Just the same old, same old? Not on Route 1

We set out on foot for Anna’s Used Furniture (612 Congress St., 207-775-7223). After a long walk and then browsing through stacks of furniture and admiring a couple of paintings in the window, we got back in the car.

Lovell Hall (463 Fore St., 207-871-1868, www.lovellhall.com) was fascinating with its combination of high-end Asian antiques and reproductions. Here we found a Japanese mizyuna, a traditional stacked chest used to store tea and dishware, and a Sendai tansu, a chest used to store clothing, dated 1790-1820.

At Judy Pascal (6 Free St., 207-347-5633), the floor-to-ceiling wall of windows on the storefront façade lent a bright openness to the store, which was full of delightfully arranged nautical and Provençal antiques and home decor.

I had high hopes for Portland. I pictured tiny, cluttered shops along the cobblestone streets with salty sailors peddling their wares. Though the few shops we found were good, they were scarce, since in recent years many stores have relocated to group shops on Route 1. So that’s where we headed next.

First up was M & M Antiques (809 Route 1, Saco, 207-284-7286), a group shop with seven vendors selling an eclectic mix that included furniture, metal toy cars, dishes, kitchenware, and more. Mom made her first purchase of the day: a picnic basket used to carry pies.

One of my favorite shops was the last one of the day. We pulled up to Nothing New (2796 Route 1, Arundel, 207-286-1789) at 5 p.m., but decided to see if they would let us poke around anyway. (Most stores on Route 1 close at 5.) Here we found two floors filled with gorgeous, restored antique oak, walnut, and mahogany furniture dated 1800-1919. “Tremendously heavy and hard to work on,’’ was Richard Kontoff’s response when I asked him what kind of pieces he’s drawn to for the store he owns with his wife, Linda.