Mini Guide: Portland, Maine

The way life should be

Maine is a great state to explore the outdoors, and apparently beer as well. Portland, Maine is just under two hours from Boston and can make for a great day trip or long weekend. The Amtrak goes right into town so even those without a car can take advantage. They have endless breweries, waterfront activities, and the city was recently voted the 2018 Restaurant City of the Year by Bon Appetit.

Here’s a guide on how to eat, drink and be merry in the north, with some of my favorite things to do in Portland.

Breweries:

My top pick is Allagash; great tour with a full flight of samples along the way. And did I mention it’s free? It’s also near Foundation Brewing Company, Austin Street Brewery, Battery Steele Brewing, and Definitive Brewing Company, so it’s easy for an afternoon of brewery hopping.

Shipyard, Bissell Brothers, Gritty McDuffs, Sebago Brewing Company, Bunker Brewing are also great spots to hit closer to downtown. Batson River has the coolest vibes (and their holiday decorations are unreal) with lots of good brews and bites.

Non-breweries for drinking: Lincolns is a cool (and cheap) speakeasy, Apres has amazing hard seltzer, and if you feel like dancing among antiques (yes, this is a thing) head to Bubba's.

Dining:

There is no shortage of seafood in Portland. Any spot on the water can guarantee fresh catches and New England fare. The city is also becoming a restaurant hot spot and there are so many “top” restaurants to find with a Google search.

Hot Suppa and Local 188 have great brunch, The Holy Donut and Tandem Coffee Roasters have great sweets, and Duckfat absolutely cannot be missed if you like poutine.

Taco Escobarr is a fun, casual Mexican spot, and Via Vecchia has great Italian food and stunning vibes.

Things to do in Portland, Maine:

Peaks Island is a short boat ride from downtown and a great day trip, especially in the summer. Arcadia National Bar has drinks and old school video games for late night fun. Old Port has cobblestone streets and great shops. Cape Elizabeth is a short ride away from Portland with a beautiful cliff walk and the Portland Head Lighthouse.

Portland is the perfect place to go year round to take in beers, bites and beautiful landscapes.

Mini Guide - Arizona

I went to Phoenix a few years ago and stayed with my friend in Peoria. It was a quick trip, but I still got to see quite a bit of the beautiful landscape in the area. Here are a few of my favorite things we did:

• Hang by the pool: Coming from New England, this was a great winter getaway for pool time and palm trees.

• Hike: Papago Park, a great spot for a quick hike in the desert in Phoenix.

• Shopping: Lots of outdoor shopping malls with bars and restaurants, great way to spend an afternoon. We went to Westgate.

• Flagstaff: An idyllic small town taken out of an old western, this spot has mountains, shopping, and great bites to eat. We stopped at Oregano’s for pizza and their famous deep dish cookie.

• Sedona: Just the drive leading up to this town was stunning. When we got out to park, it was like stepping back in time, very similar to Flagstaff. Quaint shops, cacti, and red rocks surround this iconic town. There are also a lot of great shops with handcrafted pieces from local makers.

• Grand Canyon: For me this was the highlight of the trip. We drove in about three hours from Phoenix to the Southern Rim and booked a last minute room at the Best Western Premier Grand Canyon. From there we drove straight up along Desert View Road, making many stops along the way to get out and take photos of this amazing place. We went all the way to Navajo Point, then headed back to town.

Most of what we did was just driving or walking around, making it a great place to go in the time of socially distanced travel.

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