PORTLAND, Maine — It is time to start gathering presents in the Pine Tree State, and plenty of Mainers kicked off the holiday spending season Friday at local stores.

While cruise ships have long left, Maine’s quaint streets are still drawing some north, including Peter Rivard and his girlfriend who drove up for the weekend from Boston.

“I came here about two years ago, saw the shops, and fell in love with it,” Rivard said.

For the pair, the first stop on the shopping spree was the bookstore. “I got this for my mom,” Rivard said, holding up “The Poacher’s Son” by Paul Doiron. “Hopefully she never sees this.”

Rivard said the rest of the shopping list is mostly apparel, like hats and gloves, but also on the list are “a bunch of wooden carved ducks that I am going to go get.”

Not too far

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