Portland, ME - I need a vacation!
 

Thinking of going to Portland Maine end of August early Sept. Where is a nice place to stay and tell me about all the food. I haven't left Chicago in over a year and I think it's time for some seafood and ocean sights. I think we will just stay in Portland for about 4 days (too long?). I hear the headlight is there, and of course all the lobster. Any other must see's?

You can get good restaurant recommendations on Chowhound's northern New England thread. For casual eating and great view, Bite Into ME food truck is in Fort Williams Park. We take bag chairs and sit to enjoy our lobster rolls looking out on Casco Bay. We enjoyed the mailboat cruise first thing in the morning. The dock is within walking distance of the Old Port area for fun shopping. Enjoy ice cream at MDI. You can also cruise Casco Bay in the evening to see lights come on. A friend said we would enjoy exploring Peak's Island but we haven,t done that yet.

I would do a day trip further north. We like to check out lobster shacks. Do a google search for best lobster roll and see how far you are willing to travel. A Maine cousin who libes south of Portland seems to head out on sundays to the Harpswell area east of Brunswick. We've enjoyed exploring that area because it,s so rural but if you want something more lively maybe head to Boothbay. It really depends. We think south of Portland is too built up but it also has the nicest sandy beaches.

https://www.redseatsmaine.com/ people go way out of their way to eat here. don't let the line discourage you.

People (ok person) who frequent that area go(es) out of the way to avoid Reds at all cost... The lobster rolls are not unique, and the wait (often an hour or more) is not worth it.....

You can get a similar or better roll at countless places in a fraction of the time, and not be standing next to a busy road the whole time. I'm partial to Shannon's Unshelled in Boothbay Harbor, the butter kind not mayo...

I've never eaten at Red's, but hate it because of the traffic jams it causes in Wiscasset heading north or south. It does look sharp. There used to be an unheralded lobster shack serving delicious lobster just across the street. No wait.

In Portland we found the Museum of Art a fine place to spend a couple of rainy hours.

We stayed at a hotel that was a bit out of the way. If I were to return I'd choose the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Portland Waterfront, based solely on location. https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/pwm...b3ZlcnJpZGU%3D

The good news is that the price of a roll at Reds has gotten a lot cheaper since a few months ago. The price has dropped $4 per roll, down to $30 each.