DOWNEAST IN DEPTH: ELLSWORTH AREA

ELLSWORTH is Hancock County's Shiretown and, curiously, the nation's second largest city, taking a back seat only to Los Angeles. We're talking about square miles here, not population even at the height of tourist season. We're thinking that whoever staked out Ellsworth had seriousdelusions of grandeur. What evolved is a bit more humble, but a whole lot nicer than any big city. COMING INTO ELLSWORTH on the Bangor Road, you'll see Ellsworth Physical Therapy, New Land Florist, the All in the Family Resale Shop, Woodland Studios silk screening and embroidery, Falls Market, and Old Whitney House Antiques. S BAKER INTERIOR DESIGNS is on your left. Owner Sheila S. Baker is an expert at manipulating elements of interior space to create balanced, harmonious, stylish designs that are conducive to comfortable living. Down the road to your right is a riverside park. Just before the Mill Mall is a Dunkin Donuts. In the Mill Mall, is Sylvia's Cafe (which offers free home fries with most breakfast specials) and a Sears outlet.. For the area's best deals on furniture, check out the Furniture Warehouse and Discount Sleep Shop. Other mill Mall businesses include a beauty salon and barber shop, the Craft Barn, a University of Maine educational center, Sleepers, Willey's Gun Shop, and a bank. Just beyond the Mill Mall is a YMCA and Friend and Friend recreational vehicles INTEGRATED THERAPIES At the light, you can turn onto Main Street. (This is also Route One; you would turn here if you are going to Blue Hill or Bucksport). Looking for something hot? Just up Main Street, The Mex as been serving its memorable sauce since 1979. Call 207-667-4494. If you know what's good for you, you'll food shop at John Edwards Natural Foods on Main Street in Ellsworth. He stocks all the best stuff, and at prices you can afford. Call 207-667-9377. In the lower level, Josh the Artist has an interesting gallery. Ellsworth Chiropractic on Main Street is the place to go for a body tune-up. Michelle LaPlante, D.C. offers a wide range of chiropractic and natural treatment options, focused on using the body’s own natural healing abilities. The Grand Auditorium provides the Downeast region with a wide range of theatrical services - everything from live productions and classic films to special programs for children. The local Gilbert and Sullivan Society performs here. Call 207-667-9500. The Grasshopper Shop (Ellsworth, Bangor, Camden) is unique for its wide variety, says co-owner Ken Schweikert. On hand are perhaps 1,500 different greeting cards, 2,500 different ear rings, 100 designs for T-shirts. Schweikert says he deals with at least 1,000 vendors. You can find clothing for men, women and children at Vicki’s Second to None Thrift Shop on Main Street The Riverside Cafe on Main Street may not be beside the river exactly (it used to be, but it moved), but we can heartily recommend the food. We especially like the eggs benedict. The local chamber of commerce has voted it the Business of the Year for the year 2000. On the other side of Main Street, CLEONICE is an authentic Mediterranean bistro. Nearby, Main Street Citgo provides a broad range of automotive services, including Transtech, a service that replaces virtually every last drop of your transmission fluid. There's a mechanic on duty here seven days a week. Linda Keady’s Celtic Rainbow located within The Main Grind at 192 Main Street in Ellsworth is a great gift shop specializing in Celtic jewelry, music and most anything  Celtic-related. 207-667-9779.  She also has her original  location on West Street in Bar Harbor. 207-288-3860 stop by either location and let them know you saw their ad in this year’s Captain D. Other Main Street businesses hereabouts include Terra Cotton Stylish Things, the Calypso Restaurant, J&B Atlantic, Studio 3, For The Fun of It toys, Beal’s Gift Shop, the Bud Connection, Appletree Books, Indigo Orchid, a karote place, and Rooster Brothers. Just off Main Street on South Street, the LOBSTERPOT RESTAURANT combines excellent service with locally grown foods, homemade desserts, and fresh seafood. Ellsworth’s only riverside restaurant, the Lobster Pot is within comfortable walking distance of the municipal wharf. Atlantic Art Glass at 25 Pine Street in Ellsworth is one of the coolest places we’ve been to for authentic art glass. Their