Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Portland, Maine


Portland is the central city in Maine, and is the focus point for almost all cultural and economic happenings. It is on the coast of the Atlantic close to the southern part. Tourists are usually drawn to the Portland Harbor, the Old Port, and the nearby Portland Head Light. This medium sized city has been recognized from many reputable sources for beng one of the best places to do business.


When coming upon the city, most people want to take a tour of the town and the nearby harbor. When touring the city by bus you will be able to see the historic homes sprinkeled around. Most of the older places in the city were destroyed in a fire that spread in 1866. This fire happened when fireworks were not kept in control for the Fourth of July celebration leaving over 10,000 people homeless. So from the remaining homes, many are listed as historic buildings and are protected by the state. These homes are beautiful and are constantly being renovated so as to make them look good as new.


So besides just seeing the historic homes, one of the most historic lighthouses is nearby. This is the Portland Head Light and is the most photographed lighthouse in the world. The scenery is gorgeous, and you could linger around the building for hours. When I was there this summer, there were tons of people around, included an entire tour bus of Buddhist monks. As you can see in pictures, the building is right of the coast, and shows a tremendous view of the harbor.


Speaking of the harbor, what a great place to tour around by boat. There are tons of small islands right off the coast just waiting to be explored. Besides all of the islands, you can also see all of the crab fisherman on their boats working hard. Most of the boats are the traditional crabbing boats, and are really interesting to just sit and watch. Overall, I was very pleasantly surprised with what I found in this city, and would really recommend it to anybody.

2 comments:

  1. Neither of your photos are of Portland. The top one is Boston, and the other is South Portland, which is a separate town.

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  2. I was interested to read your article about Maine, I have always loved the east coast. I usually am more of a southern east coast person, however, the north has much history and great scenery. It also is home to some good fish.

    Some of the building style on the east coast too is pretty sweet. The lighthouse is definitely a nice historic piece that contributes to the beauty of the landscape and provides a chapter in the book of history,

    Not only is the landscaping pretty sweet, but so is the harbor. Boats of all shapes and sizes are there. It is interesting to look at all of them from past and present

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