How To Spend A Day In Portland, Maine
One of my QYK pals Ted (he’s that guy with the big voice you sometimes hear between songs) is visiting my home state of Maine next week. When Floridians see my lobster posts, they hit me up for the places to go for their first visit. Since I always recommend the same places, I figured I’d do this itinerary of the way to spend a day in Portland, Maine in case you ever plan a trip.
First though, plan a visit at the right time of year. Get out of the Florida heat and visit in summer or fall. Winter (except for Christmas) and spring are miserable in New England. Snow looks great on post cards, but it’s a nightmare to drive in. If you want to see the fall foliage, early to mid October is when the trees change color so you can go “leaf peeping.”
Breakfast:
Up early enough for breakfast? Have a “bennie” at this place not far from the Maine Mall in South Portland. The breakfast sandwiches and coffee were good, but it’s all about the beignets with maple cinnamon dip that’ll stick in your memory for weeks. Save room.
Walk off the bennies in Portland’s Old Port. It’s on the waterfront so you’ll see lobster boats dropping off their catch at seafood vendors. There are tons of touristy shops and bars. Skip DiMillo’s. It’s nice. The food is good, but it’s a tourist trap that really isn’t all that amazing. Every tourist book will tell you to go. Don’t. It’s just a decent restaurant with overpriced seafood on a big boat that doesn’t go anywhere. You’ll be on a real boat a little later.
Lunch:
Get a pizza slab at Micucci’s. It’s close to Portland’s Old Port on India Street. It’s a scaled down version of Mazzaro’s… lots of wine, cheese, pasta, etc. But the star of the show is the pizza slab which you need to go to the back and up the stairs to find.
I grew up in Maine and never went on one of these boats once. Now I’ll probably jump on one every time I go back. Do a cruise around the Portland islands. It’s pretty cheap… about $15/person and lasts a little over 2 hours. Bring a sweatshirt just in case – Portland can even be cold in the summer when you’re on the water. It’s walking distance from Micucci’s where you’ll get that slab of pizza. Just walk toward the water.
Last day in #Maine. Last day of temps in the 70s. pic.twitter.com/G6SM7pOjPY
— Geno from Q105 (@GenoRadio) July 8, 2018
Dinner:
Head to Portland Headlight. It’s the lighthouse that’s pretty much on 99% of Maine postcards. It’s about a 15 minute drive from Portland. If you have time 2 Lights State Park is worth a visit too. But Portland Headlight is an easy spot to visit and get some good “I really did visit Maine” pictures. No admission or parking charges.
#Touristing pic.twitter.com/LKfcIBXGDS
— Geno from Q105 (@GenoRadio) July 6, 2018
After Portland Headlight, grab dinner at The Lobster Shack. I always go with the fried shrimp. But there’s probably no bad choice. Avoid going during the peak hours around 5 or 6pm if you can. The line can get long and the picnic tables outside fill up fast. But it’s worth the wait. And the views of the rocky coast will entertain you while you wait.
