I don’t get over to Farmington very often, but I’ve decided it’s a real nice little town with a big heart.

Having that cabin-feverish, closed-in feeling as often occurs in March, we decided to take to the road on a recent Saturday and do something different.

We left Waterville, picked up my sister, Jane, in Skowhegan and drove west to Farmington, stopping downtown for lunch at The Homestead Kitchen, Bar & Bakery.

What a delight, not only because the food was great, but also because it was booming with a steady stream of patrons coming in and out, settling into booths and tables and engaging in lively conversation. There were people from all ages and walks of life — businessmen and women, seniors, students, families. They all seemed to have a purpose this sunny, late winter afternoon.

It quickly became clear to me that many were University of Maine at Farmington students and their parents dispersed among the locals, including Farmington native Janet Mills, Maine’s attorney general.

Our waiter, a young red-haired bespectacled man I assumed was a student, was very pleasant and efficient, accommodating our request to change from a table to a booth shortly after we arrived.

My tarragon chicken salad sandwich on home-made wheat bread was super. Phil had haddock and Jane chicken dill soup. They both raved about their fare. A good start to what we hoped would be a fun day.

It was. The downtown streets were busy with both vehicles and shoppers. We stepped into a cool music store where the proprietor was very chatty and friendly, and I bought a Carly Simon CD that complements her memoir, “Boys in the Trees,” which I read recently. I also bought a miniature violin with a magnet on the back for our friend Irv’s refrigerator.

At a nearby thrift store I explored the stacks of books and bought an illustrated history of Scotland, my paternal grandmother’s homeland, for three bucks. We then perused an extraordinary and dimly lit vintage store featuring high ceilings, old wedding dresses, jewelry, hats and other attire, as well as an unusual, sparkly gold floor.

Across Broadway, the R.H. Reny department store was abuzz with shoppers, many of whom were students and their parents who were clothes shopping on the first and second floors and purchasing food and home-goods in the basement. I got a good sense of just how busy the store was from the noticeable rumbling of feet above me as I perused the basement aisles.

A highlight of the foray was visiting Twice Sold Tales on Main Street which has a good selection of old and newer Maine books as one enters the shop, lots of old children’s books with quaint covers that transport us baby boomers back in time, and multiple shelves of fiction and nonfiction. I bought George Mitchell’s latest book, “The Negotiator,” which retails for $28, for a mere $8 (sorry, George; couldn’t resist the price). It’s in pristine condition and features several sweet photos of him growing up in Waterville.

Last but not least, Jane and I stopped at the little Calico Patch shop, where we found some neat greeting cards and where the clerks were very upbeat and helpful. We suspected they, too, were students working their way through college.

Speaking of which, Farmington is awash with young people, and it’s refreshing to be around them, intermixed with us older folks.

“People are innocently nice here, aren’t they?” Jane said after purchasing coffee at the McDonald’s drive-up window. A young clerk there had smiled and wished us a good day.

As we drove out of town, I couldn’t help but envision what downtown Waterville will be like after Colby College builds a dormitory there and Main Street is flooded with students. Young people bring a vibrancy to a town that is energizing and fun to be around.

They bring the world to us.

Farmington, I’ve concluded, is a happenin’ town, and Waterville will be more-so as the changes occur.

I, for one, am looking forward to it — with bells on.

Amy Calder has been a Morning Sentinel reporter for 28 years. Her column appears here Mondays. She may be reached at acalder@centralmaine.com. For previous Reporting Aside columns, go to centralmaine.com.

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