Solo Trip to Portland, Maine — Part One
At the end of July 2022, I went on a solo trip to Portland, Maine. I am on a quest to visit all 50 states of the United States, and I had never been to Maine, so I figured it was time to visit it! I decided to not rent a car since I was going on my own. If I was going with my husband, I would have looked into renting a car and driving up to Acadia National Park. It would be a 3 hour drive from Portland to Acadia, and I didn’t want to do a 6 hour round trip on my own.
On a Friday, I flew from Indianapolis to New York City’s La Guardia airport and then on to Portland, Maine. I booked a hotel that was near an area that held outdoor concerts in the summer. Thankfully the weather was good, so I walked over to this area, purchased some food from a local food truck, and sat and listened to some local musicians. I also got some free ice cream and a free ice cream scooper from one of the trucks!
On Saturday morning, I walked to the International Cryptozoology Museum, which was just a short walk from my hotel. I learned more about the supposed creatures of the Yeti, Bigfoot, Sasquatch, Loch Ness Monster, and more! If you didn’t know already, cryptozoology is the study of hidden or unknown animals. How can you study animals that you do not know about? I found it to be interesting, and since it is the only museum in the world of its kind, I wanted to check it out! I was not converted, and I do not believe any of these animals actually exist! But it was fun to see the ‘photos’ of these animals and read their stories.
I then ate lunch and took an Uber to the Portland Head Light, which is an iconic lighthouse in Maine. I believe it is the lighthouse that is used in the commercials and advertising for the Red Lobster restaurant. It is a really pretty lighthouse, and it was really cheap (only $2!) to get a ticket to go inside to see some exhibits on the lighthouse’s history. I enjoyed how it was used (actually it wasn’t used, and it wasn’t turned on!) during a war (I forget which war) so that enemy ships could crash into the shoreline. The Portland Head Light is in the middle of Fort Williams Park, so I walked around the park enjoying the views of the Atlantic Ocean. I even saw the ruins of the Goddard Mansion from a distance and walked around Battery Keyes, which happens to be an abandoned coastal gun battery named after a Civil War general.
Next, I took an Uber to Willard Beach where I walked along the beach and collected a few seashells. I walked all the way from the beach to Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse and Fort Preble where I stumbled upon a wedding reception. I made sure to not ruin any wedding photos and took another Uber to my hotel.
Stay tuned for part two of my Portland, Maine adventure!
