Considering moving to Caribou Maine. How is it there? (live, roads)

[Bydand]

No Caribou, I think the last sighting was around 1913 if I remember right. Lots of Moose and getting to be a lot of Bald Eagles as well. Right between Caribou and Fort Fairfield there is a very active Eagle nest on a small island in the Aroostook River. There is a barn right next to the road that overlooks the nest and you can park there and take some amazing photos. Look at Paul Cyrs photos on his web site and a lot of those Eagle shots were taken from that spot (http://www.crownofmaine.com/paulcyr/main.php). The road between Caribou and Washburn is a good place to see Moose late in the evening or early morning. And I don't mean "city" early, or even "country" early; I mean "County" earl. As in Aroostook County early, right around 3:30AM to around mid morning at 5:30 or 6:00 AM.

The woods around that area won't eat you... maybe some of the wildlife though. Honestly, if you do go sightseeing in Maine, NH, or anyplace else in the Northeast that has Moose or Black bear. DO NOT(yes I am yelling) see how close you can get for a good photo. They may be slow looking, but they are amazingly fast, and NOT afraid of humans. Why should they be, we are smaller, slower, & softer. Bear and Moose will 99.99% of the time run the other way, it is that .01% of them that will about give you a heart attack when they decide they really don't WANT to go the other direction and in fact want YOU to leave. Been there, done that, have the stories to tell around a campfire.

Not many roads at all really because there really isn't that large of a population. If you do get up that way I HIGHLY recommend a side trip through Ashland and the 6 mile checkpoint into the North Maine Woods. Just remember that the logging trucks have the right of way even if they want it right out of the center of the road. After all, it is THEIR road and they open it to the public for a small fee. But it doesn't give private vehicles the same rights and rules as on state, county, or city maintained roadways. There are some simply beautiful areas for a picnic alongside some stunning rivers and streams. Worth the drive, just make sure you have good tires and a spare with the knowledge of how to change a flat. I score about 75% going in and not having a flat, it is the other 25% of the time that stink.

[peachie_in_maine]

Originally Posted by goldenretrieverlover

Thanks for your reply. I figured Caribou would be less desolate since it was a city and had more to offer. Am I wrong?

Caribour has a pretty active city. Malls but, it's not over powering/ living on the outter limits of the city would probably very beauiful and peaceful.
Is there a reason your thinking of caribou? Job there waiting? Family.. friends?

[maureengld]

Caribou was -40 last week and unless you intend on potato or broccoli farming or your in the medical field there's little opportunity there. It IS beautiful to look at and the folks there are A#1. The best advise from someone who has travelled every town in Maine. Go visit and if you like it..rent a home for a few months before buying. It's got an area of strip malls and a building they refer to as a "mall" but ahem...if I remember correctly the mall has a JCpenny and a couple of other stores that are so exciting..I just can't remember the names of them. Portland Maine is a city.

[Maine Writer]

Originally Posted by maureengld

Caribou was -40 last week and unless you intend on potato or broccoli farming or your in the medical field there's little opportunity there.

This isn't true. Have you been there lately?

[maineguy8888]

Originally Posted by Maineah

The word desolation comes to mind.

This is a pretty crazy post. I have lived all over and Caribou is an interesting, great little city. Granted, it's no FREEPORT (which is where I believe Maineah is from). But then, if you've been visiting Freeport on and off for the last 25 years as I have, you'll understand why those visits are becoming less and less frequent.....
I'm sorry if that was mean-spirited. Just trying to say it's awful easy to slam other people's towns. Most places just have differences, and that's okay. Freeport is a booming, coastal resort/shopping town. Okay. That's fine. What goes with that is tons of traffic, incredible house costs, transients, sprawl, etc. etc. And that may be okay too. It's just a different category of town than Caribou: a traditional, natural resources-based town (like farming) with lots of outdoor acitivity and tourist stuff too. Sure, there's no LL Bean. That's why we use the phone. And there's a mall 10 minutes away. So it is what it is. I can only tell you that it's a vibrant, interesting, resilient, family-friendly, strong community here in Caribou. I think maybe Maineah had a bad experience here or something. Who knows? But I hope he'll come give it another try sometime. There are things to do all four seasons, trust me. And there are lots of neat things/places/people here.

[maineguy8888]

Originally Posted by island mermaid

Caribou, a city? Which map are you looking at? Are you looking at Caribou, MAINE?

Not a HUGE one, lol! But technically, a city. Over 8,000 people. Not many island communities in Maine rise above "Village" status............I must say! lol

[maineguy8888]

Originally Posted by Maine Writer

Nine months of winter in Caribou?

If some one is asking for info. about a place, I think the people who respond should try to give them decent info. For some BIZARRE reason, i have seen many people over the years say that winters in the County are 5, 6 or 7 months long. (9 months takes the cake, I believe!). This is just nuts. Somebody have an axe to grind???
Snow starts in November or early December. But it can hit 60 in early November too. Snow is all gone in April (and April can be in the 60s too.) So do the math.
And please DON'T make your argument with one of those insanely-monotonous "oh yea?? Well you know what, it snowed an inch on May 3rd in 1943!" statements!! Sooooo ridiculously boring!

[recovering yank]

The county is a special place... It is for some, and not for others. I've spent time near Fort Kent, and Caribou is definitely on the "right side" in the sense that that moron congressmen isn't sticking his business into everything. However, the only thing that qualifies it as a city, is that its on the national weather map from time to time. Then again, I would never ever ever want to go any farther north than I already am. (Casco Bay) From friends who are from there, it has been improved significantly in recent years, especially with Lowes and other chain stores coming into town. I'd suggest buying an airplane.

[Maineah]

There are no caribou in Caribou so if you're expecting to see some you'll be disappointed.

[Christinerica]

I really like Maine and am considering buying a home there but, to say your roads have improved makes me question what they were like before last February. I was in Danforth and for the first time in my live saw a sign saying caution frost heave. Before I could ask my wife what that meant (she is a Maineiac) my head was bouncing off the roof of my SUV and I had bounced to the left side of the road.
I like Maine, beautiful scenery, great lobstahs but roads? I've driven on old corduroy roads in the hinterlands of Alabama that would give a smoother ride.
p.s. This isn't Christin's post but rather that of her husband