At the top of my travel wish list was exploring Maine during the summer, and it feels so good to say that I scratched it off my list! Visiting Maine was also visiting my 20th state in the US, and I could not help but smile at the drive into Portland during sunset. Seeing the landscape, driving along the water, trying to sneak a peek at a concert along the shore. I got to see all of these sights during the 30-minute drive to our campground in Freeport, Maine. I was very excited to start exploring the next day.
Our day started at Fort Williams Park to see the famous Portland Lighthouse. It was part of a large, beautiful park with spaces to explore and relax. You could walk along the coastal shore, hang out by the lighthouse to enjoy the view, and that day join a dance party in the park. We were not eager to leave the park and decided to have an early lunch at one of the food trucks. We decided to try the Bite into Maine Food Truck and ordered a lobster roll with sodas. I had never had a lobster roll before and was delightfully surprised that I enjoyed it. I topped it off with a Maine Root blueberry soda and immediately was obsessed. I tried to find and drink that soda every time we stopped to eat somewhere in Maine.
We left Fort Williams Park to head into downtown Portland to visit the popular restaurant, Duck Fat. They are known for their hand-cut Belgian fries, and we each ordered their large fries with two dipping sauces: Truffle ketchup and Thai chili mayo. There was a three-hour wait for a table, so we placed an order to go. The fries were so good, especially when dipped in the sauces, and we just ate them on the sidewalk next to the restaurant. They were that good!
We started walking and exploring the downtown area and even took a Duck Tour of the city. It was an easy way to get a quick overview of the city’s history.
Our day in Portland ended by grabbing dinner at Green Elephant, a vegetarian Bistro recommended by an old co-worker. I ordered the Panang Curry Vegetable with Tempeh, realized that I did not enjoy Tempeh that much, but still enjoyed the curry vegetables with the rice. Portland was previously named one of the best food cities in the US and once even had the most restaurants per capita. It should not be such a shock that I had great food while visiting. I would love to go back to eat at more restaurants and enjoy the Maine root blueberry soda!