Summer, Winter, Spring, Fall:Portland is Maine’s place for a sensible bar scene or a rowdy night out. The multi-faceted downtown area is full of restaurants, pubs, bars, and clubs, certain for a night to remember (or forget)! With over 40 clubs and pubs, this city can handle a party. If you’re looking for a wild night of drinking, dancing, and mingling check out the Asylum, Big Easy Blues Club, Blackstones and Bull Feeney. Want to have a few with pals, Dogfish Bar and Grille, Gritty McDuff’s and Breakaway Restaurant and Lounge are the places to be. There’s plenty more… Whether you’re a Mainer kickin’ back, or a visitor looking for the best place to get rowdy, you can find it in Portland.
Tag: Spring
Learn To Fly Fish
Spring, Summer, Fall: Fly Fishing has long been a favorite pastime in Maine, and much of the allure of the sport is due to its mystique. If you’ve ever watched a experienced flyfisherman cast, it can be an almost hypnotic experience as the line is being “false casted” back and forth. So why complicate fishing by waving the rod around and so on? Well, many trout and salmon species feed primarily on small insects. These insect imitations or “flies” need to be presented delicately on the water, and this is best acheived with a fly rod. While it does take a lifetime to become an expert caster and fisherman, it is surprising easy to learn some basic casts, with good instruction of course. Maine’s rich sporting heritage provides plenty of opportunity for those looking to develop their fly fishing skills. Good instruction is the best way to get started in fly casting, and there are scores of reputable Guides and Instructors who will get you started off on the right foot. One good place to learn is through the Outdoor Discovery Schools run by L.L.Bean in Freeport, Maine. They have outfitting folks for outdor adventures for a long time, and their School is designed to teach you the basic skills, so you can enjoy the woods and waters of Maine on your own.
Gritty McDuff’s: Toss One Back At One Of Portland’s Best Brewery And Pub
Spring, Summer, Winter, Fall: While in Portland, head on over to Fore Street in the Old Port and enjoy some Black Fly Stout or Portland Headlight Pale Ale at the original Gritty McDuff’s. When Grittty’s opened its doors in 1988 it was the first brewpub in Maine dating back to the days of prohibition. Gritty’s has since been at the forefront of the microbrewery business throughout Maine and has learned to craft some very tasty beers a long the way. A diverse dining menu offers everything from barbeque and burgers to seafood entrees and shepherd’s pie. Gritty’s brewpubs can also be found in Freeport, Maine and most recently in the revitalized waterfront area in Lewiston and Auburn, Maine along the banks of the Androscoggin River.
The Desert of Maine: Come See Maine’s Very Own Desert
Spring, Summer, Fall: Sure you’ve skied, hiked, and fished through Maine, but have you been to the desert yet? Yes, that’s right the Desert of Maine. It is just a short drive from Portland and right outside Freeport off Route 295. Formed at the end of the last ice age by a melting glacier, this 40 acre sand dune became realized after severe soil erosion from poor farming exposed it. A 200 year old barn is all that remains of the Tuttle farm that once stood on top of the sand. Today, the barn is a farming museum exhibiting antique Maine farming tools and sand paintings. Geology lovers will enjoy exploring the mineral rich sand. You can hike a trail that runs alongside the sand, you can take a guided safari tour through the desert, or you can explore this vast desert of Maine on your own.
Bradbury Mountain State Park: Where The Eagle Circles The Sky
Spring, Summer, Winter, Fall: Bradbury Mountain State Park is open to visitors year round and offers adventures for every season. One of the best times to hike the park and short summit is in the fall, when the leaves are changing, and all the migrating birds show up. Bird watching enthusiasts can hike the short summit of Bradbury Mountain and check out all the migrating eagles, hawks, ospreys and other species as they soar through the sky riding the thermals. Bradbury Mountain State Park is one of the lone parks in southern Maine to have “shared use” trails. The trails can be used by mountain bikers, horseback riders, and even snowmobilers. Take the family on a great bike ride in the summertime or gear up when the weather turns colder and rent snowmobiles or snow shoes to explore the park. Campsites are available if you’d like to make it a weekend getaway. On a clear day at Bradbury Mountain, you can even see the ocean off in the distance.