The Maine State Capital area in summer is a tourist destination dream! The Capitol Building, and…read moreBurton Cross building where the House and Senate work passing bills and making laws, is open to the public totally free. The building has a rich history and houses local art, crafted by Maine artists, as well as beautiful displays that showcase Maine's iconic history. Be sure to visit the exhibits located under ground in the tunnel that connects the two buildings, you will be impressed with the incredibly we curated displays showing Maine's classic wildlife like the white-tail deer, coyote, and of course moose! You will have to go through security and metal detectors before entering the Capitol Dome. It's fast, and the guards are friendly and always talkative and cheerful to visitors. Make the Hall of Flags a must see on your visit. It's home to the grand stair case (think Cinderellas Castle!) here you can look at, and photograph Maine's military collection of flags dating back to the Civil War with portraits of each of Maine's Governors looking over you. From the Hall of Flags you will have spectacular views of Capital Park. Insider secret, go up the grand staircase and there is an open patio where you can sit in the sun and rock in their old fashioned rocking chairs! The grounds are immaculately landscaped and seasonal flowers bloom with colorful magic. You will also have a view of the Governor's Mansion - which does offer tours by appointment. As the writing of this review the Mansion is closed as it undergoes security and grounds upgrade. Be sure to check out the nearby eateries you may catch the Governor having coffee at the Downtown Diner or getting pie from Slates Bakery in Hallowell. Be sure to visit the Capital area if you're in my state, take lots of pics, and enjoy summer in Maine!

I always knew that I'd celebrate my 1,000th review with an homage to the greatest state in the…read moreunion. For you see, I am unconditionally and irrevocably in love with the state of Maine. There are few labels I wear like a badge of honor, but "Mainer" is one of them. I was born and raised here alongside fellow salt of the earth people who are proud of their Yankee sense of ingenuity. Mainers are independent, fiercely protective of their home, and frequently distrusting of outta statahs (I am; don't get me wrong, we're friendly [looking for directions? don't be surprised if a Mainer stops what they're doing to take you to your destination themselves] but guarded). We have something incredibly special here... mostly unspoiled and unlike any other part of the country. Yes, we now have one of the best food cities in the entire world, but we didn't always and we're a whole lot more than just the lists we make. Maine is... An original when it comes to eating locally and eating seasonally. The best jams, jellies, pies, baked goods, and produce I've ever had have come from honor system farm stands and tables on the side of the road. Blueberries. PYO, of course, but bonus points if you've got a special spot in the wild you pick at (same goes for apples and fiddleheads). Lobster. But not just those rolls you stand two hours in line for. We're talking traditional lobster bakes that you do yourself in your backyard just because you can. Let me know when you've eaten the entirety of two lobsters, a pound of potato salad, a bucket of steamers, half a dozen ears of corn, a slice of blueberry pie, and washed it all down with a Moxie and called it a typical Saturday night. (Yes, I've done this. Yes, more than once.) Baked bean suppahs at the local church. Angus King. Period. Joshua Chamberlain. Do you even know Jay Chay, bub?! This fella saved the Civil War. And if you don't know the story about him, a bunch of pissed off Maine men, and the Battle of Little Round Top... we can't be friends. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. "Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: God is not dead, nor does He sleep. The wrong shall fail, the Right prevail, with peace on earth, good-will to men." Mic drop. Knowing that no power line is safe to touch. Evah. Where directions start with "it's down the road" (it could be... it could also be a hundred miles away, too). Going upta camp (even if it's "down the road"). Where the first rays of sunlight touch the U.S. each and every day. Nature in all her most majestic forms: lakes and rivers and ocean ad mountains and hills and valleys and beaches and meadows. Who could want anything more? It's the best backyard in the world. Really hot in the summer and really cold in the winter. Actually, we have more seasons than anyone else: winter, mud season, spring, construction season, summer, tourist season, leaf peeping season, and autumn. Also... "There's still meaning in the magic of Christmas, in the state where the Christmas trees grow. Where neighbors still drop by with cookies, breads and pies, and warm themselves besides the kitchen stove. It's the spirit of sharing, giving and caring, hanging wreaths upon the neighbor's door. That's the spirit of Maine at Christmas time from her mountains to her great Atlantic shores." Yeah, I went there. **takes deep breath*** I realize this list is making me sound a little crazy and you should know I could probably go on and on and on and on, and who knows - maybe I'll add more to this as I think of it. Maine is my home. It's where I grew up, it's where I returned to after traveling across the US and Europe, it's where I choose to live because I love her. Unconditionally and irrevocably.

I'm not sure if the 624-9000 number is connected to this exact branch but Google says it is so…read morethey're getting the brunt of my frustration. I waited on hold for 32 minutes in the middle of the work day with the most annoying and persistent hold music. I am hard of hearing so I have to wear headphones for phone calls and I had them turned way down because of the incessant ringing in the aforementioned hold music. Suddenly, someone picked up and I scrambled to adjust the volume on my phone. The lady on the other end rudely said "I can't hear you!" as I hurriedly tried to explain to her that I was fixing my headphones. She immediately hung up on me. I was fuming of course but I needed my issue addressed so I immediately called back. This time I only waited 24 minutes and kept my headphones on full blast while I listened to the annoying hold music. The same rude lady answered the phone and I, not wanting to be hung up on again after an hour of my life wasted, quickly explained that I needed to change my mailing address. She was almost comically rude and accused me of committing fraud. At this point I burst out laughing and she proceeded to, for the second time in an hour, hang up on me. The funniest thing is that the Maine DMV website says you can't change your address online and you need to speak to someone but I sent an email and they did it without any issue. So glad I wasted all that time to be told incorrect info by someone on a power trip. Guess I wasn't committing fraud after all! Who knew??? If you have to choose between having your fingernails torn out or talking to the lady at this office, I guess I'd pick the latter but otherwise? Avoid at all costs.

