June 30, 2009
land (and sea) ho!
Do you want to check out the great scenery around Portland but don’t want the hassle of driving or walking around trying to find the good stuff? Let someone else take the reins, sit back and relax, and enjoy the sights with Portland Discovery Land and Sea Tours!
For those who love lighthouses, check out the Lighthouse Lovers Cruise. This is a 90-minute narrated cruise which ventures around the harbor bringing you up close and personal with at least 4 lighthouses in the area (on a clear day, you can see up to 7!) The lighthouses you will see can include Portland Headlight, Bug Light, and Spring Point Ledge Light, among others. When I went on this cruise a few years back, we were followed by a family of seals which I found even more exciting than the lighthouses! The tour departs at 11:30, 1:30, and 3:30 daily; adult tickets are $18 while tickets for children ages 3-12 are $12.
If you’re squeamish about being on the water (like me) you might appreciate the Portland Trolley Tour more. This is also a 90-minute narrated tour which takes you around downtown Portland. You’ll be driven through the Old Port, make a stop to take pictures of Portland Headlight, and get to see the childhood home of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (located at 489 Congress Street), among other Portland landmarks along the way. The trolley tour departs numerous times throughout each day, at 9:30, 11:15, 1:00, 2:45, and 4:30. Tickets are also $18 for adults and $12 for children.
Portland Discovery has many other tours to choose from, including a land and sea tour where you can experience the best of both worlds! For tickets, call (207) 774-0808 or order online.
June 28, 2009
a day on Commercial Street…
This weekend my sister came down from Chicago to visit with me and I found it difficult to think of things to do with her. I offered to take her to the Portland Museum of Art but that didn’t seem to spark her interest (she’s already been to some of the most prestigious galleries in the country) and my usual rainy-day activities of bowling at Yankee Lanes or rollerskating at Happy Wheels were more of a me-and-my-goofball-friends kind of activity. So we decided to walk up and down Commercial Street in downtown Portland.
Our first stop was the Maine State Pier. This is one of my favorite places to go and sit, watching the boats drift in and out to their scheduled destinations, but yesterday we were surprised to see tents up and numerous people walking towards them. It was the 1st annual Portland Lobster Festival! We got there just as they were setting up, so the fun had just begun, but there was music playing over a loud-speaker (which we promptly danced around like 5-year-olds to) and frozen lemonade was being offered while a reggae band got their instruments together. It looked like an exciting event, but we wanted to keep our day moving.
So we got lunch at the Dry Dock Restaurant and Tavern at 84 Commercial Street. The waitress we had, Eileen, was super friendly and catered to my strange food requests (I’ve always been a picky eater) which made for a pleasant eating experience. We got to watch people ask the man in a lobster suit for directions to the Lobster Festival, and watch him try to point them the right way with his giant lobster claws. We scarfed our food down to be able to get to our next destination.
My sister had seen a salon on Commercial Street and, after seeing my over-processed hair, she decided it was time for a haircut. So it was off to Fabu Salon and Spa (located at 136 Commercial Street) for us! We walked in hoping to get some treatments done and the stylists were very helpful and friendly with our requests. After checking in, we had to get into an elevator to get to the actual salon (some of the spa facilities were downstairs, but we got to go all the way to the 5th floor). Lucy, my stylist, was almost as appalled at my hair as my sister was, so she did a deep conditioning treatment, and didn’t complain once as she had to make over 4 batches of the conditioner because my hair was so dead and thirsty (I say “was” deliberately). As I sat under the dryer, and as my sister sat with highlight foils in her hair, we got to sit by a giant window looking out onto the water and downtown Portland and sip wine they had offered to us. It was nice to have a moment to just sit back and relax while being pampered, and I highly recommend it. When we were finished, my hair looked completely different – I had no idea hair was supposed to feel so soft!!
Then it was back to the Hilton Garden Inn for some room service and television time on one of the most comfortable beds I have ever laid on to tie up the end of the day. It was sunnier than anticipated, but still slightly windy and cloudy, and being able to walk around outside and still stay inside for the majority of the day was a delight. And that was my day on Commercial Street.
June 25, 2009
lost in the desert…
It’s finally sunny here, so where better to spend the day than the desert? Yes, apparently (this is all new to me) Maine has a desert!
