Weekends with Yankee

NARRATOR: In this episode of Weekends with Yankee, Amy explores the prettiest village in Maine-- Wiscasset.

She tours the town with interior decorator Alexander Widener and meets the makers and shopkeepers who make this town so special.

- I just always envisioned this life that I could have here, opening a little shop.

NARRATOR: In Portland, Richard goes behind-the-scenes with Maine's first professional soccer club, the Hearts of Pine.

He meets the club's founder, dedicated players, and the large community of fans that fill the stadium for every game.

- I think what this game really is, is a conduit for building community for good.

NARRATOR: And in Lincoln, New Hampshire, we visit the Flume, a natural gorge at the base of Mount Liberty.

- We're stewards of the outdoor spaces in New Hampshire, and the Flume Gorge is certainly a big piece of that.

It's a very popular attraction.

NARRATOR: So come along with us for a once-in-a-lifetime journey through New England as you've never experienced it before, a true insider's guide from the editors of Yankee magazine.

Join explorer and adventurer Richard Wiese and Yankee senior food editor Amy Traverso for behind-the-scenes access to the unique attractions that define this region.

It's the ultimate travel guide from the people who know it best.

Weekends with Yankee.

- Major funding provided by... - In Maine, spring isn't just a gift.

It's an achievement.

This is Maine.

Forged by nature.

- New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

Relax already.

- Kloter Farms, from outdoor structures to solid hardwood furniture for over 45 years.

- On an American Cruise Lines journey, you can explore historic New England.

- Country Carpenters, handcrafted barns and homes for over 50 years.

AMY TRAVERSO: Welcome to Wiscasset, known as the prettiest village in Maine.

It's full of beautiful federalist houses that date back to when the town was a wealthy shipping capital in the 18th century.

And that love of old things is what's brought Alexander Widener here to town to open a home design shop.

He knows so much about antiques, and he's so charming on his social media feed that I had to meet him.

NARRATOR: Amy starts her day with breakfast at Treats of Maine, where she will meet up with Alexander Widener.

TRAVERSO: Hello.

- Hi!

TRAVERSO: It's so nice to meet you.

- So good to see you, welcome.

Welcome to Wiscasset.

TRAVERSO: Thank you!

It's so charming here.

- Isn't it the best?

It's the most beautiful place.

TRAVERSO: It is so gorgeous.

So what's Wiscasset known for?

- I think it's known for, like, historic architecture, great little antique shops.

We have a ton of little cute small stores in our village.

Um, and it's known as the prettiest village in Maine.

TRAVERSO: I can see it.

- And I want to show you why.

TRAVERSO: Okay, great.

Let's go take a look.

So what are we going to see today?

- Well, I wanted to take you around to a few of my favorite shops in the village.

TRAVERSO: Uh-huh.

- My favorite of living here is that all of my friends have small businesses, too.

TRAVERSO: That's so great.

- And we have some really, really amazing little spots, so.

TRAVERSO: I'm getting so much Hallmark movie in the best way from this.

- It does feel like that.

TRAVERSO: I love it.

- And it even feels like that when you live here.

It's kind of cool.

TRAVERSO: Oh, I love that.

- So I wanted to take you to my friend Jen's shop, and she specializes in vintage clothing.

TRAVERSO: Ah!

- And she has so much knowledge, it's incredible.

Hi, Jen.

- Hi, honey!

Let me introduce you to Amy.

- Hi, Amy.

TRAVERSO: This store is gorgeous.

- Thank you so much, my name's Jen.

TRAVERSO: Jen, great to meet you.

- Thanks for coming in.

TRAVERSO: So one thing that I love with Alexander here and just this town is this appreciation of old things and preserving.

And tell me about, like the range of things you have here.

- Well, I have pieces here that range from 1900s to 2010.

TRAVERSO: Wow.

- Yeah, and so I like to do natural fibers.

TRAVERSO: Really?

- Yeah.

TRAVERSO: Do you have some, like, New England-y things?

- I do, yeah, this piece here is classic.

