NETrainfan
Lead Service Attendant
Portland, Maine is my favorite city in the U.S. (San Francisco and Santa Fe are two other favorites.)
Portland is a fairly small city (66,000+) and is a walking city.
The Downeaster Amtrak train brings travelers from Boston's North Station to the Portland Amtrak station.
One needs to get a local bus from there to the heart of Portland, near the Old Port. There are plenty of hotels and B&Bs
in this area.
The Old Port section of the city is the place to be. There are fine restaurants and shops there and
a pier where ferries leave for nearby islands. After a morning of exploring the Old Port, we suggest
taking the ferry to Peaks Island for a hike around a small Maine island.
Then, back to the Old Port and perhaps a short walk up to the Portland Museum of Art and the
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow House on Congress St.
For seafood lovers, DeMillos Floating Restaurant on Commercial St. is a treat, as are some of the nearby smaller
restaurants which offer fresh lobster dinners, lobster rolls, fried clams and shrimp, and seafood chowder (among other selections) at reasonable prices.
For those who wish to spend a few days in the Portland area, it is worthwhile to rent a car
and drive out to Cape Elizabeth which has Two Lights State Park and Crescent Beach State
Park. The first is scenic and Crescent is a good swimming or hiking place.
Someday, if you haven't been to Maine or experienced Portland- take the Downeaster up to this charming seaport.
Portland is a fairly small city (66,000+) and is a walking city.
The Downeaster Amtrak train brings travelers from Boston's North Station to the Portland Amtrak station.
One needs to get a local bus from there to the heart of Portland, near the Old Port. There are plenty of hotels and B&Bs
in this area.
The Old Port section of the city is the place to be. There are fine restaurants and shops there and
a pier where ferries leave for nearby islands. After a morning of exploring the Old Port, we suggest
taking the ferry to Peaks Island for a hike around a small Maine island.
Then, back to the Old Port and perhaps a short walk up to the Portland Museum of Art and the
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow House on Congress St.
For seafood lovers, DeMillos Floating Restaurant on Commercial St. is a treat, as are some of the nearby smaller
restaurants which offer fresh lobster dinners, lobster rolls, fried clams and shrimp, and seafood chowder (among other selections) at reasonable prices.
For those who wish to spend a few days in the Portland area, it is worthwhile to rent a car
and drive out to Cape Elizabeth which has Two Lights State Park and Crescent Beach State
Park. The first is scenic and Crescent is a good swimming or hiking place.
Someday, if you haven't been to Maine or experienced Portland- take the Downeaster up to this charming seaport.