48 HOURS-October 2013
Photographs + stories by Maine magazine staff:
Heidi Kirn

Heidi Kirn
Art Director, Maine Home+Design

Friday

3:00 p.m. @ 75 Market Street  We leave 75 Market Street with my two excited kids, Lily and Charlie,in the back seat.Crawling up North 295 in rain, thick fog, and summer traffic is somehow soothing to me: we are in no rush. We get off the highway and explore the back roads.

4:30 p.m. Rainbow Valley Farm, Sidney Maine   The green fields and red barns are electric against the gray sky. We pull over to take photos of a farm we pass. The men rounding up the cows pull down a solar-powered stoplight and open the gate for the cows to cross into the green pastures to graze on the other side of the road.

5:30 p.m. @ Fireside Inn  The hotel is right off of I-95. Conveniently located for those exploring Waterville, it’s also a great place to stay overnight on the way north or as a jumping-off point to the nearby Belgrade Lakes area. Keith, at the front desk, eagerly gives us some recommendations for places to eat, including a newer place, 18 Below Raw Bar, and an old favorite, Mainely Brews Restaurant and Brewhouse.

6:00 p.m. @ Patkus Guitars + Grand Central Cafe  Windows filled with gorgeous vintage acoustic guitars catch my eye and we peer in. Owner Dennis Patkus has been making fine acoustic guitars by hand for over 15 years. He has a few beautiful vintage ones on consignment in his storefront workshop. Tired and hungry, the smell of brick-oven pizza coming from Grand Central Cafe draws us in. With Scrabble tiles and other games at the tables, the relaxed vibe is just what we need after our road trip. I order a barbeque chicken salad and the family orders brick-oven pizza. Everyone is happy.

8:00 p.m. @ North Street Dairy Cone  I see the original sign lit up outside and I am already in love. Rachel and Donald Paradis greet me and we talk about how the business has been in the family for 52 years. The ice cream is all made right there on the premises.

9:00 p.m. @ Bull Moose Records  Bull Moose is open until 10:00 p.m., and who doesn’t love a late-night browse through books and music? They have a huge selection of new and used music, books, and DVDs. I flip through the albums and Charlie finds a used Wii game.

Saturday

9:00 a.m. @ Early Bird Restaurant  We are the not-so-early birds at the early-bird diner but it was nice to sleep in. It is a no-frills, seat-yourself place full of people who appear to be locals. I catch one man sitting at the counter writing out a check for his breakfast.

10:00 a.m. @ Alden Camps My friend Anne Roberts has worked here for many summers, so we decide to pull in, take a look, and catch up with her. The classic 1845 farmhouse has a wonderful wraparound porch where the meals are served. After a tour, we head to the adorable rustic cottages right on the pond. Later, we run into a couple staying at the camps, Wayne Croft and Lee Ann Hohmann-Croft, who excitedly show us their cabin and spend over an hour talking to us about their last 13 years visiting the camp each summer. In the end, they declare that we are “camp worthy.” Before leaving, I take a few minutes to sit in a rocking chair on the porch of one of the cabins with the water lapping underneath. I watch the loons on the lake and feel myself and the world slowing down.

12:00 p.m. @ The Last Unicorn Restaurant  Both indoor and outdoor seating, as well as  homemade sauces, dressings, and soups, make this a great stop for lunch or dinner. The kids order chilled strawberry soup and I have a salad with the house green goddess dressing.

1:00 p.m. @ Madlyn’s New and Used Consignment Shop  After lunch we stroll down Main Street to this secondhand store. In the vintage room we have fun checking out the funky 70s clothes. Charlie is thrilled to find a Johnny Damon home jersey for $7. Talk about a happy kid.

1:30 p.m. @ Main Street, downtown Waterville  Waterville’s downtown is full of historic brick and stone buildings from the late 1800s and early 1900s, which we wander in and out of. Children’s Book Cellar has a great selection of books, games, and toys for children of all ages. Barrels Community Market is full of local finds from veggies to coffee and meat. Holy Cannoli looks like the real deal, with pastries and cannoli, as well as a freezer full of lasagnas and other dinners. Maine Made and More has any souvenir or Maine-made product you might be looking for.