TRAVERSO: Oh.

Buffalo.

- Yeah, yeah.

- This is an awesome L.L.

Bean wool jacket that's, you know, everybody loves this.

TRAVERSO: Classic.

Yeah, yeah.

- And obviously L.L.

Bean is Maine's favorite brand.

TRAVERSO: Right, right!

- Exactly.

- But it's also, I think, very New England and very Maine to wear old clothes.

I mean, I think people here just wear stuff till it goes.

- Absolutely.

I think that New England and Maine, specifically, hard-working communities, they keep their clothes, they patch their clothes.

TRAVERSO: Right, yeah.

- They pass their clothes down.

- And when it gets to a place like mine, you know, I get to share it with a whole new generation.

TRAVERSO: Wow.

There's a saying... Yankee is 90 years old this year.

And we have a saying that ran in the magazine, which is "Use it up, wear it out, make do or do without."

And that is so this.

- Love that.

Oh, that's so beautiful.

TRAVERSO: Love that!

- Perfect for the fall, yeah?

TRAVERSO: It's so cute.

- Oh, I love it.

TRAVERSO: Thank you.

- So this bookshop just opened this year, and it's exactly what our village was missing.

TRAVERSO: Oh, yeah, every town needs a bookstore.

- I think so, it's where people come to gather and share knowledge.

It's really the best.

TRAVERSO: Oh, my gosh.

- So let me take you in.

TRAVERSO: This is such a pretty building.

Oh, my gosh, this is like a dream of a bookstore.

- Isn't it the most charming bookstore?

And this is Toni, hi, Toni.

TRAVERSO: Hi, how are you?

So nice to meet you.

- Nice to meet you as well.

TRAVERSO: Hi.

I love this.

- Thank you.

TRAVERSO: So how long have you been in Wiscasset?

- We've been here just over six months, about the same time that Alex... TRAVERSO: You're twins!

- We were each other's first friends in town, I think.

- We were.

Yeah, you would come over, we would get tea and sit in the back and kind of go, "What should we do?"

- And we were opening our stores at the same time, so we kind of, you know, trauma bonded?

- Yeah, we did.

Yeah, we did.

That's true, that's true, yeah.

You just could not have a more welcoming community.

There's something magic about it.

- This actually used to be, um, it used to be a hardware store.

TRAVERSO: Oh, my gosh.

- This was like the town hardware store for, like, 100 years?

- Well, for a long time.

It was built in 1797 as a ship's chandlery.

So it's always been stocking, it's always been supplying the ships that came in.

TRAVERSO: Right.

- And still supplying the town, you know, now with books.

TRAVERSO: Thank you for, for welcoming me and for opening this beautiful place.

- Absolutely.

Oh, well, I just love being neighbors with Alexander and having all this community here.

It's like, like you said, it's just having a family here in town and they're wonderful.

TRAVERSO: Wow.

- Yeah, we're very lucky.

TRAVERSO: Thank you so much!

- Enjoy that book.

You're gonna love it.

TRAVERSO: Can't wait.

- We'll see you later.

- See you later.

Bye, Alexander.

TRAVERSO: I'm making out like a bandit here.

- You're doing pretty well.

TRAVERSO: (laughs) - All right, so just across the street is my best friend Eric and he is the most incredible craftsperson.

He makes hand-carved spoons and handmade brooms.

TRAVERSO: Oh my gosh.

- He makes them in his studio here in Wiscasset.

TRAVERSO: Oh!

- It's called Village Handcraft.

It's absolutely fabulous.

Hi, Eric.

- Hi!

- Let me introduce you to my new friend, Amy.

This is Eric.

- Hi, Amy, welcome into the shop.

TRAVERSO: Thank you.

Tell me about the shop.

- The shop is sort of a celebration of hand tools, handwork and the joy of making useful, beautiful things.

I make a lot of handmade brooms, wooden spoons, sometimes bowls, and occasionally furniture.

TRAVERSO: And tell me about your experience of Wiscasset, because I am completely charmed at this point.

