Towering kitsch

The statue of legendary woodsman Paul Bunyan in the old lumber town of Bangor, Maine, is one of those pieces of kitsch that can bring a smile  on otherwise depressing days. But sadly, as Lonely Planet noted, "his view of the Penobscot River {which used to be  used to float logs down to the coast when Maine was a huge supplier of wood} is now blocked by a  casino. ''

Big fortunes were made in the wood business, and Bangor still has many mansions built by those who made these fortunes. One is below, now owned by famous writer Stephen King.