ExploringMaine.com
Shopping Maine, old and new
Tourists like to shop. Yes, they like the Maine scenery, seafood, museums and historic sites, but they enjoy picking up anything from trinkets to major purchases, brand-new or antique, to mark their stay in Maine.
And while fall may be noted as foliage season, you only have to try to drive through some of the state's shopping meccas on Columbus Day weekend to realize that fall – with Christmas just a couple of months away – is shopping season, as well.
Two magnet shopping centers lure tourists and natives alike. Kittery and Freeport not only welcome shoppers to their outlet stores and the local attractions of L.L. Bean and Kittery Trading Post, but also have historical forts and houses, state parks and preserves that deserve attention, too.
Kittery, a stone's throw from Portsmouth, N.H., across the Piscataqua River, boasts of 120 outlet shops lining both sides of Route 1.
The shops are open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 6 on Sundays. The full range of apparel, home furnishings, accessories, children's items and shoes flourishes in the stores. Restaurants are also available; they give energy to the shoppers to continue their spending.
Special discounts and sales lure more people into the shops. AAA cards often bring a lower price. Senior citizens get 10 percent off their purchases on Tuesdays. Columbus Day weekend encourages more shoppers to come to the outlets with even deeper sales, and the holidays will have their usual enticements of lower prices.
Kittery's outlets have many of the same stores that Freeport's do.
However, there are different ones that deserve mention. Hanna Andersson, a children's store founded in Portland, Ore., has a popular outlet off Route 1. Crate & Barrel, a national home furnishing and kitchen item store, has a niche in the community, as does Kittery Trading Post, which provides outerwear and apparel. Orvis and Under Armour also have shops that are in demand.
After shopping, visitors may well want to see Lady Pepperill House, a circa 1760 Georgian building in Kittery Point. It's a private residence today, but occasionally the house is open to the public.
Its neighbor, Fort McClary, stands 275 feet above the interstate river. It has a hexagonal fort, a blockhouse and brick magazine built in 1808. From the Revolutionary War through World War II, the fort provided protection for the Piscataqua River region.
Portsmouth also has stunning historical residences. Strawbery Banke (603-433-1100), an outdoor history museum with 42 historic buildings, is open daily through Oct. 31 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The $15 admission fee is good for two days.
Moffatt-Ladd House (603-436-8221), a circa 1763 Georgian mansion, stays open until Oct. 18 with guided tours. Its fee is $6.
Heading up the coast 70 miles on the Maine Turnpike and then Interstate 295 to Freeport is a second magnet shopping area.
Freeport is home to L.L. Bean, a landmark in the state that started decades ago as a hunting and fishing store. All its items are backed by the legendary 100 percent satisfaction guarantee. The L.L. Bean outlet store, in the new Village Station shopping center, is pulsating with shoppers.
About 200 shops line Main Street for several miles. The Village Station, a block below Main Street, has an additional 600 parking spaces to ease the car crunch. All the shops in the new center have agreed to remain open until 9 p.m. Longer hours should encourage more shoppers to remain on site.
Store owners have been optimistic about the summer traffic. A saleswoman at Ralph Lauren comments, "We've been very busy this season, and the continual rain has helped. Even on hot days in August, the customers have come in."
A new street eatery, A.J. Dogs, has enticed the attention of shoppers. Co-owner Jennifer Yilmaz has been happy with the foot traffic. "Cloudy days bring people to us for freshly squeezed lemonade, hot dogs or sandwiches." The five eateries dot the street landscape.
For a break in shopping, Freeport offers Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park and Mast Landing sanctuary. L.L. Bean also has Outdoor Discovery Schools in the immediate area where customers may receive fly fishing instruction, archery lessons, kayaking classes and sporting clay help.
For only $15, participants have close to two hours of instruction. They can then determine if they want to invest in their own equipment.
South Freeport lays claim to lovely old houses. There is a good restaurant, Harraseeket Lunch and Lobster Co., on Casco Bay at the end of Main Street. Islands poke up through the water, and boats zigzag around them.
Magnet malls are not the only attraction on the coast. Antique stores and auction houses have their own following.
Wiscasset has 34 antique stores. One of the newer shops is French and VanDyke (882-8302), at 8 Federal St. Open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the shop carries traditional English, French and American furniture.
Richard French, a co-owner, says, "Business has been good this summer, as we are getting many return customers. Our items are appealing, and you may find something for under $100 or over $50,000."
An attached barn houses Matthew Robinson's antiques, which are eclectic in nature. He combines 20th-century industrial pieces with 18th-century furniture. Two Della Robbia fireplaces, with the iconic blue and white design, are for sale. (He also has an antique store, Trifles, on Front Street in Bath.)
Fort Andross Mill in Brunswick has an antique mall.
Montsweag Flea Market in Woolwich draws crowds on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays. Antiques are highlighted on Wednesdays, and activity begins by 7 a.m. More shops are tucked away in small villages on the peninsulas.
Auction houses are also popular. Cyr's (657-5253) in Gray has a booming business. Kaja Veilleux Auction House (354-8141) in Thomaston has a large following, too. Foster Auction Gallery on Route 1 in Newcastle attracts bidders as well. Estate sales are also held in private houses; visitors are welcome.
Magnet stores and antiques are major attractions on the coast of Maine. Specialty shops tucked into downtowns, like Portland and Kennebunkport, can also be fun to discover.
Enjoy autumn weather at the same time you shop – or bid on an irresistible item. Kittery, Freeport, Wiscasset and Woolwich provide untold opportunities to purchase something special found in Maine.
Kitty Wheeler is a freelance writer who lives in Wiscasset.