Local Art: Portland art galleries mix media to portray the reality and splendor of Portland through paintings and photography. The Domaine Gallery offers fine-art photography, prints about the state’s geography, and jewellery hand-made by artisans. The Fore Street Gallery focuses more on watercolours, oil paintings, and specializes on regional artists. Work also ranges from students to professional. If you decide to take home a painting that suits your style, be sure to pack carefully for your return Portland flight. At the Institute of Contemporary Art, progressive students from the Maine College of Art (MECA) display their work, while in the Portland Museum of Art; American pros like Winslow Homer and Edward Hopper fill the walls. The PMA also gets recognized especially for its temporary exhibits.
Wadsworth-Longfellow House: You’ll see plenty of old, brick homes with lavish gardens and detailed rooftops, but one claims the spotlight more than others: the Henry Wadsworth-Longfellow House. The brick Wadsworth-Longfellow farmhouse sits in the middle of an expansive garden, and is built in the 1788 federal style. The builder, General Peleg Wadsworth, was a hero in the Revolutionary War, and a grandfather to poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The two lived in the house together, and it remains one of New England’s more famous architectural artifacts. Reopened in 2002, the home is part of the Maine Historic Society and is open year-round for travellers.
Harbour side: A mile in length, the Harbour side begins at Casco Bay Lines ferry terminal (at the corner of Commercial and Franklin Streets). For fitness freaks booking flights to Portland, paved paths allow convenient room for walking, running, and biking with views of the islands. With a 68-acre hillside span of greenery that extends to the water, the Harbour side is your perfect outdoor daytime destination to get the best of the land and the sea.
Portland Sea Dogs: Take in America’s pastime after your flight to Portland lands. The Portland Sea Dogs are a Double A baseball team, affiliated with the World Series Champion Boston Red Sox. Spend an afternoon at the Sea Dogs game for a perfect summertime activity. Park your family on one of Hadlock Field’s aluminum benches, grab some game-time grub, and watch as young hopefuls swing their way toward the pros. Pro-players including Josh Beckett, Brad Penny, Alex Gonzalez, and Kevin Millar played for the Portland Sea Dogs – pay close attention to the guys on the field, they might the next big baseball stars.