The 25th National Institute on Human Services in Rural Areas July 19-22, 2000
Excursions
Northern Maine was made for outdoor enjoyment. In Aroostook you can
walk or ride horseback on some of the nation¹s best hiking trails.
Pitch a tent beneath trees that have stood for a century or more, or join
the canoeists & anglers who explore the natural wonders of its many
waterways. You'll find Aroostook¹s outdoor playground is uncrowded
offering more than 6,600 square miles of terrain, over 2,000 lakes, streams
& rivers, and more than 1,600 miles of the best-maintained trail system
in the eastern U.S. We've planned tours to get you out to enjoy this area.
Register for any of these tours on the enclosed Registration
Form.
St. John River Valley Tour Wednesday, July 19, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. The St. John River is the longest free-flowing river remaining in the
Northeastern United States, considered a unique and irreplaceable natural
area, rich in history and culture. On the way to "The Valley" you will
tour a log home, blacksmith and woodworking shop, and schoolhouse displaying
cultural and historical artifacts of the Swedish settlers in Northern
Maine. La Musée et centre culturel du Mont-Carmel, located in Lille,
was built as a Catholic Church in 1909. There you will see historical artifacts
depicting the influence of religion in the St. John Valley. Moving along
the valley
to Van Buren, you will have lunch and visit an Acadian village made
up of 16 period-furnished buildings dating from 1785 to the early 1900s.
We will sidestep to Ste-Agathe where you can try your hand at cutting glass
at a studio and gift shop specializing in fused, slumped, and leaded art
glass.
Tour fee: $25 per person, includes lunch Aroostook Agricultural Tour Thursday, July 20, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Each July the landscape of Central Aroostook is transformed into seas
of potato blossoms. Hosted by the Maine Agri-Women and the Maine Potato
Board, this tour will visit potato & broccoli fields, and packaging
& processing houses. You will tour the University of Maine's agricultural
research
farm and talk with agronomists and plant scientists. An 1852, 13-room
homestead will be a destination showing displays of farm equipment and
period furnishings. Return to campus for the Acadian luncheon. The second
half of the day will take you to the operations of an internationally recognized
leader in french fry processing. Another stop on the tour will take you
to see the natural (with no preservatives) processing and packaging of
potato products.
Tour Fee: $20 per person Community Caring Activity Thursday, July 20, 1-5:30 p.m. Aroostook State Park provides recreation opportunities for camping,
boating, hiking, swimming and picnics. Participate in the beautification
and maintenance at Aroostook State Park. Depending on weather conditions,
volunteers will help establish flower beds and planters, cut brush on trails,
put up signs, stain picnic tables, and assist with other park projects.
Wrap up your service afternoon with a lakeside barbecue.
BBQ fee: $7 per person Forest Products Tour Friday, July 21, 8:30 a.m.-5p.m. Forest Products comprise a large segment of the Aroostook County economy.
You will learn the natural history of the area as you visit a lumbering
museum, a lumber mill, a biomass electrical generating plant, a veneer
manufacturing operation, and an oriented strand board plant.
Fee: $25 per person includes lunch Northern New Brunswick - Grand Falls &
St. Jacques Botanical Gardens Saturday, July 22, 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Visit two attractions in Northern New Brunswick, Canada. The town of
Grand Falls and gorge are on the St. John River. This community has played
a large part in this area¹s logging history. Then stroll through the
New Brunswick Botanical Gardens in St-Jacques, situated on 7 hectars, and
displaying over 50,000 plants.
Fee: $20 per person includes lunch Southern New Brunswick Saturday, July 22, 1-9 p.m. We will drive through Hartland, New Brunswick, Canada and past the
longest covered bridge in the world. Driving on to Prince William, we will
visit Kings Landing Historical Settlement situated on the banks of the
St. John River. The settlement re-creates rural life in 19th century New
Brunswick. Costumed staff work diligently to accurately interpret this
important era in Canadian history.
Fee: $30 per person includes dinner Guided Canoe Trip Sunday, July 23, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Leisurely paddle the waterways of Central Aroostook in a canoe with
our
guides; equipment provided. Trips will be limited to 10 people age
10 or
older.
Fee: $25 per person includes lunch
