35. Maine

Month: August 2017

Location: Portland

The first time that I heard of Maine, was in the Stephen King novel, “IT”.  In fact, “IT” was the first “adult novel” that I ever read.  With the movie coming out soon, I picked up an audio version and listening to it after all these years, I was surprised that I was allowed to borrow it at that young age.  Not only is it dark, it also has several adult themes, not to mention the language.  I am quite sure that I probably did not understand most of what was going on.  However, Stephen King did become one of the authors that I continued to read and through him I was convinced that Maine was one of the most haunted States in the US!  But his descriptions also made it appear enchanting, with its small towns and natural beauty.  That was affirmed when I visited ‘Acadia National Park’ years ago and it remains one of the most beautiful places that I have seen.  I contemplated going back, but Portland was a more intriguing prospect. So on a Friday morning in August, I departed for Maine.  I hadn’t planned for it to be this way, but I was listening to “IT”.  It just seemed like the right choice.

My home for 2 nights

I had seen in the forecast that it would be raining in Portland on Friday and so had packed a light waterproof jacket.  As soon as we had landed, I saw that it was a downpour and my jacket wouldn’t be enough.  I found my way to the taxi stand and when I gave the driver the address, he asked if I was going to Portland or South Portland.  I was staying at a place called ‘Morrill Mansion Bed & Breakfast’ and since it wasn’t a typical hotel, was not familiar to the driver.  I didn’t know where it was either, and so I turned on the directions on my phone and we followed it through the rain.  We arrived at a residential looking neighborhood and in front of a house that did not have any big signs.  I rushed inside and was greeted by a friendly gentleman who introduced himself as David, the owner of this place.

It was cozy on the inside

There’s nothing like a “New England B&B” and this one was as cozy as it gets.  David took me on a tour and it looked great.  There was a nice sitting room downstairs as well as one on the second level, with games and books – lot of Stephen King novels – as well as a bunch of movies that the guests could take to the player in their room.  Each room had a distinct theme and we took a really narrow stairway to mine on the topmost level. It was called “Back Cove Room” and though small, looked comfortable.  Plus, there was a jar of chocolates and David mentioned that there would be cookies downstairs as an afternoon treat.  He asked if I needed any dinner recommendations and I said that all I needed right now was an umbrella.  Fortunately, he had several and I picked up a sturdy one and called an ‘Uber’.

The famous milkshake

It was mid-afternoon and I wasn’t quite ready for eating anything.  However, this was the only time for me to visit one of the popular places in Portland called ‘Duckfat’.  It was known for its fries which they cooked in, well, Duck Fat.  But they had one more thing that I found intriguing, and that was their “Original Milkshake” which had all good things made from Vanilla.  The short distance from the car to the entrance was enough to soak me and once inside it wasn’t better since the place was packed.  It was just after 3 pm and there was over an hour wait.  I guess with the rain outside people were craving fries and milkshake.  I expressed my disappointment and said that while the fries sounded great, I was there for the milkshake.  The hostess suggested that I could get it to go and I hesitated for a second since it was raining outside.  Just for a second.  So a few minutes later I walked out in the rain holding my delicious milkshake in one hand, my phone navigation in another and somehow balancing the umbrella on my shoulder.

Original Cannon from the Pirate Ship

I devoured the milkshake real fast and that made carrying the umbrella a bit easier.  Well, not that it helped much since I was still getting wet and the crosswalks were flooded.  I was going to ‘Portland Science Center’ which was by the waterfront.  As I approached it I saw signs advertising “Pirate Adventure”, which I reckoned was an exhibit at the museum.  Well, it turned out to be the only exhibit that they had but since it was raining outside, not the worse way to spend the afternoon.  I left my umbrella amongst dozens of others, meaning there was a decent turnout.  I entered through a dark passage – to set the mood I suppose – into a room where we were shown a short video on piracy along the New England coast in late 18^th century.  This included a young protagonist who left on a ship to earn money so as to marry his beloved and ended up commandeering a Pirate ship.  The exhibit, which was spread over 2 floors, told story of what happened to him and his crew – spoiler alert; they all perish either at sea or by hanging.  They also had some of the original props from that period, including cannons, making this a popular destination for kids.