glass blowing operation is open to the public to stop by and view. Ken and Linda  the owners are right out straight producing some of the most beautiful and colorful glassware to be found around the Downeast area. They may not have much time to talk , but  encourage folks to stop by and shop for a one of a kind creation. Call for days and time open 207-664-0222 At the Old Creamery Art and Antiques on Hancock Street, you'll find quality antiques and collectibles with much emphasis on Maine artisans and Maine-made products. Over on School Street, the UNION RIVER GALLERY promises to provide Ellsworth serious, year-round exposure to fine art and fine crafts. Limited edition prints from renown artists and poster prints are available. The gallery also offers complete custom framing services. Call 207-667-7700. The guys at COMPUTER REPAIR are whizzes when it comes to fixing pc's. (They've even helped me out with my Mac on those rare occasions when something went wrong.) Want Gourmet Ice Cream? Look no further stop by 13 School Street in Ellsworth and See Sarah at Morton’s Ice Cream. Located on the same property as Union River Gallery, there is plenty of parking space. You’ll find the best DownEast Ice Cream, Italian Gelato and Sorbet. They also Serve Coffee Tea and  some Pastry to compliment your Ice Cream Selection. Sea Glass Infusion is situated behind the Riverside Cafe.  They offer    remarkably beautiful jewelry created from Salt Water washed sea glass found along the Downeast coast.  Owners Randy and Heather Ingraham are some of the nicest and most talented folks you’ll ever meet.  Stop on by and check out their great shop and let them know you saw their ad in this year’s Captain D.207-667-0505 Take the heat off your feet. Stop by and see the folks at Shoegazer, Ellsworth's newest shoe store. Ellsworth has an excellent used book shop, The Book Shelf, on State Street. The owners here take their inventory seriously. The Congregational Church on State St. is a handsome example of early New England church architecture. Check out the Scandinavian motif on the nearby city hall. Across the street, the Tilsdale house, a classic Federal-style home built in 1817, has been converted into a modern public library. Locals say the State Street Market takes the best sub sandwiches in town. They also say that Charlie’s Pizza makes the best (and least expensive) pizzas in town. Our advice: Don’t follow the money; follow the locals. Charlie’s delivers anywhere in the area. Call 207/667-3189. Go a little ways west on Route One go you’ll get to the Twilite Motel. Here you’ll find all the comforts of home and reasonable rates. They’re open year round. On the Blue Hill Road, the Col. Black Mansion (1824-1828), also called Woodlawn, is a three story, brick Federal country house with a columned portico and balustrades that was built as a combination home and office by John Black, a young land agent from England. It took three years to build, as the bricks came by sea from Philadelphia and the skilled workmen from Boston. Three generations of the Black family lived in this house, and it remained virtually unchanged throughout their ownership. The estate, with all the original rich furnishings, decorative objects, and historical artifacts, was bequeathed to the public by the grandson of John Black in 1928 and has since been administered by the Hancock County Trustees of Public Reservations. Located at the rear of the house are a restored country garden and a carriage house filled with interesting old carriages and sleighs. It is open June 1 - Oct. 15, Monday-Saturday, 10-5. Admission. BACK ON HIGH STREET (this also is Route 3, the Bar Harbor Road, the road to Acadia National Park) you’ll pass the Ellsworth Motel, Cadillac Mountain Sports, a Subway and a Denny’s, a Comfort Inn, Windor Chairmakers, Mainely Music, a Movie Gallery, Martha’s Diner, Ellsworth Photo Center, Chamber of Commerce Information Center. Perhaps you'll feel better about getting sick away from home if you realize you can get excellent medical treatment without an appointment at MedNow on High Street in Ellsworth. They're open 363 days a year (they close Thanksgiving and Christmas) and provide in addition to urgent assistance comprehensive and on-going family and individual health care, including diagnostic x-rays and electrocardiograms. There are even fine