Summer: Maine has its share of amusement parks but, unlike the larger parks like Six Flags and Disney they have a more nostalgic feel like the lost days of Coney Island. Most of the parks are located in the southern half of the state and you will find on any given summer day they are one of the more popular places to be. If you are looking for water entertainment than you may want to check out Aquaboggin Water Park which offers visitors plenty of thrills with a wide variety of waterslides. There is a great wave pool that you can float on tubes in and enjoy the sunshine. If you are looking for rides for the family to enjoy you will want to go down the street to Funtown Splashtown. At Funtown you will find a combination of children and adult rides such as the flying airplanes, bumper cars, antique cars to the Excalibur which is the largest rollercoaster in Maine. There is a great 18 hole miniature golf course that the whole family will love. The best part of Funtown is if you get hot and want to cool off than Splashtown is right there. There is the Portland Pirates Paradise which geared toward the younger children and the recently added Vortex and Mammoth, which are high thrill waterslides for the older crowd. The park is clean and has a “hometown” feel to it which makes it the perfect place to take the kids or spend some time with friends acting like kids for the day. Old Orchard Beach offers Palace Playland which definitely has a nostalgic feel to it with the long pier overlooking the Atlantic and the smell of hot fries and pizza. There are rides and games where you can win that giant pink panda that you always wanted! Visitors from all over come to enjoy the amusement park and beach that Old Orchard has to offer.
Tag: Summer
Bowling: Big Ball or Candlepin, Spare Some Time!
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!
Jet Skiing: Explore The Songo Locks On Sebago Lake
Summer: Maine has plenty of lakes to head out on and enjoy some jet skiing. With all the waterways it may be hard to choose from but, one place in the southern part of the state is Sebago Lake. With so much open water, Sebago Lake offers some fun places and makes a day of jet skiing on the lake a fun adventure for all. The Songo Locks is a fun place to cruise through; there are plenty of things to see along the way. This passageway connects beautiful Sebago Lake with Brandy Pond. It a winding pathway through some what feels like the “woods”. You have to take it slow through the Locks but, you will be able to enjoy some of the wildlife along the way. At the mouth of the locks you will see the tail end of Sebago Lake State Park Beach. It almost looks like there is a sandbar in the middle of the lakes. This is a popular place for boaters to gather before and after heading through the Songo Locks. If you don’t have your own jet ski and you think this sounds like a good time, you are in luck. Long Beach Marina on Sebago rents them by the hour or day. The jet ski rentals come with all you need to have a blast exploring the lake. Sebago Lake is only 30 minutes from Portland so it’s a great place to spend a day and a fun activity if you are trying to think of something new to do.
Comedy Connection: Laugh Out Loud!
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.
Concerts: Portland Free Summer Concerts Series
Summer: If you are a music lover and are looking for great concerts to enjoy free of charge in the Portland area, there are plenty to choose from over the summer months. A very popular one with the adult contemporary crowd is the Alive At Five series which runs throughout July and August in downtown Portland. This weekly concert series has been offering folks a great mix of musical talent for several years now and has become very popular with the happy hour crowd just getting out of work and looking for something fun to do. The concert is held in Monument Square and you will find a different genre weekly from folk, reggae, pop/rock to even specialty mixes like a New Orleans brass funk band. Another great concert series to check out this summer in Portland is Tuesday night concerts at Deering Oaks Park Bandstand. The venue is open in the park and it draws a large crowd who bring blankets and lawn chairs to enjoy the music. On Wednesday nights you can enjoy the Sunset Folk Series held at the Western Prom Park. The music is a mix of contemporary and Americana folk and runs every Wednesday during July and August. If you find yourself in Freeport be sure to check out the is LL Bean’s concert in the park series. This concert series actually runs from June to August and brings in some big name singers. The concert is held at LL Beans Discovery Park and draws a very large crowd so plan on going early to land a good spot. This is the type of venue where lawn chairs and blankets are perfect. While you are in Freeport you could stop in at Gritty’s and enjoy the deck and a few cocktails before the show begins. The LL Bean concert series is a fun time and there is a good variety of shows that also include family oriented musicians if you are looking for things to do with kids. A little further down the coast, Wells offers their own summer concert series at the Wells Community Harbor Park. The time of year is fast approaching for outdoor summer concert series and there are several towns along the southern coast such as Wells, Kennebunk and Kittery that all have their own programs and schedules. You can usually find information regarding show times and musicians on the town’s web page or by contacting that town’s Chamber of Commerce. So grab your friends and enjoy the music, it’s free and it’s a great place to be this summer!