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Wild Blueberry Land
Columbia Falls, Maine
Nothing says tacky roadside establishment in Maine like a geodesic dome turned into a giant blueberry. Pretty sure they are claiming that its the world's largest blueberry. Though, they do have excellent blueberry pie and muffins so its well worth a stop off and a good chuckle.
At least its not a giant red lobster, thats even tackier.
Columbia Falls, Maine
Nothing says tacky roadside establishment in Maine like a geodesic dome turned into a giant blueberry. Pretty sure they are claiming that its the world's largest blueberry. Though, they do have excellent blueberry pie and muffins so its well worth a stop off and a good chuckle.
At least its not a giant red lobster, thats even tackier.
Category Photography / Scenery
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 1280 x 853px
File Size 158.7 kB
Of all the things to come across on FA, but a photo of Wild Blueberry Land is not one of the things I expected to find. :)
I'm VERY familiar with that landmark. You take a right there, go a little over a mile and you're at Wild Wescogus Berries (which owns that landmark). Every year, I take orders from coworkers in Disgusta, call in my order to the wonderful folks at WWB, make the 3 hour drive east with my mother (great outing for her) and fill-up my car with over 400lbs of berries in 5lb & 10lb freezer boxes, turn around and make the 3 hour trek back and pray no idiot rear ends me. Should that ever happen it would make the evening news for sure: "Fender Bender on US Route 1, resulting in 2 drowning in blueberries! Details at 11".
I tack an extra $2 on what WWB charges me, which my coworkers gladly pay and it finances a day out with my mom and the purchase of my own berries to restock the freezer for another year.
I'm VERY familiar with that landmark. You take a right there, go a little over a mile and you're at Wild Wescogus Berries (which owns that landmark). Every year, I take orders from coworkers in Disgusta, call in my order to the wonderful folks at WWB, make the 3 hour drive east with my mother (great outing for her) and fill-up my car with over 400lbs of berries in 5lb & 10lb freezer boxes, turn around and make the 3 hour trek back and pray no idiot rear ends me. Should that ever happen it would make the evening news for sure: "Fender Bender on US Route 1, resulting in 2 drowning in blueberries! Details at 11".
I tack an extra $2 on what WWB charges me, which my coworkers gladly pay and it finances a day out with my mom and the purchase of my own berries to restock the freezer for another year.
<chuckles> I liked the look of the place and thought it worth posting. Had passed by it on my way to Nova Scotia several times during the night and never even knew it was there. Made a trip during the day and it was "Wow, neat geodesic dome. Gotta stop and look inside." Only then did I realize just how much it screamed tourist trap... But at least its a functional landmark as opposed to the giant Howdy Doody statue at Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri... And the pie was excellent.
My folks live out in the midwest and they only can get the giant (and fairly tasteless) blueberries out there so I end up making a similar trip out there. Though, my big trip is my fall "Potato Run Weekend." Nothing like spending a weekend to get all the potatoes for my friends, neighbors, and myself could use for the winter and spring. Ive had a few close calls with leaf-peepers but so far have managed to avoid the potato bomb that would go off if someone struck my cargo.
My folks live out in the midwest and they only can get the giant (and fairly tasteless) blueberries out there so I end up making a similar trip out there. Though, my big trip is my fall "Potato Run Weekend." Nothing like spending a weekend to get all the potatoes for my friends, neighbors, and myself could use for the winter and spring. Ive had a few close calls with leaf-peepers but so far have managed to avoid the potato bomb that would go off if someone struck my cargo.
Well, I had one year going out to get blueberries that almost wound-up on the evening news. I'm not sure how familiar you are with that part of Maine. There is a "shortcut" between Ellsworth and Cherryfield by taking state Route 182 vs. US Rt 1. Very scenic and one section about 5 miles past Franklin have a lot of curves.
It was on one of those near 90 degree curves that I almost got a new "hood ornament". Two young girls came careening around that corner in the other directions--they didn't make the curve. The crossed into my lane and into the soft shoulder. Briefly lifted two wheels off the road. Over-corrected and somehow kept from rolling, swerved back across to their lane barely missing me...and kept on going with my horn blaring all the way. I was driving a mid-90's Buick back then with the deep, LOUD train-like horn. I hope those idiots needed to change their pants.
But that wasn't the end of the "fun" that day. Every brain-dead idiot must have been out on the road that day. I had a suicidal idiot pass me in a no-pass zone and almost became one with a semi. If that had happened, he'd have wound-up in my lap.
And that was before I got to Wild Wescogus Berries.
On the drive back: Pickup truck hauling a lobster boat apparently didn't see me as he pulled out onto US Route 1 (55mph zone). Thank goodness that I spotted him pulling out with enough time to slam the brakes and hit the paved shoulder.
