Tucked away in the Northeast,
Hidden within the crashing waves,
Rocky shores,
And the fragrant pine trees.
This city is often out of sight
And out of mind
Despite being quite the gem!
Hello and Welcome tp Travel Overlooked!
Where we inform you of the most overlooked travel destinations,
As well as a different perspective of the most visited areas of the world!
In today's video, we'll be talking about, none other than, Portland, Maine!
Located within Casco bay
Roughly a 110 miles northeast of Boston,
Its fantastic harbor is nearer to Europe than any other transatlantic port in the United States.
Situated on a peninsula 3 miles long
And 1 mile wide
As well as another peninsula beneath it.
Portland truly makes a superb spot
for fishing,
commerce,
and even a strategic point for battle!
Portland was first settled by the English in 1632
as a permanent fishing and trading village,
at the time it was called Casco village.
A couple decades afterwards,
Maine was taken over by the Massachusetts Bay Colony
and was absorbed into 1 large state with Massachusetts.
Casco village was promptly named Falmouth in honor of the city Falmouth, England.
Falmouth experienced numerous attacks from the local native tribes
in 1675 and in 1690,
the natives combined their efforts with the French and completely decimated the village
which caused it to be deserted for over 10 years till it was rebuilt again.
The city became bombarded with attacks by the Royal Fleet during the revolutionary war of 1775,
leaving 3 quarters of the town reduced to rubble.
Falmouth once again emerged from the ashes
and constructed a lighthouse to warn of any incoming attacks.
In the years afterward, one particular area,
that was nicknamed, “The Neck of Falmouth”
rapidly developed into commerce port and shopping district.
This event lead the region into officially being named as Portland!
Maine separated from Massachusetts and became it’s own state,
thus promptly announcing Portland as their capitol!
During an Independence Day celebration in 1866,
A great fire irrupted which spread throughout the entire city at a fierce rate.
This fire annihilated more than half the city
leaving more than 10 thousand people homeless.
The residents, with resolve in their hearts,
Made note of the event and, with determination,
Rebuilt the city entirely with brick structures.
Many famous architects arrived to assist the city with their efforts
And helped designed most of the architecture in Portland
Meanwhile giving the structures a bit of a Victorian touch that you can still bare witness to this day.
Due to their awe-inspiring designs
Many of these buildings entered the “National Register of Historic Places.”
In recent years, Portland is experiencing a building boom just like the past!
Portland has become home to many local eateries and small businesses
Mostly due to the ever-growing “Maine college of Art.”
The Maine college of Art has been the driving force for Portland since the mid-90s,
bringing in students nation wide to this homely coast!
Portland is home to some of the most refreshing attractions on the East Coast.
You can do a large range of activities,
from enjoying the crisp ocean breeze,
climbing to the top of a lighthouse,
experiencing vintage architecture,
and enjoying the many local stores within the downtown.
Portland Headlight is by far one of the most famous
and photographed Lighthouses in all of America!
This light house is located between South Portland and Cape Elizabeth
on top of a head of land next entrance to the primary shipping channel to Portland,
this lighthouse holds a ton of historic value for the US!
Portland Headlight was built eagerly and so sturdily
by it’s highly dedicated citizens
that it’s still standing proud to this day!
In present time, the light house is maintained by the US Coast Guard
and has a dedicated museum right beside it.
If you wish to view a homely piece of old-world charm
then visit none other than, “Victoria Mansion.”
This masterpiece of 19th century was actually intended to be the summer home of 2 people,
Ruggles Sylvester Morse and his wife Olive.
The couple was born and raised in Maine but operated luxury hotels in New Orleans.
They loved Maine so much that they decided to build a grand summer home to visit every year.
This mansion is now operated as a museum
and exhibited as one of the finest specimens of Italian-villa styled mansions of America!
If you wish to see how the locals travel about each island that surrounds Portland
then check out the Casco Bay Lines!
The Casco Bay Lines is considered the lifeline for the inhabitants of each and every island,
this mode of transportation is done entirely on large cruise-like ships
that transport more than a million people each and every year.
Although this is just a simple mode of transportation for the locals,
but for us travelers,
it showcases some of the most euphoric views of oceanic landscapes.
After exploring all of the attractions that Portland has to offer
be sure to waltz on over to the Downtown district!
Downtown, Portland features many pieces of art throughout the district
as well as many superb restaurants!
Ah, now who can forget Maine’s famous lobsters!
Maine is home to some of the best lobster in all of North America,
as well as some of the freshest seafood in the north east!
Maine is such a fanatic for Lobsters that it’s the only state in the U.S.
to serve lobster rolls in their McDonalds!
Highroller Lobster is famous for the special way they make their iconic Lobster Rolls.
They carefully toast and smother their locally sourced Brioche buns
with Lobster infused clarified butter.
They then top the buns with lettuce,
lobster and their famous mayo sauces.
They have many types of mayo flavors to top your rolls with,
such as mayo infused jalapenos,
roasted red pepper or even grilled pineapple!
They’re menu also consists of burgers that are considered to be the best in town
and much more!
Looking for a nice sweet snack after all those Lobster rolls?
Than check out, “The Holy Donut” for a unique take on donuts.
Their donuts have a very special, secret ingredient that gives the donuts their extra fluffiness
local potatoes!
Surprisingly you can’t get a single hint of potatoey taste in the donut!
They have a wide variety of flavors that you won’t be able to find in your local donut shop!
If you’re looking for something truly unique to the Portland region
then look no further than, “DuckFat.”
DuckFat is a famous for their hand cut Belguim French fries
that are fried in Duck Fat, hence peculiar name choice.
They serve several sauces for your fries which are Truffle Ketchup,
HorseRadish mayo,
curry mayo
and much more.
They’re also very famous for their Poutine,
Paninis
and milkshake made with vanilla gelato and fresh vanilla beans.
Portland has such an abundance of mouthwatering food
that it could seriously be considered a Foodie’s Paradise!
Portland is one of the most beautiful cities in the Northeast with its scenic beauty,
lively attractions,
and amazing food!
It’s often confused for a different Portland that’s in Oregon
that is equally just as eye-catching as the one in Maine.
Everyone deserves to know about the one in Maine
as well as all it’s outstanding features.
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