Tag: Fall

Winter,Spring,Summer & Fall: Feel like dancing? Well I sure didn’t until one of my friends convinced me that what I needed to do was to take a swing class. That’s right folks, convinced that this would be the thing to keep us entertained for the winter we signed up for the class. Half heartily, I arrived at Maine Ballroom on Congress Street in Portland. As I entered the huge dance studio I was overwhelmed by all the mirrors, seriously, do I need to see and be reminded of what a fool I was going to look like? Well, as the class was filling up and as more people came in I could feel my anxiety increasing. The instructor gave us a quick overview of the night, paired us up with a partner and cranked the music. At first it felt as though I had two left feet and the counting was throwing me off but, as the lesson and night progressed I found that I was laughing and really getting the hang of it. By the end of the night the rhythm of the music, the counting of the instructor all melded into a swing dance that was fun, fast and a little bit exhilarating. I have to say that this was probably one of the most most fun nights I had had in long time and am looking forward our next night out. With so many different dances to learn like the Foxtrot, Ballroom, Salsa and ChaCha I may be busy for a while. Another place to check out if you think this sounds like fun is Maplewood Dance Center on Warren Ave in Portland. They also offers lessons for these dances and also offers country line dancing lessons for all you Kenny Chesney fans. Why not try it, it was definitely fun to do and you get to learn something that you will always use, especially at your cousins wedding this summer.

Spring,Summer,Fall & Winter: Freeport is a hot spot for those who enjoy the idea of outlet shopping and it caters to a wide variety of people depending on what you are looking for. From designer shops for women like Jones of New York, Anne Klein and Banana Republic to specialty children’s shops like Children’s Place and Carters, you can pretty much find it all. Men love LL Bean’s Hunting & Fishing store, and the kids will love the fish tank where they can see native species in the huge tank that grace the entrance of the store. The kids will especially like standing inside the “bubble” to get a birds-eye view of the rainbow trout swimming about the tank. Maybe you are into candles; than Yankee Candle is a definite must stop and you never know what special scents they have to offers like homemade sugar cookie and pumpkin spice. Teens will love Abercrombie & Fitch, the Gap, and and J.Crew. There are some great shoe stores like Clark’s and Bass as well as, J L Coombs. Need some luggage for that upcoming trip, than visit the American Tourister outlet. How about some new dishes? The Mikasa outlet is the perfect place to find some great buys. Are you hungry? There are some great restaurants to choose from like Jameson Tavern for casual dining, The Mediterranean Grill, Café Azure and China Rose to name a few. There are even places to stay in town from Bed & Breakfast accommodations to larger hotel chains like the Comfort Inn. Visitors and natives alike will find that Freeport is worth the trip!

Spring,Summer,Fall & Winter: The kids are running around, it’s raining outside and all of a sudden you need to find something to do! How about taking everyone bowling! Bowling is a great time and it’s not just for family, it’s a fun way to spend a night out with some friends as well. The Portland area offers a couple of bowling spots. If you like bowling the big balls you should check out Yankee Lanes. On weekend nights they offer “Rock n’ Bowl” where the black lights are turned on and the music is turned up. It’s a lot of fun and the kids really love it. In addition to having great bowling, Yankee Lanes has a snack bar, a video arcade, pool tables and entertainment like karaoke in the lounge area. There is a Yankee Lanes in Brunswick too so if you find yourself in the Mid-coast area be sure to check it out. If you are looking for candlepin bowling, which by the way is a New England thing only, you may want to head to Scarborough where you will find the Big 20 bowling alley. This is truly an original, the whole bowling center looks probably very similar as it did 40 plus years ago. There is a snack bar where you buy fries and hot dogs if you get a hankering. Westbrook offers two candlepin bowling alleys one is West-Port Bowling and the other is Colonial Lanes. Be advised that most of these bowling centers have leagues and there are times where the public is not allowed in so make sure you call ahead to find out lane availability. I also want to mention that the shoes, well they haven’t improved much in looks but, at both Yankee and Big 20 they were newer so don’t be alarmed!

Spring,Summer,Fall & Winter: Feel like a good laugh? If you are looking for a fun night out with friends you should check out Portland’s Comedy Connection. The Comedy Connection is located right next to the famous Porthole on Custom House Wharf in the Old Port. Bob Marley, one of Maine’s funniest comedians is a regular and his act is enough to keep you bent over and laughing hysterically for hours! The Comedy Connection also offers both local and national talent Thursday through Sunday. Show times vary so you will want to make sure you check their calendar of events. In addition, the place is somewhat small so you will need to make a reservation if you plan on attending with a group of friends. There is a bar so drinks are available and you do have to be at least 18 years old to even enter so keep that in mind. We went with a group of friends one Saturday night recently. Before the show, we enjoyed some drinks and appetizers at Ri Ra’s just down the street. Ri Ra’s is a lively Irish pub that offers good food, cold drinks and also has a great couch area that faces a roaring fire. We were all cozy on the couch chatting and looking forward to the show to come. Overall, it was a fun night and the show was worth our time. We all were laughing so hard that we promised to go back again soon.