At 'Rhum & Grog'

The rain had abated when I left and there was a slight drizzle as I tried to find my way to the next stop.  On the way there, the real charm of Portland was starting to emerge with its cobblestone streets and boutique shops.  After a slight detour where I had to go through a parking lot shrub, I arrived at ‘Rhum & Grog’, which was a classic “Tiki Bar” if there ever was one, with island decorations and colored lights.  I saw something on the menu that was called “Dead On Arrival” and announced itself as being one of the stronger offerings.  I told the bartender that this was my first stop and I needed to last for several hours, but seeing that I was there that early, he said that I could handle it.  My reputation precedes me!  The drink was strong, but not enough to cause a knockout and I was feeling fine when I left.

The rain was dissipating as I continued my evening

The rain had gone and the sun was trying to come out as I went to my next place called ‘Crooners and Cocktails’.  This took me into an area full of restaurants and bars and people had started coming out.  My place wasn’t that full and looked like an old fashioned “jazz bar” without the jazz.  The staff looked like the gentlemen servers from the past and one of them looked like he wanted to chat, which I wasn’t in the mood for at that time.  In any case, I had finished my drink and was ready to move on to the next stop, which was across the street.  It was supposedly a popular spot called ‘Portland Hunt & Alpine Club’.  Now this place was a lot livelier and buzzing as I went in.  I took a seat at the bar and ordered a drink called “Norseman”, which was highly recommended.  While I prefer to have my cocktails in dark and quiet lounges, I did like this place, which had wide open windows and an informal setting.

A "Comic Book Store" at the
end of the hallway

I left and was halfway down the block when I realized that I had forgotten my borrowed umbrella and so rushed back to collect it from the corner where I had dumped it.  As I made my way to the next place I saw a building with shops and one of them was a "Comic Book Store".  I went inside and spent some time browsing.  One thing I love about such stores is that they do not mind if you are just wandering about.  I then went to another signature place in Portland, ‘Vena’s Fizz House’, which besides being a bar, was also an “apothecary” where one could purchase infusions and bitters. They are known for their infusions and had a special menu with drinks made from their homemade concoctions.  I got something called “Blackberry Stinger” and sat at a bar, which unlike the last place was a more classic cocktail lounge.

The interesting 'Glass Lounge'

A beautiful evening had set in and people had come out to enjoy that.  At my next place called ‘Blyth and Burrows’ I barely got a place to sit and consistent with the interesting names of cocktails that I had today, this one was called “Penny Cap”.  But that did not compare to the name of the cocktail that I had at my next place, ‘The Glass Lounge’.  It was called “Why’s the Rum Gone” and based on what I was having, there was certainly enough of it in my glass!  It was now time for dinner and I was going to a place called ‘Street & Company’.  Portland is a town known for its restaurants and this one was on top of several lists.  In fact, I had called them for a reservation while in Boise last month.  The restaurant was nestled in a narrow cobblestone alley and while not “fine dining”, was quite cozy.  Being Maine, I had to get the lobster and also made friends with a couple on next table who didn’t mind when one of the lobster pieces flew and landed near them as I struggled with the shell.  They offered me some of their appetizers, which I turned down since I was full.  However, before leaving I whispered to my server that I wanted to send them a Chocolate dessert and left before it was delivered.  Outside, the narrow street had been closed since it was now party central with a lot of people celebrating Friday evening.  Luckily my ‘Uber’ driver found me and I was soon back in my charming room, exhausted after a fantastic first evening.

A beautiful day for a walk

I came downstairs the next morning and David was wearing his apron and in attendance at breakfast.  There was a small dining room and after finding a table I went to check what was on offer.  This wasn’t like one of your chain hotel breakfasts but fresh, homemade food that would have made any restaurant proud.  I was going on a “Walking Tour of Downtown Portland” and our meeting point was a place called ‘Lobsterman’s Park’.  It was a mile away and since I had enough time, I decided to walk there, which was turned out to be a good decision since it took me through some nice looking areas of the downtown.  I arrived at the meeting point and saw that there would another couple besides me on the tour – Ann and Charlie from Baltimore.  Our tour guide was also the owner of the company and a proud Maine native.  We were in good hands.

