“Abruptly he started the car and put it in gear and drove away, trying not to look back. And of course he did, and of course the porch was empty. They had gone back inside. It was as if the Overlook had swallowed them.”

-The Shining

Stephen King

On my way out to Acadia National Park from New Hampshire, I made a little detour to Bangor, Maine. With a population of 33, 039, it is Maine’s second largest city, losing out to Portland (population 67,067).

The landmark I wanted to visit was just off the interstate on a tree lined residential neighborhood. The houses that were set back from West Broadway were large, speaking of the wealth that once created these mansions, most of them built by lumber barons, the  once key industry of this area.

I was here to see the house of a millionaire that made his name in paper goods. Both writing paper and printing paper. All trees at one point, so a lumber baron of a different nature.

As I drove up, there were already eight people standing in front of this Maine landmark. They seemed to be holding guidebooks in their hands, or sometimes clutched them between armpit and arm as they took pictures of the house. All were smiling and excited to be there. One couple had come all the way from Italy.

But these were not guidebooks they were holding but the paper products that the owner produced. Not lumber, or furniture or boats but books. Just books. And this literature major loves books!

This was the house of King, author Stephen King. He is one of the most popular and prolific writers of the last 40 years. He has sold over 350 million copies of his books! Many of his books have been made into popular films including Carrie, The Shining, Stand By Me, and The Shashank Redemption, to name a few.

This was the best time to visit the King of Horror’s house in the autumn, the time of the dying of the leave as October paced towards All Hallow’s Eve.

Happy Halloween!