Goldenrod

Every year, I travel to York Maine, to revisit many of the usual sites. One of these places is The Goldenrod, a place that feels as timeless as the tides rolling onto Short Sands Beach. No trip to York is complete without stepping inside this landmark, where the air is sweet with the scent of salt-water taffy.

The Goldenrod dates back to 1896, and has been welcoming visitors in the very same spot since the day its doors first opened. It was the Portsmouth, Kittery and York Railway that transformed York Beach into a summer destination. The Goldenrod became a stop for travelers stepping off the train looking for a treat.  From the start, its specialty has been the famous saltwater taffy, known as “Goldenrod Kisses.”

Even today, you can watch the taffy being produced and pulled in the front window. This stretching and folding has been viewed by generations of families since the 19th century. The process has changed little which is a testament to the shop’s commitment to tradition. The Goldenrod produces 50 tons of taffy each year, nearly 8,000,000 individual pieces, all wrapped as those made more than a century ago.

In addition to its taffy, the Goldenrod also serves as a full restaurant with a soda fountain and ice-cream parlor. The dining room with its oak tables and heavy beams, feels like you are stepping back in time. And the marble soda fountain serves ice-cream sodas, sundaes, egg creams, the way they were meant to be made.

The Goldenrod stands as one of Maine’s iconic landmarks from an era when beach towns were connected by rail. Whether you are stopping for a meal, watching taffy being pulled or indulging in a root beer float, the magic of this place never fades.