NDR- Portland Maine

Neal Haarberg

Neal Haarberg

Active member
I will be in Portland Maine with my wife for a couple days towards the end of July. We will have a rental car and are looking for stuff to do. Any and all suggestions welcome including good places to eat.
 
I don't have suggestions about what to do in Portland, since I only drive through it on the way north. Although I did take the dog to the ER there last Monday, a three hour drive each way for an endoscope. :rolleyes: Was worth it, he's doing better.

Are you actually staying in Portland, or somewhere nearby? My thinking is that the Maine coast will look just like home to you. Except you'll see sunrise over water, rather than sunset. I'd suggest looking inland and north of Augusta if you want to tour a bit. Stay away from the "cities" (which are not very big), many of the small towns have a nice eatery or some interesting attraction. I bet Jeff Reardon will have some suggestions, I believe he lives near Augusta.

Edit: I forgot that LL Bean in Freeport is only a 20-30 minute drive from Portland. It's a day trip destination if you like Bean gear, plus there are a bunch of other factory outlets.
 
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Neal~
First stop for me would be Winslow Homer's studio at Prout's Neck:
https://www.portlandmuseum.org/homer

It'll be open when you're there - but was closed for season when I hunted Eiders et cetera with Troy Fields.

Otherwise, I would just head north enjoying boatyards and marine museums - and the coastline all the way.

Enjoy!

SJS
 
I'll give you three levels of eating in Portland

thirsty Pig for beer and bar food
Duck fat for the best french fries you've ever had
Street and Co for fine dining, its on par with anywhere in US
 
If you're an early riser, grab a coffee and donut and go out to East Point Sanctuary in Biddeford Pool for the sunrise. About 30 minutes south of Portland. Beautiful spot, plenty of places to enjoy the scenery. Wood Island Lighthouse is viewable from there as well. P.S. July is PEAK tourist time here in Maine just as an FYI
 
All the suggestions above are good. Add Eventide Oyster House to your restaurant list. You'll stand in line as there are no reservations, but it'll be worth it. Portland Head Light, in my home town, is only a short drive from Portland in Cape Elizabeth. Town park. Great food trucks. Good place to watch ships come by at close range on their way into the harbor. Probably the most painted/photographed lighthouse on earth, though I have no statistics to cite. Portland Art Museum is excellent, especially if you like American landscape painters. Best cheap day out in Portland is to catch the Casco Bay Ferry and get a boat ride somewhere. Lots of options, it serves a lot of islands. Rent a bike and ride around one of them. Pick a restaurant and take the ferry there and back (or a water taxi for a quicker ride). Diamond's Edge on Diamond Island was a family favorite. Chebeageue Inn on Chebeague Island has a great west-facing porch for sunset--but that's a different ferry. If you want to get out on the water, learn about Maine lobstering, and help haul traps, one of my sister's high school classmates runs Lucky Catch Charters and will take you out. If you are into boats and things marine, head north to Bath about 40 minutes to the Maine Maritime Museum. Bring a fishing rod and cast for stripers around Prout's Neck before or after your tour at the Winslow Homer house. Public access from the trail that runs all the way around the point. Also a great beach and fishing a mile away at town-owned Ferry Beach. Look close from any of those vantages, and you can figure out what Homer used as foreground and background in his paintings--including my avatar pic. Lots of great breweries. My favorite is Bissell Brothers, with Oxbow a close second, but you really can't go wrong. Harbor Fish Market is world class if you have a place to cook. As noted above, expect crowds in summer. Get reservations early for anything that allows them to avoid frustration.
 
Neal Haarberg said:
I will be in Portland Maine with my wife for a couple days towards the end of July. We will have a rental car and are looking for stuff to do. Any and all suggestions welcome including good places to eat.
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Love hitting Kittery Trading Post and eating at the CLAM SHACK next door. Never dissapoints
 
Jeff Reardon said:
All the suggestions above are good. Add Eventide Oyster House to your restaurant list. You'll stand in line as there are no reservations, but it'll be worth it. Portland Head Light, in my home town, is only a short drive from Portland in Cape Elizabeth. Town park. Great food trucks. Good place to watch ships come by at close range on their way into the harbor. Probably the most painted/photographed lighthouse on earth, though I have no statistics to cite. Portland Art Museum is excellent, especially if you like American landscape painters. Best cheap day out in Portland is to catch the Casco Bay Ferry and get a boat ride somewhere. Lots of options, it serves a lot of islands. Rent a bike and ride around one of them. Pick a restaurant and take the ferry there and back (or a water taxi for a quicker ride). Diamond's Edge on Diamond Island was a family favorite. Chebeageue Inn on Chebeague Island has a great west-facing porch for sunset--but that's a different ferry. If you want to get out on the water, learn about Maine lobstering, and help haul traps, one of my sister's high school classmates runs Lucky Catch Charters and will take you out. If you are into boats and things marine, head north to Bath about 40 minutes to the Maine Maritime Museum. Bring a fishing rod and cast for stripers around Prout's Neck before or after your tour at the Winslow Homer house. Public access from the trail that runs all the way around the point. Also a great beach and fishing a mile away at town-owned Ferry Beach. Look close from any of those vantages, and you can figure out what Homer used as foreground and background in his paintings--including my avatar pic. Lots of great breweries. My favorite is Bissell Brothers, with Oxbow a close second, but you really can't go wrong. Harbor Fish Market is world class if you have a place to cook. As noted above, expect crowds in summer. Get reservations early for anything that allows them to avoid frustration.
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That's a tour guide!
 
Thank you everybody for the suggestions! keep them comming. I have always heard that Maine has a lot of similarities to the PNW. We are staying at an Air BNB in South Portland but driving is not an issue. We are used to having to drive and hour or 2 to go somewhere fun for the day. It has been kind of funny as we are looking at maps of new england with the states just being physically smaller than they are in the west our brains keep thinking things are farther away than they are.
 
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