It’s called The Desert of Maine, of course, and it’s located in Freeport, one of the more bustling towns around. Who would have thought, amongst all the outlet stores and parks, there would be a 40-acre stretch of “sand” (it is actually glacial silt, a sand-like substance). The desert was originally a 300-acre farm owned by the Tuttle family in 1797, but failure to rotate crops and overgrazing led to soil erosion, exposing a dune of glacial silt. The small patch slowly spread and overtook the entire farm. In 1919 the Tuttles abandoned the land and it was purchased by Henry Goldrup, who converted the natural curiosity as a tourist attraction in 1925.
When it first opened, walking tours were 10 cents. Today, adults can enter the park for $8.75 (for ages 13-16, entry is $6.75; children ages 5-12, entry is $5.75). There are guided safari tours and walking tours, along with marked nature trails to explore. The gift shop is a wonderful place to get mementos, or you can always go mining for gemstones and fossils.
Camping is available for RVs and tents, with water and electricity included. For those day-trippers, parking is ample and access is simple (it is 2 miles west off I-295, exit 20). For more information, call (207) 865-6962. Make sure to bring your sunscreen!
(above is our Festiva Adventure Club receptionist, Caroline, in the desert!)
June 24, 2009
deep in the 100-acre wood…
Are you in the mood for mystery, fairies, and ghosts all packed along a nice hiking trail? Then head over to Mackworth Island, off the coast of Falmouth at the mouth of the Presumpscot River. The island, which is a giant bird sanctuary, is connected to the mainland by a causeway which visitors can either walk or drive over. Once over the causeway and past the gatehouse, be prepared for an amazing journey. Whether you’re looking for a leisurely walk, some hunting or fishing, or just some creative energy, this is the place.
The 100-acre island has a 1.25 mile path circling the perimeter for walkers and joggers. The trail is covered in wood chips and soil, making it slippery when wet, but has very few inclines (aside from the steep slopes you can choose to go on which veer off the trail and down to the beautiful, rocky shore). Dogs are permitted as long as they are leashed and cleaned up after.
Speaking of dogs, make sure to check out the pet cemetery, walled off by stone and marked with a large boulder. The cemetery, given to the state (along with the rest of the island) by Governer Percival Baxter in 1946, is located on the north end of the island and is home to his 19 Irish Setters. Fun fact: Stephen King visited the pet cemetery on Mackworth Island which inspired his novel and then motion picture!
There is also a haunted tree which was once featured on Unsolved Mysteries. The tree has ‘faces’ which stick out of the bark and appear to be “upturned in agony with their mouths open.” Noted as one of many haunted places in Maine, phantom dogs have been seen running around this site.
If ghosts aren’t you’re thing, how about fairies? There is an area on the north side of the island which is a permanent exhibit of fairy houses. The official Fairy Houses Village sign invites you to “use your own imagination to expand the village or provide needed maintenance to the existing cottages.” The houses are all-natural but since picking live plants is not permitted, make sure to bring a baggie to collect fallen leaves and sticks along the walk.
Also, make sure to bring a lunch because there are no places to get food or beverages. There is a parking lot which only holds about 20 vehicles (there is no parking allowed on the causeway) and an outhouse is located in the parking lot. The park is open from dawn until dusk, year-round, and a detailed trail map is available at the gatehouse.
June 18, 2009
shop-a-holics unite
Since rain is in the forecast for the next few days, let’s go to the Maine Mall!
If you’re looking to go for a nice walk, but don’t feel like walking in the rain, join the Mercy Pacesetters Stepping Healthy Program. The mall opens its doors at 6a.m. Monday-Saturday and 10a.m. on Sundays for people to walk the one-mile course before the stores open at 9:30 on weekdays and Saturdays and 11 on Sundays. For more information, contact the customer information booth at (207)828-2063 X233.
There are tons of sales going on right now, including “summer sales” at Banana Republic, Coldwater Creek, and Kay Jewelers. H&M has their Fashion Against AIDS collection in full swing, where 25% of the sales price goes directly to HIV/AIDS education and prevention efforts.
Lindt Chocolate is having a wonderful tasting event where, while supplies last, you can receive a free sample of their feature product. Today’s feature item is Petits Desserts Truffle Cake Bar, and while I have no idea what that is, I can’t wait to try it! Plus, you get 10% off the featured item if purchased on the day of their tasting event.
