Long Live L.L. Bean!

The mother ship ...

If you are within 100 miles of Freeport, Maine, then you MUST go visit L.L. Bean. In fact, if you are inside the city limits (is Freeport a city?), then state law requires that you stop in and at least browse. Some lobbyists are pushing for this to be a federal law, but I'm not sure about the status of that just yet ...

My first trip to the motherland of outdoor apparel and such must have been in the late 1980s--1987, maybe? I was in middle school, about the eighth grade, I suppose. Our family was in Maine for a good old-fashioned family vacation (think: the Griswolds), and we were hanging out with our Maine cousins. I remember speeding into Freeport in a carload of kin; my cousin Tom must have been at the wheel. I was so intrigued by the fact that the store never closes--and because of this, there are no locks on the doors. I guess this is still the case--I didn't think to check when we were there last week.

L.L. Bean has a long history in our family--and an even longer history in the extended family, including at least one former employee (Hi, Lynder!). I remember back in the day when there was no shipping fee--and some of us still don't pay shipping fees because we carry the L.L. Bean Visa. (We get free monogramming, too.) We all carry and love our L.L. Bean boat and tote bags, and I love to give these as gifts. (Perhaps you've been on the receiving end.) These bags are the bomb! So, so handy and convenient for toting around all sorts of sundries.

It's always fun to stop in and see the store and all the fun displays. It's kind of funny that I am such an L.L. Bean fan because, well, I am not the least bit outdoorsy. But I can appreciate some of this stuff. Who knows? Maybe I will go camping or hiking one day ...

Last week after dinner, Kate was WIDE awake, so Aunt Mary suggested we head over to Bean's and let her run around. That little girl had a blast! There is so much to see and explore. I enjoyed looking around, too. I only bought a few things--a little book for Kate titled "Good Night Maine" and some postcards. Turns out I had a coupon (another perk for having the credit card), which the cashier was able to look up for me and apply to my total. So I only paid $2-something.

The next morning, we headed over to take a few photos in front of the store. (It had been dark the night before.) Since I was there last, they've added a huge boot right outside the main entrance--at least I think it's the main entrance. It was placed there to commemorate L.L. Bean's 90th anniversary. Pretty cool, huh?

Here are some more photos from our visit with the Beans ...