I want to move here myself.

- That makes sense.

You're not the only one.

- It happened to all of us.

- You're not the only one.

I first moved here a little more than eight years ago and thought maybe I could have a workshop there, and so I've just been making things here on this side of the room and then offering them to folks who come into the shop on the other side of the room ever since.

- And even his materials come from here.

TRAVERSO: Wow.

- He made my mom a broom the other day.

- I did.

- That was from a tree from my yard.

TRAVERSO: Oh my gosh!

- The handle was a sapling.

It's so cool.

TRAVERSO: So what are you working on right now?

- Today, I'm working on, this is an American beech sapling handle.

It will be for a broom, just like the one I made for your mother.

And then others are still in process and need to be stitched.

There are lots of open, fluffy brooms around the room.

TRAVERSO: These are for flying, right?

And then these are for cleaning.

- Yeah, these are... yeah.

We can dream of it that way.

TRAVERSO: This really does feel good, it's a nice... - They sweep really nicely.

TRAVERSO: Yeah.

- Yeah.

TRAVERSO: I feel like this sort of, this could be, like an accessory for this outfit.

It sort of all goes together.

- You're welcome to just walk around town... TRAVERSO: I know!

(laughs) Tuck it under my, my arm.

- Thank you, Eric.

- Bye, y'all.

- Bye, thank you.

- See you!

- Okay, you have your hands full.

TRAVERSO: Can I, can I not buy something in a store here?

I don't think so.

- Isn't our town so great?

TRAVERSO: It's so great.

NARRATOR: Amy and Alexander finish up their shopping tour of Wiscasset and head back to meet his husband.

Their house was built in 1785 by a sea captain named Alexander Erskine.

It's called the Marston House.

The first floor is where Alexander has set up his interior design store.

- Now, here we are.

So this is my shop.

TRAVERSO: Wow!

A dream come true.

- It really feels like it.

Welcome in.

TRAVERSO: Thank you.

- Welcome in.

TRAVERSO: So pretty.

TRAVERSO: Hello!

- Thank you.

And this is Rudy, our little dog.

TRAVERSO: Rudy!

Hey!

- Our welcoming committee.

Say hello.

TRAVERSO: Hello, honey.

- And then I want to introduce you to my husband, Bradley.

- Hi, nice to meet you.

- This is Amy.

(dog barking) (laughter) TRAVERSO: Oh, he doesn't like handshakes!

- He doesn't like handshakes, but it's okay.

- Yeah, we're okay, we're all friends here, baby.

TRAVERSO: Baby, oh.

So you are following your husband's bliss here in Wiscasset?

- Yes!

(laughs) I am.

TRAVERSO: How do you like it here?

- I love it.

I mean, I'm sure he told you we've been visiting for four summers.

- Yeah.

- Um, it's such a joy to live here and find the community that we found.

And to be able to support him is, like, kind of incredible.

TRAVERSO: Aw.

- When you form these, like, really meaningful partnerships, you have to start to learn about what other people like.

You know, it's not you, it's us.

TRAVERSO: Yeah.

Right.

- So I have really learned to appreciate things, and he has trained me well.

I can go into a shop and I think, like, 90 percent of the time, figure out what he'll like.

- Actually, he'll find the good stuff when we're out.

- Sometimes.

- That's when I know, like.

TRAVERSO: Yeah.

- I did it.

TRAVERSO: Well, speaking of good stuff, tell me, what are some of your favorite things in this room?

Because it's so beautiful and I'm distracted.

- Yeah, let me show you around.

Okay, so these are kind of cool.

I have a whole collection of them.

I actually bought them from the previous owner here.

TRAVERSO: Wow.

- And these are 19th century botanicals.

These were pressed in the summer of 1894.

I have a whole stack of them.

TRAVERSO: Oh, my gosh!

- I just have them, you know, on the wall.

But they look amazing framed, and they're all different.

This one is from the 21st of June in 1894.

TRAVERSO: Oh, my gosh.

- But it's just incredible to have these after, what, 130 years?

