MIDCOAST—It's a book crawl...on wheels!

On Saturday, August 2, at  9 a.m. in Augusta, 10 women—some who knew one another—some who didn't—lined up to board Lyndee Waldbauer's customized party bus prepared to have a bookish adventure in the Midcoast.

Waldbauer's minibus, called "The Belle of Belgrade," is retrofitted with pink curtains, cozy bench seating, pink cushions, and a cheery sign at the front stating: "Good Vibes Only."

This is Maine's newest way for adults to make friends.

Waldbauer, who lives in Belgrade, takes people on themed trips all over the state. The new entrepreneurial venture came together after losing her mother in 2023.

"I realized there were so many things I wanted to do in life," she said. "In all the jobs I've had, one of the things I love doing for people is to create shared experiences." 

Prior to the bus business, she organized book clubs, flower arrangement classes, and charcuterie-making classes for people. One day, an epiphany hit her when a similar company in New Hampshire approached her about buying their bus to expand her offerings.

"At first I was like, 'That doesn't even make any sense, why would I want a bus?' And then, rethinking it, I thought it was a great idea. I could go all across the state and impact businesses. Only, I didn't want a full-size school bus that would have required a CDL license, so I looked around and found a short bus that had been turned into a recreational vehicle."

After she modified the bus it with her own touches (adding a karaoke machine, board games, snacks, and complimentary champagne), the bus business took off. For the book lovers book crawl, guests were treated to four stops throughout the Midcoast. Waldbauer worked with the No Shelf Control author collaborative and several Midcoast independent bookstores and businesses to make this a special day. 

"No Shelf Control reached out to me and they have been wonderful," said Waldbauer. "They do all of the coordination with the authors to meet us at these locations and it's an amazing collaboration."

Firstthey visited Arctic Tern Books in Rockland, owned by Allison Worden. Guests explored the store and purchased some books.

Next, Waldbauer drove them to The Tiny Bookshop in Rockport for an author meet-and-greet, to chat with owner Kelly Hokkanen, and to check out her used book section. 

Winding up the road to Camden, the bus took the ladies to visit the Camden library, and then finished off the tour at Laugh Loud Smile Big, where owner Vicki Murray treated guests to cupcakes and complimentary champagne. 

Waldbauer has expanded her business to include bridal shower and birthday trips for groups that are all together as well as thrift store adventures, foodie tours, plant-buying tours, yoga and golden retriever rides, mystery dates, and just-for-the-fun-of-it random rides with complimentary champagne, snacks, music, and karaoke.

The best part about each bus trip is how easy it is for adults to become friends over a shared experience. According to a Colorado State University survey in 2024, 51% of Americans said it was difficult to make new friends.

"Some people come with a friend, but there are many people who come solo," Waldbauer said. "I introduced everyone and served them snacks, and once I started driving, I asked them to introduce themselves and share a favorite book or genre. Almost immediately people started to bond after that."

One of the book crawl's participants, Meesh Preston from the Sebago Lake area, went with her two friends, Tarsha Richmond and Maureen Petone. All three are administrators of the Read Between the Spines Book Club, consisting of 63 members who meet at the Casco Public Library.  Preston and some of her book club members are repeat customers and even ended up in Waldbauer's initial photo shoot for the business.

"Lyndee is one of the friendliest people on earth," said Preston. "She couldn't have picked a better job." 

"By the end of the trip, several of the guests were exchanging social media info and tagging each other in pictures," said Waldbauer. "Everyone who comes on these trips is looking for the same thing: to romanticize life, support the local business community and the authors, and to have a kindred bond."

"Lyndee had this Polaroid camera on board, and everyone just started taking pictures," said Preston. "That drew everyone together instead of just chatting with the person they came with. Every minute there was something fun on the trip."

For the book club members, the book crawl was extra special. "We just want to support Maine authors and give them a boost," said Preston. 

The Belle of Belgrade will be back in the Midcoast on October 3 with a new group of book lovers for a book crawl. Waldbauer additionally plans more book crawls at different spots around the state. 

"The majority of our participants come from all over the state as we do pick-ups in Belgrade and Augusta," she explained. 

To learn more about Belle of Belgrade visit https://thebelleofbelgrade.com

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com