YEARS VISITED: 2020

FAVORITE CITIES AND EXPERIENCES: The summer of 2020 will forever be remembered in our family as the summer we drove from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. Our trip began just outside of Portland, Oregon and concluded in Portland, Maine. We safely drove the ‘family truckster’ over 12,000 miles and toured thirty-seven states. We definitely had enough experiences and adventure to last most people a lifetime.

However, as you can probably imagine, we also experienced a number of trials and tribulations over the course of a month long quest. When we finally completed the eastern most stretch of our trip and triumphantly drove into Maine, all the good and bad came flooding back and an incredible sense of accomplishment washed over me. I am imagining this was the same feeling that overcame fictional movie character Clark W. Griswald when his family finally arrived at Wally World in the movie National Lampoon Vacation. As a result I will forever equate the state of Maine with the joyous feeling of accomplishment I felt that day. The day prior to triumphantly pulling into Maine, we stayed at a resort in Pennsylvania, Shawnee on the Delaware. The trek from the resort to Portland, Maine took us just under six hours. We then traveled two hours north to Sangerville, where we stayed with my Mom’s cousin, Roger and Pam.

They have a summer cottage with a newly remodeled room above the garage they were gracious enough to let us stay in. Besides serving as a fantastic home base for our adventures, they were some of the nicest people and hosts we encountered. After a long day of driving, it was exactly what the doctor ordered.

STADIUMS AND/OR SPORTING EVENTS: We have not attended any sporting events in Maine.

ADVENTURE(S): Our first stop in Portland was to Boone’s Fish House and Oyster Room. The restaurant was located downtown on a wharf overlooking the Portland Harbor. We made a reservation for the upstairs outdoor patio and were not disappointed.

Maddie and I ordered the lobster roll, and Jill and Bailey ordered the lobster.

We all felt like we ate like kings and enjoyed the beautiful view of the hustle and bustle of the harbor. If you enjoy seafood, we can’t recommend this restaurant (and I am sure the whole downtown area) enough. We were in seafood heaven. Following our meal we walked the length of Commercial Street (the main downtown strip) where we window shopped, explored the boutiques, and shopped for t-shirts and memorabilia from Portland.

Following our downtown adventure, we headed fifteen minutes across town to the iconic Portland Head Lighthouse. The lighthouse is located adjacent to Fort Williams Park. There we spent time playing on the beach, walking through the handful of military bunkers on the hill, and admiring the beautiful lighthouse.

Before leaving we purchased lobster rolls and a one of a kind blueberry root beer from a food truck in the parking lot. To say we “ate well” in Portland would be an understatement.

The views of the lighthouse seemed like something right out of a movie.

If we ever return to Maine, I would love to drive to and explore their many unique looking lighthouses.

NOTABLE DESTINATIONS & STOPS: From Sangerville we ventured northeast to Bangor. Our first stop was the 31-foot tall Paul Bunyan Statue located downtown across the street from the Hollywood Casino. According to the sign, this is the largest Paul Bunyan statue in the world. Bangor also advertises that this is the birthplace of Paul Bunyan and have a birth certificate on file at City Hall to prove it.

Our second stop in Bangor was 47 West Broadway St. This was the home of Stephen King, Maine’s favorite son, for over thirty years. While he and his family have since relocated, the house remains as a ‘Writing Retreat – Archive for Scholars’ … as stated on his website. Whether the most famous horror novelist still lives in this 150+ year old Victorian home or not, it still looks spooky to me. The grounds are surrounded by a black wrought iron fence – the gate at the front sidewalk resembles a spider web complete with gargoyles. However, the crown jewel of spookiness is the wood carving in the front yard carved from a dead ash tree. It was designed to highlight books and gothic creatures.

From Bangor we headed to the capital in Augusta where we walked the grounds of the state capital building. While the original state building was in Portland, this building has served the state since it was built in 1832. Outside the beautiful building is a replica Liberty Bell, which was gifted to Augusta in 1950.

The last city we explored in Maine was Freeport. This is the birthplace of the outdoor store, LL Bean. Their flagship store has been doing business on Main Street for over a century. Outside the main entryway is a 16-foot tall rubber bottom boot… just like the ones sold inside.

We also saw a similar boot that had been made into a parade car parked outside.

Our last stop in Freeport before hitting the road is arguably the most unique McDonald’s in America.

The fast food giant is known for it’s golden arches. However, there is a strict building code in Freeport and the town would not allow a McDonald’s to be built if construction involved the golden arches. As a result, McDonald’s purchased a 130+ year old Victorian mansion and converted it into a McDonald’s. The only visible arches are on a 3×5 sign in the front yard. While it took us awhile to figure out this was actually a McDonald’s, we ordered a snack and hit the road.

While we didn’t spend as much time as we would have liked in Maine, we fell in love with the natural beauty of the state and hope to someday return.

• OUR LIST TO VISIT OR RETURN TO:
• Acadia National Park
• Wells Beach
• Kennebunkport
• Lighthouse Tour
• Portland Sea Dogs Game