TRAVERSO: I'm amazed, I just... I'm thinking of the person who picked the flower, the field or the meadow or the front yard or the garden where this flower bloomed.

It's so amazing.

It's like a moment in time.

- And I think it just, like, perfectly exemplifies what antiques are.

They're this stamp in time.

TRAVERSO: Yeah.

It's about the stories that these objects have.

NARRATOR: Amy and Alexander get to weaving while talking some more about what attracted Alexander to New England.

TRAVERSO: When did you discover your love of antiques and decorative arts?

- I've always had it.

TRAVERSO: Mm-hm.

- Growing up, my mom and I would go to rummage sales and estate sales, and I remember in high school, I would skip school and we would go to country auctions.

I grew up in rural Pennsylvania.

TRAVERSO: Right.

- And I just always have been drawn to old things.

You know, I think like a lot of people, my childhood was challenging, and being able to escape into another world kind of saved me.

And I did that through creating spaces, and, um... and researching the stories of objects, and it kind of helped keep me sane and happy.

TRAVERSO: Yeah.

What about New England?

You didn't grow up here but, but, you know, you've chosen, you spent time in New York.

What made you choose this place?

- Well, I think initially, you know, life in New York is pretty hard.

Even getting groceries-- going to the grocery store in New York can be a challenge, and so, we have a little guest cottage here on our property, and we'd been coming and staying as guests for about four or five years with the previous owner.

And I just always envisioned this life that I could have here, opening a little shop.

And it was kind of my dream.

TRAVERSO: Wow.

- And then it happened, which is the craziest part.

TRAVERSO: Yeah, this has been everything I'd hoped it would be.

I am in love with your village.

- Thank you so much.

TRAVERSO: I think you're wonderful.

I hope we'll be friends in the future.

- I think we are already.

TRAVERSO: I think we are, yeah.

I didn't want to presume, but I'm like, yeah, we're friends, okay.

- And thank you for being here.

And thank you for letting me show you my world.

You know, a year ago, I never envisioned this life for myself.

And so to be here is, um, a gift.

TRAVERSO: It's inspiring to see.

- Thank you.

Thank you for being here.

(music playing over loudspeakers) RICHARD WIESE: We're here in Portland, Maine, to cheer.

Did I say cheer?

I meant scream!

There's a new professional soccer team!

NARRATOR: The Hearts of Pine are Maine's first professional soccer club.

But this isn't a typical sports organization.

It's a grassroots endeavor that has become a strong part of the community.

In fact, their first game was sold out long before kickoff.

And 6,000 plus fans continue to fill the stadium.

Richard meets up with the club founder, Gabe Hoffman Johnson to learn how it all began.

WIESE: This is your first year?

- Yeah.

WIESE: How did this all start?

- I first started working on this project probably as an idea, maybe back in 2018, and then, you know, working with the city and working with the league and a lot of work in the community here, sort of treated it like a movement.

So we were hosting watch parties and, you know, activation events and working with local soccer communities.

To me, it was, it was always going to happen.

It was just a matter of when, not if.

There was a real commitment and belief in what this could contribute to the city of Portland and state of Maine.

And I see that as a responsibility to make happen.

WIESE: So what does it mean to you personally to say, lead from the heart?

- I've loved this game my whole life, you know, my father was a college soccer coach.

Um, you know, I grew up, you know, playing, and there was a, had a ball on my feet from before I could walk.

But my favorite pieces about the game are the pieces that transcend the sport itself.

And I think what this game really is, is a medium or, or a conduit for building community for good, and so the lead with your heart, obviously, you know, that ties into our state motto, Dirigo, "I lead."

You know, that's really what we're doing here, is building community, and for us to be doing that here and to be leading with heart and inviting other people to do the same is something that we're all starving for, certainly here in Maine, - Can you feel it - We love how it's brought the community together.

Everyone is excited for every game, whether it's a home game or not.

Everybody's got a jersey.

Everybody is just totally behind the team.

- So much energy, so much just anticipation for this to happen.

