While in Boston, Inna and I decided to visit a few famous, nearby destinations in New England. In many tourist guides, Newport, Rhode Island, showed up in the top 10. With that in mind, Inna made hotel reservations in Newport, Rhode Island, and I reserved an Infiniti QX50 car on Turo.
However, on Friday, May 6 - the day we expected to drive to Newport - I checked the weather forecast and was alarmed by a continuous rain prognosis for Friday and Saturday. It seemed foolish to go 100 miles south to Newport only to be stuck in the hotel due to rain. We decided to cancel our trip to Newport (and reschedule for another weekend). Instead, we focused on another destination - Portland, Maine - with much better weather.
Inna found a deal at the Portland Harbor Hotel in downtown Portland, Maine, and booked two nights. At around 19:15., Tony arrived in the Infiniti QX50 hybrid (Turo), and we started the 100+ mile drive north to Portland.
I needed time to get used to the quirky controls of the QX50. Although I owned a 2004 Infinity G35, the QX50 felt quite different. It had a much newer user interface with a full touchscreen for entering addresses. In addition, I did not need to start the engine explicitly - it operated on electric power, and the gasoline engine kicked in whenever necessary.
The way out of Boston was confusing, and I made many wrong turns. Eventually, once out of Boston, the highway (US-1/US-95) was straight. I did encounter a few tools in both Maine and New Hampshire.
We arrived in Portland around 21:25. I parked directly at the Solo Italian Restaurant, where Inna made dinner reservations. After sitting down, we looked at the menu and ordered the following items:
- Alex: Bucatini Pasta, Gonfietti
- Boris: Octopus Salad, Asparagus Salad
- Inna: Bucatini Pasta
- Dessert: Colomba con Gelato
The Octopus Salad and the Asparagus Salad were so delicious! The Bucatini Pasta was exceptional, too.
We enjoyed all of our dishes! However, the portions were small, and Alex was still hungry after dinner.
We drove to our
Portland Harbor Hotel, where I dropped off the car at the valet, unpacked our backpacks, and went to bed.
Saturday, May 7, 2022
I woke at 7:30 in the morning, brushed my teeth, showered, and dressed. Inna and Alex were still sleeping but slowly woke up at around 9:00.
We ate breakfast nearby and selected the
Salt Yard Cafe & Bar at the Canopy by Hilton Waterfront Hotel.
We walked over, sat down, and then ordered the following breakfast items on the counter:
- Alex: Avocado Toast (Smashed Avocado, Chipotle Mushrooms,
Arugula, Sunny Side Egg)
- Inna: Avocado Toast (Smashed Avocado, Chipotle Mushrooms,
Arugula, Sunny Side Egg)
- Boris: Lemon Berry (Greek Yogurt, Lemon Curd, Fresh Berries
Basil, Candied Pistachios)
I really enjoyed my Lemon Berry yogurt, though it was a bit too sweet for my liking. Inna and Alex also enjoyed their Avocado Toast.
After breakfast, we walked over to the
Victoria Mansion, but tickets were sold out (Next time, order tickets online!). We decided to order the 10:10 showing on the next day (Sunday). We returned to our hotel and picked up our Infiniti QX50 for the drive to see some of the most famous lighthouses.
Our first stop was the On the Rocks with Two Lights lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth. It was perched atop a hill with a nice overlook over the Atlantic Ocean.
We briefly stopped by
The Lobster Shack at Two Lights but decided against eating lunch as we were not hungry yet.
Our next stop was the famous Portland Head Light. After taking a few photos of this beautiful lighthouse, we strolled north along the trail toward Battery Keyes (near Ship Cove) and Goddard Mansion.
We climbed the remains of Battery Keyes (a gun emplacement used during the Civil War and World War 2).
There was a beautiful overlook over Danforth Cove. Climbing down from Battery Erasmus Keyes, we briefly explored the run-down remains of the Goddard Mansion. Seeing such a beautiful home without a roof falling apart was a shame. I could see that the original stonework was beautiful.
Since Innad was hungry, we returned to our hotel and ate dinner at
The Highroller Lobster Co. on 104 Exchange Street. When we arrived, we were added to the waiting list (about 30 minutes). We decided to enjoy tea or coffee at a nearby coffee shop to pass the time. At first, we stopped by
Bard Coffee, but it was only open to takeout. Then, we tried
Dobra Tea, but it was closed. Finally, we stopped by
Arabica Coffee Company, and it was empty. I ordered a
Matcha, while Alex and Inna selected large
London Fogs. I really liked my green
Matcha. We sat on the couch, and I enjoyed paging through the Maine Furnishings magazine on the coffee table while sipping on my delicious
Matcha.
When Inna finally received a text message that our table was ready, we returned to The Highroller Lobster Co. We sat at our table and looked over the menu.
