This was my last weekend getaway of the summer, and I’m so pleased with how it turned out. My family and I witnessed the bluest of skies and clearest of waters, so all I can say is thank you Portland, Maine! You are the real MVP.
(And shout out to August 2016. You were great too.)
Saturday: Arriving in Portland
1. Portland Observatory — skipped the guided tour, took snapshots of the tower, and headed over to our hotel.
2. Early check-in at hotel — Hampton Inn Portland Downtown – Waterfront. Ideal location and friendly staff. *Within walking distance of Old Port!
3. Lunch at Honey Paw — Due to long wait at Eventide Oyster Co., hostess recommended the sister establishment next door. Advice taken and no regrets had!
4. Willard Beach (South Portland, ME) — a short drive from the hotel. Parked car at visitor parking lot by Southern Maine Community College. Took some photos and a nice stroll on the beach!
5. Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse — a 3-minute drive from Willard Beach. Hopped along this path of rocks to the lighthouse. *Mind the gap(s)!
6. The hunt for a place to eat — roamed Old Port and decided to eat pretty late. Not really the best move! The places on our list (i.e. Miyake, Street & Co., Fore St.) were all at full capacity, so we ended up eating dinner at the hotel restaurant.
Sunday: On land and at sea!
1. Breakfast at Hampton Inn — your average hotel breakfast.
2. Eastern Promenade — another quick drive from the hotel. Beautiful view of the ocean, great walking paths, and spacious bike trails. This is the place to squeeze in your morning workout!
3. Lunch at Eventide Oyster Co. — finally got seated! SUCCESS.
The famous Brown Butter Lobster Roll.
Oysters for days.
4. Exploring Old Port in the A.M. — walked the cobblestone streets of Old Port, right after buying cruise tickets on Commercial St. (Wanted to make sure we got those tickets before they sold out.)
5. Victoria Mansion and Portland Museum of Art — not too far from Old Port…but I wouldn’t recommend walking to the mansion on a super hot day like this. Once we got there, we skipped the guided tour of Victoria Mansion. What’s new? Instead, we checked out the art museum and used our AAA discount (not much TBH, but better than nothing).
Art imitating life or life imitating art?
6. Gorgeous Gelato — best way to cool down after walking back to Old Port? Delicious gelato.
7. After shopping at Old Port, we went straight to the hotel to get some shut-eye.
8. Dinner at Central Provisions — TAPAS, TAPAS, TAPAS. My favorite meal of the trip. DO GO!
9. Sunset Lighthouse Cruise with Portland Discovery Land & Sea Tours — 105 minutes of relaxation on the sea. Stunning view and memorable sights. (I’m talkin’ lighthouses, bald eagle, seals, sunset, sinking party boat. You name it.)
This wasn’t our boat btw.
10. Time to unwind — picked up pizza from Otto and watched the 2016 VMAs from the comfort of my hotel room. Nothing like a little self-indulgence.
Monday: Farewell, Portland!
1. Holy Donut — we couldn’t leave without stopping by the Holy Donut, of course. Bought a dozen colorful donuts and brought them back to the hotel.
2. Hotel breakfast + donuts = full to the brim. I love that these donuts weren’t too sweet.
3. Fort Williams Park (Cape Elizabeth, ME) — a beautiful expanse of green. Home to Portland Head Light (Maine’s oldest lighthouse), walking trails on the cliffs, historic remnants, gorgeous views, and so much more.
Did I mention, rocks?
4. After walking along the trails and taking a ton of photos, we parked our car along a picnic area by Goddard Mansion. The water was cold but so refreshing.
5. Lunch at the Lobster Shack — our last stop in Maine! Way better than the lobster rolls—I daresay—were the breathtaking, panoramic views of the ocean. I didn’t even know this was a tourist trap, but heck, I’m glad we ended up here. Talk about the MAINE event! (Hahahahah I hate myself too.)
Careful not to slip like I did!
Maine, you will be sorely missed!
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