6 Best Shopping in Way Down East, Maine

Taking in the appetizing scents in this shop is almost enough, but sinking your teeth into one of Monica's truffles, bonbons, crèmes, or caramels is pure heaven. Try a needham, a traditional Maine candy with a sugar, coconut, and potato filling, or a chocolate-shape moose or lobster. Conveniently on Route 189 at the turn for West Quoddy Head Light, it's owned by a Peruvian native (yes, Monica) and also carries clothing and accessories from her homeland. Indeed, some chocolates have a Peruvian filling.

There's lots of striking contemporary art in this large white-walled fine arts gallery, including the husband-and-wife owners’ acrylic paintings (hers) and limited edition photographic prints (his), some of local waters. The gallery shows works in many mediums, including paintings and sculpture, by more than a dozen Maine artists. The gallery also has three vacation rentals, including lofts.

With clapboards and trim in contrasting shades of blue and a grand entrance, this year-round gift shop in an old storefront pops on Milbridge's Main Street. Inside the large, beautifully arrayed store, offerings live up to the expectations the exterior creates. Many Maine-made items are among a selection that includes premium bath products, kitchen gadgets, fun socks, books about Maine, and jewelry—check out the store's own vintage-look Riverlily earrings.

Sweet hand-painted and -lettered signs created with scrap wood found along the coast from Maine to Newfoundland by owners Kim and Leon are sold at this gallery. On the back, they write where the wood was found. A "Loon" sign has paintings of loon, a "Blueberry" sign of blueberries, and so on, and some have town names or say "Welcome," but all are unique. Kim's original fiction and paintings, which capture connections between the Down East coast and the people who make their living on it, are also sold, as are her travel-inspired scenes of Ireland and India. If you head this way consider continuing on back roads through Harrington and Addison to Jonesport and Beals Island and hiking at a preserve in the region as part of the outing.

Colorful gummies, circus peanuts, swirling lollipops, jelly beans, a chocolate lobster bake, homemade fudge, and much and much more fill the shelves and jars at this wacky fun candy store. Black-and-white patterns and bold colors combine in theatrical displays inside, outside, and in the store windows, making this shopfront hard to miss. 

In a striking 1886 brick building downtown with maroon wood banding on the front, this spacious, uncluttered, well-lit store features the works of many fine Maine artisans and artists as well as a nice selection of books including Passamaquoddy-theme children's books. Open year-round, it offers fine jewelry, bowls made from gourds, paintings, and Passamaquoddy baskets among many other decorative and useful items. Owned and operated by a trio of local women known as "The Women of the Commons," the property has vacation rentals with wonderful water views above the store.