Browsing Category

Destinations

Destinations Portland Travel

12 Hours in Portland, Maine

August 9, 2017

I just got back from a maaaagical weekend in Maine.

(We can skip the part about my 1029384 bug bites though…)

Having been in NYC for the past three months, I was seriously missing seeing green.

So I just spent the past four days on the water, around the forest, on a hammock (dreamy, right?!) and just generally outside. The climbing in maine is meant to be phenomenal but I couldn’t quite fit it in on this jam-packed adventure so that’s a must next time. Less hammock time, more climbing time!

Sound like your kind of vacation?

All nature-hugging aside, I also fell in love with Portland.

I spend most of my time north of Portland, near Damariscotta but figured I’d throw together a little guide to an afternoon/night Portland.

So here are some photos of my naturey travels and then a guide to 12 hours in Portland!

Seasons Scenic Photography Backdrops


(PS. Please appreciate this spiffy map… it took me a while to figure out the coding and API key wizardry for it).

12:00pm Coffee and a pastry at Speckled Ax

Specked Ax is an ultra cute coffee shop. Their staff are SO nice and they make different iced tea infusions every day (my peppermint-vanilla-something-black tea was literally the best iced tea I’ve ever had).

 

1:00pm Browse Mainely Frames and Gallery

Other than having a punny name and apparently great framing services, Mainley Frames has racks and racks of old maps hung up on pants hangers.

 

2:00pm Lunch at Corner Room

Corner Room is well known for having the best Italian food in Portland. I totally recommend their meatballs or Bolognese but their seafood dishes look stellar too. Bonus points for their cool cocktail and wine list.

 

3:30pm Dessert at Holy Donut

The funky potato based doughnuts at Holy Donut draw crowds from all over. Good luck choosing from their sixteen flavours…

 

(image source | image source)

4:00pm Browse pottery/souvenir stores between Congress and Commercial Street

What’s a holiday without a bit of browsing? There are so many cute little ceramic stores with all the lobster and nautical themed paraphernalia you could ever want. I even got lobster-claw over mitts.

 

5:30pm Happy Hour (and snacks) at Boone’s Fish House and Oyster Room

Boone’s has a super fun crowd and $5 cocktails (not to mention the cheap oyster deals!). It’s right by the water and is multileveled. Definitely my favourite place of the day.

 

7:00pm Pick up a bottle or pursue the craft beers at Old Port Spirits and Cigars

Working in a wine store, I just have to stop into one wherever I am. Old Port has an awesome array of local craft beers. I even discovered wine packaged in a plastic glass with a lid. Genius.

 

7:30pm Nighttime stroll down Fore Street

Taking nighttime stroll in Portland is so much fun. All the outdoor seating makes for fun people watching. There was a lot of life even on a Sunday (when I was there). Meander down Fore Street, known for its bars and clubs or wander towards Congress Street where you’re bound to find live music or outdoor movies.

 

9:00pm Nightcap at Top of The East Rooftop Bar

I’m a New Yorker so I have a thing for rootop bars. Top of the East is a glass-encased bar on top of the Westin Portland Harborview. You can see the sun setting in the west and the harbor to the east. Their cocktails are soooooo good (and not too pricey!) too.

 

Admittedly, I could imagine that Portland is a littttttle different in the winter. When it’s a little grayer. And it’s really freaking cold.

But for a summer or fall (with the colourful leaves ðŸ˜), it’s a delightful place.

Have you been to Maine? Where do you go to get your dose of greenery?

Culture Destinations Travel

Cocktail Bars By Glasgow

So last week I ended up on a cocktail bar crawl in Glasgow. And then got stranded there for the night… But that’s a different story. Anyway. I’ve always wanted to explore Glasgow more and finally got to have a taste of the Glaswegian…

March 27, 2017
Destinations Plane Slider Travel

24 Hours in St Moritz, Switzerland

*This is a two part post, check out part two here* Last weekend (and incidentally during my first week of classes, oops), I got the chance to watch snow polo in St Moritz, Switzerland. I know it sounds a little crazy. Let me explain.…

February 7, 2017
Destinations Travel

Eiffel in love with a secret Paris

I recently got to go to Paris for the first time and fell head over heels in love. I usually can keep my cool about me when visiting new cities (like Athens or Berlin) but Paris seriously stole my heart. Dusting off my french…

January 5, 2017
Destinations Slider Travel

Athens Athens Athens

As I write this post high up in the air on my way back from Athens, I am so excited to share all my thoughts with you. Athens is a weird but awesome city. Obviously, Greece is having some hard times and has been…

March 28, 2016
Destinations London

Wanted in London: The Cereal Killer Cafe

Whenever I go somewhere new, my main goal is to find somewhere quirky and fun. Picture a wall of more cereals than you can dream of; yes, your childhood favourites are there along with ones you’ve never even imagined. Now try to decide whether…

January 28, 2016