The one place that survived
all of the fires

She started off by telling us about the history of Portland and the cultural landscape.  It seems that Portland is second to San Francisco in having most restaurants and bars per capita of the population.  And speaking of the population, while Maine is a big state, most of the population is concentrated in and around Portland.  It is one of the fastest growing cities in the nation and certainly the 2^nd most popular in New England - after Boston - especially amongst youngsters.  It is also very inclusive, welcoming refugees and being tolerant of all communities.  Plus it has a lot of history, starting with the “Revolutionary War”.  We started walking through the streets and our guide mentioned how Portland as a city kept getting burnt down and then rebuilding, having gone through the cycle three times!  On one occasion a British Naval Officer came over to bombard the city, but in a very gentlemanly manner, gave the townspeople advance warning, thus allowing them to go away and save themselves.  He then proceeded to level the city, though we did see one church that survived that attack.

The serene garden behind
  'Longfellow House'

We walked through the main “square”, though it really wasn’t a square, but a place where people could gather around in the evening.  For some reason Portland has a lot of banks and most of the buildings that we passed were affiliated with those.  One of the nation’s best known poets, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, was born in Portland and his residence is now a historic landmark.  The property now bellows to ‘Maine Historical Society’, who had a building next door and which ironically was very modern as compared to this quaint house.  The house itself was only accessible by appointment, but we could walk through the gardens which were outstanding. Our guide mentioned that the gardens are public property and many people who work nearby usually get their lunch and enjoy it in these tranquil settings.  It is a hidden gem in the middle of downtown, similar to a place I had discovered by accident near ‘Columbus Circle’ in NYC years ago.  Before we left the gardens, we were interrupted by a gentleman who was clearly homeless and suffering from mental illness. While he didn’t really ask for anything, he did impart a lengthy discourse which was mostly unintelligible.  Our guide mentioned that we would encounter many such people in Portland, though they were mostly harmless.

John Ford

Portland downtown is not level and being somewhat of a peninsula, slopes on either side of the main street, both ways leading to the waterfront.  We started towards the main harbor and as we walked down the slope, it occurred to me that while these were beautiful streets, they weren’t very conducive to walking in the winter. Plus, based on yesterday's rainfall, it would really not behoove any business being downhill!  Before reaching the waterfront we came across the statue of John Ford - the John Ford.  I had no idea that he was from Portland, always assuming he was a Southerner or from California, at least based on the movies that he made.  Around his statue were plaques of his most well-known films and having enjoyed many of them, it was a nice surprise to see this monument.  We were now near the harbor and being a nice day it was crowded.  We passed by a Donut place called ‘Holy Donut’, which was started by a young woman when she was a student, and which is a popular place with locals and visitors alike.  The reason for that – the donuts contains potatoes!  Yep, never saw that coming.  There was a big line waiting to get in, though I wasn’t sure I would be amongst them.

Lunch with a view at 'Portland Lobster Company'

Our guide left us outside one of the more popular eating establishments called ‘Portland Lobster Company’.  She even told us how to order the famous “Lobster Roll” - buttered and without any mayo.  My fellow travelers and I decided to have lunch together and found a spot outside on the wharf, as we waited for our Lobster shape pager to buzz.  That took a long time, allowing me to chat with Ann and Charlie and I told them about my travels, something that everyone I meet finds interesting.  They were on their way back to Baltimore while I had a couple of places that I wanted to visit this afternoon.  So after lunch we exchanged numbers and went our separate ways.

'Victoria Mansion'

Another historic landmark in Portland is a place called ‘Victoria Mansion’, built in the mid-19^th Century for an affluent couple.  It was a short walk away from downtown and as I approached it, while not quite like the mansions of Newport, it did look grand.  I got a ticket at the “Gift Shop”, where I was also told not to take any pictures inside the house.  There were in middle of restorations on a room, but right away I could see the opulence based on the main room, the dining area as well as the central stairway.  There were volunteer docents in each room to help explain the settings as well as the significance of that place.  Upstairs were the Bedrooms and for once I thought that the “Guest Bedroom” was better than the main one.  But the most intriguing room by far was something called “Turkish Smoking Room”.  I thought that it would make for a great nook to stretch out and read, but smoking when there were drapes, carpets and upholstery around; perhaps not so much.