2:00 p.m. @ Heirloom Antiques  Boots, scarves, dresses, jewelry—there are so many vintage gems and midcentury modern design items in here it is hard to focus. I find a cool leather jacket and a vintage scarf. Nicole, the owner, is really friendly and we talk for a while. Soon they will be moving to a new location, 19 Temple Street. I look forward to visiting the new store.

2:45 p.m. @ Record Connection  This place is packed with impeccably kept and cataloged records and books—a collector’s dream. You could spend hours upon hours in this place flipping through every genre of music known to man. Be sure to check out the room upstairs with $1 records. Bob is meticulously wiping down books and records during our visit, and we talk and learn that he has been the owner for the past 33 years. We leave with an original Quadrophenia album by The Who and some Mad magazine books, but know we need to return. The place in itself is worthy of a road trip to Waterville for record collectors and music lovers.

4:30 p.m. @ Common Street Arts  Director Kate Barnes tells us about the current exhibition of big, bold, expressive paintings by Angela Dufresne, called Cinema Covers.

5:15 p.m. @ Modern Underground  Heading down the stairs, I am giddy with excitement after seeing midcentury antiques packed in from front to back. An orange vintage TV I have been coveting online taunts me, along with a George Nelson for Herman Miller five-drawer chest. There is a whole wall of vintage stereo equipment, speakers, tables, and tube amplifiers. Brian Kallgren is very knowledgable about the equipment and we all chat for awhile. On the way out we see Lebanese Cuisine, an authentic-looking bakery serving tabouli, shawarma, and falafel. We’ll have to stop there next time we visit.

6:30 p.m. @ Gifford’s Mini Golf and Batting Cage  In order to get Charlie to come to all the stores with us today, we promised him we would hit up the batting cages next to Gifford’s Ice Cream later in the day. After about 100 balls he has worked up an appetite for dinner.

7:30 p.m. @ Buen Apetito  Both Friday and Saturday nights there is an eager crowd waiting to get in. We are greeted at the table with fresh tortilla chips and an assortment of salsas. It is immediately obvious the wait was worth it! Soon there are freshly made margaritas on the table. The room is lively and the portions are huge. We notice some sauces on the menu, ask which ones they recommend we take home, and leave with Jalisco Hot Blueberry and Jalisco Hot Apple-Cranberry sauces! Next door is Railroad Square Cinema, which plays independent films. Drew has told me about their $1 movie nights on Tuesdays.

Sunday

7:00 a.m. @ Fireside Inn  The hotel has a nice workout room with a treadmill, some free-weights and a flat-screen TV. I take advantage while the family sleeps in.

9:00 a.m. @ Big G’s Deli  Our Maine magazine Facebook fans raved about this place. New York City deli meets Maine homemade food and prices! The sandwiches are possibly the largest I have ever seen and the whoopie pies are as big as Charlie’s head. Bring your appetite and cash, as it is cash-only.

10:00 a.m. @ Waterville-Winslow Two-Cent Bridge and Common Green area  On our way to Colby College, we pass an antique car show happening on the green in front of the Two-Cent Bridge. We walk up and down the rows of these beautifully restored cars. My favorite was the Red Chevy Bel Air.

12:00 p.m. @ Colby Museum of Art  Colby sits on top of a hill and can be seen from many parts of town. We drive through the beautiful, 200-year-old campus with a mix of classic brick and modern buildings and arrive at the newly opened Alfond-Lunder Family Pavilion at the museum of art. In the glass-enclosed stairwell is an enormous three-story colorful painting by Sol LeWitt. The museum has impressive collections and exhibitions. One of the family favorites was Alex Katz: A Matter of Light.

3:00 p.m. @ Jorgensen’s Cafe We stop at this Main Street coffee and sandwich shop for iced coffee, salads, and sandwiches, before we hit the road.