Shops and Services: Best of the Rest

[1]

cross-country ski shop
Photo Credit: Jennifer Baum
Carter’s X-C Ski Shop
If seventy-five bucks for a lift ticket isn’t lifting your spirits much this winter, we still recommend hitting the trails . . . the flat ones. You know, cross-country trails, the ones requiring you to break a sweat to get anywhere. For our money, the best people to get you trekking are the folks at Carter’s X-C Ski Shop, with centers in Bethel and Oxford. A family affair, Carter’s has been renting and selling equipment for almost thirty years, and their passionate expertise will set you on the right path, no matter what your skiing savvy or skill. Plus, at Carter’s it’s shop and ski. Both centers feature miles of groomed trails to traverse — just you, the skis, and the trees. 420 Main St., Oxford (Rte. 26), 207-539-4848 and 786 Intervale Rd., Bethel, 207-824-3880, www.cartersxcski.com [2]

maine spa treatment
Blueberry Body Wrap
Upon entering the Cliff House Resort & Spa in Ogunquit, you are kindly directed to the locker room (complete with a sauna) where you change into a robe and sandals. From there, enjoy tea and fruit by the fire while waiting for your personal massage therapist, who greets you and takes you into your dimly lit treatment room. On the table your body is fully exfoliated, then wrapped in an all-natural antioxidizing mixture of freshly puréed blueberries and seaweed. You are wrapped in several layers of heat-conducting blankets, given a scalp and neck massage, and then gently rinsed and slathered with a fragrant blueberry lotion. This fifty minute, $110 treatment is definitely one of the most creative uses of Maine’s abundant natural resources we’ve enjoyed. Shore Rd., Ogunquit, 207-361-1000, www.cliffhousemaine.com [3]

consignment shop
Material Objects
Even Madonna couldn’t complain about the finds at Material Objects, one of Maine’s oldest and most popular consignment shops. Girls and guys alike can take advantage of this institution that has been servicing fashion-seeking Portlanders for thirty years. Consider it clothing recycling. Not only can you set up an appointment to get rid of your old clothes (call ahead — slots are booked months in advance due to popularity), but you get at least 50 percent of any sales. If you’re not interested in cleaning out your closet, simply scour the store’s shelves for trendy bags, shoes, hats, accessories, and clothing. It’s a treasure hunt on the cheap. 500 Congress St # 1, Portland, 207-774-1241

maine-made game

Photo Credit: Courtesy Robbins Toy
Ultimate Spinner Game
What makes a kid happier than one game? How about twelve? That’s the theory behind the Ultimate Spinner Game from Searsmont’s Robbins Toy. Five spinner boards form the foundation of twelve different games and activities. Some of the games are goofy, some educational, and all are geared towards younger tots. The game is one of the only board games made in Maine and is manufactured by Robbins Lumber, which also makes home furniture and equestrian equipment. Pick it up at independent toy stores across the state for just $49.95. While you’re shopping, look out for Lob the Lobstah, another Robbins game with the objective of tossing as many lobsters into the lobster pot as possible. Robbins Toy, P.O. Box 9, Searsmont, 207-342-5221, www.robbinstoy.com [4]

pet food store

Photo Credit: Courtesy The Animal House
The Animal House
Trying to find Fido the right food? Head to Damariscotta. That’s where you’ll find the Animal House, the aptly named authority on all things dietary for your furry friends. Think of it as a health-food store for pets: you’ll find nothing but 100 percent real ingredients in all the brands sold here. The store also offers other pet necessities, plus one for the pet parents: a self-service washing facility. Owner Aubrey Martin offers sought-after advice on animal nutrition as well as classes (like pet first aid and CPR), fund-raisers, health clinics, and parties for the pet community, two- and four-legged alike. 372 Main St., Damariscotta, 207-563-5595, www.theanimalhouse.net [5]

gym

Photo Credit: Jennifer Baum
Saco Sport & Fitness
More than 2,500 members can attest to this southern Maine club’s superb facilities and welcoming community. All ages and abilities populate the 25,000-square-foot building in Saco from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily or 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. And for forty-eight dollars a month these members have access to more than sixty classes, two racquetball courts, a basketball court, an outdoor pool, top-of-the-line exercise equipment and weights, and experienced trainers. But what really sets Saco Sport & Fitness apart is a lounge complete with a beer-serving café for post-workout socializing. (Okay, perhaps some gym goers won’t be excited by that amenity, but we are.) Another big plus is the kids’ club, otherwise known as physically active daycare for kids whose parents are working out. 329 North St., Saco, 207-284-5953, www.sacofitness.com [6]

eco friendliness

Photo Credit: Courtesy The Green Store
The Green Store
Sustainability is more than just the cause du jour for Ellie Daniels and her crew at the Green Store on Main Street in Belfast. They were selling nontoxic baby toys before nontoxic was even a word. Founded fifteen years ago by Daniels and three friends — who have since left the business — with thirty thousand dollars and absolutely no experience in retail sales, the store has become a mecca for people who want to live lightly on the planet. It’s still in the same ancient building with tin ceilings and a funky wooden floor, and it still sells the constantly popular plastic bag dryer, a wooden contraption with eight fingers that lets you wash and reuse those plastic bread bags until they can’t be used again — at which point Daniels will tell you to cut them into strips to tie up tomato plants.
71 Main St., Belfast, 207-338-4045, www.greenstore.com [7]