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Banana

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For anyone in or around the Portland area, I'm looking for help with things to do while there next month for a week. My first week will be in the Bethel area, and I know there's not a whole lot to do there, but I've got my hiking & walking trails all lined up for that part of the vacation. My first week will be spent relaxing, but the second week, I get to play tourist. I get so irritated with people that come here and don't have a clue what there is to do, so I've tried to do a little pre-planning, but I'm sure there are things I couldn't find on the net. This is what I have lined up for the Portland area (some attractions are a little drive, but that's okay too - I'm away from home!):
Maine Wildlife Park
Eartha
Portland Observatory
Old Port Shopping
Victoria Mansion
Portland Discovery Tours (land & sea tour)
Freeport Shopping area?
I think I missed the "season" there for festivals, artwalks, that type of thing? At least I didn't see anything on the calendar for my dates (Sept 13th-20th). I'm staying in a vacation rental, so cooking most of my meals - not really looking for restaurant recommendations, but if there's one I must try, please tell me.
Also, am I guessing correctly that highs should be high 60's-70's and lows in the 50's? Pure heaven! I can wear jeans for the first time in five months. So excited!
 
Portland area has 5 lighthouses you can see (and walk out to) from land. Open Lighthouse Day is Sept 18, when 25 different lighthouses will be open for inside viewing. Fall in the Village art show in Freeport is the same weekend. Ditto the Lobsterman Triathlon.
In Portland you can take a windjammer sail with Portland Windjammer. Take the mail boat out to the islands (3 hours on the water- $14). Go out with Lucky Catch lobster cruises and haul traps.
Maine Foodie Tours has 3 different Portland-based walking tours with different themes...beer, sweets and a walking tour of restaurants & food stores.
Nothing you have on the list will take more than 30 minutes to drive to if you're staying in Portland.
Correct on the weather. Possibly lower lows than that, tho.
Eartha is neat, combine that with shopping in Freeport. Which you can also combine with lunch at the Harraseeket Lunch & Lobster. Which can also be combined with hiking at Bradbury Mountain or Wolfe Neck Woods. LL Bean never closes, save that store for last.
How far afield do you want to go? Beaches? Museums? Shopping? Let me know your driving limit.
BTW, if you are staying IN Portland, you do not want to cook for yourself. Foodie capital of northern New England.
 
Portland area has 5 lighthouses you can see (and walk out to) from land. Open Lighthouse Day is Sept 18, when 25 different lighthouses will be open for inside viewing. Fall in the Village art show in Freeport is the same weekend. Ditto the Lobsterman Triathlon.
In Portland you can take a windjammer sail with Portland Windjammer. Take the mail boat out to the islands (3 hours on the water- $14). Go out with Lucky Catch lobster cruises and haul traps.
Maine Foodie Tours has 3 different Portland-based walking tours with different themes...beer, sweets and a walking tour of restaurants & food stores.
Nothing you have on the list will take more than 30 minutes to drive to if you're staying in Portland.
Correct on the weather. Possibly lower lows than that, tho.
Eartha is neat, combine that with shopping in Freeport. Which you can also combine with lunch at the Harraseeket Lunch & Lobster. Which can also be combined with hiking at Bradbury Mountain or Wolfe Neck Woods. LL Bean never closes, save that store for last.
How far afield do you want to go? Beaches? Museums? Shopping? Let me know your driving limit.
BTW, if you are staying IN Portland, you do not want to cook for yourself. Foodie capital of northern New England..
This is great Mort - thanks! Trying to fit in the Open Lighthouse Day and Fall in the Village is going to be tough, guess I'll have to pick one or the other there. I don't really want to drive more than an hour to get to anything. I'm not a huge shopper - I think a day in Freeport will do me, unless you think there's another area better. The day you described there sounded good though, especially with the hiking. I guess I really want to enjoy the scenery and weather more than anything - not a whole lot of time indoors, so the boat tours, hiking, lighthouses...perfect! Are the Portland Observatory and the Victoria Mansion worth visiting, in your opinion?
I'm sure I'll have to hit a few places to eat, but the boyfriend (that lives in Maine) is an amazing cook, so most meals will be at home.
 
