Located in Cumberland County, Freeport, Maine is perhaps best known for its picturesque outlet stores—even the local McDonald’s has been designed to look like a quaint bed and breakfast. No wonder Yankee Magazine named it “Best Shopping Town in New England.”

Once part of North Yarmouth, Freeport broke off and became its own entity on February 14, 1789. Bordering Brunswick and Durham to the north, Freeport shares borders with Cumberland and Harpswell in Casco Bay. In 1912, Leon Leonwood Bean changed the tenor of the town forever when he began selling the Bean boot in his apparel shop, L.L. Bean, Freeport’s main attraction.

Beyond L.L. Bean, here are five finds in Freeport you don’t want to miss.

Jill McGowan
Location: 56 Main Street

Jill McGowan, a former menswear pattern maker, and her sister and business partner, Jolene McGowan, created their first line—a collection of women’s white shirts—over 20 years ago. The pair started making their own clothes for school in the ’70s, using material and notions from the local fabric store. As entrepreneurs, they were on a mission to create the perfect garment, and so the Great White Shirt was born. Today their iconic shirts and seasonal collections—all made in the USA—can be found in their flagship Freeport store, as well as online and in stores throughout the country.

Azure Cafe
123 Main Street

A few doors down from L.L. Bean, Azure Cafe is owned by Jonas and Kate Werner. The couple left the corporate world in 2003 to open a cafe that features fresh, local ingredients. Their housemade New England Clam Chowder won Freeport’s Chowder Challenge—no small feat in a state known for fresh seafood—and picked up Yankee Magazine’s Editors Choice Award. Dine in or outside under their red umbrellas and watch the hustle and bustle pass you by.

RD Allen
13 Middle Street

If you want something to remember your Maine trip by, RD Allen’s affordable Maine watermelon tourmaline could be just the thing. Customers can pick the gem of their choice and help design a piece suited for them on site. In business for 11 years, RD Allen has been voted Best of the Best jewelry and gift store a few times over. Staff artisans handcraft everything from diamond earrings to lobster pendants and, yes, dog tags.

New Beginnings Consignment Boutique
27 Bow Street

Sure, outlets offer lower prices. But savvy shoppers will love the options at New Beginnings Consignment Boutique, Freeport’s first-rate consignment shop. If you are looking for that designer dress and heels or a trendy new bag, this is a must stop. Brands from Burberry and Garnet Hill, to Coach and Boden are not uncommon. Their slogan—“The Look for Less”—means you could leave with a treasure or three.

Scott Bowe Art Gallery
32 Maine Street

Scott Bowe Art Gallery is a mecca for local artists and dedicated to supporting their work. Why not top off your Freeport visit with a piece of Maine art? If you stop by the gallery, your chances of getting to talk with the artist are pretty good.

Top image: Photo courtesy of Azure Cafe.

The post Five Finds in Freeport, Maine appeared first on Take Magazine.

Charles Dimmick spends a lot of time on the road. He is the concertmaster of the Portland (Maine) Symphony Orchestra, the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, Boston’s Odyssey Opera, and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, as well as a founding member of the Monadnock Music String Quartet and a player at the New Hampshire Music Festival in the summer. When we profiled him earlier in this issue, we asked him for a few of his favorite New Hampshire haunts when he’s not playing his 1785 Antonio Gagliano violin.

When my wife, Rachel Brauge—who plays piccolo in the same orchestras as I do—and I are staying in Plymouth, New Hampshire, for the New Hampshire Music Festival, we often travel to the White Mountains. Here are some of our favorite destinations in New Hampshire:

Sugar Hill ➊ has spectacular mountain views and interesting wildlife. As an added bonus, Polly’s Pancake Parlor ➋ is a short car ride away.

We’ll often follow breakfast with a short hike to the beautiful Bridal Veil Falls on the Coppermine Trail in Franconia ➌, or, if my wife can talk me into it, a trip to the Garnet Hill outlet. [Editor’s note: This mail-order company specializing in fine natural-fiber merchandise was founded in Franconia in 1976.]

Mount Moosilauke in Benton ➍ is another favorite hiking destination, in part because it is a bit less frequented and also because there is a rather unexpected piece of scenery in the neighboring town of Warren: a decommissioned NASA Redstone rocket ➎ that stands proudly in the town center.

When we want to fit in a hike between morning and evening rehearsals, we’ll often head to the Welch/Dickey Mountain Trail in Thornton ➏. The hike is strenuous but not terribly long and has sensational views. After the hike, we frequently head back to Plymouth for a burger at the Common Man ➐ and ice cream at their charming ice cream stand, Frosty Scoops.

This article originally appeared in the print issue of Take magazine available here.

Charles Dimmick–violinist
Website

Illustration by SLOAN TOMLINSON

The post Daytripping with Violinist Charles Dimmick appeared first on Take Magazine.