Things to do in Portland, Maine

Portland's Old Port is the draw: cobblestone streets and 19th-century brick warehouses now holding restaurants built around lobster and other local seafood. Portland Head Light in nearby Cape Elizabeth is the most photographed lighthouse in Maine, and Casco Bay Lines runs ferries out to the bay's islands from the downtown terminal.

From Boston, the Amtrak Downeaster runs direct from North Station in a little under 2 hours, no car needed once you're in the Old Port; driving up the I-95 is the alternative. Summers are cooler than Boston's and busier in the harbor; winters bring real snow and cold.

Lobster is served year-round, but the waterfront is livelier from late spring through fall.