One Day in Portland Maine
I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to travel to Portland, Maine for work and had one day free to myself. Let me tell you that one day was jam packed! Portland is a perfect city for a weekend getaway or a day trip like I did.
The town is still very much an active fishing town. The docks are active which means they are busy, but also means FRESH SEAFOOD. There is a quintessential New England small town feel that almost borders on European. The central downtown area is littered with cobblestone streets, and small alleys with hidden surprises. All this paired with working docks is a match made in heaven in my books. Due to its location, it is also perfectly situated as a stop-over town on your way to Acadia National Park, or to Boston, depending on which way you're traveling. Portland is 2 hours from Boston, 40 minutes from Kennebunkport and 3 hours from Acadia National Park which makes it a perfect layover stop for anyone looking to do an East Coast Road trip.
Side note, I highly recommend stopping over at Kennebunkport if you’ve never been. You'll feel like you're in a Nancy Myers movie when you're walking through this town. I've done a few East Coast Road trip variations, and this is always on my list of places to go. I'll write more on that at a later time.
I digress, back to Portland. So as with my New Orleans blog I'm not going to give you a detailed itinerary. I'll leave that sort of planning to you. What I will give you are the highlights; the must sees, dos and eats of Portland Maine. I should preface this with the fact that I had a car. If you are simply doing Portland and it's not a stopover anywhere you could do it without a car, but you would be limited to the downtown city center unless you ubered out to some of the locations I Have listed below.
Enough with the preamble… Let's dive in!
Where to Eat:
Coffee by Design
I am a big coffee fan. Whenever I get to a new city or town I check out the local coffee spots. This one peaked my interest for the in house roasting and unique flavors. It's a local own shop with a few locations in Portland which means they are very connected to the local community. When I walked through the front door I was immediately hit with the smell of fresh coffee - you can see where they are roasting the beans straight as you walk in - so I knew it was going to be fresh. I was also inspired by the feeling of community as I was waiting for my order. You could tell this was a place the locals went to catch up, work, socialize.
C Salt Gourmet Market
C Salt is a hybrid market / café. You can go for upscale pantry items and wine or grab a coffee or do as I did and get a lobster roll. This is the type of establishment that would fit right in in the Hamptons. All the food and pastries are made fresh in house. The grocery items they sell are high quality and perfect for grab and go picnic goods. They also have some cute giftable, so if you want to bring back some souvenirs while you eat some delicious food, this is your place. Like I mentioned, I ate the lobster roll. Now one might say, 2 lobster rolls in one day, are you out of your mind. To them I say yes, but that doesn't mean they both weren't supremely enjoyable. Since I don't live on the East Coast whenever I have a chance to eat fresh seafood, specifically fresh lobster I will take it. When in Rome right? The lobster chunks were huge and meaty, the bun was lightly toasted and buttery. A match made in heaven.
The Holy Donut
To be honest, I am not really a big donut fan but this place won me over. There are a few locations around Portland. I went to the one a bit farther out from the city center on my way to Scarborough. It was modeled after a 50s diner, with light blue signage and booths. I went in the afternoon for a mid-day pick me up and man did it do the trick. I had the classic maple, but I really could have eaten any of the flavors, they all sounded so yummy.
Lukes Lobster
This is hands down the best lobster roll in the city. The location is right on Portland Pier - right in the middle of the action. The vibe, as with most places in Portland, is laid back. Leaning in to the fisherman aesthetic. The restaurant consists of indoor and outdoor seating. I was lucky enough to sit outside on the pier overlooking the working ships. The lobster was so fresh, chunky and buttery.
With all this eating, I definitely needed some activities to walk off the food!
What to do:
Eastern Promenade / East End Beach
The Eastern Promenade is, you guessed it, located on the East End of the city. It is listed as a notable street, but what marked it special for me was the accessibility to the waterfront trails. You can take the trails all the way to East End beach. Some are paved, some are more rustic, all have beautiful vistas of the bay. There are so many hidden gems, especially if you are a nature lover. By the time I got to this part of the city the weather had drastically changed… as you can tell from the photos. Coastal life means adjusting for all weathers apparently!
Fort Williams Park
Fort Williams Park is technically in Cape Elizabeth, but it's so close to Portland I'll lump them together. Fort Williams is a historical landmark that includes an old battery, lighthouse and obviously the fort itself. The views along the water front are breathtaking. Once again you'll see active fishing boats and sailboats alike. I went towards sunset and had a magical experience. There are also plenty of trails to meander around and get lost in time.
Lighthouse Tour
What's a trip to Maine without checking out some Lighthouses? Lucky for you there are a handful along the coast near Portland all with their unique flares and histories. I use the term tour lightly as I didn't do an organized tour but made one up for myself. During my time there I just drove along the coast and stopped at all the lighthouses I could find. I got to about 3 or 4 in total and wasn't event trying. Again, not from the East Coast so I find all the quintessential seafaring town items unique.
Explore the Old Port / Downtown Area
Last but certainly not least you must explore the Old Port/ Downtown area. Honestly, if you were a serious shopper, you could easily spend the whole day here. As I mentioned earlier a lot of the roads are cobblestone so gives the town an old world vibe. The streets twist and weave and dead-end making it a magical exploration. There are plenty of historical landmarks to observe as you are walking through town such as the Victoria Mansion or Merrill Auditorium. On top of having a feast for the eyes, there is also a a feast for your check book. There are so many shops in and around market street, some local boutiques, some everyday chains but for anyone looking to shop or window shop this is your place.
There really is so much to do in Portland, especially when you get outside the city center. This is definitely a town for hikers and nature lovers and sea food enthusiasts. I hope when you visit you create some amazing memories!
