The Villages Tour is an audio driving tour of Piscataquis County highlighting the history and culture that makes that area of the state truly unique in Maine and the world. The tour route winds through 15 villages, covers approximately 134 miles and takes 4 hours if driven in one session. A beautiful color logo directs the traveler to the sites along the route, which are complemented with interpretive signage. Signs are already in place at Low's Bridge on Rt. 15 in Guilford, Shirley Center, Sebec Village, and Brownville. Ultimately, 25 to 30 sites will have signage.

The interpretive signage will be linked together with a series of CDs, which will contain stories, voices, and original music from Piscataquis County as well as guidance to chosen sites. A website will also be an integral part of the project in the future, where potential tourists could visit it and burn portions of, or the entire tour, on CD, or download it to their iPod or an mp3 player. Snippets of tour sites, stories, and music will enhance the website and entice the visitor to learn more. Printed maps and tour guides will complete the package. The CDs, maps, and tour guides will be made available through local businesses and tourism venues as well as on the web.

"We're all very happy to have received this generous grant from the Maine Humanities Council. We'll be using these funds to help produce the audio portion of the tour as well as to build a website for marketing and sales of the Villages Tour materials." said Gayle Watson, Chair of the project.

"This grant award is clear evidence that The Villages Tour is an extremely worthwhile, high-quality, unique tourism product. Perhaps its biggest selling point is that it is entirely locally created and manufactured, allowing Piscataquis County residents to decide which stories should be told through the signs' text, as well as keeping more dollars circulating in the local economy," said Thomas Kittredge, Executive Director of the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council (PCEDC).

The mission of The Villages Tour is to generate a positive effect on the Piscataquis County economy by highlighting its unique cultural history, and by enhancing the understanding and appreciation of this beautiful county, while educating, entertaining, and creating a sense of community and cultural pride.

The Villages Tour began as a project of the Penquis Leadership Institute Class of 2005-2006. Some of the graduates of the class formed the Villages Committee to follow the project through to completion. Villages is now under the umbrella of the Piscataquis Tourism Task Force, a committee of the PCEDC.