HOULTON, Maine — Each August, April Marshal of Houlton takes her family on a one week summer vacation.
It is usually somewhere out of state, to visit family in her husband’s home state of Pennsylvania or to visit a national park or a historic site.
This year, however, a statement from her husband changed their plans.
“My son came home after a class trip to Acadia National Park,” she said. “He was talking about what a great time he had visiting Sand Beach and Thunder Hole. But my husband just kind of said nonchalantly that he had never been there. I couldn’t believe it. And then I realized that he wasn’t a native Mainer, so of course he likely had not been there.”
She said that her family took a vote and agreed to go camping on Mount Desert Island next month so that they can explore the park.
Gas prices in Maine have fluctuated this summer, rising to an average of $2.66 per gallon over the 4th of July holiday, according to GasBuddy. That was an increase of five cents over the previous week. The week of July 28, the average price in Maine is $2.69 cents per gallon.
In Aroostook County, however, prices are significantly higher. At the Shell station and the Irving Big Stop on North Street in Houlton Monday, gas was $2.78 cents per gallon. Most gas stations in Presque Isle also were charging the same prices Monday.
Beth McAfee of Presque Isle said that stress over gas prices motivated her to put off plans to visit relatives in Connecticut this year.
“I usually go see my sister and nieces down there every summer,” she said. “But we have to drive and it gets expensive. So we’ve decided we’re going to stay some place in Maine. We are considering visiting the new Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. My son is really excited about doing that.”
The McAfee family was not the only ones interested in the new monument.
Ben Toner of Presque Isle said that he plans to join his two cousins, who are driving to Maine from Massachusetts, to camp at the monument.
“We love to hike and canoe and all that,” he said. “We’ve visited pretty much everywhere in Acadia [National Park,] so we were thrilled when this opened up. I love staying in Maine for vacation. There is tons of things to do.”
