on to his Final Reward on April 15, 2002. Byron Raymond White - athlete, scholar, jurist, American and Son of Colorado.

Maine Minutiae : Jackman (Dang! Is This Place Beautiful!)

I was sitting here gathering information for this post and came across the photo to the left. I said to her, "Damn Maine is a purty place." There's so much I haven't seen in the four years I've been here, but since I am in the "process of retiring", I figure I might have a little time on my hands. Debuting in the Top 5 Places in Maine I Gotta Go Decimate the Fish Population is Jackman. I mean look at that picture! Does it not just scream, "Please come decimate my fish population!"? I have only been ice fishing once and that was in Colorado. In a few months, I'll double (and more!) that number in Jackman. Visitmaine.com (where you can order a free travel guide) tells us this : "Jackman is situated along the Old Canada Road Scenic Byway just before the U.S./Quebec border. This road is also known as the Arnold Trail because it traces Benedict Arnold’s route into Quebec during the American Revolution. The Attean View Rest Area, just south of Jackman, is a great place to stop for a picnic. From this vantage point, you have a clear view of Attean Lake and the network of ponds connected by the Moose River, with the western mountains as the backdrop." Fishin' not your cup of tea? How 'bout the exhilaration of white water rafting on the Kennebec, Penobscot or Dead River? Perhaps you'd like to experience Jackman in the winter time. You won't get cabin fever as you can still enjoy the wilderness of northwest Maine by snowshoeing, snowmobiling or even behind a team of sled dogs. Texas is home, make no mistake about it, but I can easily think of a lot worse places to be than The Pine Tree State. You know, this place is growing me. And I like it.

Texas Tidbits : Arlington

Home of Champions

Texas is chock full of cities that as little as forty years ago were big towns on the verge of becoming major cities - Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin and Arlington. Arlington? That sleepy little town that in the 1950's had just 8000 residents? That Arlington? Yup. That Arlington. That Arlington is now home to over 365,000 people and some of the most famous entertainment venues in the world - the new $1.2 billion sports palace that is Cowboys Stadium, the beautiful Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Six Flags Over Texas (extra credit if you can those six flags) and more. There is also the University of Texas at Arlington in the city. Go Mavs! The Official City of Arlington web site sums up nicely the history of tis little big city halfway between Dallas and Fort Worth : "Arlington’s history is complex, its identity evolving over more than 150 years. It has been a frontier outpost, an agricultural center, a site of Indian battles and a mecca for horse racing and gambling." Include on that list auto manufacturer. Government General Motors has a large assembly plant in Arlington (which was named for Arlington, VA, the hometown of Robert E. Lee). The history of the Big A (I just made that part up...Big A...hahahahaha) is really pretty cool, so you might give it a read. Oh! I can not end this post about Arlington without mentioning one of the most important figures in the annals of the city - Judge Tom Vandergriff, who was instrumental in bringing both Six Flags and Major League Baseball to Arlington. I'll do a separate post on the Judge one day. He's a great man responsible for much of the growth and prosperity we see in Arlington today. The only thing half-way about Arlington is its central location in the Metroplex, for truly it is a Major League city.

Colorado Chronicles : Hot Times in August

A Festival in the Hills

Colorado is where the 3rd most readers of Three States Plus One reside and I am grateful to both all of them. Even though it's only Monday, I wanted to give my Mom and 2nd Dad, Mark these folks a heads up on what will going on in the Centennial State for the rest of August. And away we goooooooooo...(in no particular order)

• 2010 Friday Night Comedy Series - Every Friday Night in August in Keystone.
• The 2010 Carbondale Wild West Rodeo - starts Thursday, Augusta 12.
• Mile High Music Festival - runs Saturday and Sunday (14th & 15th), featuring Weezer and the Steve Miller Band, in Commerce City at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
• A Taste of Colorado 2010 - this event is actually on Labor Day Weekend, but that's close enough to Augusta to mention this one - it's a biggie. In Denver at Civic Center Park, September 3 - 6.
• Tutankhamun : The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs - now through January 9, 2011 at the Denver Art Museum.

NFL Pre-Season Football - Denver Broncos host the Detroit Lions on August 21 at Invesco Field at Mile High..

That's a short list of some of the things going around the Rockies for August. There are, of course, a million other things to do this month in Colorado. To get more info on an area of the state you plan to visit, simply go to colorado.com and click away!