Shopping

Kittery has become a shopping mecca thanks to the establishment of colonies of little factory outlet shopping malls clustered along both sides of U.S. Route 1, about 4 miles south of York. More than 100 of these outlets flank the highway, in more than a dozen strip malls. It's aesthetically ugly, but if you're looking to score a deal, you just might find it beautiful.

Name-brand retailers with factory shops here purveying cut-rate designer stuff include Coach, Orvis, Samsonite, Gap, Eddie Bauer, Banana Republic, Calvin Klein, Brookstone, and Polo Ralph Lauren, among many others. On rainy summer days, lots of people (including this author) have been spotted whiling away hours here. Parking can be tight.

Information on current outlets is available from the Kittery Outlet Association. Call tel. 888/KITTERY (548-8379) or visit the website at www.thekitteryoutlets.com.

Shopping & Jam Sessions in York

Need a souvenir but too weak with hunger to shop another minute? I've got you covered. At Stonewall Kitchen's flagship store (tel. 207/351-2712) on Stonewall Lane -- that's just behind the huge tourist information complex at the corner of Route 1 and the access road leading to and from I-95 and the Maine Turnpike -- you can sample from among the company's delicious jams and spreads before tucking into a soup-and-sandwich special from the on-site deli. Then, hunger and birthday lists both satisfied in one fell swoop, keep browsing through a good selection of handy kitchen accessories: knives, lobster bibs, graters, and the like. Staff is friendly and helpful. It's open daily; the shop closes at 6pm, while the cafe closes at 3pm.