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I Went on a Stephen King Tour


Hi! This is a little different than my usual posts but I went on a Stephen King tour and I just had to tell you about it! If you subscribe to my newsletter then you'll know that I am visiting with family in Maine. Now I've known about Stephen King tours but never really thought about going on one. You know how it is to do something touristy in the place you live...you just never think to do it. Also, I thought I knew a good bit of what was around and related to SK so I didn't think I really needed to go on a tour. And boy, was I humbled. 


I was gifted a seat on the SK-Tours of Maine Derry Tour and will not stop raving about it for the foreseeable future. It was so much fun and our guide, Jamie, was incredibly knowledgable. I saw the spots that I've seen and have known about but I also learned so much more. Not only did I get to see places from Stephen King's stories but I got to see places from his personal life and learn more about the history of a town that I've been in so many times. If you are a Stephen King fan this is a *must* for your bucket list. But honestly, if you live in the Bangor area, I'd recommend it just to learn some of the history of your town. 


Now I won't upload all of my photos because I want you to experience this tour for yourself but I will share a few. We went to Dorothea Dix Psychiatric Center which is where Juniper Hill is based on. I didn't take any photos of the actual asylum out of respect but...and this is so lame...I literally got chills. If you live in the area, I definitely recommend taking a drive up here because, wow. We also went by Flagg's which I have been by before and had to stop myself from facepalming because of course that is where King got the name for Randall Flagg. This is a perfect example of why, even if you live in the area, you should book a tour. You never know if something you've passed by a hundred times is something lurking in a King book, it could even be the Man in Black, himself.

            

Of course we made a stop at Mount Hope Cemetery. We got to see filming locations from Pet Sematary as well as gravestones that gave King inspiration for the names of some of his most famous characters such as Georgie and Carrie. Now, if you live in Bangor, I definitely would recommend taking a walk through Mount Hope. It is absolutely beautiful. It is the second oldest garden cemetery in the United States. If you take the tour, you also get a little history lesson about this spot and it is definitely worth it. 

               

In addition to some very cool King facts, you also get to learn some history about Bangor (in relation to King, of course). Some of this included the town library (which I still can't believe I've never been inside), the radio station, the Ronald McDonald House, and a little league field...just to name a few. The tour also keeps Charlie Howard's spirit alive by discussing how a character in IT was inspired by his true story. We visited the place where Charlie was murdered and learned about some of the darker parts of Bangor's history. 
     
         

And, of course, because Derry is Bangor and Bangor is Derry, we visited some very iconic IT locations. Do you recognize these spooky spots?


No Stephen King tour would be complete without stopping by the King house. It was a very warm summer day and there were so many tourists parked along the road and taking pictures in front of the house. This was the perfect end to an amazing two and a half long hour tour through Derry...I mean Bangor.


If (when) you do go on the SK-Tour be sure you take a look through their awesome gift shop. I definitely had to control myself and only buy a few things, but I could have done some serious damage to my bank account in there. 

I cannot recommend this tour enough. It went above and beyond my expectations. I learned so much and had fun and a great time while doing so. Do yourself a favor and book this tour if you're in the area. You'll regret it if you don't!






 




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