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 because of the 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 Infiniti 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 tolls 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 at
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 the
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 lunch since 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 Civil War-era gun emplacement used
during 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, fall 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
for 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 Caesar 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 the 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 brought out immediately, 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 to Boston earlier, stopping first in 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 nearby
Gross Bakery. 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 (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, then started the drive back to
Boston, with our first stop in
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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