Need Portland ME PIREP

AnthonyS1

AnthonyS1

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AnthonyS1
Hey all me and my old lady want to take the bonanza up to Portland ME this coming weekend. First trip there. Anyone familiar with the area that can give us some advice on some must see or great things to do? Good restaurants? Best place or area to stay in? Is KPWM are best option to fly into? Thanks. Will be nice to enjoy a little bit of hopefully cooler weather.
 
Thanks for the memory. I flew into PWM twice. One was my long student solo cross country; the other a foliage trip with some fiends the fall before moving away from New England. Since the latest one was in 1993, I doubt I'd be much help ;)
 
I don't think there is any remarkable dining at/near the airport. You need to taxi or uber to the Old Port area of Portland. over 200 restaurants! Tell the driver what you are looking for: I would specify harbor view and lobster, but insert your own preferences. Enjoy!

-Skip
 
Tons of good restaurants. Some highlights are The Honey Paw, Central Provisions and Duck Fat. If you’re looking for some creative adult beverages, check out Vena’s Fizz House. They don’t serve food, and the drinks aren’t cheap, but they are well worth it.

Portland is one of my favorite places, the Wife and I will stay there overnight from time to time just to get away for a night.
 
Skip Miller said:
I don't think there is any remarkable dining at/near the airport. You need to taxi or uber to the Old Port area of Portland. over 200 restaurants! Tell the driver what you are looking for: I would specify harbor view and lobster, but insert your own preferences. Enjoy!

-Skip
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Thanks we are actually planning on staying for the whole weekend.
 
Check out the minor league baseball game. Should be one this weekend.
 
I used to live in the area and flew for the Guard. Don't overlook the closed Naval Air Station in Brunswick (KBXM). One of my destinations when it was a NAS. Also, I used to live under the DW leg. Its about two miles from the Stowe house Inn in Brunswick. Harriette Beecher Stowe finished her novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin there.The Rathskeller in the basement was a primo hangout. Sorry, haven't been in town for years and cannot update you. I kept a plane at Wiscasset (IWI). The town to go to for sea food.
Take lots of pictures and post them here. I'm homesick.
 
Maxnr said:
I kept a plane at Wiscasset (IWI). The town to go to for sea food.
Take lots of pictures and post them here. I'm homesick.
Click to expand...
I've never flown up there other than airlines, but with Wiscasset mentioned, Snow Squall Inn... I'm very anti-B&B, but the wife loves them, and that's one of the few I'd actually recommend and go out of my way to return. The innkeeper was an executive chef at some resort in Bermuda, best breakfasts of my life.
 
I fly up there from kMHT fairly regularly. Most of my trips include purchasing fuel (~8 gallons) and taking a crew car to dinner. If you take full tanks or more than their requirement (10 gallons?) they will let you have the crew car for a reasonable amount of time at Northeast Air. If you plan to be there for more than a few hours you may want to call both Northeast Air and Mac Air and figure out what the parking situation is.

Study the Harbor Visual 29 approach. Its really neat and 29 is the active runway surprisingly often. If 29 is the active runaway, it is totally worth it to request it from the tower. Ask your passenger to take photos and video out her window on the approach.

B19 is fairly far away and will take more planning, but may be worth it depending on the parking fee.

I have had enjoyable experiences at David's restaurant, DiMillo's on the Water, Gritty McDuff's Portland Brew Pub and Portland Lobster Company.

We usually Enjoy dessert at either Captain Sam's Ice cream or Beal's Old Fashioned Ice Cream

I would avoid Solo Italiano. They were ludicrously expensive and that cost didn't really add much to the experience.

There are some cool ferry tours of the harbor area that leave from the old port district near DiMillo's as well.

Have fun!
 
Daniel Karol said:
I fly up there from kMHT fairly regularly. Most of my trips include purchasing fuel (~8 gallons) and taking a crew car to dinner. If you take full tanks or more than their requirement (10 gallons?) they will let you have the crew car for a reasonable amount of time at Northeast Air. If you plan to be there for more than a few hours you may want to call both Northeast Air and Mac Air and figure out what the parking situation is.

Study the Harbor Visual 29 approach. Its really neat and 29 is the active runway surprisingly often. If 29 is the active runaway, it is totally worth it to request it from the tower. Ask your passenger to take photos and video out her window on the approach.

B19 is fairly far away and will take more planning, but may be worth it depending on the parking fee.

I have had enjoyable experiences at David's restaurant, DiMillo's on the Water, Gritty McDuff's Portland Brew Pub and Portland Lobster Company.

We usually Enjoy dessert at either Captain Sam's Ice cream or Beal's Old Fashioned Ice Cream

I would avoid Solo Italiano. They were ludicrously expensive and that cost didn't really add much to the experience.

There are some cool ferry tours of the harbor area that leave from the old port district near DiMillo's as well.

Have fun!
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Very helpful thanks. Going to leave saturday morning early. Ferry tour sounds fun didnt think of that.
 
PWM is very close to downtown. I don’t remember the fees being outrageously expensive. Very nice FBO and friendly staff.
 
PWM is GA-friendly, super nice FBO. Been there many times for trips to Portland. Gritty McDuffs is a must stop if you like real English ales. Capn Newicks has great lobster and seafood lunches, and there are tons of good restaurants and shopping in the Old Port. The Sea Dogs are fun if you can get tickets to a game (AA Boston team). Kids will love the "trash monsters." And of course if you have time, there is shopping at the LL Bean mother ship in Freeport. In person service there is also first rate.

Can be crowded in August, but if you search the travel sites you can sometimes score great hotel+rental car packages at the last minute. If you don't mind staying a little farther out, e.g. SW Portland, you can get better rates in the high season.
 
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