Portland, Maine
This vibrant coastal town offered such a fun place to shoot and experience. The funky little New England town was full of lobster rolls, lighthouses, and weird little dive bars. The landscapes in Northern Maine are beautiful with established greenery, overcast beaches, and many lighthouses to guide the never ending stream of boats rolling in. A visit to see my cousin included lots of laughs, amazing food, and exploring a new state.
This unique town is a great place to visit in shoulder season. You’ll still have comfortable weather, there will be a *little* less crowds, and you’ll still enjoy the beauty of this place. My cousin and I made it a day heading up to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens which is famous for their woodland trolls.
These gardens are beautiful and it’s a fun little scavenger hunt to find the different trolls and to see what position they’ve been laid out into. There are trails that walk along the water, others that wind into the forest, and more that line their endless flowers, fountains, and greenhouses. If you’re a nature person, this is not to be missed. Our troll searching morning was followed with a stop at the famous L.L. Bean campus, with a giant boot statue and all.
Birk, a Woodland Troll at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. He is the wisest and most mysterious of the trolls.
Roskva is the first troll you’ll find at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens and “stands for the trunks”.
Søren, another troll at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens.
My favorite image from the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
We spent the week eating lobster rolls and checking out the lighthouses. There are many popular ones, from the Portland Head Light, to the little old Bug Light. And of course some of the best lobster rolls are the ones from the tiny little food trucks or hole in the wall shacks across town. I would have ate these all week if I could have, but my wallet would never have forgiven me. I’m curious though, would you prefer a Connecticut or Maine style lobster roll? At one point during the week my cousin and I each decided to get the style we don’t normally choose. We each took one bite of it, laughed, and said just kidding we like the other style and then switched with each other. At least we tried, right?
The Portland Head Lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse in all of Maine, having been built in 1791.
The Portland Head
The Portland Head
A sailboat along the rocky coast of Maine
A fun few hours from Portland is Peaks Island, where you can take an easy 30 min ferry ride. This cute little island is a great place to rent a bike, and see the lush new England style homes. My favorite part of this island were some of the tree stump statues, the little libraries, and the trust folks would have setting out little handicrafts to sell from their front lawns, unattended.
Whether you’ll be checking out cool coffee shops, little dive bars, eating lobster rolls or chasing lighthouses there are endless things about Maine you can enjoy. It’s worth taking some time to explore. Whether you’re a photographer or not, you’ll have something to enjoy.