I hope you have a blast, Banana!!!
I love, love, LOVE the coast of Maine. I would move there in a second. There is a B*B for sale in Searsport that I've had my eye on...It's just not the right time for my family, though. Oh well.
If you get to, Bailey's Island and Land's End are neat places. Not very commerical, but notworthy.
 
I hope you have a blast, Banana!!!
I love, love, LOVE the coast of Maine. I would move there in a second. There is a B*B for sale in Searsport that I've had my eye on...It's just not the right time for my family, though. Oh well.
If you get to, Bailey's Island and Land's End are neat places. Not very commerical, but notworthy..
Just looked up locations for Bradbury Mountain and Wolfe Necks Woods. I'm so friggin' excited, I can't sit still. I left the Pacific NW six years ago to come to flat, brown Texas. I love it here, but it's just not pretty! I can't wait to see natural beauty again.
 
Portland area has 5 lighthouses you can see (and walk out to) from land. Open Lighthouse Day is Sept 18, when 25 different lighthouses will be open for inside viewing. Fall in the Village art show in Freeport is the same weekend. Ditto the Lobsterman Triathlon.
In Portland you can take a windjammer sail with Portland Windjammer. Take the mail boat out to the islands (3 hours on the water- $14). Go out with Lucky Catch lobster cruises and haul traps.
Maine Foodie Tours has 3 different Portland-based walking tours with different themes...beer, sweets and a walking tour of restaurants & food stores.
Nothing you have on the list will take more than 30 minutes to drive to if you're staying in Portland.
Correct on the weather. Possibly lower lows than that, tho.
Eartha is neat, combine that with shopping in Freeport. Which you can also combine with lunch at the Harraseeket Lunch & Lobster. Which can also be combined with hiking at Bradbury Mountain or Wolfe Neck Woods. LL Bean never closes, save that store for last.
How far afield do you want to go? Beaches? Museums? Shopping? Let me know your driving limit.
BTW, if you are staying IN Portland, you do not want to cook for yourself. Foodie capital of northern New England..
This is great Mort - thanks! Trying to fit in the Open Lighthouse Day and Fall in the Village is going to be tough, guess I'll have to pick one or the other there. I don't really want to drive more than an hour to get to anything. I'm not a huge shopper - I think a day in Freeport will do me, unless you think there's another area better. The day you described there sounded good though, especially with the hiking. I guess I really want to enjoy the scenery and weather more than anything - not a whole lot of time indoors, so the boat tours, hiking, lighthouses...perfect! Are the Portland Observatory and the Victoria Mansion worth visiting, in your opinion?
I'm sure I'll have to hit a few places to eat, but the boyfriend (that lives in Maine) is an amazing cook, so most meals will be at home.
.
Banana said:
I'm sure I'll have to hit a few places to eat, but the boyfriend (that lives in Maine) is an amazing cook, so most meals will be at home.
Curious to know, given the phrasing of that sentence, if there are boyfriends in other ports?
wink_smile.gif

 
Portland area has 5 lighthouses you can see (and walk out to) from land. Open Lighthouse Day is Sept 18, when 25 different lighthouses will be open for inside viewing. Fall in the Village art show in Freeport is the same weekend. Ditto the Lobsterman Triathlon.
In Portland you can take a windjammer sail with Portland Windjammer. Take the mail boat out to the islands (3 hours on the water- $14). Go out with Lucky Catch lobster cruises and haul traps.
Maine Foodie Tours has 3 different Portland-based walking tours with different themes...beer, sweets and a walking tour of restaurants & food stores.
Nothing you have on the list will take more than 30 minutes to drive to if you're staying in Portland.
Correct on the weather. Possibly lower lows than that, tho.
Eartha is neat, combine that with shopping in Freeport. Which you can also combine with lunch at the Harraseeket Lunch & Lobster. Which can also be combined with hiking at Bradbury Mountain or Wolfe Neck Woods. LL Bean never closes, save that store for last.
How far afield do you want to go? Beaches? Museums? Shopping? Let me know your driving limit.
BTW, if you are staying IN Portland, you do not want to cook for yourself. Foodie capital of northern New England..
This is great Mort - thanks! Trying to fit in the Open Lighthouse Day and Fall in the Village is going to be tough, guess I'll have to pick one or the other there. I don't really want to drive more than an hour to get to anything. I'm not a huge shopper - I think a day in Freeport will do me, unless you think there's another area better. The day you described there sounded good though, especially with the hiking. I guess I really want to enjoy the scenery and weather more than anything - not a whole lot of time indoors, so the boat tours, hiking, lighthouses...perfect! Are the Portland Observatory and the Victoria Mansion worth visiting, in your opinion?
I'm sure I'll have to hit a few places to eat, but the boyfriend (that lives in Maine) is an amazing cook, so most meals will be at home.
.
Portland Observatory is worth it for the view, if it's foggy don't bother. Victoria Mansion is good for a rainy day.
Nothing here is 'big' in that it would take you days to see it all. Except the state itself, but you live in TX, so this is dinky. I'm sure there are cattle ranches in TX the same size as the state...
 
