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CITY BREAK:

PORTLAND, MAINE

by Dorothy Jordon and David Ferber with Jordan Simon

We were completely surprised by how much we adored Portland, Maine, so much so that we’ve visited the past two summers. For our first visit, we stayed in Old Orchard Beach, just south of Portland along Maine’s picturesquely rocky coast, but spent a delightful day in town. This year we stayed downtown, meandering the streets and exploring the arty neighborhood that surrounded our hotel.

Portland has an amazing number of cultural, historic and recreational activities for a city its size: far more than crustaceans and outlet shopping. You can enjoy a morning historical walking tour, theater matinee and sunset cruise, followed by a lobster dinner. Spring through fall is a marvelous time to visit (even winters aren’t sub-zero, moderated by maritime influences, with average temperatures in the 30s), with breezes off Casco Bay cooling the rare heat wave (don’t forget to pack sweaters for evenings). The greater Portland area is a microcosm of New England’s allure: truly, the "Maine event."

FABULOUS FAMILY FARE

Portland’s lifeblood has always been its waterfront, and the Old Port’s brick buildings have been beautifully restored. Many house wonderful restaurants, galleries and boutiques. In fact, there’s no reason to venture to Freeport’s outlet stores, including the famed L.L. Bean, which maintains an outlet in Portland as well. There are bargains galore right in Portland, starting with terrific pottery shops and a Foreside Outlet for home furnishings.

A must-visit is the Chris Heilman Hot Glass Studio and Art Glass Gallery. His work is museum-quality (note the richly colored, intricately detailed and textured Coral Reef Sculpture Series, which Chris describes as "aquariums frozen in suspended animation" – inspired by his interest in scuba diving). When he’s in his studio, he’s often working and welcomes visitors. If you’re lucky, like we were, he’ll not only let you look, he’ll walk you through the intricate process of glassblowing. (207-772-7940/ www.hotglassheilman.com)

The Portland Museum of Art specializes in fine and decorative arts from the 18^th century to the present, housed in three architecturally significant buildings, including the most recent designed by I.M. Pei & Partners and the newly restored Federal-era McLellan House. Though the collection includes European masters like Degas, Monet and Picasso, the most resonant works (Winslow Homer, Marsden Hartley, Andrew Wyeth) are those taking inspiration from Maine itself. Friday evenings, 5-9pm admission is free. (207-775-6148/ www.portlandmuseumofart.org)

Next door is the wonderfully interactive Children’s Museum of Maine. The nifty Our Town section allows kids to play at adult activities: a working ATM, fire truck, grocery store, farm, car repair shop and animal hospital. They can forecast weather, catch an astronomical presentation, check out views of Portland in the cool Renaissance-inspired Camera Obscura or participate in constantly changing art and science projects in the Zoom Room. (207-828-1234/ www.kitetails.com)

We saw families giggling away on the amphibious Downeast Ducks, 39-foot buggies that cruise the streets before splashing into the harbor. (late May-mid Oct/207-774-DUCK/ www.duckadventures.com)

The University of Southern Maine’s Southworth Planetarium offers the usual fun shows exploring the universe, as well as interactive computer space tours and cool videos from shuttle launches to auroral displays. Check its website for different shows, geared toward various age groups. (207-780-4249/ www.usm.main.edu/~planet)

The city has a splendid historic air, abetted by more than half a dozen lighthouses dating back to 1791 in the immediate vicinity. Built in 1807, the Portland Observatory on Congress Street is the nation’s last remaining signal tower. The top of the 86-foot building features spectacular views; there are guided tours and changing exhibits on maritime history. (207-774-5561)

To get a real feel for the waterfront and its commercial importance, ride the restored antique cars of the scenic Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad & Museum. (207-828-0814/ www.mngrr.com)

The best and cheapest way to get out on the water is arguably through Casco Bay Lines, whose ferries serve the inhabited islands – several, like Peaks, laced with hiking trails — dotting the bay. It also offers pricier sunrise, sunset and sightseeing tours. (www.cascobaylines.com)

In and around the Downtown Arts District, culture vultures will eagerly pounce on offerings from the Portland Ballet (www.portlandballet.com), Portland Symphony Orchestra (www.portlandsymphony.com), PORT Opera (www.portopera.org) and the nationally renowned Portland Stage Company (www.portlandstage.com).

