60 replies to this topic

[Buscotucky]

I'm taking a vacation there the week after next...going to hang out there for a day or two, then head inland to do some hiking. Any must see/do/drink recommendations?

 

Thanks!

[Mando]

Lots of good breweries up there obviously. What kind of beer are you into? Where are you going hiking?

[HVB]

https://duckfat.com/

[DieselGopher]

Foulmouthed brewing. My opinion is biased, I know the head chef, but the food and beer are both terrific. Allagash is cool, Novare Res Bier Cafe has a crazy selection of beers.

[HVB]

Foulmouthed brewing. My opinion is biased, I know the head chef, but the food and beer are both terrific. Allagash is cool, Novare Res Bier Cafe has a crazy selection of beers.

Novare Res really is a great stop.  Also fun to find down that little ally by the Key Bank.

[SnowMan]

If you have a car, take a drive out towards Mount Washington. Stay at the hotel there if you have time.  Looks like it's omni branded now.  https://www.omnihote...details/gallery

 

It's a gorgeous area of the country, and the Mount Washington Hotel is the last of the "grand resorts" from back in the day.  

 

 

 

In portland proper, I'd plan on gorging on lobster if that's your thing.  

[JKor]

Go to the local lobster pound and get yourself some fresh off the boat lobster.

They have ferrys that go to the outlying islands that leave right from downtown.. I haven't done it but heard it's pretty cool.

https://theholydonut.com

Edited by JKor, 22 July 2019 - 08:15 AM.

[HVB]

If you have a car, take a drive out towards Mount Washington. Stay at the hotel there if you have time.  Looks like it's omni branded now.  https://www.omnihote...details/gallery

 

It's a gorgeous area of the country, and the Mount Washington Hotel is the last of the "grand resorts" from back in the day.  

 

 

 

In portland proper, I'd plan on gorging on lobster if that's your thing.  

 

One of the worst hotels experiences I have had.  Granted it was in 2010 when I was there but just sucked.  the building itself and grounds are beautiful tho.

[SnowMan]

One of the worst hotels experiences I have had.  Granted it was in 2010 when I was there but just sucked.  the building itself and grounds are beautiful tho.

 

Interesting.  I was there in 2008 or 2009?  Can't say I had any issues!

[HVB]

Interesting.  I was there in 2008 or 2009?  Can't say I had any issues!

Wonder when Omni took over?  The hotel was partially undergoing a remodel at the time we were there and that did not help one bit.  I wanted to love it, place is beautiful.

[Chips O Toole]

It’s because they detected a “Masshole”

[HVB]

It’s because they detected a “Masshole”

Could be .. although there were many there and much more massholish than me

[Buscotucky]

We're pretty open on the hiking...Mt. Washington was one of the likely destinations. Not really limited to Maine either...say 2 hours out from Portland or so. We're renting a car.

[Chips O Toole]

We're pretty open on the hiking...Mt. Washington was one of the likely destinations. Not really limited to Maine either...say 2 hours out from Portland or so. We're renting a caaaah.

Start practicing now

[JKor]

Mt Washington is great if you want to hike with a crowd. If you do it, i highly recommend the Huntington Ravine trail NOT Tuckerman's. Or, one of the backside trails (which tend to be longer hikes).

[davelew]

Mt Washington is great if you want to hike with a crowd. If you do it, i highly recommend the Huntington Ravine trail NOT Tuckerman's. Or, one of the backside trails (which tend to be longer hikes).

 

Lion's Head was always my favorite trail up Mt. Washington.  The other thing to do is to head to the summit of Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Adams from the summit of Washington.  It's not too far along the ridge trail, and I enjoy the summit of Adams more than that of Washington (Jefferson is not as good as either, but it's on the way to Adams).

[AspenLeif]

My favorite locals type coastal community was Boothbay Harbor, which I think is about 1.5hrs north of Portland.  That's about as Maine coastal community as you can get.  

 

If you plan on hiking Katahdin in Baxter state park, you have to get there at like 4:30am.  They only let so many people go per day, and they don't do reservations.  

[JKor]

Lion's Head was always my favorite trail up Mt. Washington.  The other thing to do is to head to the summit of Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Adams from the summit of Washington.  It's not too far along the ridge trail, and I enjoy the summit of Adams more than that of Washington (Jefferson is not as good as either, but it's on the way to Adams).

 

 

I will admit that hiking up Tuckerman's in the summer is one of the more entertaining people watching experiences you get when hiking.  Just a whole lot of people who don't know what they're getting into.

Edited by JKor, 23 July 2019 - 03:42 AM.

[Mando]

on washington it's not even so much the crowds on the trail but the crowds on the top from people driving or taking the cog up the mountain.  I still really enjoyed when we went up the ammonoosuc ravine trail though.  it also allowed us to easily summit monroe as well.

 

if you are pressed for time jefferson via the caps ridge trail is short and fun at only 5 miles round trip with about 2700' of elevation gain.

 

I've been wanting to do carrigain which looks like a nice hike.  look for the signal ridge trail.

[DownEastBrewer]

Portland has enough amazing restaurants and breweries to make your head spin.  For beer my favorites are Bissell Brothers, Maine Beer in Freeport, Foundation, and Lone Pine.  Allagash is there too, but I'm just not a Belgian-style fan.  If you're there on a weekend most of these breweries have food trucks at their locations to enjoy while you're hitting the tasting room.  Maine Beer does its own food and makes some amazing pizza.

 

For food in Portland, Duckfat was already mentioned, but good luck getting in on a weekend.  If you like seafood, go to Scales, right on a pier on the waterfront.  Fore St restaurant and Nosh are also both great.

 

I would advise against hiking Mt Washington for the reasons mentioned above.  If you're set on heading to NH and the White Mountains, there are loads of other hikes in the area with great views, and the drive is pretty too.  You could also head to western maine, Saddleback is a gorgeous hike as well.  

 

If you head up the coast of Maine, there are a few small hikes in the Camden area with views of the ocean.  AspenLeif is correct in that Boothbay will have all you're looking for in a small seaside community.  Dockside restaurant, lobster boats, tourists galore.    

 

If you've got the time, I would also recommend doing a whitewater rafting trip.  The Forks is ~2.5 hours north of portland, and for a first trip I'd recommend hitting the Kennebec River.  Most of the outfitters have cabins on-site you can stay at.  There are also hikes up in that area along the Appalachain Trail (it's actually where the 100 mile wilderness of the A.T. starts)

 

eta - if you do get up to Boothbay, and you like farmhouse-style beers, I advise making the drive beyond boothbay to Oxbow brewery.  cool place in the woods that do several variations of saisons, belgians, etc.   Pemaquid Point lighthouse is up that way (much less crowded than the ones you'll find around portland), as well as some cool places to walk along the shore at Rachel Carson preserve, etc

Edited by DownEastBrewer, 23 July 2019 - 06:19 AM.