'Portland Museum of Art' - the one in Maine!

Nearby was the “Portland Museum of Art” and they were supposed to have a tour at 3 pm.  I walked over there and saw that the building itself looked quite modern and artistic.  I purchased my ticket and asked the lady where to assemble for the tour and she said there wasn’t any such thing today.  I said that I begged to differ and that it was mentioned on the website.  After some debate we realized that I had been looking at the website for ‘Portland Art Museum’, which is in Portland all right.  Portland, Oregon! And I had been to that.  Well, guided tour or not, I was still going to explore this place and that was a good thing because this museum is excellent.  Visitors are encouraged to start on the top floor and work their way down through several galleries, which are designed to be very “open” spaces rather than individual rooms.  The art work – which wasn’t just paintings – was interesting and I was impressed by their collection.  The museum extended out to other buildings, including another one of those historic houses, though nowhere close to the mansion I had just visited.  For me, the best thing I saw in the museum was a wall in the area next to the café, where there were inanimate objects such as a toy car, flowers etc. and visitors were encouraged to either draw or write down their impressions on a card and pin it.  I enjoy seeing such displays in museums – and I have seen in several places – and spend several minutes examining some of the cards.

This became my favorite place - 'Bramhall'

There was some sort of street performance going on across the museum and a big crowd had gathered.  But I had other plans, the first of which was visiting a cocktail lounge which was actually located near my “B&B”.  This meant that I would be walking more than a mile away from downtown to where I was staying and then walking back for the rest of the evening and the going back for the night.  The things I do for a good cocktail!  On the way there I came across a “Used Book Store” and of course, I had to go inside for a walkthrough.  I then continued towards my destination, which was called ‘Bramhall’.  It was a bar located in a basement and felt like a dungeon with stone walled dark room and dripping candle wax.  In short, I loved it.  I liked it even more when I saw that they had “Rice Crispy Treats” on the menu.  I told the bartender that I had never seen these as a part of a menu and these ones were topped with “Nutella”.  Yes please.  My evening was off to a great start with these accompanying a cocktail called “Nomad”; and in this setting too.

The whimsical 'Bearded Lady's Jewel Box'

I had been told to go to a curiously titled, ‘Bearded Lady’s Jewel Box’ for a cocktail.  It was on my way back into downtown and as I entered the bar, it looked like a whimsical place.  There were things hanging from the ceiling that looked like shredded “Wedding Dresses”, some creative shrines and all other things that gave this place its own unique character.  This place was the polar opposite of the one that I was coming from and that’s why I love travelling and finding these spots.  The owner was sitting next to me and framing the menus.  Yes, the menus are handed out as picture frames.  I ordered something called “Gnarly Beard” and it was just as original as this place. 

A famous Portland watering hole - 'Lincoln's'

I came into the main part of downtown just as the evening set in and headed to another place that was on everyone’s list – ‘The Armory Lounge’.  It was a part of a hotel and resembled being in a library.  Well, one with a central bar.  There were just a couple of people in there; I suppose it was a nice enough evening to be outside rather than a stuffy lounge.  I got a drink called “Cold Toddy” and then continued to a place nearby called ‘Maps’.  This is a “Dive Bar” known for 2 things – Cheap Beer and Maps on the walls.  It was also full of people and I was lucky to find a chair in the corner to go with my “German Lager”.  Another place that was similar to this was ‘Lincoln’s’.  Any internet search for bars in Portland probably has this place on the top for one reason – all drinks are $5, and its cash only.  As can be imagined, it is extremely popular and boisterous.  But despite the inexpensive drinks, the interior resembles a respectable night club.