Then just past the Waldo-Hancock Bridge (which they're finally tearing down), again in a 55 mph zone, someone directly in front of me hit his brakes for no apparent reason and then turned on his left blinker as he turned.
And then the icing on the cake on State Route 3 just before Liberty. Farm truck with trailer overloaded with hay, swerving and swerving--ie inexperienced driver over correcting for his load. I chose not to hang around for that one. I took a chance on a straight away, got around him and as I hit the next curve, in my mirror I saw the trailer jackknife and dump all that hay, blocking both lanes.
Fortunately, most years aren't like what that one was. :)
It was on one of those near 90 degree curves that I almost got a new "hood ornament". Two young girls came careening around that corner in the other directions--they didn't make the curve. The crossed into my lane and into the soft shoulder. Briefly lifted two wheels off the road. Over-corrected and somehow kept from rolling, swerved back across to their lane barely missing me...and kept on going with my horn blaring all the way. I was driving a mid-90's Buick back then with the deep, LOUD train-like horn. I hope those idiots needed to change their pants.
But that wasn't the end of the "fun" that day. Every brain-dead idiot must have been out on the road that day. I had a suicidal idiot pass me in a no-pass zone and almost became one with a semi. If that had happened, he'd have wound-up in my lap.
And that was before I got to Wild Wescogus Berries.
On the drive back: Pickup truck hauling a lobster boat apparently didn't see me as he pulled out onto US Route 1 (55mph zone). Thank goodness that I spotted him pulling out with enough time to slam the brakes and hit the paved shoulder.
Then just past the Waldo-Hancock Bridge (which they're finally tearing down), again in a 55 mph zone, someone directly in front of me hit his brakes for no apparent reason and then turned on his left blinker as he turned.
And then the icing on the cake on State Route 3 just before Liberty. Farm truck with trailer overloaded with hay, swerving and swerving--ie inexperienced driver over correcting for his load. I chose not to hang around for that one. I took a chance on a straight away, got around him and as I hit the next curve, in my mirror I saw the trailer jackknife and dump all that hay, blocking both lanes.
Fortunately, most years aren't like what that one was. :)
The Blackswoods Road may be scenic, but its a magnet for all sorts of crazies... Every time I have driven down it, its either brimming with crazy drivers tear-assing down the road like you are talking about or (more often) suicidal deer popping out of the woods and just standing there. Unless I absolutely have to go that way, I head to Cherryfield via Milbridge.
<chuckles> Shit, that would be a drive from hell. When I have days like that, its 3 strikes and then I find some place to grab a bite to eat for an hour or two and give the crazies a chance to do each other in without me caught in the crossfire.
Yea, Im actually going to miss seeing the Waldo Hancock Bridge almost every morning. Planning to be taking weekly photos of it as they tear it down.
That area around the bridge is another bad spot. Every few days I get stuck behind someone who suffers a panic attack while getting onto the new bridge. Person just jams on the brakes and then slowly creeps across at a snail's pace. Freaking ridiculous. If you are that scared, take the long way around and keep the road clear.
<chuckles> Shit, that would be a drive from hell. When I have days like that, its 3 strikes and then I find some place to grab a bite to eat for an hour or two and give the crazies a chance to do each other in without me caught in the crossfire.
Yea, Im actually going to miss seeing the Waldo Hancock Bridge almost every morning. Planning to be taking weekly photos of it as they tear it down.
That area around the bridge is another bad spot. Every few days I get stuck behind someone who suffers a panic attack while getting onto the new bridge. Person just jams on the brakes and then slowly creeps across at a snail's pace. Freaking ridiculous. If you are that scared, take the long way around and keep the road clear.
I take the "scenic" route as it cuts time off the trip compared to traveling US Route 1 in the summer for the entire distance. I have a tight schedule to pull-off this trip in a single day while giving my mother a day out and be able to get back to the office in Augusta prior to 4pm so that all who ordered berries will be able to receive them same-day. If I went on my own, I'd either go earlier in the morning or take-up the offer of a coworker whose family has a summer "cottage" in South Addison and go out the night before.
As to the year of the "Drive from Hell", we had taken an hour lunch break in there somewhere and it wasn't long enough for all the idiots to get off the road. Oh well.
I've yet to encounter anyone afraid of heights on the new bridge (fortunately), but I only cross it that one day a year unless I'm running to Ellsworth/Bar Harbor for a scouting event.
Still a wonderful trip.
As to the year of the "Drive from Hell", we had taken an hour lunch break in there somewhere and it wasn't long enough for all the idiots to get off the road. Oh well.
I've yet to encounter anyone afraid of heights on the new bridge (fortunately), but I only cross it that one day a year unless I'm running to Ellsworth/Bar Harbor for a scouting event.
Still a wonderful trip.
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