A Shopping Trip to Calais

(Delayed posting. Visited during summer 2024) 

My mom asked me if I was interested in a shopping excursion across the border in Maine. She explained the places she wanted to go and fortunately I travelled with my passport. I gave it a go because it would be a long drive there and back (2.5 hours each way) so I volunteered to do most of the driving.

Calais in Maine is small (3000 people) but big for the different stores it has. One of these stores is Marden's. A liquidation, salvage, and closeout retailer, they have a lot of variety in their huge department store sized location. It took us several hours to take a gander through each isle. Many things made me scratch my head on why they existed, but I did find many gems. 

Between this establishment and the Walmart this was my haul. The mini air mattress was a very good buy when staying at friends houses. The suitcase has become a favorite of mine. The travel compressor bags were also a lifesaver this trip for the space they saved. Other things were just fun.

Jo's Pizzeria and Diner was our place for lunch. It was familiar Maritimes diner style inside with a bit of everything on the menu for decent prices. I had a simple burger and it filled the belly as advertised. 

Was the trip worth the five hours and gas? I think so. We drove by places mom had fond memories of and had lots of good conversation. Shopping and picking up some deals were just a nice extra.