Portland area has 5 lighthouses you can see (and walk out to) from land. Open Lighthouse Day is Sept 18, when 25 different lighthouses will be open for inside viewing. Fall in the Village art show in Freeport is the same weekend. Ditto the Lobsterman Triathlon.
In Portland you can take a windjammer sail with Portland Windjammer. Take the mail boat out to the islands (3 hours on the water- $14). Go out with Lucky Catch lobster cruises and haul traps.
Maine Foodie Tours has 3 different Portland-based walking tours with different themes...beer, sweets and a walking tour of restaurants & food stores.
Nothing you have on the list will take more than 30 minutes to drive to if you're staying in Portland.
Correct on the weather. Possibly lower lows than that, tho.
Eartha is neat, combine that with shopping in Freeport. Which you can also combine with lunch at the Harraseeket Lunch & Lobster. Which can also be combined with hiking at Bradbury Mountain or Wolfe Neck Woods. LL Bean never closes, save that store for last.
How far afield do you want to go? Beaches? Museums? Shopping? Let me know your driving limit.
BTW, if you are staying IN Portland, you do not want to cook for yourself. Foodie capital of northern New England..
This is great Mort - thanks! Trying to fit in the Open Lighthouse Day and Fall in the Village is going to be tough, guess I'll have to pick one or the other there. I don't really want to drive more than an hour to get to anything. I'm not a huge shopper - I think a day in Freeport will do me, unless you think there's another area better. The day you described there sounded good though, especially with the hiking. I guess I really want to enjoy the scenery and weather more than anything - not a whole lot of time indoors, so the boat tours, hiking, lighthouses...perfect! Are the Portland Observatory and the Victoria Mansion worth visiting, in your opinion?
I'm sure I'll have to hit a few places to eat, but the boyfriend (that lives in Maine) is an amazing cook, so most meals will be at home.
.
Portland Observatory is worth it for the view, if it's foggy don't bother. Victoria Mansion is good for a rainy day.
Nothing here is 'big' in that it would take you days to see it all. Except the state itself, but you live in TX, so this is dinky. I'm sure there are cattle ranches in TX the same size as the state...
.
All great info, thanks again. I may have more questions as I do more research.
 
I hope you have a blast, Banana!!!
I love, love, LOVE the coast of Maine. I would move there in a second. There is a B*B for sale in Searsport that I've had my eye on...It's just not the right time for my family, though. Oh well.
If you get to, Bailey's Island and Land's End are neat places. Not very commerical, but notworthy..
Emily Spiers said:
I love, love, LOVE the coast of Maine. I would move there in a second. There is a B*B for sale in Searsport that I've had my eye on...It's just not the right time for my family, though. Oh well.
Watchtide or Britannia? I was actually in Searsport this June and was talking with a shop keeper about the area business, she said the b&b's are really having a hard time in that area since there's nothing there to draw the tourists in. We were just in the area since I wanted to drive up to Belfast to look around and decided to keep driving a bit.
 
Banana, you must be going to Maine to celebrate my birthday?! Whatever you do, if you get hungry for pizza DON'T go to Bills Pizza in Portland.....made that mistake! www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g40827-d387676-Reviews-Bill_s_Pizza-Portland_Maine.html
I will be up in Maine mid October, can't wait! Love Maine so much!.
I'm going to celebrate MY birthday! Happy Birthday to us
teeth_smile.gif

Wow...those are some horrible reviews!
.
Banana said:
I'm going to celebrate MY birthday! Happy Birthday to us
teeth_smile.gif

Wow...those are some horrible reviews!
Well than, Happy Birthday to you too!
 
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