Such a cool experience in Portland... A tall ship docked next to the Maine State Pier behind RiRa…read moreand The new Science Center. I loved the interactive aspect of this tour. We were taken around by one of the crew members and he showed us the various parts of the ship. I don't know if there are words to describe being on a ship of this size and feeling like you've slipped back in time. This ship was built in 2009 (which was shocking enough) as a replica of a historic Spanish ship. There are crew on the ship that have sailed all over the world. The ship winters in the Caribbean and Florida and travels up the coast... This thing is MASSIVE!! Pay the money and go on this ship!

"General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't…read moresee that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends... If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around." This quote, from none other than Prime Minister Hugh Grant of "Love Actually" perfectly explains Love Locks here in Portland. Up until February 2013 it was just a fence... a nondescript fence that hundreds of thousands of people passed every year without a second glance... until one night some drunken friends decided to buy padlocks, write a dedication to a loved one on it (for one of the original women, that included her husband and two dogs), lock it on the fence, then dispose of the key. Portland has such a European (where this idea originated from) feel to it, that it only makes sense for us to have our own version of Love Locks, too! Some folks think it's an eye sore... I think it's lovely. So lovely in fact that I may or may not have a lock up there myself (and I may or may not have thrown my key over the fence into the ocean... which I now realize isn't entirely eco-friendly. Dear fishies, please be careful grazing on any new sparkly snacks you might have recently found!). What can I say? I love love. And I love the ocean. And I love this city. And I love romantic gestures. And I love the strong bonds people have with other people, places, and pets. And I love unique forms of art. And I love pretty things. Don't you? Who knows if our Love Locks will stand the test of time. If, over the years, the locks begin to rust and become an eye sore instead of love lore, I would think the city might take it down. So come leave a lock of love for your loved one (be that your mom, your sister, your pet rabbit, your favorite coffee drink, or yourself) now... or at least take the time to read some of the proclamations of passion permanently padlocked here in Portland!

They're locks... on a fence. That's 5 stars right there. haha They're right in the middle of the…read moreOld Port and it was cool seeing it since I've never seen a love locks fence before in person. It is small and insignificant for most, but for it to have a yelp listing -- I had to check it out. They are tons of locks on it and most of them looked recent with in the year. That poor fence is holding on for dear life. If you're a lover want to lock it in -- put a lock on the love locks fence to make it official. That's more lasting than facebook official. Story has it that once you lock it up, that you toss the key in the water over the fence after the fact. Superstition has it that once you lose the key -- your love is locked together forever.

This outdoor labyrinth located near the trails of the BTLT is a joint project of theirs with First…read moreParish Church in Brunswick. Built in honor of long time staff member, Susan Fitzgerald, this place is a wonderful place for contemplation and reflection.

Yep...this is a thing and it's kind of cool!…read more The name fits for sure...and I suppose the name is easy, entertaining and folks are used to it. But I couldn't help but wonder if it had a history of some sort and/or another name. I had to do some asking around and research to find out the original and/or real name of the statue and it is Chief Passamaquoddy. As the story and/or history of the statue goes: Once upon a time there was a Trading Post/Company (Casco Bay) where the Indian still stands today and it was put up by the owner, Julian Leslie. Apparently, Julian was a jovial person who liked to put junk cars in the parking lot to make it look busy and attract customers. One day he was having lunch in Boothbay and saw their fisherman statue and decided he wanted a statue...and an even bigger statue. He contacted the creator, Rodman Shutt and the rest is history. The statue was erected on 26 Aug 1969...it stands approximately 40 feet tall and weighs around 1500 pounds. He has been repainted a few times over the years, but for the most part he remains the same. The Trading Post is gone, but this piece of history still stands waiting on and greeting visitors today. And if you are wondering what replaced the Trading Post...I don't know, but there is the El Jefe restaurant nearby today. I thought it was pretty cool myself since I like unique things, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it. It is, however, located on US 1 and a lot of folks take this corridor for exploration. For us, we were not only trying to take US 1 to explore, but it was literally in the area we were visiting, so it wasn't really out of the way for me/us. If you are on a road trip and/or visiting the area and this is in your path...why not stop and take a quick look? It is our interest that keeps things like this intact.

SKK has climbed to the top of our favorite places to go…read more Food- A+ I have a few dietary restrictions and they have always gone out of their way to accommodate me and never make me feel like I'm a bother. Drinks- A+ We have worked in the service industry. We have bartended. We are, how do I say it, drink snobs. We often get our regular drinks but they offer weekly drink specials and different flavors of pudding shots that are amazing. Ambiance- A+ it's a smaller establishment and in the winter we are all packed inside. If you're looking for a quiet restaurant with jazz playing lightly in the background and candles flickering, it's probably not for you. This is your local stop for food, drinks, conversation and fun. Once the weather warms a bit and the patio opens it's where you will find us. Staff- is there an A+++ in the rankings? We love the staff. They're fun, friendly, accommodating and kind. From the servers to the bartender to the cooks and everyone in between, we love them all. Owners- A+ the Severino family is amazing. We adore each and every one of them. I've seen negative remarks and it's really sad that people will take to a business page to leave a negative review because of a difference of opinion that has nothing to do with the establishment or the food. When you walk in you're always greeted by one of the family and made to feel welcome. They give back to the community. They've provided food and hot coffee to first responders. They support the locals and their loyal customers. And they're HUMAN. Are they perfect? No, but guess what? Neither are we. They're always busting ass and trying their best to give everyone a great experience. So if you haven't tried Sportman's Kitchen and Keg in Sebago, add it to your list and get there. Your belly will thank you!