laboratory facilities. They welcome medicare and Blue Shield patients, and Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. They also are members of the Trade Exchange. Call 207-667-4655 for more ßinformation. L.L. Bean has a factory outlet in Ellsworth at which it offers returns and seconds at reduced prices as well as first-quality merchandise. (Nationally, factory outlets move around $6 billion worth of merchandise each year. New England has more outlets than any other region of the country.) he Monroe Salt Works plans to include seconds and irregulars at reduced prices in its new High Street store. The company is unique; it has taken the ancient technique of salt glazing and combined it with modern technology to produce stoneware both beautiful and durable. At the peak of firing, handfuls of rock salt are thrown into the white-hot kiln. The vaporized salt combines with the clay to produce an extraordinary finish. Call 207-667-3349. The UPS Store At 216 High Street in Ellsworth is the place to go for all your mailing and shipping needs. Receive Faxes , packages , as well as to ship back home . They have both black and white and color copy machines as well as a notary service. Town Auto can fix you up with a clean, late-model rental. Across High Street from L.L. Bean is Reny's, a discount department store billing itself as the ultimate outlet. At Jasper's Restaurant, guests at the adjoining motel get free wine with dinner. You can get lobster fixed 10 different ways here. COMPLETE TIRE at 204 High Street is a lot more than a tire store. It offers complete underbody and brake repair, exhaust systems, and complete lube jobs. These guys get it done right. People come from miles around to visit FRANKIE’S CAFÉ on High Street. The food, the ambience, and the friendly service is unsurpassed. Hannaford's Super Market has the best beef in town and no-nonsence prices. Marden's sells one-of-a-kind, liquidated stuff at rock bottom prices.Look for the Holiday Inn right next to the Maine Coast Mall. The Holiday has it all—indoor tennis court, pool, exercise room, live entertainment in the lounge, full-service restaurant, everything under one roof! Mr. Paperback is a Maine family business operating throughout the state since 1963. On hand are both hardcover and paperback books. The people here are specialists at special order and hard-to-find titles. Nearby there is a Friendly's Restaurant. TAKING THE LEFT FORK you stay on Route One and head toward points Downeast. If you like New York-style, thin-crust pizza, you’ll love the offerings at Finelli's, 12 Downeast Highway, Route One. At the Acadia Village Resort it is now possible to rent accommodations for short periods of time. There is a lot to like here—bedrooms for the kids, whirlpool baths, VCR’s, a playroom, a fitness room, a pool, tennis indoor or out. Once here you many end up staying put for your entire vacation. If you stay on Route 1, you'll quickly come upon Eastland Lane which leads up to the Ellsworth Tennis Center. This place is a whole lot more than the name implies. Besides tennis, there are racketball and wallyball courts, a complete fitness center, a big childrenâs play area, a juice/espresso bar, and much more. If you work up a healthy appetite working out, check out nearby Helen's Restaurant. Originally in Machias, Helenâs for half a century has been famous for its pies. Movie lovers will want to know about ENCHANTED VIDEO. On hand here are lots of tapes (for 99 cents) for people still using VCRs, and more TV shows on DVD than are available elsewhere. Just about everything can be either rented or purchased. GLASOURCE will help you with your window needs. If cars excite you, check out the possibilities at EAST COAST PERFORMANCE on the Douglas Highway. Here you'll find all the add-on accessories to make your car or truck something really special. Back on Route One, Jordan's Snack Bar is famous locally for its fresh onion rings. The food here is unusually good and reasonably priced. COASTLINE HOMES. The White Birches in Hancock features an 18-hole, par-thre course lighted for night play. It sports Downeast Maine's only island green. SCOTTY'S BOOKS is a really good used book store. Owner Michael Riggs has had a deep and long-lasting love affair with books, and he displays them intriguingly. The store derives its name from Michael’s pet and store