Adventures for Anyone: My Latest Visit to the North Woods...Moosehead Lake Maine!

Once in a while, I take off for the north woods. I've been there most times of the year, during the lockdown and on and on. I've flown over, walked around, driven the backroads, watched cars race on the lake, taken the boat, gone kayaking, and been a tourist of many kinds in the area of Moosehead Lake, Maine.

There's something special about this place. The people are special, the local viewpoint of life is special, the view is special, and of course the moose are special. I first visited this lovely area, anchored by Greenville Junction, because I wanted to see a moose. It was that simple. Back in the early 2000's I went online and looked up where to see a moose in New England. I was frustrated at the time, because a lot of my friends were traveling Vermont, New Hampshire, and even Massachusetts; bringing home pictures they took of moose. I'd been all over and never seen one. I was ready for my first moose sighting.

When I asked where to see a moose in New England, what came up was Greenville, Maine. They reportedly had more moose than people. I had to see that, and I wanted to spot a moose.

I packed up my family to take what would only be our first trip to Greenville. I must say, there were more moose than people. We saw a lot of them. We learned a lot about them. I've now visited several times, and I learned where the majestic moose hangs out and when. Every time we went to Greenville, I got to see moose. I even went up during the lockdown, while following a lot of pandemic rules. That time we stayed in Kokadjo in a cabin and spent all of our time in the woods and on the ponds. We still saw moose.

I've had a bit of a hiatus since my last visit. Four years. But, when my friend asked if I would like to go there for a girls trip, I said of course! I was excited to share one of my favorite spots in the world with one of my favorite friends.

I've been so enthralled with the area over the years that I wrote a novel staged there. "Greenville, Dynasty of the North Woods" was a labor of love as I had a lot of fun staging an action thriller in a really quirky fun town. I had so much fun, and so did the readers, that I'm working on another novel. I needed a cover picture, and I knew exactly what I wanted, so there were a lot of reasons to visit this summer.

I intended to show my friend the town, Aunty M's Diner, the trading post, the crashed B-52, and of course the moose. It all made sense to me. I'd done this many times before. What could possibly go wrong?

Things eventually do change I guess. Greenville was still fun. Don't get me wrong. Things were just different. The Black Frog Restaurant had closed down, been refurbished and reopened as the Dockside. They also had a dock based bar and snack joint called Rowboat Joe's. Both were very good and we liked them very much.

Auntie M's was still there, but for some reason barely open and wasn't open at all during the days we visited. No banana bread French Toast for us. Bummer. Flatlander's was no longer open. The Stress Free Moose, Kelly's Landing and Woody's were as normal.

The trading post was as normal. The Katahdin was sailing, but in need of some work which they are raising money for, so hopefully that will work out. The flying services were as normal, although Jack's Flying Service is now run by his daughter and son in law. Both very nice people and Josh is a wonderful pilot.

Lily Bay State Park hasn't changed, which is good. We loved our time there. Mt. Kineo hasn't changed, with the shuttle running back and forth from the island during the day. The Jackman Trading Post, which should never be missed, hasn't changed much at all, but they no longer have ice cream. The local outfitters and activity services are operating as usual. There's a lot of good news. You can still rent a cabin in Kokadjo. All the resorts and hotels are still there.

However, there are some changes that weren't so great. There's a new timber management company in town that all but bought out or merged with Plum Creek Timber. This has caused some changes that I think are not good and fall squarely on the shoulders of the new bosses. The Weyerhaeuser Company is in charge now. They're out of Seattle, Washington. From what I saw; not a fan.

It's been part of life for everyone to use roads within the area of the timber company. After all, their land encompasses almost a full quarter of Maine. We all know that the state of the roads is what it is, but we're welcome to use them at our own risk. Plum Creek always took good care of the roads. I never minded driving on them. Things have changed. Very few of the roads are in any kind of shape. I think the worst was the sheer idea of trying to go and see the crashed B-52. It's a tourist attraction. I know it sounds odd, but it is.

We tried on our first day. There was a gate across the road. No access. I eventually asked the outfitters what was going on, because they always know these things. The Weyerhaeuser group had set up shop, logging right there. They'd blocked the road until 4 every afternoon. When we did try and go up again, the gate was open, but the road wasn't drivable. We never got to do that activity. I felt bad, because I'd talked about it so much to my friend.

The spot where the company is logging is on the road to the B-52, across the road from Lily Bay State Park, and not that far from Kokadjo. A lot tends to go on for tourists in those areas. A lot of people go to those spots to see moose.

The one thing that everyone hopes to see in the Moosehead Lake area is a moose. We were there for a few nights and saw nothing. Remember, I have decades of experience at moose hunting with my camera around Moosehead Lake. I couldn't find anything. We did see a couple of moose from the air on the other end of the lake, but none while on the ground.

Keep in mind. We had a wonderful time. Should you visit Greenville? Of course. I would never stop going there. It's still about the people and the view. I love it there, and if I could figure out how to make a living, I would live there.

I just want to know when the new timber people are going to become part of the program. This deal began in 2015 and they've been in charge for a while, but it doesn't look like anything is in the best interest of the locals. They need to realize that the area has a way of life and that they are a key part of it. I know y'all are sitting out in Seattle, not caring about anything but your bottom line, but please, get your heads out of the sand. There's a whole ecosystem in Greenville. It means a lot to them to have their timber jobs, their tourists, and their lifestyle. Don't screw that up for them.

We saw moose and we saw Zoose, but we didn't see them in the wild. I hope that the next time I visit, I can figure out where the moose went, so I can hunt some with my cameras. I hope that in the future there's a way to visit the plane crash. I certainly hope that the people of Greenville never change their lives or their spirit, because that's most of what I truly visit for.

Will I visit again? Of course! Will I shame the new timber company into being more of a team player around Moosehead Lake? I'll try. So, still pack your bags, still come to Greenville. My new book staged there will be out soon. So, Enjoy!

https://investor.weyerhaeuser.com/2015-11-08-Weyerhaeuser-and-Plum-Creek-to-merge-creating-the-worlds-premier-timber-land-and-forest-products-company

https://www.weyerhaeuser.com/timberlands/forestry/us-northeastern/

https://recreation.weyerhaeuser.com/

https://www.nrcm.org/programs/forests-wildlife/protecting-moosehead/plum-creek-moosehead/

https://www.northernoutdoors.com/where-to-see-moose-in-maine/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=21108773178&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwiOy1BhDCARIsADGvQnD7eOu6XjoIi4OUZuUxVQ6AbcflhuYsbLB_VGLPbqhHxfN7YWg5veEaAnWsEALw_wcB

https://www.nrcm.org/programs/forests-wildlife/protecting-moosehead/

https://destinationmooseheadlake.com/

https://visitmaine.com/things-to-do/parks-natural-attractions/moosehead-lake

https://newengland.com/travel/maine/guide-to-moosehead-lake-where-to-eat-stay-and-play-in-greenville-maine/

https://greenvilleme.com/

https://lodgeatmooseheadlake.com/blog/2021/03/things-to-do-in-greenville-me/

https://visitmaine.com/organization/destination-moosehead-lake-visitors-center/18396d45-d0ad-4774-bcb9-b56241f0b6d8