Ending the evening at 'Fore Street'

My final stop prior to dinner was at a place called ‘North Point’ which had something like “Christmas Lights”, thus making it a very “warm” place.  For me, it was just a place to spend some time prior to my dinner reservations at a place called ‘Fore Street’.  It looked similar to the place that I had been to last night – not surprising since I learned later that they both has the same owner – though the menu was different.  It had open kitchen and a lively ambiance and the food was good.  I called an ‘Uber’ and seriously contemplated going back to ‘Bramhall’ – it was a minute away from my place – for a nightcap.  Well, more for the “Rice Crispy Treats” really.  But, it had been a long day and I retired back to my room.

I couldn't give this a miss

The next morning I came down to hand over my keys to David and he invited me to have breakfast.  I was going on a “Portland Old Port Culinary Walking Tour” i.e. classy way of saying “food tour”.  Due to that, I wasn’t planning to eat beforehand, but then David told me there were “Baked Eggs with Lobster”, and well so much for arm twisting.  When he meant lobster, he wasn’t kidding since there were chunks of it in there.  I was planning on walking in to the downtown and since I was to leave for the airport directly from there, was carrying my backpack with me.  It was a hot day, I mean really hot and thus not conducive to carrying a load while on an extended walking tour.  I was rushing to get to the meeting stop and in my haste went past the cross street where I was supposed to turn and then had to rush back.  Did I mention that it was hot!

Some fancy dip's at the first stop

I was meeting my group outside a place called ‘Old Port Wine Shop’ and was the last to arrive.  We had a big group, including a family with a baby in a carriage.  Our guide introduced himself as a food enthusiast and on a mission to go to all the restaurants in the city.  We started in the wine shop where he showed us a bottle of “Mead”, which is one of the major products of Maine.  Apparently the law prohibits people from tasting alcohol in a wine shop and so we moved next door to do our actual tasting.  With a baby carriage in our group, it was a challenge getting it in and out of the stores and would be for the rest of the tour.  Besides the mead, we also tasted “Lobster Mac & Cheese”.  Plus we had a variety of “Balsamic Vinegar's” and some flavored salts to try as dips.  It was a good start and the best thing about being in this place was that it was air-conditioned and I could keep my bag down.

The vintage 'Public Market House'

Our guide was constantly giving us pointers about where to eat and fully endorsed my dinner selections over the last couple of evenings. He did mention a place called ‘Grace’, which is a restaurant built inside a church, not unlike ‘Church Brew Works’ in Pittsburgh.  We stopped at a chocolate shop called ‘Dean’s Sweets’ and then proceeded to a place called ‘Public Market House’, which our tour guide said was the oldest “food court”, but not the one found in your typical Mall's.  On the way there we walked past several places that I had seen yesterday as a part of my tour and it was nice to hear his version of those stories.  I also chatted with some of the members in our group and it was interesting to hear what had brought everyone to Portland, and to this tour in particular.  In fact, a couple from Massachusetts had made a trek this morning just for this.

Those 'Wild Blueberries' were outstanding

At the ‘Public Market House’ we went to the second floor, which had a few unique places and we would be tasting things from 2 of those.  The first one was a soup spot called…wait for it…’Kamasouptra’.  Yep, they went there.  They had about 8-10 varieties of soup and we were encouraged to try as many as we liked before picking the one we would like to have as a cup.  I tried a few and all of them were delicious; something that would be perfect during the cold Maine winters.  But I went for the good old fashioned “New England Clam Chowder”, because I was in Maine after all.  Next on the menu was “Wild Blueberry Sticky Rice”, which was from a place run by 2 sisters who had spent some time in Thailand and had fallen in love with the “Sticky Rice” delicacy.  They had returned to open this restaurant and by all accounts have been successful.  Now, I am not a huge fan of Blueberries by themselves – I don’t mind them as a part of other products or dishes – but these were different.  Much smaller than the typical ones found in a grocery store, they were sweeter and a perfect addition to this dish.