This restaurant is small but can seat large groups. The bar was immaculate!! They have a full bar,…read morecanned and bottled beer along with many draft beers. They have cozy nooks for seating. Plenty of parking. Directly across from Sebago Lake in Maine. There is an outside bar that is open seasonally. This is a family owned bar with cottages on sight to rent. There is an outside fire pit with adaronack chairs. Great food! Great service! Nice place to meet people from all over. My honey and I had pork dumplings (6) to share. They were spicy and delicious with a sweet sauce on the side. We also split large fries that were not only amazing to look at but amazingly delicious. Bathrooms are upstairs and there isn't an elevator so I wouldn't say that it's handicap friendly unfortunately. I highly recommend.

Peaks Island is a fun place for a day trip or hike while visiting Portland. The island features…read morepublic restrooms and plenty of hiking trails at Trott-Little John Park. If you take the main trail loop, you'll pass by the abandoned Battery Steele fort, which has been decorated with street art. Super cool! On top of a bit of history, you'll also get great views of the ocean, cute local homes, and a fun ferry ride along the way! The ferry requires a ticket for your dog or bike in addition to your own ticket. There are no food sales on the ferry, but there is a vending machine on one of the lower decks. You can even ferry your car over. Once boarded, you are free to roam throughout the ferry.

Two Peaks Notice So,…read moreevidently there's a whole archipelago here in Casco Bay off of Portland Harbor. About six of them, from what I've gathered, and they all have different unique things on them from actually living there to beaches and golfing to hiking trails. Peaks Island is the largest--and most populus--of which, and features a beach, museums, shopping, hiking and even a small lighthouse. Unfortunately, we didn't plan our travel here very well as we basically just got here, did a short hike, and then bounced. Next time I wouldn't mind getting an Airbnb on the island and having a few days to reconnoiter it and the surrounding islands more. Next time, Gadget! Next tiiiiimmmeeeee...!

Brian's write-up and pictures capture this classic resting place very well. My folks and their…read morevery early relatives are buried there and I will join them someday. The fascinating history of Scarborough goes way back to the 17th century and is reflected in the markers and mood of the place that offers peace and quiet and reverence of the past.

Libby and Larabee…read more The Black Point Cemetery is a rather large cemetery that many people probably pass by but few go in. It's been around for a long time and many of the gravestones go back several centuries. Some are impossible now to even read and are only nubs above the ground Most of the gravestones are rather simple and worn. If you look closely you will see that quite a few of the stones have anchors on them, indicative of the nautical heritage of the town of Scarborough. Of course the old writing frequently uses the old F instead of the modern S. Cool stuff. As I walked around the old graveyard I noticed the same names appearing over and over again. Especially Libby and Larabee. These names appear a lot in Scarborough. Roads, streams and all sorts of things have the names Libby and Larabee. The Libby family was one of the first in Scarborough and I suspect a whole lot of them ended up here. It's a gentle and peaceful place to take a walk or rest for eternity and I had a good time wandering around spending time with the Libby family. It was almost like I was invited to their family reunion. A very, very quiet family reunion.

If you're looking to experience Maine, the city of Portland, has it all rolled into one city…read more If you love lighthouses, you can tour them by land, or by water. If you are a foodie there are so many great restaurants.This is a seafood lovers paradise with some of the best lobster, lobster rolls, oysters, and fresh seafood. You can also check out some of the cities well-known breweries. Let's not forget shopping the downtown water front district. The cobblestone streets are filled with quaint shops. If you want to be on the water, take a sunset, lighthouse, or schooner cruise. There are also all kinds of sightseeing tours. Put on your best walking shoes, and check out Portland Maine.

This town was way more crowded than we expected it to be since we were road-tripping New England…read moreregion and had been to many cities before coming here. all other previous cities was quite charming and less crowded but Portland felt more dense. Tons of food and shopping options in the port area. Overall cute town and beer scene is way to do here. I would recommend this city when you are in that region.

What a nice house. The champagne was quite delectable. The people are nice. The snowballs from the…read morefront of the house are quite good and easy to throw.

Outside of the Temple Street Garage, in front of The Works Bakery Cafe, is a giant stone. You've…read moreprobably passed it a million times and have never taken a second to stop and look because it's a giant stone lying on the ground, and Portland has loads of those, so why does it matter? Because it's not a stone. It's a mask (...made of stone). The very large Elm Theater Mask was - according to the privately donated plaque near it - "found in 1977 during the excavation of the Portland Public Library at Elm and Congress streets. It was the single most important architectural detail of the former Elm Theater" (side note: like history? you should REALLY take a gander at this photo of the theater from 1920 on the Maine Memory Network: https://www.mainememory.net/artifact/12858) "which stood at its Elm Street Site from 1916 to 1952 and was the work of architects William Miller and Raymond Mayo of Portland. The beaux-arts style building first served as a motion-picture house and later as a church. A theater for WWII troops and a playhouse for the Portland Players, the mask has been intentionally left in its found state." Portland preserved. Is this stone mask to change your life? Probably not. Is it going to take you more then a few moments to check out? Nope. Is it cool, though? It sure is. In a city where we're now constantly razing things to the ground to build high-rises to help our ever inflating population, it's nice to have a little something of yesteryear tucked under a cherry blossom tree just smiling at the world around it.