When I Move To Portland….

I’m going to run for City Council.   I’m going to run the concession stand at the high school football games.  I’m going to start a Neighborhood Watch.   I’m going to be all-in with this town.  Seriously Portland, you had me at hello.

I expected to like Portland before I got there.  On the drive up we got off the highway to cruise through Old Orchard Beach.  I hadn’t been there since I was 12 years old but as soon as I drove into town I remembered the street where my mother bought a Ginsu knife from a street vendor.  They meant it when they said those things were guaranteed for life…I still have that knife and use it daily.  Not kidding.

From there we headed up Route 1 to the Portland Head Light, called the most photographed lighthouse in the world.  Let that soak in.  THE WORLD.   How can they tell?  I don’t know but I believe Them.  It was pretty and I liked taking pictures of it.

A bit further north on Route 1 we drove into downtown Portland, which reminds me either of a larger Salem MA, or a smaller Boston.   They seem to love pretty signage as much as I do.

I’ve always been pretty smug about Providence’s status as a foodie city but man, Portland has them beat.  These people are obsessed (in a good way) with eating local.  We had a fab dinner at Caiola’s in the West End, awesome brunch at East Ender (fried-chicken-and-waffles-with-maple-sour-cream-awesome!) and visited two breweries, Shipyard and Rising Tide.   They had a wonderful farmer’s market but I didn’t get anything since I didn’t have a fridge and a kitchen.

The only downer was the heat & humidity – after a temperate summer, we had a couple of days of brutal heat & humidity that coincided with my visit.  I still loved it, but I’d like to get back here in boots & sweater weather.