WILLOW CREEK — A blue-and-white Prevost motorcoach pulled into the municipal parking lot at 10 a.m. on June 5 carrying 45 passengers from New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania — the first of what the town hopes will be a regular season of bus-tour visits.
Northeast Heritage Tours, a Vermont-based operator specializing in New England cultural itineraries, has added Willow Creek as the first stop on its five-day “Aroostook Adventure” package. The weekly Wednesday visit includes a guided walk along the Mattawamkeag River Trail, lunch at The Dry Dock, a stop at O’Flaherty’s Maple, and free time at the General Store.
“We wanted a destination that felt authentic — not a souvenir strip, but a real working town where people live and make things,” said tour director Patricia Holloway. “Willow Creek fits that perfectly.”
The weekly stop is expected to deliver $1,200 to $1,500 per visit in direct spending across local businesses, according to Board of Selectmen projections.
Maeve O’Donnell scheduled extra staff for Wednesday mornings and stocked up on postcards, maple candy, and locally made crafts. Dean Moreau created a fixed-price motorcoach lunch menu to ensure his kitchen could handle the sudden influx.
“The bus crowd is different from the paddling crowd,” Moreau said. “They’re older, they tip well, and they want to hear stories. That’s something we can deliver.”
The tour company has already booked the full 12-week season through August, with an option to expand to twice-weekly visits in 2024.