Station/Boat Location~
Group Southwest Harbor - Also located here are: ESD Southwest Harbor, ANT Southwest Harbor, Station Southwest Harbor, USCGC BRIDLE (65') and others.
Date there~
June 2003 - Present
Weather~
Summer, Fall, Winter (from November thru April), and Spring (commonly called the Mud Season)
Military facilities~
A small exchange located at the Group on base. Rockland station is about 2 hrs away. We've been told that there is a small commissary in Bangor, which is about 1 1/2 hrs away from MDI (Mount Desert Island).
Medical~
There is a HS at the Group for Active Duty members, and dependents usually are enrolled in Tri-Care Prime Remote and go to a provider from the list. There are a couple of locations on the island with approved providers. One location in Southwest Harbor is affiliated with Maine Coast Memorial Hospital in Bangor, and the major hospital in Ellsworth (a town 20 miles away just off the island).
Housing~
There are barracks for single members. There is a 20 unit housing complex for families with 2, 3, or 4 bedrooms. We have a nice enclosed playground area with woodchips on the ground, and a basketball court.
Housing is townhouse style, duplexes with a one-car garage and a wood slat fenced-in back yard.
All units have: boiler heating system (radiant heat), NO central air, public water, septic sewage, W/D hookups in closet or half-bath but machines not included, portable dishwasher that hooks to the kitchen faucet, 1 & 1/2 baths, tile flooring, plenty of closet space, nice yards, and an amazing view of the starry night sky!
Shopping~
Not much - mostly small, unique, up-scale and touristy shops on the island with a variety of spots to eat in Bar Harbor (on the other side of the island).
In Ellsworth there is a SMALL Walmart and a small strip mall with a 2 Screen Movie Theater. There aren't any chain restaurants here, but you will find a Pizza Hut, Burger King, McDonald's, Wendy's, KFC, Dunkin Donuts, Friendly's Family Restaurant, and a nice Mexican place called The Mex, a chinese place, a Thai place and a homey place called Helen's. Main shopping is done in Bangor where there is a mall, Sam's Club, Borders Bookstore, Olive Garden, K-Mart and a new Target that just opened in March 2004.
Child Care/Schools~
There are 4 elementary schools on the island and 1 high school - MDI High School.
Adult Schools~
There is an AE facility in Ellsworth. Look online.
Fun Activities~
There are tons of things to do during the summer. There are many hiking and bike trails all over the island. A majority of the island is Acadia National Park so you can look it up on the net and find out more about the island.
There are tours for Whale Watching, Island Hopping, and Wildlife Watching. Dinner Theater, Movie Theaters, Day Cruises, Kayaking, Canoeing, Sailing - as much outdoor activities as you can get in.
In the winter the choices are slim - very slim. Unless you like to do winter outdoor activities, you should plan to do some quality family time playing games, renting movies, socializing with friends.
Additional Info~
This is a very dog-friendly area. Many shops allow leashed pets to join you while shopping. There is a leash law here and pets MUST be leashed at all times (unless you are at the dog park), and you must clean up after your dog as well. This is a very clean island and I think it's because people take stuff seriously. MDI is a tourist location and July-September is very busy with the summer people coming, and traveling on and off the island can be time consuming so plan accordingly. There are MANY places to camp here, but with the tourist push things book up quickly.
Homeport ME
Group Southwest Harbor - Also located here are: ESD Southwest Harbor, ANT Southwest Harbor, Station Southwest Harbor, USCGC BRIDLE (65') and others.
Date there~
June 2003 - Present
Weather~
Summer, Fall, Winter (from November thru April), and Spring (commonly called the Mud Season)
Military facilities~
A small exchange located at the Group on base. Rockland station is about 2 hrs away. We've been told that there is a small commissary in Bangor, which is about 1 1/2 hrs away from MDI (Mount Desert Island).
Medical~
There is a HS at the Group for Active Duty members, and dependents usually are enrolled in Tri-Care Prime Remote and go to a provider from the list. There are a couple of locations on the island with approved providers. One location in Southwest Harbor is affiliated with Maine Coast Memorial Hospital in Bangor, and the major hospital in Ellsworth (a town 20 miles away just off the island).
Housing~
There are barracks for single members. There is a 20 unit housing complex for families with 2, 3, or 4 bedrooms. We have a nice enclosed playground area with woodchips on the ground, and a basketball court.
Housing is townhouse style, duplexes with a one-car garage and a wood slat fenced-in back yard.
All units have: boiler heating system (radiant heat), NO central air, public water, septic sewage, W/D hookups in closet or half-bath but machines not included, portable dishwasher that hooks to the kitchen faucet, 1 & 1/2 baths, tile flooring, plenty of closet space, nice yards, and an amazing view of the starry night sky!
Shopping~
Not much - mostly small, unique, up-scale and touristy shops on the island with a variety of spots to eat in Bar Harbor (on the other side of the island).
In Ellsworth there is a SMALL Walmart and a small strip mall with a 2 Screen Movie Theater. There aren't any chain restaurants here, but you will find a Pizza Hut, Burger King, McDonald's, Wendy's, KFC, Dunkin Donuts, Friendly's Family Restaurant, and a nice Mexican place called The Mex, a chinese place, a Thai place and a homey place called Helen's. Main shopping is done in Bangor where there is a mall, Sam's Club, Borders Bookstore, Olive Garden, K-Mart and a new Target that just opened in March 2004.
Child Care/Schools~
There are 4 elementary schools on the island and 1 high school - MDI High School.
Adult Schools~
There is an AE facility in Ellsworth. Look online.
Fun Activities~
There are tons of things to do during the summer. There are many hiking and bike trails all over the island. A majority of the island is Acadia National Park so you can look it up on the net and find out more about the island.
There are tours for Whale Watching, Island Hopping, and Wildlife Watching. Dinner Theater, Movie Theaters, Day Cruises, Kayaking, Canoeing, Sailing - as much outdoor activities as you can get in.
In the winter the choices are slim - very slim. Unless you like to do winter outdoor activities, you should plan to do some quality family time playing games, renting movies, socializing with friends.
Additional Info~
This is a very dog-friendly area. Many shops allow leashed pets to join you while shopping. There is a leash law here and pets MUST be leashed at all times (unless you are at the dog park), and you must clean up after your dog as well. This is a very clean island and I think it's because people take stuff seriously. MDI is a tourist location and July-September is very busy with the summer people coming, and traveling on and off the island can be time consuming so plan accordingly. There are MANY places to camp here, but with the tourist push things book up quickly.
Homeport ME
