Follow the Signs

Every day on my way home from work I pass a store front on Madison Avenue (Oak Park, not New York City) that's called "It's A Sign." Today is a Friday in April, and I teach high school seniors, so when I passed by "It's A Sign" at 4 p.m., I couldn't help but wish that the next sign would say "Historic Bath Exit." Of course, the next sign at Harlem Avenue is a left turn signal pointing towards the Eisenhower Expressway! Despite Chicago traffic, this girl Friday can dream of lazy days, and I find myself thinking about all the signs that remind me of Bath Time. There's a rhythm in and around Bath: quick, quick, slow; quick, quick, slow. I can feel that beat like the children of River City in "Music Man" feel the music of  Beethoven's Minuet in G Major, and I can practically channel Professor Harold Hill when I try to "think Bath" while I sit in traffic. But winter, spring, summer or fall, I hum a happy tune and tap the steering wheel with afternoon delight whenever I think about the places I love to visit in Bath. The best music man ever, Robert Preston, convinced us we could play the music if we could think it. I agree! Here's how Bath looks from the corner of Madison and Harlem in Oak Park, Illinois.

On a weekday morning, I like to stroll down Lambard Street to the Starlight Cafe for a quick breakfast to go. My favorite order is a cup of coffee with a raspberry white chocolate scone, and I usually take that sack of sweet energy straight across the street to the picnic table next to the Customs House. From that viewpoint, I can see the cars turning off the Sagadahoc Bridge on to Front Street. I can also see the Bath Freight Shed, the home of Bath's Farmers Market during the winter, and the home of Maine's First Ship, a reconstruction project that teaches the science of shipbuilding to students as it reconstructs the pinnace Virginia, the first ship built in North America  in 1607. If you want to feel the quick, quick, slow beat of Maine's Cool Little City, the Customs House picnic table is a sweet spot to enjoy both breakfast and Bath.

In summer the beat slows on a Saturday morning so everyone can leisurely fill their green sacks with fresh vegetables, fruit, bread and flowers at the Farmers Market. Shopping at the market at Waterfront Park is a perfectly lovely way to spend a morning. It's the unofficial meeting place for friends, neighbors and the librarians from the Patten Free library. I was surprised to see the library's two leading historians in line for the very same blueberry-lemon scones I wake up early for on Saturday mornings. It seems Robin, Peter and I have more than a love for history in common! There's a baker at Bath's Farmers Market who has perfected the blueberry-lemon combination, and if you happen to arrive late, you will leave disappointed because made in Maine blueberry-lemon scones disappear before 10 o'clock.

The Bath signs that I tend to see most vividly suggest flavor as well as rhythm. Thank goodness I would rather walk than drive, and sometimes I even prefer to run, especially along the river, because I tend to eat a lot when I'm in Bath, and the menus around the city are both trendy and tempting. One of my all time favorite places is Mae's Cafe. For lunch, I recommend the Norma Jean turkey sandwich with cranberry chutney. It is Marilyn Monroe beautiful! And on my way out, I usually buy a chocolate chip cookie for the road. I don't think it's wise to leave without one. The cookies are big, but they are light and easy to carry! And according to Scott, my daughter's boyfriend, the Eggs Benedict at Mae's are the best he has ever eaten! It's no wonder "Meet Me at Mae's" has become such a popular expression in and around Bath!

 At day's end my feet want to take me to Solo Bistro to dine at an upbeat, sophisticated restaurant where the food is farm fresh and the simple, crisp atmosphere reminds you of Denmark. The owners of this upscale Bistro, Pia and Will Neilson, have brought sparkle to downtown Bath. Pia is Danish, and perhaps her Danish roots add a unique boldness to the Bistro's French and American flavors. The cocktails, by the way, are outstanding. Solo Bistro introduced my husband to St. Germaine, and it is now and ever shall be his cocktail of choice! He ordered it in Paris, and he thought the French made it well, but not as well as the bartender at Solo Bistro. Coming from Joe, a man of discerning taste, that is a huge compliment! Without a doubt, Solo Bistro has become our special occasion place in Bath. Our daughter, Katie, recently celebrated her birthday there. She too finds the specialty cocktails extraordinary! What better way to say cheers to life and love! Let's eat, drink and be happy in Bath. All we have to do is follow the signs and "Think Bath."