Maine Sights to Sea!

My very first trip to Maine was last summer in August 2017. It was a weekend getaway with a group of friends from school. In fact, it was our first trip together and I honestly could not have asked for a more perfect destination. What better way to enjoy great company than by being surrounded by a lively town and beautiful blue water.

Let's start off with the food. The abundance of seafood here is unreal - they don't call it "lobster city" for nothing! While I personally am not one to eat seafood, my friends absolutely raved about how their food lived up to their expectations. For all readers like me, not eating the seafood wasn't a let down at all! There are so many other great places to try. For our weekend trip, some of my favorite places to grab a bite were Otto's Pizza, Blake Orchard, Holy Donut, Gorgeous Gelato, and more! From the famous potato donut to the rich gelato and refreshingly tasting smoothies, it was more than I could have asked for during the short stay. Not to mention, that was just the surface! There's still a lot more to try when I go back again some day.

Next, let's talk about the people. The people in this city are so friendly and welcoming. No matter where we went, there was always someone just chatting with us - even if it was just a simple "hello" with a smile. As someone who grew up in the New York/New Jersey area, it's not something I'm used to and is greatly appreciated. It made me forget that I was in an unknown city. It felt like I lived there my entire life and these are all people I know. The other tourists to Portland were just as friendly. It's just something about the atmosphere in this city that brings out the welcoming nature in everyone.

Saving the best for last, I can't rave enough about the views and nature surrounding this city. For the duration of our trip, we went to Peaks Island, Diamond Cove, and visited popular lighthouses nearby. Peaks Island was an absolute treat. We walked around the entire island and took stops at different coves to admire the beautiful sea around. I'm not used to clear blue water by New York, so I was taking each moment with such awe. The houses were old school but so fitting at the same time. I can't imagine how residents must feel waking up to such scenery everyday. The breeze, sailboats, opening views from the coves were so serene. If I could, I'd go back to Peaks Island every other weekend and just walk around. Diamond Cove was just as spectacular. Walking around a piece of land surrounded by water automatically brought forth a peaceful vibe. Regardless of having so many things to worry about with school and work, I was at absolute ease. The wind just blows all the stress away and nothing but deep, relaxing breaths ensue. It's real and unreal, all at the same time. Lighthouse "chasing" near Portland was something super fun to do as a group. We would drive to a lighthouse, take some gorgeous Instagram worthy photos, and then move on to the next. For our chase, we went to see Two Lights State Park, Portland Breakwater Headlight, Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse, and of course, Portland Headlight. I could talk more about the sea surrounding these lighthouses but I won't bore you with my run-ons any further [haha]. Portland Headlight was indeed a highlight. Just a simple glance of this lighthouse from any distance, and you feel like you're in every postcard picture you've ever seen of this place. It is just as vintage and gorgeous as people describe it to be.

Sadly, my weekend in Maine was very short-lived. To this day, I still think about when I can go back and stay for a longer duration - perhaps go further to explore even more of Maine's great greens. People often think I'm exaggerating when I talk about Portland with such passion, but you just have to go there to understand what I'm talking about. It's a breath of fresh air coming up from a 5-hour drive. Portland is definitely one of my top travel destinations in the United States, and I cannot wait to go back.