Portland is a beautiful city right on the coast of the Atlantic ocean. We stayed in the Old Port area, so restaurants, shopping, and excursions were all within walking distance! We had a great weekend exploring the city and I’m here to show you that you CAN see and do all the things in just two days.

Portland Farmer’s Market
If you’re visiting on a Wednesday or Saturday, you must stroll through the Portland Farmer’s Markets. I love living like a local for a day at farmers markets because it allows you to see and taste the local favorites. From home grown berries and homemade pies to freshly picked flowers and farm fresh eggs, this is THE place to visit.

Back Cove Trail
After we got our snacks, we headed to Back Cove Trail for a little hiking. This 3.5 mile loop is one of the oldest and most popular trails in Portland and provides great views of the skyline.

Portland Head Light & Fort Williams Park
This beautiful lighthouse (the Portland Head Light at Fort Williams Park) holds the title for the most photographed lighthouse in the country. This is that same exact one. If you’re visiting earlier in the day, the lightkeeper’s home has been turned into a museum and you can tour the building to learn more about the history of the Portland Head Light.

Lucky Catch Cruises (Lobstering)
When you’re this close to the water, it would be a shame not to go out on it! And we didn’t just go out on it – we went lobstering! I cannot recommend Lucky Catch Cruises enough! We had the best time! I’ve always wanted to see how lobster were harvested and this blew my expectations out of the water (bad dum ching). Not only did we set traps with bait, but we also reeled in our own catches, saw different World War I forts, and learned about the sustainability the Maine fisherman adhere to. With every lobster caught in Maine, the lobster is measured and checked for gender and eggs. One thing I thought was interesting was that not all female lobster reproduce. So if a fisherman catches a female lobster with eggs (little black dots) on her belly, the fisherman marks her tail and put her back in the ocean. This ensures that future fisherman won’t keep her and the lobster population will still be able to grow. Also, female lobster can reproduce until death, and since lobster can live to be up to 100 years old, that’s a lot of lobster babies she could produce.

Portland Lobster Co (Dinner)
Once we hauled in our catch, we walked our lobster next door to Portland Lobster Company. There, they steamed the lobster and we were able to eat what we caught. You can’t get much closer to sea to table than that!

Shopping
The whole Old Port area has tons of shopping options to choose from and everything you could ever want! From housewares and kitchen gadgets to souvenirs and lobster hats, you can find it all. Start on Fore street. It’s got some great shops and cute items. Then you’ll want to head over to Sea Bags Maine. I love this company’s mission! Instead of sailors throwing out old worn out sails, they can bring them to Sea Bags where the company makes the sails into bags and purses of all shapes and sizes. The vintage bags feature the number and symbol panels from the sails while the other bags have printed symbols on them (and are a bit cheaper than the vintage). They’re just so unique!

Victoria Mansion
Built in 1860, this beautiful home was one of the first in Maine to have indoor sewer and plumbing, hot and cold water, and a 25 foot skylight. The man who had it built, Ruggles Morse, was a selfmade man only completing 2nd grade schooling and prospering through his own hard work. While I couldn’t video inside the home, I did want to show you a few photos I took inside. In every room, there are paintings of the owner, nods to his power and position, and even a full dinnerware set that was made just for him and his family that has their family name etched into the silverware. If you’d like to check out this beautiful home, make sure to make a reservation and get your tickets online before you visit because they sell out.

Portland Schooner Company
I have always wanted to go on a sailboat. This was my chance. When in Maine, right? We boarded the Timberwind and sailed out of the harbor. Once away from the dock, the passengers were able to volunteer to help hoist the sails, and let me tell you – they were heavy! I still know nothing about sailing or the commands they called out or the difference between port and starboard, but I totally enjoyed myself. Once out on the water, we floated along enjoying the breeze and watching the seals play in the water (we saw 3 that day which apparently was not common).
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