mascot, a Scottish Terrier. SARGENT'S MANUFACTURED HOMES If you're into foreign cars, check out the selection at Car Market on Route 1 in Hancock. On hand are some cherry Volvos, Saabs, and BMWs. Call 207/667-9200. At Maine Made Gifts & Crafts, Debby Ciampa takes great pride in the many unique, one-of-a-kind handmade items she handles. Debby consistently underestimates the value of her time; most often her prices are lower than you'll find elsewhere. Right now she is featuring American Girl Size doll clothes. SHIRLEY'S GIFTS, YARNS & CRAFTS has in inventory more than 2,500 different hand-knitting yarns They come from all over the world--from the Orient to Europe, from South American to Norway. Incidentally, Shirley also carries 40 flavors of jelly bellies. Call 207-667-7158. PRESTIGE HOMES Just down the road, you'll come to the spot where Ray Murphy, the world's foremost chainsaw sculptor, holds court. Murphy is an immensely talented artist, creating magnificent beasts from raw blocks of wood with his trusty chainsaw. He bills himself as the Wild Mountain Man, but beneath his rough exterior lies the heart of a poet. He got his start back in his lumberjack days when he impulsively carved a bathtub from a fallen log, much to the merriment of his fellow loggers. They aren't laughing any longer. Ray went on to become famous, taking his art all over the country, racking up well over a million miles on his big bus. He has held crowds spellbound by carving people's initials on wooden belt buckles--while they were wearing them. Robert Ripley featured Ray in his syndicated column after a chainsaw-banishing Ray carved the entire alphabet onto a common lead pencil. At the Tideway Market, you can stay on Rte 1 or turn left towards Franklin. (Try eating here; you'll think you're at home.) The second option leads you to Franklin Memorial Park, which sports a galamander, a large-wheeled vehicle once used for hauling great slabs of granite. Further on, turn left onto Rte 182 and you'll find a scenic highway that also is a shortcut to Cherryfield. This road winds through some lovely woods and by several appealing ponds before reaching a picturesque picnic area. Keith Herklotz has had a lifelong love affair with clay. As a small child, he found clay in a brook near his home and used it to fashion countless objects. He was an apprentice potter in Connecticut, Japan, and Ohio. How he works in his own studio in Franklin, doing business as Down to Earth Pottery. All his work is oven-safe, lead-free, affordable, and functional. If you take Route 182, you just might come across Catherine. She is easy to recognize; she has no head. Legend has it that if you don't offer her a ride, you'll soon die. There are several veresions of the tale, but most agree that she usually appears on foggy nights in a flowing dress, most often around Catherine's Hill or Fox Pond. Hundreds of people have reported seeing her, including many who had never heard of her. It really seems like strange things are happening here. If you stay on Rte 200, you'll come to the local historical society's museum, which is housed in an old Baptist church and in an old post office. On this road is Hog Bay Berries, a 20-acre blueberry field where you can pick your own, BeattieWood Shade Gardens, which specializes in hostas. On hand are some 90 varieties of this hardy, perennial, shade-loving plant. Prices are very reasonable. Near-by is Hog Bay Pottery, where you can see the distinctive dinnerware of Charles Grosjean and the award-winning woven rugs of his wife Susanne. This also is a good place to see birds--eagles, hawks, and cormorants are often present. Keep going on Rte. 200 and you'll come to Spring Woods Gallery, Paul and Ann Breeden's place. There are oils, acrylics, and watercolors by the Breedens and a nice assortment of native American pottery, jewelry and instruments. Ounce for ounce, sea vegetables are higher in vitamins and minerals than any other class of foods, according to the folks at Maine Coast Sea Vegetables in Franklin. They offer four varieties -- alaria, dulse, kelp and laver, all of which are hand-harvested, sun-dried, and packaged without further processing. The idea may seem a bit strange to some of us, but people all over the world have been ingesting seaweeds for centuries. Evidently, they have reaped great nutritional benefits in a highly