Portland, ME
10/19/2012 - United States, Portland, ME
Maine
Flying into Portland, I immediately got that aura of being in a Stephen King novel, all dreary and gloomy, yet exciting…everything I could have imagined…
I found the Inn By The Sea online. It’s located just south of Portland in a little town called Cape Elizabeth and listed among the top 100 hotels in the world.
The drive to the Inn by the Sea takes you through quaint little Maine neighborhoods, but when you pull up to the inn, you’re transported right back to the eerie Stephen King setting.
This Inn is anything but scary….
It’s filled with charm from the moment you walk in the door with the bar with the fireplace and a beautiful restaurant.
On the walk to our suite, we took in the magnificence of the Atlantic Ocean. The hotel has a private walk down to its private beach where you can watch tons of boats anchored out fishing for the day.
With a lighthouse in the distance, the view is everything you dreamed Maine to be…
Our suite had a kitchen, dining room, and living room with a fireplace. A short hallway led to the bathroom and bedroom, both spacious and recently renovated…
My husband and I agreed that we could easily stay at this inn to write for a whole season and be perfectly happy, only coming out for walks on the beach or in the snow.
It is THE quintessential Maine inn. It is pricey but it’s a must see!!!
Our first stop after the Inn was to The Lobster Shack at Two Lights.
We first learned about the little gem courtesy of Adam Richman and Man vs. Food. I’m a personal trainer (NASM) and supposed to be against “eating for sport”, but I get fascinated at all the different places he goes so I keep watching it!
Anyway, we found this lobster shack through Man vs Food so thank you Adam Richman!
The setting couldn’t be any more “Maine”.
You pull up and the shack is right at the Atlantic Ocean. The waves are crashing on the rocks beside you as you sit at a picnic table devouring steamed lobster and butter sauce.
I actually had the lobster roll which was to die for! Definitely one of the coolest experiences I have ever had!
Our next stop was at a restaurant up in the city of Portland called J’s Oyster. (It doesn’t have a website.)
A true dive…I wasn’t so sure I wanted to stay when we walked in, but the fact that we had to wait to even sit at the bar, I took as a sign in the right direction…
And boy am I glad, we stayed. I didn’t find out until later that this place was visited on Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations. It is definitely a place that fits right into his show.
By the way, have I told you all yet of my love of all things Tony Bourdain?!?…Ahhhh, he can do no wrong in my eyes…
Anyway we finally got a spot at the bar and ordered oysters for appetizer, then whole lobsters and steamers.
It was seriously one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. It was my first time eating a whole lobster and steamers like that. They say you always remember your first. Totally messy and totally fun! (The lobster, I mean…)
Bourdain always knows best!
And Maine is absolutely magnificent!