Before I move - Maine Questions... (Portland, Camden: camping, living, to move)

[Northern Maine Land Man]

"I already have the place I will stay picked out... and I will be selling my car then leaving on the 6th.. Good thing this new place is right next to a bike shop so ill buy a bike when i arrive."

You can get more money for your rust free car in Maine than you can where you live now.

As to bikes. I recommend an on/off road bike like the Kawasaki 650 or a Yamaha 500 to 750. We have a LOT of dirt roads in Maine and they are fun to explore. Many road bikes are unsuitable for dirt roads.

[Tominftl]

My friends in Bangor have a good doctor but for major surgery you really should go to Boston. They have some of the best Doctors around. More bugs than Denver.

[slyfox2]

I find it hard to believe that you cannot get quality medical care in Maine and have to go to Massachusetts.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

The only things you need to go to Mass for is heart transplants, heart & lung transplants and liver transplants. The cancer center at Eastern Maine has all the latest treatments and they are in direct contact with Dana Farber, Mass General and Brigham and Women's all day every day.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by The_iLL

Ok before I head to Maine I just want to be prepared for what I am in for... If I chose the Bangor area or 30 miles north...


What is the winters like? I am from Colorado so I can handle a winter... However our roads are plowed and it melts a few days or a week later... How does this compare to Maine?

Roads are cleared the next morning.

Melting? No, that comes next Spring.

...
How hot / humid does it get in summer? Is it humid and tons of mosquitos with all the water?

Yes

...
Does it rain alot? If I buy some land and build a cabin should I anticipate tons of rain? Also is there alot of flooding?

My land floods, we are alongside the Penobscot River.

... Can you go fishing in any of the lakes? Looking at the map on google I see tons of lakes.. thousands... Are there fish in all of these?

Yes

... Any Medical Specialists nearby?... If I am in Bangor or north of, and lets say I have to see a doctor.. (good one) how far would the drive be?

Bangor for the most part.

[kettlepot]

If you are next to the coast, as in 1/4 mile or less, does the ocean breeze protect you from the worst of the mosquitoes and biting black flies?

If the ocean provides any protection from these pests, how far inland before it wears off and you get the full impact of the mosquitoes and flies?

[AustinB]

Sometimes, but not all that much. There are swamps all ove.

[mooseheadlakeproperties]

Maine is awesome! But not for everyone, but if you don't mind cold, long winters, then Maine would be a great fit. We moved to the Moosehead Lake region from Southern Maine a year ago so that we could do everything that you describe and have a slower-paced lifestyle. We fish & boat in Moosehead Lake and the area rivers, streams and ponds, ski at Squaw Mountain, snowmobile all the trails, hike Mount Kineo, Borestone Mountain, Squaw. . .we go on Moose "safaris", dine in the area restaurants . . ..we love it, but as I said, it's not for everyone.

[slyfox2]

We live across from a stream and a swamp with it. One might expect that the flies would be bad. But there are a lot of peepers, and other frogs, along with more than 27 species of birds. And we have an abundance of bats at night.

And so, we rarely have any flies that make it out of the swampy area alive to harass us.

[Brodels]

I'm in a similar situation; there is stream surrounded a swamp in my backyard, the peepers are practically deafening, and I see a lot of bats. I get killed this time of year everytime I go outside. I guess I don't have a whole lot to add to the conversation, expect to note that I'm envious. I love the warmer weather, but it will be nice when we get beyond black fly season.