JUNE 13, 2015
ABOUT FREEPORT. Our next stop in Maine was the quaint little town of Freeport. Local legend is that the town is the birthplace of Maine, the decision to separate from Massachusetts having been made in a local tavern way back in 1789. Whether this is truth or folklore, Freeport has much to offer, including beautiful Casco Bay and lots of other spots for spectacular scenic views where the sea meets a rocky coastline. Beyond that, the town also boasts world class outlet and boutique shopping. But wait…there’s more. Freeport is also home to L.L. Bean, a premier supplier of outdoor recreation equipment.
PHOTOS TAKEN FROM A COUNTRY ROAD NEAR FREEPORT
These wildflowers are blooming everywhere we go in Maine.
It’s hard to keep your eyes on the road when driving down the country roads in Maine.
HERE ARE SOME TYPICAL NEW ENGLAND HOMES IN FREEPORT, MAINE
A typical house and barn in Freeport, Maine.
These folks take pretty good care of their lawns, I’d say!
This home has a view of the wharf and the bay. I’d move here in a flash but for the long, cold winters.
Red barns dot the New England countryside. I’d love to have one behind the house and garage. Even if you didn’t have animals, it’d be a great place for a man cave!
L.L. BEAN COMPANY. L.L. Bean is a privately held mail-order, online and retail company founded in 1912 and it’s Freeport’s most famous destination. The company specializes in outdoor clothing and recreation equipment. Not one, not two, but five huge, separate Bean stores are clustered around a company park, where fireworks, concerts and other programs are presented during the summer. Each of the five specialty stores is as large as your local Sears store, I’m not kidding! In addition to the Flagship Home Store, open 24 hours every day of the year, there are activity-specific stores such as one for hunting and fishing supplies and another for bike, boat and ski equipment. If you’re looking for an outdoor-related item and you can’t find it here, it probably doesn’t exist.
They’ve got more hiking boots inside the store…probably 50,000 pair!
L.L. Bean’s Hunting and Fishing Store in Freeport. There are four other huge Bean stores in this same shopping complex. It you’re looking for an outdoor recreation item and can’t find it in one of the L.L. Bean stores, it probably doesn’t exist!
OUTLETS AND BOUTIQUES. You’ve been to other outlet stores right? They’re typically located one-after-another in a big nondescript mall. Not in Freeport. Here, world-class shops and outlets are attractively housed along quaint, narrow downtown streets in varied New England style buildings, interspersed with Inns, restaurants other eateries. Everything from Polo to Patagonia, from Brooks Brothers to Coach…it’s all here! Bargains or treasures. I found a pair of cool Topsiders for only $65. A couple stores down the street, Florence found a blouse she liked in a little boutique and it cost $375. Luckily, she decided against it. But this gives you an idea of how varied a shopping experience it can be just walking down the street in Freeport.
Polo Ralph Lauren Outlet Store in Freeport.
Another group of outlet stores in Freeport.
WOLFE’S NECK WOODS STATE PARK. Just a five minute drive from Freeport’s bustling shopping district, marshes and open fields provide a tranquil transformation back to nature, as it exists on the rocky shorelines of Casco Bay. The park’s signature residents are the Ospreys who nest on nearby Googins Island.
Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park
TOMORROW WE’RE TAKING A DAY-TRIP TO NEARBY PORTLAND, MAINE. COME BACK SOON AND CHECK IT OUT.
