Maine is well known for its scenic coastline, lighthouses, freshest, highest-quality seafood, and lobster. With only the weekend getaway in Portland, Maine, I knew exactly what I wanted to do: eat lobster, see lighthouses, and enjoy the downtown area.
We booked a hotel Holiday Inn Portland by the Bay that cost $200/ per night for 2 nights.
Day 1: On the very first day we had our breakfast from Becky Diner; Old, local restaurants serve plenty of dishes from morning to night. This place will give you a local taste of food and atmosphere. Having the breakfast Lobster Benedict with Fresh Maine Lobster Meat absolutely made my day more fresh and energetic. Then we drove to see all the lighthouses. Portland is lucky to have five lighthouses within 20 minutes of the city. If you are exploring on your own… Here's a driving tour that will take you to all five lighthouses including Two Lights State Park, Portland Head Light, Ram Island Ledge Light, Portland Breakwater Lighthouse (Bug Light), Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse. Each of them is very photogenic and you can have instagrammable photos.
First, we drove to two light lighthouses and two light state parks, later we drove to Crescent beach state park. After playing on the beach we headed north and finally got to see the Portland Headlight, we also visited spring point ledge lighthouse and bud lighthouse. Portland Head Light is a prized landmark for its historical significance, but also for the adjacent 90-acre park that is its home, with stunning ocean views, hiking and walking paths dotted with viewing lenses, and other historic structures. Admission fees: $2.00 for adults and $1.00 for children ages 6-18. Children under 6 are free! Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse entrance fee is $5.00 per person.
Just twenty minutes from Portland, these two adjacent state parks offer magnificent views of the Maine coast and provide many recreational opportunities. The mile-long sandy crescent-shaped beach is perfect for a stroll, swim, and sunbathing.
We had our dinner at Hot Suppa; a Southern kitchen and bar, Hot Suppa is always there when you need it - we had a late night of brewery hopping in Bayside and loved the local delights salmon eggs benedict which is the proportional ingredient of poached eggs, smoked salmon, tomatoes, red onion, capers, English muffin, hollandaise.
Day 2:
On the second day, we first started strolling downtown. We visited Victoria Mansion, which is a much-loved Portland landmark, but its significance extends far beyond Maine. It is infamous for its architecture and its extraordinary original interiors, it is among the most important historic homes of the nineteenth century anywhere in the nation.
Enjoyed visiting the downtown neighborhood; which is also considered the city's center. Must visit the Portland observatory. Portland observatory admission fee is $10 for adults, $8 for Seniors, 60 years and over. $5 for children ages 6-16 and FREE for children under 5 years.
The Portland Observatory, America’s last remaining maritime signal tower, is both a National Historic Landmark and one of the more spectacular perches. This tower is octagonal, lighthouse-shaped buildings that were used to monitor the arrival of ships, vessels.
Tips:
- Visiting Maine best time is summer
- Enjoy the best highlights of fresh, local produce, seafood, and especially lobster.
- Don’t miss Allagash Brewing Company making Belgian-inspired beer.
Thank you @kusuma for your insight. This trip was most thoughtful and cozy. Love every bit of this trip :P
This is a great itinerary, we did similar stuff in Portland ie. hunting lighthouses :) The Portland Head Light is the most beautiful lighthouse I have seen in my life!
Does anyone have comments on my itineraries??