-- Leon Leonwood Bean
Avid hunter and fisherman L.L. Bean was on to something big ($1.78 billion in sales in 1996) when he founded his private company after developing a waterproof boot (a combination of lightweight leather uppers and rubber bottoms) that he sold to hunters.
A true entrepreneur, he obtained a list of non-resident Maine hunting license holders, prepared a mail order circular, set up shop in his brother's basement in Freeport, and started a nationwide mail-order business. By 1912, he was selling the "Bean Boot," or Maine Hunting Shoe, through a four-page mail-order catalogue, and the boot remains a staple of the company's outdoor image. It was used by sailors and soldiers in the Second World War. In fact, a huge Maine Hunting Shoe statue is available outside the store for picture-takers.
In Freeport, I readily observe that L.L. Bean and its companion stores dominate the city known for 200-plus outlets, shops and restaurants. More than three million shoppers visit L.L. Bean alone each year. It's a treat. First, it is open 24/7, 365 days a year, so there's really no need for locks on the doors. Instead, you find funky paddles or metallic rods and reels for door handles, and inside it's fantasy land for adults with every conceivable outdoor recreational item, a museum of artifacts encased in glass, myriad items such as moose antlers and wooden snowshoes draped on walls and a huge "Voyageur" canoe suspended from the ceiling. Plus, there's stylish clothing to suit any occasion, from lounging around a fire sipping wine to climbing Mt. Everest.
For men, it's a massive shot of testosterone!
For the kids, there's an outdoor waterfall, special entrances through hollowed-out trees and a seven-metre riverbed aquarium alive with fish, turtles and other species found in Maine's waterways. A unique dome inside the tank provides fun viewing for young naturalists who can get nose to nose with the rainbow trout. I detected several older "kids" also enjoying the show.
In the early 1950s, Bean's Fish and Game Plates were very popular with customers, and today they are prized by collectors. Plates on display here are the Golden Trout (1951), Green-winged Teal (1951), Wood Ducks (1951), Flying Pheasant (1954), Deer (1954) and three steins: the Deer Buck (1956), Flies Beer (1956) and Pheasant Beer (1956). There are several other display cases in the store, including one dedicated to fly-fishing that contains several interesting artifacts that immerse one in an imaginative cold running stream.
The L.L. Bean flagship store is located at 95 Main St., but now there is a "campus" layout with different departments in separate buildings as well as a central park and adjoining restaurants. There's an L.L. Bean Bike, Boat & Ski Store, an L.L. Bean Hunting & Fishing Store, a Home Store and an Outlet Store. In the Home Store, there's a great selection of home furnishings featuring one-of-a-kind handmade items, an assortment of vintage items and fresh takes on classic home products.
L.L. Bean cleverly offers educational programs connected to many of its retail outlets to support the outdoor interests of its customers. For example, the Freeport location offers Walk-On Adventures for $20 in fly-casting, archery and kayaking from Memorial Day through Columbus Day. Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are available December to March. All of the other retail stores (there are now 13 total outside of Maine from Chicago to the Mid-Atlantic region) offer fly-casting and kayaking.
The Outdoor Discovery Schools, in addition to beginner to advanced courses in shooting, fishing, and kayaking, offer weekend adventure trips and daily guided kayak tours in Maine as well.
Part of L.L. Bean's mystique derives from the company's 100% satisfaction guarantee, a promise born in 1912 that remains to this day. Any L.L. Bean purchase, whether made at the flagship store, outlet shops or via mail order, can be returned for a replacement or refund.
In Freeport, I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn, a five-minute walk from L.L. Bean. On the way, you pass an old Town Hall Meeting House and a small park featuring a memorial to fallen soldiers and sailors, many of whom were probably acquainted with the Maine Hunting Boot.
If you go
Visit Maine: www.visitmaine.com/
L.L. Bean: www.llbean.com/shop/retailStores/freeportFlagshipStore/flagship/flagship.html
Contact Mike Keenan at www.whattravelwriterssay.com
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