And now the season is here, it doesn't feel real.

Like, I had high expectations, but it's, it's just blown them all away, it's been absolutely incredible.

(crowd chanting) WIESE: Tell me a little about the fans, because at least what we're told is that this has a very vocal fan base.

- I was told that Mainers are-- if you take one step toward them, they'll take two steps towards you.

And everybody's taken me in like one of their own.

So I couldn't be happier.

WIESE: Being in Maine, you're originally from Texas.

- Yep.

WIESE: You're in Maine.

What has this all meant to you?

- You know, I think... ...this was a city in search of a soccer club, and I think a club is different from a pro sports team.

A club is something that is invested in the community that it represents.

And I think that's what we're trying to do.

If you speak to the players, they've all done five or more appearances.

They've been to cancer hospitals, they've been to read to schools, they've been to futsal games, to play with guys in transitional housing, new Mainers who are struggling to assimilate.

You know, I think that's what we are.

We are just part of this community.

NARRATOR: Team captain Mikey Lopez is also from Texas and has known Coach Murphy since high school.

- I've known Bobby since forever.

He's like another father figure for me.

WIESE: What's the best quality about him?

- I think his best quality is that he genuinely cares about his players.

We're in a business where it's a results-driven sport, and if you can do the job for them, then people will like you.

He, of course, he has that aspect as well, but he also cares about us outside of the soccer field.

WIESE: That motto, lead with your heart, what does that mean to you?

- Yeah, I mean, I think it's just putting all our effort, putting all our passion into everything that we do for our families, for our team, for the city, for the people, for ourselves, and it's just doing things to the best of our ability for, for the person next to you and the person around you.

(cheers and applause) WIESE: I heard that the fans are something special here.

What should I be looking at?

It's my first game here.

- Yeah, so the best part of our fans' support is that, that section right there is called the Zoo.

That's the Dirigo Union.

And it's, where it's all, like, the hardcore support, all the chanting and all the non-stop music and energy is coming from that section.

WIESE: Do you notice the people in the Zoo?

I mean, when you're out in the field, do you actually hear?

- Yeah, definitely.

They're really loud and it gets sometimes get pretty, pretty hard to talk to someone that's about five, ten yards from you.

So they're definitely... they definitely make the environment, they definitely make themselves known on the field, and I think it's... it creates a great, great environment for us, but a tough one for an opponent.

NARRATOR: Before heading to the Zoo, Richard makes a few stops to enjoy Hearts of Pines legendary vendors serving some of Maine's finest food and drink.

WIESE: I've never been to a sports event that's had oysters.

What do you recommend?

- Three and three, or like a mixed dozen or whatever.

WIESE: I'll go with a Shucker's Choice.

- Okay, cool, yeah.

WIESE: Hey, so what's it been like having a pro soccer team in Maine?

- Oh, yeah, it's been awesome.

I mean, the energy at these games is so good, it's like, fresh Maine oysters at a game is, like, pretty cool.

It's pretty elite for concessions.

WIESE: Bring it on.

- What do you think?

WIESE: It tastes sweet.

Just like Maine.

- Yeah!

WIESE: These are really good.

More stadiums should do this.

- Oh, cool, yeah, it's like kiss from the ocean.

- All right!

Okay, is this good?

- This is a Wagyu smash burger from Miller's Market.

WIESE: Wagyu?

- It's incredible.

WIESE: All right, let me try it.

I'll be honest with you.

- Perfect.

Love that.

WIESE: Perfect.

- Get back in line.

Grab another one.

- Midfielder and captain, number five, Mikey!

- Lopez!

- So you have two awesome drinks there.

Our Bissell Hearts of Pine and our Aprs Hearts of Pine.

Which one do you like better?

WIESE: That was good.

- That's a seltzer.

WIESE: I'm going to go with this one.

- Going to go with the beer.

- Yeah, pale ale.

WIESE: I'm going to go with the beer.

- Good choice.

- Both are really nice.

- Enjoy the game.

WIESE: Thank you.

- You're welcome, have fun.