So let’s get in out of the rain and start shopping!
June 17, 2009
fun in the sun…
What’s more fun than spending a sunny day on the beach?
Old Orchard Beach is one of the most fun-packed beaches I have found so far in Maine. Aside from the usual sun, sand, and saltwater of a seven-mile long beach, there is also The Pier and Palace Playland, New England’s only ocean-front amusement park.
The Pier has many restaurants and nightclubs to check out, and places to shop including a place to get your hair braided and a place to get temporary tattoos. It extends almost 500 feet out into the ocean with views of the beach to either side and a beautiful sight of endless ocean out in front. While walking the boardwalk, make sure to visit the Festiva Adventure Club marketing booth at the beginning of The Pier for more information on our vacation club opportunities.
Palace Playland is a great place to bring the family, with rides for people of all sizes. The park includes Kiddie Land for the youngsters and thrill rides for the more adventurous. Admission is free, but tickets are needed for the rides (a single ticket is $1.15 but books of tickets are available at a reduced rate, along with day passes, two-day passes, and season passes) Personally, even though I am an avid thrill-seeker, I love riding the Ferris Wheel the most because of the beautiful views from the top.
And, to make it even more fun, every Thursday evening there is a fireworks display! If you can swing it, try to get stuck at the top of the Ferris Wheel when they start at 9:45 (though I have only been able to accomplish this once in my five years living in Maine, it was spectacular sight!)
June 15, 2009
pride party!
It’s pride week in Maine, so let those rainbow flags fly!
On Wednesday the 17th and Thursday the 18th, St. Lawrence Art and Community Center is hosting The Queer Alternative, presented by Jake Brooks, a venue where local artists of all genders and gender expressions share stories, songs, poems, visual arts, and music. St. Lawrence Art and Community Center is located at 75 Congress Street in Portland; tickets are $10, and the doors open at 7:30
Also on Thursday, there is a panel discussion focusing on “focus on Inter-generational queer/trans activism.” The panelists include Susie R. Bock, head of USM’s Special Collections and Director of the Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine, among other speakers from the area. The discussion begins at 6 p.m. at the Porteous Building at MECA (522 Congress Street, Portland) in room 305.
If political discussions aren’t for you, check out Southern Maine Pride Comedy Night featuring Jim David, who has appeared on Comedy Central and Bravo along with his humorous columns being published in HuffingtonPost.com and The Advocate. The show is being held at The Comedy Connection at 16 Custom House Wharf in Portland and begins at 8p.m. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online or by calling the box office (207-774-5554). And don’t forget to join in the fun at the pre-party at 7!
On Friday, make sure not to miss the 4th annual Dyke March, starting at approximately 7:30p.m. at Monument Square and ending at One Longfellow Square. The pre-show begins at 6:30 with live music and dancing and is completely free. The march “seeks to be positive, feminist, diverse and community-driven in all of its endeavors” according to their mission statement.
Saturday the 20th provides a great opportunity to join Congressman Barney Frank at a reception to celebrate Southern Maine pride from 6-9 p.m. brought to you by the Maine Democratic Party. The guest list for the event includes, but is not limited to, Governor John E. Baldacci (the Nation’s first Governor to sign a Marriage Equality Bill into Law), Senator Dennis Damon (sponsor of Maine’s Marriage Equality Bill), and Chip Arndt (LGBT Activist & Winner of Amazing Race Season 4). The reception is located at 6 Custom House Wharf in Portland at the Harbour’s Edge Room. Individual tickets are $20 and can be purchased online.
The party really kicks off on Saturday, wrapping up pride week with a parade through downtown Portland at 12:30 and a festival in Deering Oaks Park from 1-5 p.m. with family entertainment and food vendors, and the pier-dance on the Maine State Pier (on Commercial Street and Franklin Arterial) Each event is all-ages, with a full-service bar at the dance for ages 21+. Tickets to the dance are $10 in advance, $15 the day of, and available at Blackstones (6 Pine Street, Portland), Condom Sense (424 Fore Street, Portland), and all Bullmoose locations in Maine and New Hampshire.
Enjoy the festivities, and have a gay day!
