What to See in Portland, Maine

The greater Portland area is home to 18th century brick buildings where Portland’s working waterfront is the heart of Old Port. Located in the southern section of Maine, the Portland area is close to many attractions.

Just 20 minutes outside of Portland is the well-known Portland Head Light in Fort Williams Park located in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. The backdrop of the lighthouse is set along the beautiful rocky Maine coastline.

On a clear sunny morning, we visited Portland Head Light. The scenery was like a picture on a postcard . It was my #1 favorite of all the sites we visited in Maine.

Although visitors cannot go in the lighthouse, there is a museum and gift shop on site. The museum features not only the history of the lighthouse but also the history of the Portland area. And, Fort Williams Park is open from sunrise to sunset.

Nearby is the town of Biddeford, approximately 25 minutes outside of Portland. We stayed at a lovely boutique hotel in this area. The Lincoln Hotel was once an old mill. Inside the main floor of the hotel building was a cute little coffee shop along with a bar and lounge area.

Dining

Downstairs in the hotel building was a restaurant, Batson River Brewing and Distilling. We enjoyed dinner and drinks here one evening during our stay.

On another evening, we enjoyed dining in Kennebunkport at Earth at Hidden Pond. This restaurant features farm to table dishes made with local ingredients. The neat, rustic environment is one of a kind! And dinner consists of either a 3 or 4 course option. We each had the 3-course meal. And I must say, the donuts for dessert was my favorite course!

Breakfast

One morning we had breakfast at Maine’s oldest diner. Palace Diner is a 15 counter-seat diner in a dining car. It was built in 1927 and is one of two Pollard cars that remain.

On our final morning, we stopped by The Holy Donut to enjoy some of Maine’s delicious potato donuts. The Holy Donut began in Portland in 2012 and has grown to 5 locations in the state of Maine.

Other areas of Maine to explore include Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Freeport, and Bath.

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