Monday, September 22, 2014

Guest Post: Best of the Best - Portland, Maine

As fall begins, consider squeezing in a visit to tourist-friendly Portland, Maine. Planning a trip after Labor Day ensures you beat the crowds. Here are the places you need to know for the best day experience.

Eastern "Prom" - Portland, Maine
Walk: Portland Trails*: Back Cove Trail

Distance: 3.5 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Parking: Free at lot across from Hannaford on Preble Street Extension

The Back Cove Trail is a loop trail (3.5 miles) which boasts beautiful views of the Portland skyline, the occasional marsh wildlife such as Great Blue Herons, and perfect for walking, running, and biking. The terrain is with mostly flat except along a stretch that parallels I-295. There are benches and water fountains (seasonal) along the trail.

*A network of trails in greater Portland, free for public access. Full map here: http://trails.org/our-trails/

Hilltop Superette Counter
Lunch with a View: Hilltop Superette @ 135 Congress St.
Fare: Deli style sandwiches, pizza ($1.79 slices), and hamburgers

The 80-year-old store has been recently raised back from the ashes as it was nearly destroyed by arson last year (previously Colucci’s). Now the local market (opened July 2014) is bustling in the Munjoy Hilll neighborhood. The menu boasts local produce and breads from Borealis Breads. I highly recommend the Italians, especially the Spicy Superette if you like a little kick. Grab a bag of chips to share, drinks, and walk down the street towards the Eastern Promenade for a picnic style lunch with a view of Casco Bay and surrounding islands.




Infinity Beer Barrels
Beer: Bunker Brewing Company @ 122 Anderson St.
Summer Hours: Thurs & Fri 5-8pm, Sat 12-5    Call before stopping by

This microbrewery was established in 2011 and has quickly made a name for itself. Nestled off Anderson St. in a 1920s era brick garage in the developing neighborhood of East Bayside. You will experience a small artisan brewery that founders Chresten Sorensen and Jay Villani believe to be the future of beer. If you appreciate a good pilsener try their Machine Czech Pils (flagship brew). The Peninsula Pale Ale is a local favorite. Feed your competitive edge and challenge your party (or locals) to a game of corn hole just outside the garage.


Dinner: Corner Room @ 110 Exchange St.
Fare: Italian Kitchen & Bar
Happy Hour: Mon-Thurs  4-6pm (complimentary tapas to pair with drinks)
Late Night Menu: Thurs-Sat ‘Til 11pm
Corner Room Restuarant

An open kitchen restaurant invokes a warm and cozy atmosphere with house-made pastas, pizzas, antipasti, and artisanal breads made from local ingredients. Small patio available for dining. The Corner Room is one of the four “Rooms” restaurants owned by chef Harding Lee Smith.



Dessert: Bar of Chocolate @ 38 Wharf St.
Fare: Wine, Dessert, and Espresso Bar
Hours: 4pm-12am everyday


Walk down Exchange St. to Wharf St. and the Bar of Chocolate after dinner at the Corner Room. This the perfect place to visit after a nice meal and its hidden in plain sight! Wharf Street is in the absolute heart of the old port and is one of the few historic cobble stone streets remaining. The Bar of Chocolate is small and cozy and always has excellent locally made treats stocked in the dessert case ranging from flour-less chocolate cake to blueberry pie. Pair your desert with your favorite wine, cocktail, or tea/espresso for a wonderful cap to your day.





MEET THE EXPERT:  Jenny Galasso - Portlander
Jenny is a blogger and local to Portland, Maine.  She is an expert on Maine adventures, restaurants, and hidden gems.  View other posts that feature Jenny by clicking keyword "Jenny" on the side bar.  

Friday, September 5, 2014

Blueberry Mountain - Short and Steep

Life on Bickford Brook Trail
Ebeneezer's Pub is a Belgium beer bar in Lovell, Maine.  It's been voted "Best Beer Bar in America" by
Beer Advocate and happened to be hosting it's Belgium Beer Festival.  Matt and I decided to double date with our friends Amber and Jason to the event.  Since we were already up north, we looked for a short local hike to try before we hit the bar.  Lovell is on the NH/Maine line close to Fryberg, Maine.  I found a hike in Evan's Notch to Blueberry Mountain (1781 ft).  This hike can also connect to Speckled Mountain to make a nice +7 mile loop, but on this day, we decided to adventure on a 3 mile out and back trek up Blueberry Mountain.

Here is how to recreate this adventure...

Adventure:  Blueberry Mountain, Evan's Notch, NH

Getting there: The Bickford Brook Trail is located along Rt. 113.  It at "Brickett Place" - a small historical house/museum.  From 302/113 junction, take 113 north about 20 miles.  Brickett Place is located on the right, just after the Cold River Campground (on left).  There's plenty of parking (cost $3 cash per car or National Park Pass).  Privey toilets are available at the trailhead.

Trail Sign at Brickett Place
Trail:  From the back of of the Brickett Place parking lot, take the Bickford Brook Trail.  This goes through woods, crosses a beautiful stream (take the spur down to see the waterfall!).  This will gently take you to the junction of the Blueberry Ridge Trail.  Take a right on the Blueberry Ridge Trail.  This trail is surprisingly steep - ascending with rocky trail and partial slab.  A large open slab before the summit provided a great photo spot/lunch spot.  The actual summit was wooded and only provided partial views.  Blueberries carpeted the peak, a tribute to its name.  There is no marker at the summit.  From here, we turned around and returned to the car.  

Difficulty:  Moderate - I was surprised how steep some portions were for such a short peak!  

Distance:  0.7 miles to junction + 0.8 to summit = 1.5 miles one way/3 miles out-and-back round trip.

Recommendations:

View from lunch ledge 
- Take the time to stop at the stream crossing.  There is a short spur trail that will lead you down to a
beautiful waterfall. 
- Avoid wet slab on rainy days - it's dangerous
- Take your photos and lunch on the large open slab right before the summit.  The summit is wooded with limited views.  

Afterwards - If you are beer lover, drive the 30 minutes to Ebeneezer's Pub in Lovell.  They have 35 Belgium brews on tap and a great pub menu.   It is located at 44 Allen Rd. Lovelle, ME 04051.

It was great to get a little hike in with our friends and then visit the Belgium Beer Fest at Ebeneezer's.  I can't wait for next year, to do it again!



Waterfall on  Bickford Brook Trail spur
Please leave comments and questions below...