Variety - Wildlife Refuges, Globes, and Retail

Just a couple of miles from last night's campground, we found the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, which provided us with a short guided hike through a preserved marshland.  Rachel Carson is mostly known for her 1962 book "Silent Spring", which led to the banning of DDT -- the "silent" referring to the steadily declining bird populations.  The site we visited is one of several parcels belonging to the Carson NWR along the Maine coast.

We continued on the coastal route towards Freeport, but as in the past, we relied on the AAA Guide for information about the towns we drove through --- Kennebunkport, Saco, Old Orchard Beach, etc.  When we got to Yarmouth, we were excited (no exaggeration - we're admitted map nerds) to read that we were close to "EARTHA", the 41.5 foot rotating globe at the headquarters of DeLorme, the company known for publishing maps and those famous detailed atlases of our states.

Me at Hudson's Bay (on the third floor of EARTHA)

The gift shop was full of maps and globes and fun puzzles and games, so we couldn't leave without at least buying a Maine Gazeteer.

John with his brand new Maine Gazeteer (in front of the second floor of EARTHA)

Then it was on to Freeport, which has changed  immensely since we first saw it 32 years ago.   We recall that back then, L.L. Bean was the only game in town - open 24 hours.

 
Now Freeport has become a factory outlet Mecca with just about every brand name you can think of -- Ralph Lauren, Orvis, Talbots, Patagonia etc.   The saddest thing I think, is that the town's beautiful old Carnegie Library is now the home of the retail outlet for Abercrombie and Fitch.  I suppose it's better than tearing down the venerable century-old building, but, really --- Abercrombie and Fitch, the purveyors of the vapid and self-obsessed?  Such is progress!