The famous 'Stonewall Kitchen'

We continued on and I was feeling the heat and the weight of my bag as we entered the crowded streets.  Our next stop was something that was quite well known amongst purveyors of fine grocery products – ‘Stonewall Kitchen’.  A business started by 2 friends in Maine to sell “preserves” and “chutney’s” at Farmer’s Market has since grown into an empire that comprised of 10 stores on the East Coast as well as shelf space in ‘Whole Foods’.  Entering the store, it felt like a “Gourmet Food Store”, which it was.  We tasted their most famous product which launched all of this, “Wild Maine Blueberry Jam”, and it was on top of a freshly made Biscuit.  This was by far the best thing that had I tasted today and while the jam by itself was outstanding, along with the biscuit it reached an elevated status which would be tough to beat.  They encouraged us to try other products throughout the store and while everything was very good, I kept coming back to that Blueberry Jam.

I was supposed to climb that!

The final stop on the tour was at a “Brewpub” that advertised itself as being “Maine’s Original”.  It was called ‘Gritty’s’ and was just like any other pub in any other city.  We did try some of their house brews alongside some pub appetizers, and then the tour was over.  It had been good without being spectacular, though not the most terrible way to learn about the city and its food scene.  I had a few hours before I had to leave for the airport and despite the heat and my bag, I decided to make the relatively long trek to the ‘Portland Observatory’ – and uphill too.  I had heard about this place during my walking tour yesterday and learned about its unique history, which was an example of entrepreneurship at its finest.  Built in early 19^th Century, this was a privately owned “Maritime Signal Tower”; not a Lighthouse.  People paid a gentleman named Captain Lemuel Moody a subscription fee of $5 to alert them when their ships were approaching the harbor.  The ships couldn’t typically be seen from the harbor and so via this means of communication the ship owners could prepare for the arrival of their goods and crews.  I was definitely interested in learning more, not to mention the view from the top.

One of the levels inside the 'Portland Observatory'

I arrived at the Observatory huffing and puffing and the lady inside said that I could take a tour starting in a few minutes and which comprised of more climbing!  I seemed to be the only visitor at that time and so would have my own personal guide.  Before we reached the top, there would be 5 levels and each one had exhibits telling a part of the story regarding that place.  As we went up I asked my guide how many times she made the trip during the day and she said several.  This was steep and kudos to her for doing that.  I have climbed some towers in the past and most of them lead you on a spiral path before depositing you at the top.  I loved that over here not only were there levels, but each one was significant.  I learned more about the Captain Moody and how he would sit at the top with his powerful telescope and when he saw an approaching ship – as far as 30 miles away – he would hoist a flag so as to inform his subscribers.  On one of the levels I saw the collection of flags and it was brilliant.  Of course, once the radio was invented, this became obsolete. But what an idea.

And the gorgeous view from the top

One of levels told the story of tower over the decades when it wasn’t being used, till the 80’s, when it became a historic landmark.  I saw that in one of the enclosures there was something that looked like a bug and my guide mentioned that it was a “Powder-Post Beetle”, which I guess is similar to termites, just bigger.  They discovered this in the woodwork, leading to massive restoration project and there were photographs of the same.  Finally, it was opened in early 2000’s for tourists and is now over 200 years old.  We had reached the top and the views were stunning.  It was a clear day and I could see across the harbor and also on the other side, where in the distance were the mountains of New Hampshire.  I took some pictures and even sat in the same place where Captain Moody would have been. I must commend his commitment since despite the view, it wouldn’t have been comfortable, especially in the winter.

Last stop before leaving - 'Eastern Promenade'

I came down and proceeded towards something known as the ‘Eastern Promenade’, which was a park on the waterfront.  There was also a beach over there and it was crowded.  It looked like everyone had come out to be in the sun.  There was also a walkway and a small train track which was headed into downtown; and I was hoping that I would be able to get on to a street at some stage.  So I set off and after some time came across ‘Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co & Museum’, which explained the train track.  They were also running some sort of a tour on a train since I saw one pass by with tourists.  I found my exit and came out onto a street which led me to ‘Duckfat’ - as crowded as before.  I contemplated going in and making it a perfect bookend to this weekend, but called an ‘Uber’ instead and left for the airport.  What a town!  I had enjoyed my time here and Portland may actually be my favorite city in New England now.  I can totally see it overtaking Boston as a destination for youngsters, and pretty soon.  As a kid I thought that Maine was a place where all bad things happened, thanks to Stephen King books.  It's anything but.