The waitress explained that we needed to order at the cash register when ready. We selected the following items:
- Alex: Lobster Roll
- Inna: Lobster Roll
- Boris: Caesar Salad, Aha, Blueberry + Pomegranate
My Ceasar Salad was vast and delicious. I really liked it a lot. Inna and Alex wanted their Lobster Rolls. I tried Inna's roll and came away unimpressed. In general, I prefer the taste of shrimp to lobster.
After dinner, we returned to our
Portland Harbor Hotel and decided to explore a few more lighthouses. I picked up the Infiniti QX50 from the valet, drove to
Bug Light Park, and explored the unique lighthouse there. We saw a few Portland-Peaks ferries crossing the channel and many small dinghies racing against each other). As Inna was getting tired, we returned to the hotel, and Inna rested.
Alex and I decided to explore the Eastern Promenade and drove there, parking on Cutter Street. We walked over to the East End Boat launch and continued toward Portland Water District's East End Treatment plant.
The walk with Alex was pleasant, and we encountered many bicyclists on the path. After the walk, we drove back to our
Portland Harbor Hotel and hung out in the lobby with Inna for some time.
For dinner, Inna made reservations at
Solo, and we were delighted to eat dinner there (again) at 8:30. After a short walk from our hotel, we walked over to
Solo.
We were promptly seated and offered menus. The service at Solo was always speedy, courteous, and friendly. After reviewing the menu, we ordered the following items:
- Appetizers:
- La Donna Scala (Sourdough Pizza with imported smoked
mozzarella, broccoli rabe, and summer truffles)
- Insalata di Asparagi (Shaved asparagus, endive, fennel, baby
arugula, marjoram, preserved lemon sheep's
milk ricotta, and white balsamic vinaigrette)
- Alex: Elk (9 oz) with potatoes
- Boris & Inna: Lasagna (with Lobster)
- Dessert: Tiramisu, Sfera
The Donna Scala Focaccia and the Asparagus Salad appetizers were immediately brought out, but the Elk and Lasagna took a long time.
However, Solo offered us a free dessert - Tiramisu - to compensate for our long wait.
We really enjoyed our time there, and the Lasagna, Asparagus Salad, and Donna Scala were as delicious as anything in Italy. Bravissimo!
Sunday, May 8, 2022
Happy Mother's Day!
Since we were running out of attractions to see in Portland, we decided to return earlier to Boston, stopping first at Portsmouth, New Hampshire (to see the beautiful Prescott Park) and then at deCordova Park and Museum near Boston. I also wanted to stop by Walden Pond and visit Henry David Thoreau's cabin nearby.
In the morning, after waking up, we dressed and packed our clothes in our backpacks. We decided to try eating at the
Gross Bakery nearby. It was in this underground building, and a long line of people was waiting at 09:00. I queued up while Inna found us a table.
We ordered breakfast biscuits and a few pastries (Financier for Alex). The breakfast biscuits were giant, and I was pretty full after eating mine.
After breakfast, we rushed back to our hotel to use the restroom and get ready to visit the
Victoria Mansion (for which we purchased tickets for the 10:10 tour).
We quickly walked to the
Victoria Mansion, checked in, donned our face masks (Covid Theater is still in play), and waited for our tour guide. At 10:10, he showed up and told us about the long history of the brownstone building, dubbed the Victoria Mansion.
This stately brownstone Italianate villa was completed in 1860 as a summer home for hotelier Ruggles Sylvester Morse.[2] Morse had left Maine to make his fortune in hotels in New York, Boston and New Orleans.[5] The house was designed by the New Haven architect Henry Austin.[1] Its distinctive asymmetric form includes a four-story tower, overhanging eaves, verandas, and ornate windows. The frescoes and trompe-l'œil wall decorations were created by the artist and decorator Giuseppe Guidicini.
The building is recognized as one of the finest, and least-altered examples of a large Italianate brick/brownstone home in the United States. Gustave Herter created the interiors in a range of styles, and this house is his earliest known and only intact commission. Due to donations by the Libby family, 97 percent of the original contents survive, including Herter furniture, elaborate wall paintings, artworks, carpets, gas lighting fixtures, stained glass, porcelain, silver, and glassware.
We enjoyed the mansion tour, and I was amazed at the opulence of its rooms. It felt more like a Viennese Palace than a summer home.
After we finished the tour, we returned to our
Portland Harbor Hotel, packed, and picked up our Infiniti QX50, starting the drive back to Boston with our first stop at
Portsmouth. The drive was pleasant, taking me about one hour (though I am not a fan of the tolls).
Portland Trip Report
Highlights
- Eating dinner at Solo Italian Restaurant, the best restaurant we have eaten at in all of New England (including Boston)
- Touring the Victoria Mansion
- Visiting some other iconic lighthouses in the area
Lowlights
- The long 2-hour drive back to Boston was tiring.
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