Portland, Maine - Cruise Line Fans: Cruise Reviews and Chat From Real Cruisers

jstducky · 10-11-2005, 06:10 PM

What a great little city in Maine. Home to about 30,000- 40,000 residents, it is one of Maine's larger cities.

The pier itself in Portland is in somewhat of an industrial center, although a few blocks of walking and you will come to a nice harbor area filled with some really nice restaurants.

I took the Portland City Highlights and Kennebunkport tour. It was fantastic.

After a short driving tour of Portland we went out to Cape Elizabeth and the famous Portland Head Light lighthouse, also known as the "most photographed lighthouse in the United States". It lived up to its reputation. It was a gorgeous sunny day and the lighthouse and the views were spectacular.

From Cape Elizabeth we drove to the charming town of Kennebunkport. We drove up to Walker's Point home to the Bush family compound and stopped in Kennebunkport itself for a few hours to walk around. It turns out that President Bush (43) was coming to town the afternoon we were there. The town was a buzz! The restaurant where President Bush always purchases blueberry pie stopped selling the pies in the morning so that she could give them all to the President and his staff.

While in Kennebunkport I had the most amazing Lobster Roll at a small little shack called the Clam Shack. Its right next to where all the tour buses park. If you ever get a chance to get out there, don't miss it. It will be well worth the money you spend on it!

If anyone else has any more information regarding Portland and its surrounding areas, please feel free to post it here!

jstducky · 10-11-2005, 06:22 PM

approaching Portland at the break of dawn...

Caribbean Girl · 10-11-2005, 06:25 PM

Alisa, I just love Maine!!! I grew up in the Boston area and would spend time there in the summer. York and Ogunquit were favorite haunting grounds. The water is freezing up there and the winters harsh, but it is a beautiful state, unique and quaint.

jstducky · 10-11-2005, 06:26 PM

Cape Elizabeth coastline

jstducky · 10-11-2005, 06:34 PM

you can see why this is the most photographed lighthouse in the United States

jstducky · 10-11-2005, 06:37 PM

this is Walker's Point, the home to the Bush family compound.

you can't see it in this picture, but the President has a cigarette speed boat named "fidelity"

jstducky · 10-11-2005, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caribbean Girl

Alisa, I just love Maine!!! I grew up in the Boston area and would spend time there in the summer. York and Ogunquit were favorite haunting grounds. The water is freezing up there and the winters harsh, but it is a beautiful state, unique and quaint.

I couldn't agree more Cira!

maine is amazing. the scenery there is just gorgeous, the food spectacular and the people are quite generous.

the lady who was our tour guide told us that a nice house in a great neighborhood like the Kennebunks only runs around 300k. you could barely get anything here in LA for that much money.

but unfortuantely she said that the median household combined income in Maine was only 32k a year so most people couldn't afford a 300k house.

Ziggy7 · 12-31-2005, 03:27 AM

Great information! Thanks for sharing it!

Captain Larry · 02-11-2006, 07:02 PM

I spent two weeks on business in Portland. It was in November, and that doesn't sound too good. But the weather was absolutely perfect with crisp, clear mornings and warm afternoons. I spent every spare moment at Portland Head Light and the rest of the Two Lights State Park that runs southwest from there. I love lighthouses and have visited them all over the world, and Portland Head is still my favorite. I'm sitting here as I type looking at a poster-sized picture of Portland Head light on the wall above my fireplace. It looks just like the picture above, except mine was taken during a storm, which adds a bit of character.

sue miller · 02-11-2006, 07:15 PM

I love Maine!! We had a summer home in Saco on the beach, just downwind from Old Orchard. We used to do day trips from Mass. up to Portland. Shopped on the waterfrontm took a picnic to Casco bay, and had dinner before going home!! We took the seacoast route up to Saco, going through all the little port towns!! Loved it and Miss it!!