Portland, Maine
Lighthouse in Casco Bay.
This seaside city is full of good food, solid history, and adventures. I have taken family trips to Portland, planned bachelorette parties in the city, and even visited just for an afternoon to get a tattoo. It is a city that is perfect for a long vacation or a day trip, and I hope some of these tips will help you to make the most of your visit.
Windy ferry ride out to Peaks Island.
With Portland, I have to start with food. The best and most highly recommended item I have for this city is donuts from The Holy Donut. These mashed potato-based donuts come in flavors and varieties that will satisfy everyone’s tastes – they are by far some of my favorite donuts ever. And they will usually have at least one gluten free and one vegan flavor. You can’t go wrong with any of them, in my (clearly obsessed) opinion. Elevation Burger is a chain restaurant, but with good and well sourced ingredients. I love the French fries and my husband loves their hamburgers. There are many high-end restaurants with great quality food and well-respected chefs (including Duckfat) – but I have not personally visited these on my trips so far. For a unique dining experience, my family usually gets dinner at DiMillo’s on the Water, an old car ferry boat recommissioned into a restaurant. The food and service is good, including quality options for lovers of seafood and even for a vegetarian like me, and the overall experience is basically unparalleled. Flatbread is another local chain. They offer delicious stone-fired pizza in a variety of locally sourced and distinctive flavors, great salads, and a solid seasonal cocktail and beer list. There are, of course, boundless opportunities for seafood fare throughout Portland as well.
Ocean view from Peaks Island.
In addition to food, there are many different drinking experiences to be had in Portland. Vena’s Fizz House is another unique local treasure. They have delicious craft drinks, both non-alcoholic and alcoholic. You can also purchase many ingredients for making your own mixed drinks at home from their shop, including infusion kits and bitters and syrups. Urban Farm Fermentory has a tasting room where you can try flavors of their cider, beer, mead and kombucha. They forage for ingredients and offer opportunities to learn more about foraging, as well as different activities and crafts on occasion. A popular activity in the city is to take a bus tour stopping at the many breweries in the area, including Allagash, Bissell Brothers and many more. Wharf Street has quite a few bars, most with outdoor areas and opportunities for playing games and dancing. Bar of Chocolate is a great spot for dessert and chocolate based drinks, but it is small so may involve a bit of a wait!
Sunset cruise on Casco Bay.
There is so much to do in Portland. I have to start off with two slightly random but favorite spots for me personally. My dad once planned a mother’s day trip for my mom, which included a visit for all of us to Soakology. I since brought a bachelorette party group back here, and will definitely be back again as soon as I can. This spa offers a variety of foot soaks as their specialty, but can also include massages and sampling from their extensive tea selection. Another personal favorite for me is one of my favorite tattoo artists - Sean Shea at Tsunami Tattoo. He is a talented tattoo artist with a style and personality that will make a first-time tattoo customer or a seasoned veteran very comfortable. If you’re local and looking for some new body art, a day trip up to Portland is well worth it. A few sites that have been on my list to visit are the Portland Observatory (for views of the city) and Victoria Mansion. I will update this post if I ever do get to visit, but please leave a comment if you have visited either and have any insight! The city is also perfect for strolling and window shopping, venturing in and out of the many stores. We have spent hours doing just this, with everything from furniture stores to craft beer shops to fill up your time.
I highly recommend a boat tour on Portland Discovery Land & Sea Tours, which offers beautiful views of the many islands off of the coast of Portland as well as a dose of history. I am always fond of boat cruises on any of my trips, mostly because I just love being out on the water, but also because they always give a unique and gorgeous perspective of the place you are visiting.
You can also take the Casco Bay ferry out to Peaks Island for a day trip or even a stay. The ferry rides are very cheap and well worth the expense. Our activity of choice was a walk around almost the entire circumference of the island, which was a lengthy but worthwhile adventure of over four miles. You can also rent bikes from one of the shops within close distance from the ferry, or walk and explore like we did. There were a few food trucks parked very close to the ferry, as well as an ice cream shop. Our island exploration involved walking through parts of Battery Steele, a military fortification from World War II. The walks along the coast were beautiful.
Fort Gorges in Casco Bay.
Battery Steele on Peaks Island.
Portland is one of those cities that I will always enjoy returning to. I hope to be able to update this post with new discoveries, but you can rest assured that no matter how long I am visiting or what new place I’m exploring, I will definitely have a Holy Donut in hand ;)
