Day 3 - Portland
This morning we drove about 50 miles north to Portland. Our first stop was at the historic Portland Head Light situated on the spectacular shores of Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth. The light station sits on a headland at the entrance of the primary shipping channel into Portland Harbor, which is within Casco Bay in the Gulf of Maine. Completed in1791, it is the oldest lighthouse in Maine.
Our next stop was at the Spring Point Ledge Light Station in Portland’s inner harbor which was built in 1897. It towers over a particularly perilous reef and is generally regarded as the most well-preserved of Maine’s three remaining “spark plug” lights. It sits at the end of a breakwater which would be fun for some, but we didn’t trek out across the water to see it up close. We did enjoy sitting in the park watching the boats passing by.
Just a mile away we visited Bug Light Park to see the Portland Breakwater Lighthouse (affectionately called “Bug Light” because of its small size.). At only 26-feet tall, it is known for its diminutive size and its elegance. The park offers expansive views of Portland Harbor and the skyline of Maine’s largest city.
After all that walking we treated ourselves to a delicious seafood dinner at DiMillo’s On The Water, a renowned floating restaurant located at Long Wharf. Housed in a converted car ferry, it’s a Portland landmark known for its fresh New England seafood.