enjoyable fashion. Maine Coast Sea Vegetable's products can be found in many Downeast stores. Call 207-565-2907. If you stay on Rte 1, you'll come to RUTH AND WIMPY'S KITCHEN where quite often you can get the area's best deal on a lobster dinner. Here also is Hancock’s foremost celebrity Wilbur the Lobster, the world's biggest lobster sculpture. A few years ago, Roadway Express included Wilbur on its list of the 12 most interesting things to see in the United States. The 20-foot, fiberglass creation has been the subject of countless articles and mentions in tourist-related publications. Kirstie Alley offered Wimpy a blank check for Wilbur, but he turned her down. "That’s our logo," he pointed out. At DEBBIE'S BLUEBERRY WARE FACTOR OUTLET AND GIFT SHOP, you can find lovely pottery pieces with minor flaws at greatly reduced prices. Debbie is a real person--she's Debbie Butterwick, and she's the artist who designed the copyrighted blueberry motif that adorns the pottery her company produces. What started as a hobby has grown to employ a couple of dozen people and enjoy nationwide sales. If you like blueberries, you'll love her shop. Here you'll find blueberry fudge, blueberry soap, blueberry candy, blueberry napkins, wrapping paper, bags, even blueberry jewelry. The shop is a real factory outlet with genuinely low prices. Recently, they have extended their line of Maine-made gifts--all at factory outlet prices. Call 207-422-644I. DENNIS KING MASONRY Country Rose Marketplace The incredible log building on the left is a 6,000 sq. ft. Scandanavian Scribe by the Wooden House Company of South Ryegate, Vermont. Some of the logs here have diameters of more than two feet. It houses The Hungry Bear Restaurant, a distributorship for the California Motorcycle Company, and the No Frills Oil Company, as well as apartments and offices. Up the road is Chipper's Restaurant At the Collector's Shop, Fran Warford will provide you her 10 percent dealer's discount on purchases of over $5 if you ask for it. Hancock. Here there is a nice park and memorial to Pierre Monteux, who founded the famed Pierre Monteux School for Advanced Conductors and Orchestra Players. during the summer, free concerts are held the last Wednesday of June and each Wednesday of July. Donations are accepted. A free children's concert is held in mid-July. Call 422-3931 for details. Tickets for the regular Sunday concerts are $7. Full symphony orchestra concerts are held the last two Sundays in June and all of July at 5 p.m. ($15 donation) and Chamber concerts those Wednesdays at 7 p.m. ($8 donation). "Maine: An Explorer's Guide" gives the Crocker House Country Inn credit for providing top quality at moderate prices and for having features that are appealing to children. (Near-by is the nation' second smallest post office. Hancock Homes is along this stretch. Le Domaine, a French restaurant in Hancock, is one of but two Maine eateries that Fodor's singles out as one of its Choices. This place is expensive, but might well be Maine's best restaurant. Nearby is Mano's Market and the Sulivan Harbor Farm Smokehouse Further on a road to the right leads to the Tidal Falls Restaurant and Gull Rock Pottery. The stonework made here is wheel-thrown and hand-decorated and far from cheap; there is, however, a seconds table featuring slightly imperfect pieces at reasonable prices. The view of Mount Desert Island here is unsurpassed. BACK AT THE MAINE COAST MALL, the right fork puts you on Route 3, the road to Mount Desert Island and most of Acadia National Park. The first place you come upon is a McDonald's and beyond that the Eagle's Lodge Motel. Birdsacre Sanctuary, adjacent to the Stanwood Homestead Museum, is a 130-acre home to many species of birds. Often injured birds are brought here for rehabilitation. Open year-round, there are well-marked walking trails. (The museum, which is open mid-June to mid-October and charges a small fee, is a memorial to Cordelia J. Stanwood, ornithologist and author. Here there is an impressive collection of mounted bird specimens.) During the summer, Birdsacre presents a children's story hour that features meeting Ollie, Birdsacre's famous barred owl, a story about Ollie or Ms. Stanwood, a nature trail walk, and refreshments. At China Hill, you can choose between Szechwan, Hunan, Mandarin, Cantonese, and American entrees. At the