Nautical Sophistication

Lighthouses and seagulls are expected in a seacoast town like Portland, Maine. The tang of the ocean filling the lungs with every breath and the haunting sound of foghorns warning ships away from rocky shoals are part of the atmosphere.

What’s unexpected is a first-class art museum, a Victorian mansion with décor that outdoes Martha Stewart, a cultural center that’s a magnet for international performers, and a repository for a lock of George Washington’s hair. And, of course, lighthouses.

The Portland Jetport is large, efficient, and well-situated for easy access to the city. It has ILS, GPS, and NBD approaches. The Harbor Visual 29 approach vectors aircraft over Portland Harbor to a straight-in landing on Runway 29. Minimums are 3000 and 4 for that approach.

There are two FBOs on the airport. Nancy and Michelle at Irving Aviation describe themselves as the "Concierges of the Airways," promising to arrange rental cars, hotel rooms, catering, and "whatever it takes" – within reason. As of late March, av gas was $2.45, Jet A $2.25. Tie downs are $5/night for singles, $15 for light twins, with one night waived with a gas purchase.

Over at Northeast Airmotive, they boast that they, too, are centered on customer service, and ‘yes’ is the answer to all questions about handling rentals and reservations. Their gas prices in March were $2.58 for av gas, $2.65 for Jet A. Tie downs are $10 for singles, $15 for twins, with the one-night waiver for gas purchases. Both offer the AOPA 3% discount and participate other discount credit programs.

Lighthouses are the rotating beacons of the nautical world. Sitting on remote outcroppings or at the entrances to busy harbors, they are romantic and exciting, representing the promise of adventure. The Casco Bay Lighthouse Trail visits five lighthouses in the Portland area. It’s an easy-to-follow driving tour.

Two Light State Park is in South Portland, next to some of the most impressive ‘summer homes’ in New England. The lighthouse itself can’t be reached without crossing private property, but it’s very close to the breakwater and small park almost at its foot. Originally, there were two towers, but in the 1920s, one of them was abandoned. The other became the most powerful light on the Maine Coast. In the summer, this is a great place to picnic. The locals recommend the clam shack by the parking area.

Fort Williams State Park claims two lighthouses, although one of them – Ram Island Ledge Light – is offshore. No matter. The other, the Portland Head Light, competes with the Cape Hatteras Light House in North Carolina as the most recognized and photographed lighthouse in America. Perched high on a promontory and flanked by the sturdy, whitewashed lighthouse keeper’s house, it’s the symbol of Maine’s determination to stand fast against the sea. The oldest lighthouse in Maine, it has guarded the entrance to Portland Harbor for more than 200 years.

The museum adjacent to the lighthouse uses clever displays, dioramas and great old photographs to tell the story of the lighthouse and Portland Harbor. All of the local events are linked by a historical time line that puts what was happening in Portland in a context of what was going on elsewhere in the world.

Down the road, but offshore, is the Spring Point Ledge Light. It’s on a breakwater near the mouth of the harbor. With some patience, photographers can get great shots of the lighthouse with passing ferryboats, tankers, and other craft in the background.

The Portland Breakwater "Bug" Light is the last stop on the tour. This isn’t exactly what’s expected on the rocky coast of Maine. Designed after a monument to the gods in Athens, and standing only 13 feet tall, it looks more like a scale model toy than a real lighthouse.

The Portland Harbor Museum, located next to the lighthouse, was originally founded to preserve the bow of the only surviving American clipper ship, the Snow Squall. Her career ended when she ran aground in the Falkland Islands in 1864. Several pieces of the ship were recovered and form the centerpiece of a permanent exhibit about 19^th century shipbuilding.

Back in Portland, there’s one more stop that ties in with the lighthouses, the Portland Observatory. It was not built with stargazing in mind, but with a Down-Easter’s practical appreciation for commerce. The old signal tower atop Munjoy Hill looks far out to sea. When observers spotted arriving ships, they sent word to the docks, which were then ready when the ships arrived. The view from the top is impressive, both seaward and inland. Yes, that is Mount Washington, some 60 miles away, clearly visible on sunny days.

Portland proper is one town best seen on foot, and it’s compact enough to do so easily. Two walking tours give visitors a good orientation and the kind of fun details about the people and the past that bring the history to life. They both start from City Hall on Congress Street. One moves through the Old Port, with its collection of architectural styles, businesses and unique shops. While the tour doesn’t stop at any of the stores, take notes about which ones are worth revisiting. And if a dog is part of the entourage, that’s fine, too. Portland is a very canine-friendly city, with many shops welcoming well-behaved pets inside.

The best shops? That depends on your tastes. Just take into consideration the useful load of your aircraft before pulling out the credit cards. Resourceful Home has everything for environmentally correct living – cleaning supplies made from non-toxic ingredients, clothing from natural fibers, towels and sheets with no artificial dyes. Stonewall Kitchen has Maine-made jams and condiments. There are tasting stations to try them, just right for a mid-morning snack or pre-lunch appetizer.

