Peaks Island is the most populous island in Casco Bay. It is part of the city of Portland and is approximately 5 km (3 mi) from downtown. The island became a popular summer destination in the late 19th century, when it was known as the Coney Island of Maine, home to hotels, cottages, theaters, and amusement parks.
Hollywood film director John Ford was known as “The Mayor of Peaks Island” because of his great affinity for the island. He vacationed there from boyhood through the early 1960s, worked as an usher at the Gem Theater and was a deckhand on the Casco Bay Lines ferries in his youth.
During World War II, the island was home to a large military defense installation, including the largest structure, Battery Steele, which housed two 16-inch (406 mm) guns. When Battery Steele’s guns were first tested, windows on the opposite side of the island shattered.
Today Peaks is a popular destination for vacationers and day trips from Portland via the ferries of the Casco Bay Lines. For a glimpse of the island and some of its attractions, you can view the short video below.
Voted one of the top 10 Great Streets in America for 2008, by the American Planning Association (APA), “Commercial Street stands out for its unique character, strong sense of place, and mixture of uses involving marine and fishing industries, tourism, retail trade, commercial offices, and residential housing.” The street “…blurs the distinctions among working waterfront, downtown Main Street, and historic tourist district. It is a place where moored fishing boats, lobster pots and fishing gear, and crying seagulls mix with downtown office employees going to work, residents living in dockside condominiums, and tourists visiting restaurants and boutique shops. It’s a dynamic yet precariously balanced amalgam crafted through years of debate and compromise.” For more on the APA’s review click here.
I live here, so it’s hard to maintain a detached perspective. The success of Commercial Street, the Old Port shopping district, and the cities reputation as one of the best cities for foodies in the northeast has made life in the warmer months seem a bit like living in DC, where I lived before returning to Maine. The difference is the exciting mix of sophistication and downeast authenticity, with it’s concomitant lack of pretense, makes this a wonderful and comfortable place to live, work, and vacation. All of this probably explains why Portland has been among the choicest ports of call for cruise lines. On the day I was filming the Queen Victoria (the newest of the Cunard liners) was in port. As you’ll see in the video below, she’s a great looking ship. For more on The Queen click here.
Looking for a great time in downtown Portland? Try the Farmer’s Market every Wednesday in Portland’s Monument Square. Great food, music, and just all-round good vibes.
• Time: Every Wednesday from 7:00 am to 2:00 pm. • Type of Market: Open air – operates rain or shine from mid-April through October. • Location: Monument Square – Downtown Portland, Maine.
The Portland Sidewalk Art Festival happens every year around the 3rd Saturday in August * It usually runs all day from around 9 am until 4 pm (Portland closes Congress Street, to all but pedestrian traffic and art stalls, from Monument Sq. to almost Longfellow Sq.), and includes about 300 Artists. This year they had about 40,000 visitors attend the event. It’s the oldest and largest one-day art festival in Northern New England – 2009 marks it’s 44th consecutive year. Four (4) cash prizes are awarded. Each participating artist may designate one work for consideration.
Many people spend hours at the show as a way to refresh the spirit. You can take a virtual tour in just over 7 minutes by viewing the video below.
* This year, the Sidewalk Art Festival was on the 4th Saturday because the month began on a Saturday.
There’s a local farmers’ market every Saturday morning in Portland’s Deering Oaks Park. It’s the second oldest out-door farmers’ market in the U.S – over 100 years of continuous operation. One can purchase wonderful vegetables and fruits, but oh, the flowers! That’s what makes the event so special in early spring – way before the local crops are for sale.
Each booth at the Farmers’ Market represents one farm in southern Maine. Many of the farmers maintain retail operations at their farms and plant traditional vegetable crops in addition to the flowers. It’s harvest time now, and WOW!- what a variety of fresh locally grown fruits and veggies!
• Day: Every Saturday morning 7:00 am to noon.
• Type of Market: Open air – operates rain or shine from mid-April through October.
• Location:Deering Oaks Park – on the west side of the Portland peninsula.
The Portland Press Herald ran a story a few days ago entitled, “What’s ahead for Portland’s working waterfront?” In that story the author states, “…for all intents and purposes, the groundfishing industry in Portland and throughout the state of Maine has died. It also means what’s left in waterfront assets that supported that industry is in jeopardy.” I hope that overstates the problem.
It would be a tragedy to lose what’s left of the working waterfront here in Portland. The video below will give you some idea why.
Maine Postcards & Voices is a blog of, and about, Maine.
My family has lived in, worked in, and been a part of the New England Destination Resort environment for over 50 years – I started at age 10. In 1956, our parents purchased the hotel next door to the cottage we had vacationed in on Martha’s Vineyard for the previous eight summers (the sellers included the cottage in the deal). The hotel had 36 rooms, full dining facilities, and a cocktail lounge. Twelve years later we left the Vineyard when my parents purchased Migis Lodge on Sebago Lake in South Casco, Maine. Since then, our family has been involved in either owning or managing five destination resort properties in Maine. As you might imagine, during this time we’ve met thousands of travelers vacationing in Maine, the State whose moniker is “Vacation Land”.
The purpose of this blog is to give those of you who are interested in Maine, whether you’re thinking of visiting, going to school in Maine, or just love the spectacular coastline (over 3500 miles long) and lakes of this State, a chance to see places and hear voices that those vacationing in the State rarely see or hear.
We’ll start with a short video clip of a favorite (out of the way) in-town Portland scene.