Roaming Coastal Maine

Portland
Once home to sea captains and known now as one of America’s Coolest Cities,” Portland is all about vibes: funky, historic, cultured and cultural. On its perch over Casco Bay, Maine’s largest urban area is bursting at the maritime seams with enough museums, boutiques, bars, and restaurants to rival any concrete metropolis. Among centuries-old brick buildings and cobblestone streets, find yourself in the middle of the action at the historic Old Port. In eyeshot of the Portland Head Light, Maine’s oldest, most photographed lighthouse, see the commercial fishing boats come and go out of Portland Harbor, and watch the crab traps being pulled out of Portland Harbor. Experience a world-class dining scene where a culinary boom has embraced seafood crudo and foie gras, but hasn’t abandoned the lobster roll. Discover Portland – a vibrant example of Maine’s singular motto: Vacationland.

Choice on Tour: Victoria Mansion or Secrets of Portland's Old Port Walking Tour
Get ready to explore more of Portland how you like because it’s your choice! Stroll through Portland’s historic Old Port District with a local guide to learn how this bustling maritime hub transformed into modern restaurants and shops today. Browse the many storefronts, discover a unique bar and lounge that was once a funeral parlor, and explore the neighborhoods nineteenth century architecture -OR- take a tour of Portland’s Victoria Mansion, known as one of the most important historic homes of the 19th century. The mansion contains over 90% of the original interiors and nearly all the wall paintings were done by the Italian-born artist, Giuseppe Guidicini. Throughout the tour, marvel at the many details that often warrant a second look due to their three-dimensional design.Victoria MansionActivity Level: 2Docent-led tour of mansion. Guests will need to navigate a flight of stairs to reach the second level of the house.Secrets of Portland’s Old Port Walking TourActivity Level: 370 minute locally guided walking tour. Walk is 3/4 of a mile on city streets. There may be some areas with cobblestone.

Oyster Farm
Get an intimate look at a working oyster farm on the Damariscotta River and learn how to dig into these local delicacies with an oyster shucking lesson. Oysters have been a staple of the New Englander diet for over 400 years.

Bar Harbor, ME
Explore Bar Harbor, an iconic vacation spot featuring rich blue waters and the gateway to Acadia National Park. There’s a quintessential coastal New England downtown waiting to be explored, full of cozy cafes and ice cream shops.

Acadia National Park
The first national park established east of the Mississippi, Acadia's name derives from is resemblance to a part of Greece according to explorer Giovanni Verrazano who sailed these waters in the 16th century. Carriage roads and stone bridges criscross this diverse landscape covered with lakes, waterfalls, wildlife and forests.

Lobster Trap Pull Demonstration
Dive into the cuisine and culture of Maine when you join a local lobsterman on a lobster boat. See how lobster traps are retrieved from the ocean and watch the cages get pulled to the surface.

Camden
Head to Camden for some time at leisure, giving you the perfect opportunity to explore this quintessential Maine town. Wrapped around a harbor filled with sailboats, this colorful seaside town is old-time New England at its very best.

Freeport
Freeport is a popular town in Maine. It is located on the shores of Cisco Bay, located 20 minutes north of Portland. The town is renowned for its outlet shopping, and also features Wolfe’s Neck State Park, a 233 acre park with 5 miles of shoreline, as well as the Desert of Maine. L.L. Bean is headquartered here, and because of this, over the years other shops have flocked to Freeport to set up business and thus Freeport is known for its many stores and shopping.

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
Enter the natural wonderland of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay, Maine. Boasting an expansive landscape of nearly 300 acres of grassy fields and woodland trails, these stunning gardens are overflowing with floral hues.

Boothbay
Boothbay Harbor is a beautiful town in the state of Maine. It is located on a peninsula in the Gulf, and in the summer, the town is a popular yachting and tourist destination, offering great views of the ocean, tidal rivers and lighthouses. Boating and yachting along the coast are both popular things to do as you can view lighthouses from the water as well as see various wildlife and the summer homes that reside on the coast.

Roaming Coastal Maine

Hyatt Place Portland Old Port
433 Fore Street, Portland, ME, United States


Bar Harbor Grand Hotel
269 Main Street, Bar Harbor, ME, United States


Harraseeket Inn
162 Main Street, Freeport, ME, United States