Bangkok Restaurant, youâll find authentic Thai cuisine. The Colonial Motor Lodge provides 10 percent discounts for Canadians and seniors. KONA'S is Downeast Maine's best sports bar. Lowe's and Home Depot both have big box stores near here. Ellsworth Giant Sub offers more than 60 varieties of submarine sandwiches. Nearby is the Blueberry Hill Dairy Bar. Continuing down Route 3, you'll see Pat's Pizza, the Christmas Shoppe, a Walmart, Coastal Car Care, and an RV repair place At the Maine-ly Maine Gift Shop, there is a sale room where items are marked down 50 to 70 percent. While you're there, check out The Old Salty. Watch for Timberland Acres RV Park The people at MAINE'S OWN TREATS offer free samples of the most popular of the 26 varieties of jams and jellies they make. This shop is billed as having the state's largest inventory of Maine-made food products. While you're there, you can pick up a free mail order brochure. Call 207-667-8888. Factory Outlet Cannon carries both first-run and irregular towels, sheets, bedspreads, comforters, etc. at 20 to 60 percent off regular retail. (New England is the factory outlet capital of the world; there are more than 1,200 such establishments.) Beyond here is the Ice Cream Outlet The Great Maine Lumberjack Show has nightly shows from mid-June to the end of August/Labor Day. Timber Tina puts on quite a show you won’t want to miss. Located on Route 3 in Trenton. It’s a must see! Vokes Golf, mini-golf and nice driving range (where you can hit ball off real turf) Near here are a karote place and Country Keepsakes gifts If it’s barbecue you crave, go next door to the Maine Luau. Besides ribs and sweet corn, Betsy Pal keeps on hand more brands of Maine beer than just about anybody around. MOOSE CROSSING RESTAURANT serves what most locals agree are the best breakfasts in town. Across the road are a Motel and Cabins Turn left onto Rte 204, and very quickly you'll be at the Bar Harbor Golf Course, an 18-hole, public, championship layout that's tough enough to challenge the finest players. The 600-plus yard 18th hole is an"untouchable"-- from the back tees, nobody has ever reached it in two. Call 207-667-7505 Near by are the Country Store Antiques and the Old Dutch Treat ice cream, J&P’s Farm Market, weathervanes and cupulas.. The Acadia World Traders carries Downeast Maine’s largest selection of imports from Bali and other Indonesian islands. Driving past the Acadia Zoo, you may see buffalo grazing in the pasture. The park, which charges an entrance fee, has more than 100 creatures, both local and exotic. It houses what probably is Maine's largest petting zoo. Pony rides are very inexpensive here. J&P’s Farm Market is much more than fresh veggies. It opens in April with seasonal plants, provides lobster and other goodies throughout the summer, and stays open through the Christmas wreath season. Co-owner Peter Mayo insists he "strives for perfection" in everything he does. Sewing by the Sea a first-rate fabrics shop. The last time we were in The Blacksheep, we saw this classic Grateful Dead concert poster for just $6. Never know what you'll find there, all kinds of sheepskin stuff plus old tin advertising signs, genuine Indian moccasins, and wonderful old photos. This is where I buy my cool, outback leather hats. Definitely worth the stop. Watch for Woodshop Cupulas and Acadia Weasthervanes, Havana Disc Golf, an antiques place, Bar Harbor Weathervanes, and Cathy’s Restaurant, and a place offering bi-plane and glider flights. Down the road is Metalmagic, where Ed Libitski has put together Maine's largest collection of antique bicycles. He has around 175 of them, dating from 1870 to the early 1960s. A great way to see Acadia National Park is from up above. Acadia Air, Inc. at the Hancock County Airport provides sight-seeing flights at reasonable prices. The Trenton Lighthouse Restaurant is the place that locals as well as visitors go for great seafood, steaks , salads , sandwiches and burgers. Highly respected, they have a reputation for serving some of the finest food in the Downeast.  Homemade daily specials and desserts, and wine and beer are offered. Located on Route 3 in Trenton, near the Bar Harbor Airport. Call 207-664-6008. Thompson Island, which separates Mount Desert Island and the mainland, has a well-stocked information center and a nice picnic area on saltwater.