CONCERT TIME IN THE BOONIES OF MAINE

I accompany my sister on a trip to University of Maine at Farmington, where she will be performing in a choral concert at Nordica Hall.  This is not her first rodeo at UMF, but it is mine.  Ever the explorer, I trace out a few things for us to do while we're up there.

Okay, to be honest, I map out things for me to do while she's rehearsing.  There's a Dunkins, a Mickey D's, and a public library all within walking eye-shot of the hall where she will be performing.  That's all fine and good, but I also like to do weird, off-the-beaten-path things.

With this in mind, I map out two possible things for us to do.  Well, really three things, but we end up going a different way, so we miss passing by the tattoo parlor.

There are two things in Farmington we should do.  One is around the corner from the concert hall: the Octagonal House.  Yup, someone actually built a brick house into the shape of an octagon.  Imagine living inside a giant geometric STOP sign.  It's a lovely house but somewhat deflating.  We stop and snap two pictures and quickly move on.

We are headed to the homestead of the woman for whom the concert hall is named; the homestead of Lillian Nordica.

 

First of all, Nordica isn't her real name.  Her real name is Lillian Bumstead, or some other boonies-type name.  (It's Lillian Allen Norton.)  When researching the homestead, I see reviews that claim the woman running the place will talk off your ear.  This happened to my sister and me last year at the Martha Mary Chapel in Concord, so we plan strategically: We give ourselves NO MORE than twenty minutes before the place closes and she has to leave for the concert hall to rehearse and warm up her voice.

True to the comments, the woman is VERY versed in Lillian Nordica's life, and don't we all wish we had about four more hours to cover everything.  But, and this is a huge BUT, Lillian is damn fascinating.  Not even going to lie about it; the woman came from nothing, became an international singing superstar, traveled alone, left husbands behind, fought for women's rights, had a ship named after her (every sailor returned from battle safely on the "Lucky Lil"), and even did a benefit concert for the families of the Titanic victims.

And ... she became the face of Coca-Cola and saved their company with her amazing ad campaign.

So, we learn a lot and avoid a repeat of Martha Mary Chapel.  I probably would survive maybe another twenty minutes, but I actually see enough.  Every room we enter brings a new gasp and a very near mouthing of "HOLY SHIT."

Of course, this is Weird Back Roads of New England here, and we are talking about the boonies of Maine.  Sorry, those of you who actually went to University of Maine at Farmington on a voluntary basis.  Perhaps someday I'll attempt to visit U Maine at Unity.  Hey, there's a stove and music museum (who knew they went together????), a winery, AND and alpaca farm!

Road trip, anyone?