Tour de Thrift – Stage 9

With only had a hand full of Goodwill stores in Maine left to visit so we headed off onto stage 9 of the Tour de Thrift.  This trip would take us to Windham, Gorham, Portland and South Portland. 4 Goodwill stores on black friday!

This was going to be a very busy trip with lots of stops squeezed in. In order to cover all the stops in this stage we left bright and early and headed south on Route 1. There wasn’t much traffic so we made good time to the first Goodwill store in Windham, ME. This part of Maine was new for us to explore. Windham is in close proximity to Sebago Lake and the rolling landscape reflects the agricultural heritage of the area.

Store #1
Windham Goodwill Store
31 Landing Road
Windham, ME 04062
207.892.8463
Hours: Mon. – Sat. 9:00am – 8:00pm, Sun. 10:00am – 6:00 pm
Map
*Restrooms available

Windham is a nice new store and it sits in the midst of a busy retail shopping area. The day we visited, the store wasnt crowded and we immediately found  2 mid century modern Lane Acclaim end tables. They were very worn and in need of refinishing but we snapped them up . Luckily my husband is a cabintemaker (furniture maker) so this project will be right up is alley.

We also found this great 1967 globe without it’s base so it was marked down…can’t wait to build a proper base and clean it up a bit. Not sure if we will be able to part with this beauty!

The drive to Gorham, ME our next stop was not long and it was nice to take in the scenery

Store #2
Gorham Goodwill Store
102 Main Street
Gorham, ME 04038
207-839-8503
Hours: Mon. – Sat. 9:00am – 7:00pm, Sun. 10:00am – 6:00 pm
Map
*Restrooms available

The Gorham Goodwill is a smaller older store in a shopping center on Main street. It actually attached to a Burger King restaurant! This was perfect for since we were getting pretty hungry and decided to get a quick bite to eat after we checked out Goodwill. The store had some interesting items and a steady stream of shoppers. I almost felt pressured to hurry up and make sure I wasn’t missing anything.  Do you ever get that sense or urgency, like another shopper might stumble on the very treasure you’ve been hunting for? I know, me too! But then I take a deep breath and relax, after all this is supposed to be fun, so enjoy. Today I found a nice old vintage Colliers Atlas book and since I love maps it was coming home with me.

Store #3
Portland Goodwill Store
1104 Forest Avenue
Portland, ME 04103
207.892.8463Hours: Mon. – Fri. 9:00am – 8:00pm, Sat. 9am – 9pm
Sun. 10:00am – 6:00 pm
Map
*Restrooms available

The Forest Ave Goodwill store on the north end of Portland is also an older store in a small strip mall but it was busy with shoppers and the parking lot was almost full the day of our visit. We didn’t have any luck finding treasures but now that we know about this part of town we’ll be sure to swing by again.

As we headed south on Forest Avenue on our way to our next Goodwill store in South Portland, we needed to make another stop at the artist supply store. It was right on our way just off Forest Ave. We made a right turn off of Forest to 540 Deering Street to the Artist & Craftsman Supply store. The store exterior is a wild mix of crazy bright colors and windows set on angles.

It’s tucked next to the Big Sky Bread Company and across the street from two Cafe restaurants. This was a hip little street and a fun art supply store. Next visit we will be checking out the cafe and coffee shop. Even if you don’t think you are creative you should plan a visit. They have “everything” for any type of art supply and craft as well as books, cards and unique gift items. It is hard to leave this place without buying something! We had a blast and I highly recommend a visit.

Store #4
South Portland Goodwill Store
Mill Creek Plaza
19 Market Street
South Portland, ME 04106
207-741-2056
Hours: Mon. – Sat. 9:00am – 8:00pm, Sun. 10:00am – 6:00pm
Map
*Restrooms available

Onto the next Goodwill store on our list. We drove over the Casco bay bridge into a busy commercial shopping area of South Portland. Once you cross over the bridge it’s not far to the left turn that takes you to Mill Creek Plaza adn the South Portland Goodwill store. This store is also on the small side and an older store, but it was buzzing with activity. Between the many shoppers and the over zealous workers who were so busy organizing shelves it was almost imposible to shop. I think this was the first time we couldnt get close enough to the shelves to actually shop! This was making me very cranky and I realized I probably needed coffee and a break. Time to move on and get a snack.

But first, we stopped at another of our new favorite places – the Portland Flea for All on Kennebec Street. What a fun place, with great tunes playing (Talking Heads!) and a festive atmosphere with busy shoppers and friendly vendors. We had fun chatting the vendor Alley Oop Vintage and bought a fun gift for my sister at their booth which was over flowing with vintage goodness. Check this place out if you havent yet.

Photo – Alley Oop Vintage

After another whirlwind stage of the Tour de Thrift completed we headed back up the coast. We planned to make a pit stop at the Starbucks (which we drove right past- arghh) in Falmouth and of course squeeze in one more Goodwill store. We were definitely on a roll! Once you know where all the thrift stores are located it’s hard to pass them by. After recharging our engines in Falmouth at the Subway and Dunkin Donuts ( note to self – find healthier eating options during our Tour de Thrift!) we got back on the road and then decided we would stop in at the Goodwill in Topsham and stretch our legs before the long drive back to Rockland. I found some wonderful Dansk pots and a few vintage Christmas ornaments.

For the perfect ending to our epic day of thrift shopping we stopped at the famous Moody’s Diner on route 1 in Waldoboro, ME for a bowl of “Chowdah” and piece of pie.

Photo – Moody’s Diner

Only one more Goodwill store to go to complete our tour of Maine!