A Random Collection of Travel Recs: Portland, Maine Edition
Welcome to the next post in my 'Random Collection of Travel Recs' series! These posts are loose travel guides to a general area or destination. For the past few years, my personal travel style has been pretty in the moment and primarily road trips around the United States. I'll usually do some general advance planning including a basic route with potential stops along the way and possible places to sleep (especially if I'm visiting a popular destination, such as a National Park or larger city). Beyond that, I'll do a lot of picking based on talking to locals, doing an internet search for 'best of' posts, or doing a map search of what's nearby or along my route and seeing what catches my eye. All that to say, I don't always create specific and detailed itineraries for myself, and so what I'm left with is something that looks a lot like what I'm sharing below. Though this guide might be most helpful as a resource on your own meandering road trip, I hope that anyone traveling in these areas can find a useful tip or two. Do note that some of these experiences were pre-COVID, so some information may have changed in that time. Please do your own research to make sure you are informed about specific changes or protocols so that you have the best possible experience. Without further ado, I present to you...
A Random Collection of Travel Recommendations: Portland, Maine Edition
Ah, Portland. I do love you. Portland, Maine is a fabulous city to visit (or live in, I’d bet - I know I consider every time I’m there). Waterfront views everywhere you look, delicious food, unique shops, and incredibly walkable. I’m utterly enamored and will probably never say no to an invitation to visit Portland. Let’s get into it…
EAT + DRINK
Portland is a foodie town, so a roundup of my favorite places to eat, drink, and grab a snack seems like the perfect way to kick things off.
Street & Co. (https://www.streetandcompany.net/) - If you like seafood, you must eat here. I had the scallops and they were the most delicious thing I have eaten in a very long time. This restaurant is on the pricier side but, in my experience, entirely worth it. My cousin and I dined here on a girls' trip and had the best time. We sat outside and enjoyed people watching, had a perfect bottle of wine, and our server was the best. If you're looking for more of a special occasion dinner, I could not recommend Street & Co. more.
Duck Fat (https://www.duckfat.com/) - This is a great little restaurant known for their sandwiches and fries cooked in, you guessed it, duck fat. This is a small restaurant and they don't take reservations, so plan accordingly. The food was absolutely delicious when I visited back in 2018 and, in my opinion, worth the wait. As of November 2021, they are doing outdoor dining only. They've also opened up a fully takeout location with a walk up window called Duck Fat Frites Shack (https://www.duckfatfriteshack.com/). I didn't try it on this trip, but it could be a great option if you're wanting takeout or find that the main restaurant has a long wait for dine-in. Note that the Frites Shack has a limited menu.
Food Trucks at The Eastern Promenade - Mark this one down for lunch plans for at least one day. It's got everything you could want - a wide variety of food options (including dessert), a gorgeous water view, and plenty of high quality people and pup watching. This is a weather permitting stop as there is no covered seating here, or even much seating at all beyond a few park benches. If you aren't comfortable sitting on the grass like we did, I recommend you bring a blanket or some lawn chairs. Allow time for a leisurely lunch because you'll definitely want to enjoy the view and appreciate all of the cute doggos hanging out. I had the lemongrass beef banh mi sandwich from the Vy Banh Mi truck (https://www.facebook.com/vybanhmi.maine/) followed by Gelato Fiasco (https://www.gelatofiasco.com/) and would recommend both. If you're looking for boba tea in Portland, you can get it at Vy Banh Mi. If I hadn't been saving room for gelato, I definitely would have purchased one.
Gelato Fiasco (https://www.gelatofiasco.com/) - I love Gelato Fiasco so much that it garnered it’s own bullet point. I actually had my first taste of Gelato Fiasco from a supermarket purchase (Torched Marshmallow S'more to be exact - 12/10 highly recommend) and loved it so much that their gelato truck at The Eastern Promenade was a must stop on my most recent visit. If you like ice cream, you definitely need to include a stop here.
Tandem Coffee Roasters (https://www.tandemcoffee.com/) - We stopped here on our way into town for coffee and breakfast pastries and I would recommend you do the same. Their ordering system when I went during summer of 2021 was either in-person orders at the walk-up window or online orders placed on their website and picked up at a separate walk-up window (so two separate lines). This place was crowded and both lines were very long, so I was a little concerned about the wait, but the line to pick up online orders moved quickly. There's still a bit of a wait after you get through the line as they don't actually make your coffee order until you check in at the window, but I thought it was well worth the wait. An added benefit of doing the online order is that you can select your pastries and they will be set aside for you. If you do walk up orders, there's a chance that they could be sold out of your desired items. As they say on their website, "ordering online does not necessarily mean it will be faster, just more of a guarantee you will get what you are looking for." As per usual, I had the house drip coffee, black, and it did not disappoint. Probably one of my favorite coffees I've had in quite some time and definitely my favorite in Portland. We also got pastries. Tandem is apparently known for their sticky buns, so we ordered one to share. It was fine, but not my favorite. The real star of the show was the fruit danish. We had one that was stone fruit and cardamom, I think, and it was flawless. My cousin and I both agreed that we wished we would have ordered two of those instead of the sticky bun. All in all, a great coffee stop and well worth any effort you have to put in to visit this local shop.
