The Penobscot Narrows & Fort Knox

From The Penobscot Narrows & Fort Knox

September 15th is a very busy day. We start with a visit to The Penobscot Narrows Bridge & Observatory, considered the crown jewel of coastal Maine.

From The Penobscot Narrows & Fort Knox

The observatory is located 420 feet, or 42 stories, and you start with an elevator ride to the top.

From The Penobscot Narrows & Fort Knox

This shows the old and new bridge side by side - quite a site.

From The Penobscot Narrows & Fort Knox

From The Penobscot Narrows & Fort Knox

These two pictures show a little about the construction of the bridge, and a picture of the observation deck. This is the only observatory bridge in the Western Hemisphere and the tallest in the world!

From The Penobscot Narrows & Fort Knox

From The Penobscot Narrows & Fort Knox

The views are spectacular. Shown here are the little town of Bucksport, directly across the Penobscot River, and Fort Knox, lying almost directly below.

From The Penobscot Narrows & Fort Knox

From The Penobscot Narrows & Fort Knox

From The Penobscot Narrows & Fort Knox

Fort Knox is Maine's largest historic fort, and not to be confused with the one in Kentucky where all the gold is kept!

Although never fully completed, it was constructed between 1844 and 1864 to protect the river valley from naval attack. Garrisoned during the Civil and Spanish-American Wars, Fort Knox never saw combat.

From The Penobscot Narrows & Fort Knox

From The Penobscot Narrows & Fort Knox

From The Penobscot Narrows & Fort Knox

During the Spanish-American War, about 500 troops from Connecticut were stationed here. They actually lived in tents outside the structure.

From The Penobscot Narrows & Fort Knox

Inside the visitor's center, I find this great pirate, all decked out for Halloween. Hey, it's only mid-September; apparently they take Halloween seriously out here!

For further information: The Penobscot Narrows
and Fort Knox State Historic Site or call 1-207-469-6553 and can be found on Facebook