We stood on the cliffs, only a few toes from Portland Head, the tiny jut of land that marks the confluence of Casco Bay and the Gulf of Maine, and I knew I would wish my thesaurus.
I’ve used “spectacular” and “stunning,” “magnificent” and “beautiful,” throughout this week of Maine travel blogs. However I wanted a brand new phrase after seeing the majesty of Portland Head Gentle.
Superior appears finest. Not superior as in, that is an superior lobster roll. Superior as in “after I in superior surprise.”
The setting for Maine’s oldest lighthouse is superior. The North Atlantic waves crashing into the rocky cliffs of the mainland, with Portland Head Gentle standing above it, alongside the charming lightkeeper’s home, now a small maritime museum.
Portland Head Gentle is Maine’s most iconic scene, and it’s breathtaking. Trish the Dish and I had been there late Friday afternoon, after seeing the lighthouse from the water throughout a ship tour of Casco Bay.
Tramel’s journey weblog:Visiting Maine’s Old Orchard Beach is a time machine
And we capped the night with dinner a number of miles down the coast at The Lobster Shack at Two Lights, a worthy complement to Portland Head Gentle. Two Lights State Park is called for 2 extra lighthouses, which I’d estimated to be a number of hundred yards aside.
A strip of non-opulent houses results in a cliff’s edge, the place the lobster shack sits. The restaurant has 12 tables inside and 31 picnic tables on a small clearing adjoining to the bluff, above the ocean. I’ve eaten many a dinner on the seashore, a number of occasions just about on the sand. However at Two Lights, you’ll be able to eat dinner actually on the sting of an Atlantic Ocean cliff.
What a day in Portland, considered one of America’s most underrated vacationer meccas. Portland, Oregon, is a distant No. 2 in our nation’s Portland rankings.
What’s inhabitants of Portland, Maine?
Portland is Maine’s largest metropolis, however with a inhabitants of simply 68,408 within the 2020 census. That makes it about 56,000 folks smaller than Norman. Portland’s metro inhabitants is 556,000, making it in regards to the measurement of Modesto, California, or Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Portland has undergone a downtown renaissance in current a long time, with its waterfront. Portland has its personal Bricktown story, the gentrification of downtown.
Companies and retail fled downtown Portland within the Seventies, notably with the development of the Maine Mall in suburban South Portland. However downtown Portland rallied within the Nineties because the previous seaport was revitalized with retailers and vacationers, constructing upon Maine’s repute as a trip haven. Lobsters are the No. 2 industry in Maine. Tourism is No. 1.
Tramel’s journey weblog:Lobster BLT & leather shopping in beautiful, rainy Camden, Maine
Portland’s waterfront is notable for its brick buildings in a state the place brick hardly ever is utilized in building. Portland 4 occasions has been just about destroyed by fireplace – as soon as throughout conflicts with Native Individuals within the 18th century, as soon as through the French & Indian Conflict within the 1760s, as soon as through the Conflict of 1812 and as soon as in a fireworks-to-blame blaze of 1866. After the latter, constructed again not with the native wooden merchandise of Maine, however with brick.
Right this moment, the Bayside neighborhood of downtown Portland is bustling with ships and retailers, eating places and vacationers. Portland stays a busy seaport, and the maritime theme attracts folks from each side of the globe.
The Dish and I walked Business Avenue on Friday morning and located all types of cool retailers, lots of them associated to Maine’s historical past. One retailer had an unimaginable assortment of kerosene lamps. Danged close to burned my hand.
We grabbed a lightweight lunch of chowder at Dewey’s saloon on Business Avenue, then walked throughout the road to the waterfront and checked in for our boat tour.
Portland Harbor incorporates 136 small islands, a number of of which have residents, a number of of them even year-round. The Casco Bay Ferry transports folks backwards and forwards on the hour, together with kids to and from faculty.
Our tour gave us an up-close have a look at these islands, a number of navy forts from earlier days and a wide range of stately lighthouses. It was one of many extra scenic boat excursions we’ve taken, and we’ve taken a bunch.