The major out-of-town factory tour worth visiting is Len Libby Homemade Candies in nearby Scarborough. If possible, go Tues–Thu when chocolates and candies (many in whimsical Maine-related shapes, from lobsters to lighthouses) are actually being made. The highlight is 1,700-pound Lenny, the world’s only life-size (milk) chocolate moose, antlers and all, wading in a white chocolate pond (a video describes his creation). (207-883-4897/ www.lenlibby.com)

BEST BEDS

The Eastland Park Hotel is centrally located in the Arts District, right off Congress Square and is a stone’s throw to both the Portland Museum of Art and the Children’s Museum of Maine, and across the street from Portland Stage Company. It’s rich in history (built in 1927). We wouldn’t have thought our room was completely renovated, despite all the contemporary bells and whistles, including high-speed WiFi access and pay-per-view movies and Nintendo. It was very old fashioned, but nice, comfortable, quite large and moderately priced. Concierge club level rooms throw in free newspapers, complimentary breakfast, evening cocktails and use of a business center. The cocktail lounge, Top of the East, offers scintillating panoramas. (207-775-5411/ 888-671-8008/ www.eastlandparkhotel.com)

The hotel offers several marvelous extras. The Aucocisco Gallery (www.aucocisco.com) exhibits leading contemporary regional artists and hosts juried shows twice yearly. We also found out here about the First Friday Art Walk. Massage Medicine (www.massagemedicine.com) offers modality massage like Ashiatsu Oriental Bar and Hot Lava Stone Therapy. Eastland Park also recognizes that pets are family members, too. For $25/stay, pampering includes welcome amenities: personalized letter from the GM’s dog highlighting hot spots; pet-room-service menu offering cooked-to-order items; edible treats and chew toys; and info on local grooming, vets, even local leash ordinances.

For a summer beach/city break, you could consider Maine’s oldest hostelry, the Old Orchard Beach Inn. Maine’s first Inn, it has been restored as a lovely B&B, but the area (just north of tonier resorts like Kennebunkport) is a bit tacky and honky-tonk. The town still offers some frilly Victorian architecture and a fun old-fashioned amusement park, Palace Playland (www.palaceplayland.com). (207-934-5834/ 877-700-6624/ www.oldorchardbeachinn.com)

FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD

Lobster lobster everywhere! We went to Bayley’s Seafood Restaurant (207-885-9754) – fast-food-looking but great food. Another branch of the family operates Bayley’s Lobster Pound, a take-out only facility (in Scarborough), further south toward Orchard Beach. We stocked up on lobsters here before heading home. (800-WE-BOIL-M/207-883-4571/ www.bayleys.com)

O’Naturals is a wonderful lunch spot located downtown, with tasty healthy food, particularly great baked goods and salads, a kids’ menu and a pleasant ambience. (www.onaturals.com)

Chris Heilman directed us to a terrific Japanese restaurant, Yosaku, where we had a terrific meal, much of it served on the plates Chris had made. Located on Danforth St. downtown, it’s clean, pleasant and unpretentious. We had the fresh sushi and sashimi it’s best-known for but rumor has it that the bento boxes are ideal for kids. (207-780-0880)

The bountiful Portland Public Market is a terrific last stop (before heading home) to stock up on local fare from seafood to beer. (www.portlandmarket.com)

HELPING HANDS

The Convention & Visitors Authority of Greater Portland website, www.visitportland.com, features a thorough listing of hotels, restaurants, attractions and more for travelers.

The online magazine, www.mainelykids.com, is a terrific resource with a calendar of events and parenting resources including Portland and the surrounding area.

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