The Hidden Gem of Maine

Chances are good if you live in the Northeast United States like my family then you've been to most of the go-to family road trip spots: Boston, Philly, DC, Colonial Williamsburg, upstate NY (Cooperstown, Buffalo, Albany, etc), Montreal, Niagara, Quebec, Toronto. The list goes on and on of reasonable places you can hit in the family mini-van.

So what happens when you've exhausted that list? Well then it's time to look a bit further, namely to Portland, Maine!

For the family it has everything you're looking for, a new city, some tourist attractions, good food, and it was within reasonable driving distance of NYC. Here are some recommended things to do, see, and eat on your Maine vacation.

General

Portland is a great city. It is almost an entirely different world there, apart from the other cities that speckle the Northeast seaboard. The people are kind and friendly, cars stop completely on major roads for pedestrians to cross, and the scenery is gorgeous. There are plenty of locations going over the maritime history of the area and lots of lighthouses to see. A leisurely boat ride can take you from small island to small island and if you were lucky enough to be part of Cards Against Humanity's gift program in 2014 then you can find a boat and go visit Hawaii 2 off the coast of Liberty, Maine.

Food

Lobster, lobster, and more lobster. After all it's pretty much Maine's most famous export/dish. While I Bite Into Maine had by far the best lobster roll in the greater Portland area. For a sit-down meal Jameson Tavern is an excellent choice,and in a great location.
personally was never the biggest fan of lobster before my trip to Maine made me realize why. Lobster never tasted so sweet and tender before in my life.

Don't worry - if you're not into lobster or allergic there are other great foods there too. Breakfast in particular is amazing there as well as other non-shellfish seafoods.

Shopping

No trip to Portland could ever be considered complete without a visit to the L.L. Bean campus in nearby Freeport, Maine. It is quite literally the size of a college campus and has every item that L.L.Bean sells and then some. There are simulated rock formations to test hiking shoes and fish ponds to try their fishing gear. Even tents set up complete with sleeping bags for you to see first hand if it will meet your needs. There is almost nothing you can't buy from this store and it's open 24hrs, 7 days a week. If you head into the city of Portland itself and head down Commercial street you'll find more shops then you can shake a lobster tail at. There are even some fish shops which will package up fresh lobster and ship it to your home!

Cycling

Bicycles are everywhere in Maine. There are even ways to cycle all the way across the state! I had the chance to go on a bike tour with SummerFeet Cycling where we went through the picturesque neighborhoods of Portland to view five different lighthouses. The first of which you could climb across huge boulders to go inside and view the lighthouse and learn how the lighthouse keepers lived. If you enjoy bike riding at all this is one of the few places where it is very bike friendly. Rentals can be found in many different places. The city of Portland and the surrounding suburbs are quite hilly so if you're at all out of shape or not up for multiple hill-climbs there are also electric bikes available for rent. Electric bikes are regulated and legal to ride in the state of Maine.

Beer

Beer is, personally, one of my favorite beverages. I believe that there is no better advocate for teh consumption of beer then the people of Maine, specifically in Portland. Each part of town and the surrounding areas seems to have their own micro-brewery. There are lots of beers to taste (and buy) at each of the breweries. Some are more popular then others and will have long wait times or reservations for tastings/tours that sell out quickly, like Allagash Brewery. Others are very casual and very generous with their pours like Shipyard Brewery. Mead is also quickly gaining in popularity in the area and there are plenty of places to give it a try.



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