Portland’s navy historical past is huge. The British tried to get into Casco Bay through the American Revolution and succeeded within the Conflict of 1812. And as just lately as World Conflict II, the U.S. strung submarine nets beneath the water from island to island, to maintain German U-boats at bay.
Tramel’s journey weblog:Life-sized rocking horses & blueberry pop in Bar Harbor, Maine
And the most effective a part of the tour was Portland Head Gentle, seeing the good lighthouse in-built 1791, set on the entrance of the first delivery channel into Portland Harbor.
George Washington himself directed the development of Portland Head Gentle, with the U.S. authorities giving $1,500 for the venture. Even in 1791, that wasn’t sufficient. The folks of Maine cobbled collectively the sources to complete the lighthouse.
The lighthouse has been modified over the centuries; at this time it stands 80 toes above the bottom 101 toes above the water (appears extra).
Right this moment, the grounds and keeper’s home are owned by the town of Cape Elizabeth, an prosperous suburb of Portland. However the U.S. Coast Guard owns and maintains the lighthouse, which nonetheless serves as a beacon for ships at sea.
After our boat returned to port, we walked again to our resort and watched our granddaughter’s Alcott Center Faculty softball recreation by way of GameChanger, which certainly is a recreation changer. Because of dwell streaming by way of a mobile phone, we will watch her play softball 1,800 miles away.
Then we headed out for Portland Head Gentle by way of our rental automobile, a few 20-minute drive from downtown Portland.
The lighthouse is a part of 90-acre Fort Williams Park, owned by the town of Cape Elizabeth and in addition together with the decommissioned and considerably demolished Fort Williams, which was operational through the two world wars. However a wide range of buildings stay. The town additionally constructed a one-mile strolling path arduous by the cliffs. Fairly a spot.
Then got here dinner at Two Lights. We had lobster rolls that had been good – not the most effective of the week, however it was troublesome to even care in regards to the meals, the view was so spectacular. Past the picnic space will not be cliffs however rock formations that enable a gradual descent to the ocean. Not notably harmful for youths.
Tramel’s journey weblog:Maritime villages in Maine’s Mid-Coast
It was sunset, which implies we had time for just one extra exercise. We drove to Freeport, about 20 miles north of Portland, to buy at L.L. Bean.
I wrote about the famed Maine retailer on our visit two years ago. The condensed story: Leon Leonwood Bean based an organization in 1912, promoting a single merchandise, the Maine Searching Shoe, which individuals at this time name duck boots.
From that humble starting, L.L. Bean has develop into a worldwide retailer. He arrange a nationwide mail-order enterprise. Sorry, Era Z’ers, however Amazon didn’t invent the notion of house supply for items. The likes of the Speegle Catalog, Sears & Roebuck and L.L. Bean pioneered the idea.
Right this moment, L.L. Bean sells a wide range of out of doors gear, from looking and fishing gear to garments and boots to firearms and tents. Through the years, L.L. Bean has opened retail and outlet shops in a wide range of locations, however its anchor stays Freeport.
The huge complicated is open 24 hours a day, twelve months a yr. It features a house items retailer; a motorbike, boat and ski retailer; and an enormous retailer that’s half outdoor, half clothes.
What a spot. We arrived about 8:30 p.m., spent about an hour and a half there, and plenty of customers remained once we left. An worker instructed us few folks store in the course of the night time, when the shop is restocked and arrange for the subsequent day, however sometimes celebrities come to browse within the wee hours.
I purchased a shirt and a pair of pants. I figured they might be good reminders of a special occasion in Maine, after I noticed Portland Head Gentle from the cliffs and from the ocean.
Berry Tramel: Berry could be reached at 405-760-8080 or at btramel@oklahoman.com. He could be heard Monday by Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports activities Animal radio community, together with FM-98.1. Help his work and that of different Oklahoman journalists by buying a digital subscription at this time.