- Cheers.

- Of the free... And the home of the brave (cheers and applause) NARRATOR: Next up, Richard heads off to section 119, known to Hearts of Pine locals as the Zoo.

(crowd cheering) (whistle blows) (crowd groans) - Fight!

Fight!

Fight!

Fight!

Fight!

Fight!

Fight!

Fight!

(crowd vocalizing) (cheers and applause) - And if we should Die today Then dream a dream of heaven Take your northern hearts with you To the grave - Get on your feet!

(cheering) You are a union soldier Stand fast Ye are the boys, stand fast Ye are the boys, stand fast Ye are the boys of Maine (crowd chanting) (cheers and applause) NARRATOR: Traveling south from Maine to New Hampshire, we make one final stop at the Flume Gorge in Lincoln.

First discovered on a fishing trip in 1808 by 93-year-old "Aunt" Jess Guernsey, the breathtaking Flume Gorge is now a popular destination for adventurous travelers in the White Mountains region.

Bordered by walls of Conway granite that rise to a height of 90 feet, the Flume Trail provides a unique boardwalk experience defined by the power of water.

- So when that water comes way up, it's flowing over the waterfalls, it's rushing through a very small space.

It's loud, you can feel the mist.

And really a lot of times it's ten degrees cooler in that notch itself, with a little breeze that gets funneled through there.

Along with the water, it's really an awesome place especially when there's high water.

The surrounding environment and all the geologic features that you see, whether there's water, high water or low water, is still really a cool experience.

Once you get into the flume itself, there's moss-covered walls, there are trees growing out of the side of the, of the walls.

There are lichens that really are liking the environment.

So the whole region, really, was sculpted by glaciers.

And these rocks generally were probably on the bottom of that ice sheet.

And as the ice sheet melted, those big boulders that were carried from far away and picked up and moved and used to really grind down the shape of the notch were then deposited where they were left when the ice melted.

Before I worked for the state of New Hampshire and Franconia Notch State Park, I did visit the region when I was a kid.

I was just blown away by the history and the geology and just standing at the bottom of the gorge and seeing the water rushing down and feeling that.

I'm also a photographer.

So I was on a mission to try to take a picture that maybe had never been taken before.

So I spent an awful lot of time down here taking pictures of everything that I possibly could.

And really just... just the place captured me to the point where I... anytime I had free time, I would come down here and take a walk through and take some pictures or just take in, take in the views or the sights or the geology.

It's a, it's a really special place.

The main hiking loop itself through the Flume Gorge is two miles.

It's mostly graded gravel paths.

There are boardwalks and staircases along the way, too.

It, it's not an extreme climb by any means, but it does go up and down, so there is a change in elevation.

So if you're walking the Flume Gorge, you should have practical shoes on, for going for a two-mile hike.

One of the missions of New Hampshire State Parks overall is to get people out in nature.

That's what we do.

We're stewards of the outdoor spaces in New Hampshire, and the Flume Gorge is certainly a big piece of that, it's a very popular attraction.

I think that's one of the beauties of being outdoors in general is there's so much around you to look at that technology should take a back seat, and it certainly does at the Flume.

I mean, there's so much to see in here.

We offer outdoor spaces for recreation that really connect people directly with nature.

And we hope that people put the phone down and keep their heads up and take a look at what's around.

- For exclusive videos, recipes, travel ideas, tips from the editors, and access to the Weekends With Yankee digital magazine, go to weekendswithyankee.com and follow us on social media, @yankeemagazine.

Yankee magazine, the inspiration for the television series, provides recipes, feature articles, and the best of New England from the people who know it best.

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NARRATOR: Closed caption funding provided by... Major funding provided by... - In Maine, spring isn't just a gift.

It's an achievement.

This is Maine.

Forged by nature.

- New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

Relax already.

- Kloter Farms, from outdoor structures to solid hardwood furniture for over 45 years.

- On an American Cruise Lines journey, you can explore historic New England.

- Country Carpenters, handcrafted barns and homes for over 50 years.