Northern Sky Toyz doesn’t traffic in the latest movie or TV merchandized marketing novelty. Instead, the shelves are filled with colorful kites, puzzles, intriguing games, and other nifty diversions. Customers get to play with everything before they buy, too. Several shops specializing in pottery from regional artists are on the same street, making browsers marvel at how many different ideas can come from a handful of simple clay. Angelica, the place for natural products for beauty products and toiletries, is monitored by Buster, the very mellow Cat. Not surprisingly, the store has a line of holistic pet products, too.

The other tour goes through the Arts District, with guides filling in the details of Portland’s 300 years of history. The walk ends at the Portland Museum of Art. Most cities of 65-thousand do not have collections that include Renoir, Picasso, and Monet from Europe and Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper, and Andrew Wyeth from the U.S. This is not a huge, imposing, stuffy museum, but a brightly lit, easily laid-out place that offers enough culture to let people feel enriched, without feeling like it’s a cultural marathon.

Showing off their culture was the plan for Ruggles S. Morse and his wife. A successful hotelier from New Orleans, Morse built Victoria Mansion as a summer home. If this mansion is a typical summer getaway by the seashore, then a Malibu is a trainer. Considered one of the finest examples of Italianate architecture in the country, it looks as though it was decorated by Martha Stewart on steroids. Ornate frescos line the walls, intricate plasterwork decorates the ceilings, stained glass windows hang in entranceways, and ‘home-sized’ Victorian statues are mounted on staircases. It’s over-the-top, overwhelming, and wonderful!

The Wadsworth-Longfellow House is a less-lavish version of houses of the time. Furnishings and memorabilia from several generations of the family fill the boyhood home of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The docents do not recite "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere," but they do explain that Longfellow’s father was deeply disappointed in his son’s vocation and feared he would never be successful.

The Maine History Gallery is next door. For most of 2000, the museum is concentrating on Maine’s role in creating the United States. The state’s copy of the Declaration of Independence is the centerpiece of the display, as is one of the more unusual artifacts in the museum’s collection. It’s a lock of George Washington’s hair. As was the custom of the time, some of his hair was shorn after his death and given to close friends and admirers.

Mainers are proud of their independence, which is one reason why the Portland Public Market is such a success. The city’s indoor public market features twenty-five stalls selling locally produced meat, seafood, produce, dairy products, flowers, breads, and other goods. People-watch from the mezzanine of the high-ceilinged, bright hall.

For lunch, visit Stone Soup. Not only is the food excellent, but the profits fund an agency that helps people in need get job training in the culinary field. Then stop at the Smiling Hill Farm stall for butter, milk, and freshly churned ice cream, all of which comes from their own cows. Best treat of the day: the coffee-flavored milk.

Portland claims that it has more restaurants per capita than any other city on the East Coast. For the calorically challenged, it’s a tough situation, because the chefs work hard at outdoing each other.

Barbara Winthrop is a refugee from New York City who wanted a mid-life career change. With only a minimum of training, she opened Barbara’s Kitchen and Café. It’s in a small frame house and seats maybe all of twenty five people. From the outside, it looks like a greasy-spoon, good-for-a-fried-eggs-breakfast sort of place. Hardly. The omelets are local legends, the lunch sandwiches are serious, and the dinners – my dinner companion said that if that salmon had known how it would be prepared, it would have volunteered.

Hugo’s Portland Bistro, owned by Irishman Johnny Robinson, has ‘eclectic American cuisine,’ accented with Irish touches like oysters, lamb, and Guinness stout. The daily specials at Rachel’s Wood Grill take advantage of what’s best at the local fish market and what’s in season with produce. Walter’s Café comes up with things like Mango & Burnt Orange BBQ Scallops.

So much for fine cuisine. The best donuts in town are at Tony’s, behind the Getty Station across the street from the Doubletree Hotel. Homemade, huge, hot. Fresh coffee. Clean tables. The owners chat with the morning regulars and load everyone up with far more sugar than they need to get through the morning. Damn the cholesterol! Bring on the cinnamon twists!

Portland is also a center for microbrews. Shipyard Brewing Company, Gritty McDuff’s, Sebago Brewing Company, Allagash, and Stone Coast Brewery are just some of the beer makers. All of them eagerly give tours of their operations. Hey, the winters are long and cold up here; people have to stay warm.

For nighttime entertainment, the schedule of the Portland Cultural Alliance is more extensive and eclectic than what’s found in many major cities. In May, the Alliance hosts an Italian folk singer, Latin dance band, Yiddish theater, Congolese dancers, Cajun music and dance workshop, and a Middle Eastern klarinet player. Friday nights are reserved for public ethnic dances, with instruction provided.

They might even teach a sailor’s hornpipe!
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