The Speckled Ax (https://speckledax.com/) - The drip coffee here was pretty good (though I much preferred the coffee at Tandem), but the breakfast sandwich is divine. I visited the Thames Street location and am not sure if their other locations offer food, but this one right on the waterfront is great for placing a to-go order and heading out for breakfast with a view.
The Holy Donut (https://theholydonut.com/) - Did you know that Maine is a major agricultural producer of potatoes and used to be one of the top producing states in the country? Well, The Holy Donut is known for their Maine potato donuts. Get one (or two) and thank me later.
SLEEP
Portland Harbor Hotel (https://www.portlandharborhotel.com/) - The Portland Harbor Hotel is a favorite of my cousin, so we stayed here and it did not disappoint. This hotel is located in the historic Old Port district and was so conveniently located. We walked everywhere and didn't drive or Uber once. With beautiful rooms and a lovely courtyard and fire pit, the hotel itself is a comfortable and relaxing place to start and end your days of exploring Portland.
DO
Explore on Foot - Both of my trips to Portland have been with my cousin for girl's weekends and our favorite things to do are wander and eat. Our days are generally spent walking all over the city, enjoying the waterfront views, and popping into shops that catch our eye before stopping to eat or grabbing a drink. To really take in the beautiful architecture, hidden murals, local shops, and unique galleries, I truly believe that Portland is a city best experienced on foot.
Soakology (https://www.soakology.com/) - This unique spa specializes in foot soaks and also offers massages focusing on legs, arms, neck, and shoulders. The spa area is darkened and the seating areas are sectioned off by heavy curtains. I appreciated that they offered areas accommodating different sized groups, so my cousin and I were in a cozy space designed for just two people. During your soak experience, you'll be seated in a very comfy plush armchair with a heated neck wrap. Your soak of choice will be poured into a beautiful copper basin containing warm river stones. You have the option of adding on leg or upper body massages and can also order tea and snacks to complement the experience. I loved this setup because it was a relaxing spa experience but I was still able to spend precious quality time with my cousin on our short trip. Note - My experience at Soakology was pre-COVID, so some information may have changed in that time.
TRANSPORTATION
Portland International Jetport (https://portlandjetport.org/) - The Portland airport is great. It was actually the first airport I used during COVID travel, and it was small, not busy, and not overwhelming. It was a great place to ease back into air travel and I have to say, I got a little emotional my first time back in an airport after COVID hit!
NEAR PORTLAND
Harpswell, ME on Bailey's Island
Land’s End and Giant's Stairs - There's a kitschy gift shop at Land’s End, which is literally where the land ends at the tip of the island. The Giant's Stairs trail rewards you with dramatic views of Casco Bay as you walk/hike along the coastline.
The Dolphin Marina & Restaurant (https://www.thedolphin.me/) - Very popular restaurant with gorgeous views of Casco Bay. Don't miss the blueberry muffin (served all day long). Like so many places in Maine, operating hours are seasonal and the restaurant closes in winter. They only accept reservations for parties of 6 or more.
Freeport, ME
Brewster House Bed and Breakfast (https://brewsterhouse.com/) - This B&B is just 15 minutes north of Portland, so it's a convenient place to stay if you're looking to visit Portland but also explore some other parts of coastal Maine. I loved everything about my stay here - the room was lovely, the breakfast delicious, the innkeepers friendly, and they had a self-serve kegerator (It also appears that they've added a self serve wine station as well since my last stay). I'd say that Brewster House is perfect for someone who might be on the fence about staying in a B&B. I wasn't disappointed and I don't think that you will be either. Note - My experience staying here was pre-COVID, so some information may have changed in that time.
BEYOND PORTLAND
You'll definitely want a car to experience the best that Maine has to offer. Maine is the perfect place for a slow, meandering road trip exploring the back roads and small towns. My preference is to turn off the highway setting on my GPS and take the scenic route to my destination.
I'd really like to explore and camp at Baxter State Park, Kineo State Park, and The Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument
I also would love to spend some time exploring the small towns. I drove through so many cute coastal small towns between Acadia National Park and Southern New Hampshire, and I'd love to spend more time actually exploring those towns. I could see so many art galleries and book shops that I wanted to visit. Bucksport and Searsport - I'm coming for you.
All right, that’s it for the Portland, Maine recommendations - at least until my next visit! Have you visited Portland? If so, what was your favorite experience? If not, which of these recommendations looks most interesting to you? I’d love to hear, so let me know in the comments!
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