A Dark and Stormy Night

We caught the tail end of Hurricane Fiona the evening we left Rhode Island. The night was a wee bit rocky to say the least. Lucky for both my cousin and I, we don’t get sea sick. The storm gave way to a beautiful day as we arrived in Portland Maine. One of the best parts of cruising the north east is the amount of light houses you encounter. I have long been a fan of the lighthouse, going as far as being a member of the U.S. Lighthouse Society USLHS.org. Total nerd.

Getting off the ship was a breeze. The gangway ( ship exit) was on deck 4, but the elevator would only take us to deck 6. Once we got to deck 6, there was an attendant guiding able bodied people to the stairs, the rocking elevator reserved for wheelchairs, scooters and baby strollers. After scanning your Seapass card you are on your way. Scanning of the Seapass lets the ship know you are ashore, and when you return. You do not want to miss the all aboard time, you will be left and your transport home will be at your expense. This applies if you break any important rules while aboard. I’ve seen cruisers with their luggage sitting on the pier.

Portland is a beautiful city with great vibe. We tooled around the city for a bit before deciding to get a bite to eat. You can’t come to Maine and not get lobster! We padlocked up the best place for lobster and the place to be was The Porthole. It did not disappoint. I had the best ever clam chowder followed by the freshest, most delicious i’ve ever tasted lobster. I tried to savor it and make the experience, yes it was an experience, last as long as I could, but before long it was over. I might have shed a tear, but we noticed the other item Maine was famous for, blueberries. Homemade blueberry cake with homemade blueberry ice cream to be exact. Simply AMAZING!!!