I’ve been fortunate to travel to many places all over the U.S. from the surreally colorful hot springs of Yellowstone National Park to the skyscraper-foodie metropolis of NYC, from the windy slopes of San Francisco to the magically enchanting Wizarding World of Harry Potter, etc. After this past week, I can add to that list the stormy shores of Portland, Maine. I only spent a few hours here, as my family and I were just passing through on a road trip to meet up with relatives in Canada, but accustomed to the sunny beaches of my hometown in Florida, this brief excursion granted me a completely different seaside perspective.

The Portland Headlight was what brought us to Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth, but while in the area, we also enjoyed meandering through the cliff walk, admiring the pebble beach, and poking around the ruins of Goddard Mansion, which had been built in 1858.

We drove to Old Port for dinner where I put my name down for an hour-long wait at Eventide Oyster Co. During the wait, we roamed through the neighborhood and haborside where fishing boats, lobster cages, and seafood restaurants were unsurprisingly abundant.

I had very high expectations for Eventide after seeing how busy it was and positively reviewed, but sadly the lobster roll I was so eager to try was rubbery and overwhelmingly salty and buttery. The bun was also doughy which made the lobster roll as a whole taste even more heavy. 

While this meal in Portland did disappoint, the stunning, stormy seaside scenery from earlier in the day surely did not.