The Real Portland Tour: Getting the Lay of the Land from a Portland, Maine, Native

The best way to see a new town is to be shown around by a local, who will give you its history and recommendations of what to do while you’re there.  They know the best tourist spots and will even share some hidden gems.  This is exactly what you’ll get when you take The Real Portland tour.  Derek will make you feel like a long-lost friend that’s taking you around his hometown. 

I chose this tour when I was attending the Women in Travel Summit, and although I’d been to Portland a ton of times, I got to see places I had no clue existed.  This 90-minute tour was the perfect way for me to see Portland from a new perspective…that of a local.

Derek, a native of Portland, was knowledgeable and I could picture my girls dying laughing at all of his jokes and puns.  I can’t wait to bring them next time.  He gave us the history of Portland as we passed the busy downtown area, the Arts district, and the Old Port.  We went by gorgeous brownstones and Victorian mansions and enjoyed stunning views of the Eastern Prominade.  There were beautiful views of the harbor…or “ha-bah” as Derek would say!

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Residence Inn Tudor Wharf

Photo credit: Residence Inn Boston Harbor

My girls have a new obsession…Dear Evan Hanson…so we were thrilled when it came to Boston. As I started looking for a hotel, I knew I wanted to use my Marriott points and the Residence Inn by Marriott Boston Harbor on Tudor Wharf stood out because it is an all-suite hotel. The 167 suite hotel is located right on the St. Charles River and has stunning views of the Boston Harbor.   

Read all about our fun stay...

Sonesta ES Suites, Burlington, VT

Summer is quickly running out so we were thrilled to have the opportunity to spend some time at the beautiful Sonesta ES Suites in Burlington, Vermont.  Having gone to college in Vermont, it has always been one of my favorite states and I couldn’t wait to share it with my girls! The location of the Sonesta can’t be beat since it’s close to the airport, as well as Stowe, Sugarbush, and Smuggler’s Notch.  Since there are 96 spacious suites at the Sonesta, it is a wonderful destination for families looking to get away.  

Click here to read all about our stay!

Story Land: Fun for the whole family in the White Mountains

No matter how crazy our summer gets, we always set aside a day to head to Story Land, a tradition we’ve had since the girls were babies.  Fast forward a decade later and we are still having fun as a family.  Take a peek into our fun day at Storyland:

First stop is always taking a picture with Humpty Dumpty.  We take one every year here and love to look back on when they were little. 

Now on to the what my kids are here for…the rides! Here are some of our favorites:

Roar-O-Saurus: A fun wooden roller coaster that is the fastest ride in the park.

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Victoria Mansion: A Historic Gem in Portland, Maine

There’s nothing more fun than discovering a hidden gem in one of your favorite cities.  While attending the Women in Travel Summit last spring, I went on The Real Portland Tour and our guide told us we HAD to get inside of the Victoria Mansion because there was nothing like it in Portland.  I hadn’t been able to take that building off my mind so while my girls were in camp this summer, I decided it was finally time to go in and take a peek.  I was lucky to have a private tour with Torie, who was able to bring life to the history of the house. Let me show you around…

Also known as the Morse-Libby House, Victoria Mansion was built between 1858-1860 for Ruggles Sylvester Morse and his wife Olivia.  Can you believe it was their summer home! The outside of the home is stunning and will make you stop in your tracks to look at it.

When you walk in, you’ll be amazed at this stunning staircase

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Portland Museum of Art: A Morning at the Museum on My Kid-Free Day in Maine

While my girls are in camp, I like to spend some quiet time exploring different cities.  After a hectic day in Boston, I decided to slow it down and head to Portland, Maine for the day to enjoy some relaxing ‘Me Time’.  My first stop was the gorgeous Portland Museum of Art.  I’d been here years ago on a quick trip so I was anxious to be able to spend as much time as I wanted. 

It’s hard to walk by the museum without giving it a second glance.  The courtyard outside has some beautiful sculptures so I had to stop and take a look.  The first thing I noticed was the sculpture that looked very familiar since I just saw one very similar at the CMCA in Rockland, Maine. 

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Boston Museum of Fine Art: Mummies, Monet, and More

When you think of a fine arts museum you may imagine boring halls filled with old portraits, security shushing people, and bored children trailing behind their parents.  This is not the case at the Boston Fine Arts Museum. Not only do they have hundreds of famous paintings, they also have mummies, statues, jewelry, and weapons that will capture anyone’s attention.  The Boston Museum of Fine Art, with more than 450,000 works of art, is difficult to see in one day, but with a little planning, you can see it all.  The museum is separated into different wings such as Art of Ancient World, Art of Asia, Oceania and Africa, And Contemporary Art. Let me take you around to see our favorite areas of the museum:

Your experience of the MFA begins before you even walk inside.  The museum has some really unique pieces of art right outside.  These doll heads are my daughters’ favorites! 

I personally love Indian Hunter (Paul Manship, 2002) as the hunter and Pronghorn Antelope (and Paul Manship, 2002) as his prey.

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Seacoast Tours of Freeport: A Perfect Morning Full of Lobsters and Seals

At the start of summer, we got to spend a perfect morning aboard the Pamela B, with Peter and Laura from Seacoast Tours of Freeport.  We were hoping to go out on the afternoon lobster boat tour, but since the weather wasn’t cooperating the tour had to be canceled.  Luckily, Captain Pete invited us to join him and his deckhand, Laura, on their boat as they went out to check their lobster traps.  We couldn’t say yes quick enough!

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Nonesuch Oyster Farm

Ask me what my favorite treat during summer months is and I’ll tell you, hands down, raw oysters with an ice-cold beer.  One thing I never thought about was where oysters come from.  On our recent trip to Scarborough, Maine, we had the pleasure of hopping aboard a work boat at Nonesuch Oyster Farm to get a private tour. We started our tour in front of the Harbor Master’s house at Pine Point.  It is a gorgeous working pier and we watched lobstermen loading traps onto their boats as we all admitted we didn’t know what to expect.  We were pleased to meet Sadie who would be sharing her boat and her experience with us.  I love when my girls get the opportunity to see strong females that are passionate about their jobs. 

We hopped aboard a 17’ Carolina Skiff work boat and settled in to the wooden benches, allowing us a close view of the water.

You’ll love watching the gorgeous scenery as you boat through stunning marsh in the river.  Like fine wine, oysters will taste different depending on their environment.

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The Maine Brew Bus

One of my favorite events of my WITS19 conference was the Maine Brew Bus…shocking right?? This 3 ½ hour tour lets you have a guided tour and safe ride to visit three of Portland’s small producers of craft alcohol.  We hopped on our 15-passenger bus and let the fun begin!  Our guide, Don, and our driver, Ryan, were so much fun to spend the afternoon with! They both have so much pride in Portland and the positive effect these companies have on the community.

Our first stop was to RISING TIDE BREWING COMPANY.  Inspired by the famous quote, “…a rising tide lifts all boats,” this was the perfect spot to get an introduction to the craft beer industry. 

We got to taste four different beers while we were there. 

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