June 14, 2009
lights, sand, action!
Last night, between the wee hours of ten and midnight, I played in the rain, climbing on slippery rocks and investigating forts with occasional light shining down on me from various surrounding lighthouses. Even though my pants were drenched from foot to knee, and my fingertips were frozen and pruned, it really was a fantastic evening (and I can only imagine how nice it would have been in the sunshine.)
My first stop was Spring Point Ledge Light down by SMCC. There was a beach filled with seashells to collect (I even picked up a live quahog!) and I was told in the daylight, there is beautiful sea-glass to be found. I climbed up and across the 900-foot breakwater ledge that leads out to the lighthouse (constructed in 1951) barely making it due to my lack of good night vision. When I reached the lighthouse I exclaimed “wow, it’s bigger than it looked on the beach!”
I wandered back across the 50,000 tons of granite to the shore, trying to avoid stepping in the tide pools and failing miserably. With squishy socks, I checked out Fort Preble, walking along the battery wall, looking down on the water crashing to the left of me, before I decided to actually investigate the fort – but it was wet, dark, and scary so I didn’t spend much time poking around the different rooms. Next time, I will bring a flashlight.
After I had my fill of crawling through and around the fort, I hopped in my car and drove just a short distance to Portland Breakwater Light, locally known as Bug Light. I walked along a nicely paved path lined with benches and the occasional viewfinder to look across the water at downtown Portland. The path took me right up to the lighthouse, and I was able to see how beautiful it was (something I was unable to see from the Lighthouse Tour I took a few years back). Last night I was able to see the actual architecture of the building which, upon later researching, learned it was modeled after the Greek Choragic Monument of Lysicrates, built in the fourth century B.C.
I took the long way back to the car, going through some grassy areas, a smaller beach with rocks lining it, and a path through a wooded area. I didn’t notice how many hours had passed during my adventure until I was warm and dry in my house; time seems to simply slip away when I’m by the water.
June 11, 2009
let us GRO…
Looking for a new and interesting place to grab some lunch while wandering the Old Port? There’s a new cafe in downtown Portland for you to check out!
GRO Cafe (GRO standing for GrassRoots Organic) is located at 437 Congress Street, close to an abundance of local shopping and sights, almost directly across from Monument Square. They focus on raw, vegan delicacies at exceptionally reasonable prices, rarely heating any of their foods over 112 degrees. In an interview with mainetoday.com, Chef Andrew Borne explains “when you cook foods, 90% of the nutrients are cooked off.”
The owner, Igor Rakuz (shown below), buys from local and organic suppliers whenever possible and is planning on expanding the cafe to include an indoor greenhouse in the backroom. GRO Cafe opened its doors to the public in early April of this year and already has acquired a lot of hype in the district. The Old Port thrives on locally-owned and run businesses, and GRO is fitting in quite nicely.
GRO Cafe is open Monday through Saturday 8am-6pm and the majority of their dishes are less than $10, so it makes a perfect stop during an afternoon of shopping downtown!
GRO Cafe
437 Congress Street
Portland, ME 04101
(207) 541-9119
splish, splash…
Get ready for some family fun! Funtown Splashtown USA in Saco is opening Splashtown this weekend. The amusement park is split into two sections (Funtown and Splashtown) with great things to do for all ages on both sides.
It’s heating up here in Maine, and a great way to cool off is by jumping into the wading pool or zipping down one of the many slides in Splashtown. The slides range in size to accommodate every age and size, including a fun lagoon. If you’re not one for getting wet, there are over 1000 chairs to lounge in while taking in the sun.
Over in Funtown, there is a new rollercoaster to check out called The Wild Mouse, rising up as one of the tallest rides in the park at 50-feet. Among The Wild Mouse, there are dozens of rides to choose from ranging from kiddie rides to high-thrill rides.
Starting to get hungry but don’t want to leave the fun? Feel free to simply check out one of the many food vendors located around the park, including Mexican burritos, pizza, ice cream, and more! Funtown Splashtown USA offers season passes, one-day passes, and group discounts. For rates and hours of operation, please visit funtownsplashtownusa.com
While at the park, make sure to fill out a registration form brought to you by Festiva Resorts for your chance to win a Sea-Doo GTI! And don’t forget to have fun!
