At 43 stories high and 437' above the Penobscot River, the Observatory is the
highest structure in Maine. Located on the west bank of the Penobscot River, access is through historic Fort Knox which it adjoins. It is the only bridge observatory in the Western hemisphere. The others are in Thailand, China, and Slovakia. Our friends who live in Maine point to this with great pride and we came to admire the engineering skill and artistic beauty of the structure.
The old Waldo-Hancock suspension bridge (on the left in the photo) was replaced by the new bridge in 2006.
After a fifty second ride on the
fastest elevator in Maine, (and they say Texans boast), we reached the observatory in the west tower near the top at 420'. We could see in all four directions for about 15 miles.
These are the same two bridges, and a view of the east tower.
At left are the shimmery waters of the Penobscot River. The very thick glass was quite clean and didn't obstruct our photo shoots. Such attention to pristine details was not uncommon everywhere we visited.
When I caught my first glimpse of the quaint town of Bucksport, I knew that I had to see it up close. I could make out several church spires in the distance and "tiny" boats in the water. The new bridge is almost a half mile long and affords easy access to the town. Later, while Don strolled along the shoreline, I stretched out on a park bench to enjoy the sun and sea breeze.
The population of Bucksport is just 3,000. It is halfway between Bar Harbor to the north and Camden to the south and bills itself as the "center of the known universe." It was all that and more for me that day. Bucksport holds a special place in my heart and memory.
We explored the grounds of Fort Knox, built in 1844. It was named for Major General Henry Knox, America's first Secretary of War. As a war history buff, Don was in his element here.
At 43 stories high and 437' above the Penobscot River, the Observatory is the highest structure in Maine. Located on the west bank of the Penobscot River, access is through historic Fort Knox which it adjoins. It is the only bridge observatory in the Western hemisphere. The others are in Thailand, China, and Slovakia. Our friends who live in Maine point to this with great pride and we came to admire the engineering skill and artistic beauty of the structure. 
The old Waldo-Hancock suspension bridge (on the left in the photo) was replaced by the new bridge in 2006. 
After a fifty second ride on the fastest elevator in Maine, (and they say Texans boast), we reached the observatory in the west tower near the top at 420'. We could see in all four directions for about 15 miles. 
These are the same two bridges, and a view of the east tower. 
At left are the shimmery waters of the Penobscot River. The very thick glass was quite clean and didn't obstruct our photo shoots. Such attention to pristine details was not uncommon everywhere we visited. 
When I caught my first glimpse of the quaint town of Bucksport, I knew that I had to see it up close. I could make out several church spires in the distance and "tiny" boats in the water. The new bridge is almost a half mile long and affords easy access to the town. Later, while Don strolled along the shoreline, I stretched out on a park bench to enjoy the sun and sea breeze. 
The population of Bucksport is just 3,000. It is halfway between Bar Harbor to the north and Camden to the south and bills itself as the "center of the known universe." It was all that and more for me that day. Bucksport holds a special place in my heart and memory.
We explored the grounds of Fort Knox, built in 1844. It was named for Major General Henry Knox, America's first Secretary of War. As a war history buff, Don was in his element here. 
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