The best experience I have ever had at a Bureau of MV and I have visited multiple in many states,…read moresome are just routinely bad (OR you know) but this one was SMOOTH and easy to navigate. I was helped by an amazing lady on the phone who guided me through what I would need for my CDL transfer (my out of state license expired while I was recovering from surgery) and helped me get dialed in prior to coming in. When I visited the site in person, I was fortunate enough to have the same lady, I wish I had written her name down, she was amazing and helped me through the process with candor, precision and some laughs. I was in an out in 30 minutes and had everything I needed done finished with perfection. I wish every states BMV/DMV operated with this level of efficiency and customer care!

Over the past year my dad with dementia tended to wander. The Winslow PD were always caring and…read morecompassionate when they found him and called to explain what was up. They were helpful and treated him respectfully. Great bunch of folks. Nothing to fear from law abiding citizens of the town. They're definitely here for us...

I can't believe that the BPD's Duck of Justice hasn't blown up Yelp's site.... why aren't all the…read moregood Yelpers visiting the DoJ?? After searching online for anything out of the ordinary to see in Bangor, I knew that the best must-see would be at the police department. Yes, you read that right: this is the residence of the duck's PR guy (and retired Lieutenant) refers to as the "marginally world famous" duck. Read the story online of how this stuffed duck was rescued and is now a community icon, not to mention awesome stories on their Facebook page. If you say you don't do FB, start reading the BPD's page anyhow. You can visit the duck 24 hours a day, but if you go during standard business hours you can meet the QOTFD (Queen of the Front Desk) Melody who will even take your photo with the duck. If you go and she is not there (like we did), you can take a selfie, email it and perhaps become famous as well. Or "marginally famous". The duck has a sign-in log, a family from Germany had been there earlier in the day and there have been 6,000 visitors since 2016; that makes me kind of speechless. Since we arrived at 8pm on a weeknight, Queen Melody was gone (not that I wanted a photo, but to meet her would also have been exciting) and we had to be buzzed into the building. Was my friend embarrassed by my "hi, we are here to see the duck!" response into the intercom? Of course he was. Did a nice (and good looking) officer come out to let us into the duck's lair? Yes. The room isn't large, but it has some cool stuff: photos from old crimes (beware: a couple of bodies), handcuffs that look like they weighed 5-10 lbs, a "tramp chair" and some other cool things. You can also pick up a duck sticker (now on my refrigerator) and if you really want to update your wardrobe, order a t-shirt and/or sweatshirt of the duck (proceeds go towards various community programs). In case you haven't figured it out by now, just go and see the Duck of Justice.

Had to visit the Duck of Justice as well as speak to Melody, Queen of the front desk. Melody is…read moreespecially fond of DOJ visitors and gladly enables access, she also points out that her usual cast of characters aren't the happy kind. When visiting the DOJ, mind the dangle to avoid undesirable reflections and spend some time with the other artifacts in the museum room.

84 of Maine's police officers have died in the line of duty. The Augusta Police Department has two…read moreofficer names on the memorial, so if you're looking for someone to focus on as you stop here to pay your respects, then perhaps these are a good start. On November 11, 1884 Police Officer Rufus Lishness, 45, was shot and killed in the line of duty. On May 17, 1930, Officer Selden Jones, 25, the Department motor officer was killed in a crash involving his motorcycle. The memorial is one of a few here next to the State Capitol. With the plaque and a half-circle with entirely too many names listed and entirely too much white space for future names, it is a worthwhile stop if you are at the Capitol. [Review 10024 overall, 1607 of 2018.]

We try to visit capitol buildings in each state we visit. Most recently, we visited the Maine State…read moreHouse. Nestled in Augusta, Maine, the capitol building is large and appeared pretty plain when we first arrived. There is visitor parking available on the side and in the back of the building. So when we arrived in the back, it looked like a large, unremarkable, white building. We decided to take a peek inside (it was nearly closing, so it was just a peek) and then take a walk around the perimeter. I'm so glad we did. The view from the front is pillared with and rotunda topped. It was lovely. The grounds aren't extensive but well appointed on the pathway leading to the front. We were happy we made the stop!

As I approached the Maine State House I noticed the impressive architecture with a large dome on…read moretop that is typical of most state houses. My expectations were high for the inside. It's one of the easier state houses to find the main entrance, and the security guard was very friendly since the visitor's desk was not being manned. He gave us a map, along with some advice on what to see, and sent us on our way. I went to the rotunda first, as it is usually the most impressive part of a state house. This one was surprisingly bland. I never thought I would use the word bland to describe the rotunda of a state house, but looking up into the dome that was the only word to come to mind. I went to the Senate and House chambers, and nothing much to see there either. There appeared to be a really cool painting of George Washington, but it was covered to protect it from nearby painting going on. The best part was a balcony with rocking chairs. The Main State House did not live up to my expectations on the inside. The grounds outside are nice, but nothing really impressive there either. The Maine State House does not stack up well against most of the state houses in this country.

The policeman who helped me, he is very good, very kind, I am very grateful for the work he did, my…read morewallet was stolen and he found this person, so I am very grateful

Very Professional and Excellent Emergency Services. I have always had very good to exceptional…read moreassistance from the Scarborough Police and Scarborough Community Services.