New England - Suggestions for Maine in February

My wife has always wanted to visit Maine & New England. We have a late February wedding to attend in Connecticut, so we're flying in to MHT to hang out in Boston and such for a few days before the wedding.

I know it's not exactly high season, but any suggestions for places to stay, things to do, in Maine for a day or two?

Go to Portland. You'll find great deals on hotels (in Portland and in inns on the coast) and you can visit area lighthouses (including the Portland Head Light which is gorgeous in snow), enjoy the Portland Museum of Art, drive to LL Bean at night or go during the day if you want to do LL Bean plus outlet shopping in Freeport, and drive along the coast.

This might be helpful: http://www.visitmaine.com/seasons/winter/

Go to Portland. You'll find great deals on hotels (in Portland and in inns on the coast) and you can visit area lighthouses (including the Portland Head Light which is gorgeous in snow), enjoy the Portland Museum of Art, drive to LL Bean at night or go during the day if you want to do LL Bean plus outlet shopping in Freeport, and drive along the coast.

This might be helpful: http://www.visitmaine.com/seasons/winter/

Great suggestions. Thanks.

You're welcome. Good luck with the planning. We spend a long weekend in Portland in February nearly ever year.

I would recommend staying in Portland as well, and I would really recommend staying in the Old Port section on the water in downtown Portland. That is where most of the restaurants, boutique shops and bars/nightlife are. With how cold it is in February, it makes it easy to hop around and not have to walk very far.

Depends on the budget you have - independent hotels right in old port:
http://www.portlandharborhotel.com/ (the newest one)
http://www.theregency.com/ (old boutique hotel)

Chain hotels which are just a smidge down the street:
http://www.innbythebay.com/ (just down the hill)
http://www.hiltongardeninn.com/en/gi/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=PWMDHGI (at the end of old port area)
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/pwmdt-residence-inn-portland-downtown-waterfront/ (little bit farther away down the road)

If there are other areas you rather stay, there are other suggestions as well, though in February, I would want to be downtown.

Cheers.

I would recommend staying in Portland as well, and I would really recommend staying in the Old Port section on the water in downtown Portland. That is where most of the restaurants, boutique shops and bars/nightlife are. With how cold it is in February, it makes it easy to hop around and not have to walk very far.

Depends on the budget you have - independent hotels right in old port:
http://www.portlandharborhotel.com/ (the newest one)
http://www.theregency.com/ (old boutique hotel)

Chain hotels which are just a smidge down the street:
http://www.innbythebay.com/ (just down the hill)
http://www.hiltongardeninn.com/en/gi/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=PWMDHGI (at the end of old port area)
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/pwmdt-residence-inn-portland-downtown-waterfront/ (little bit farther away down the road)

If there are other areas you rather stay, there are other suggestions as well, though in February, I would want to be downtown.

Cheers.

Thanks for the suggestions. Any recommendations on restaurants in Portland?

Gilbert's Chowder House
The Good Table (Cape Elizabeth)
Becky's for breakfast

Late night.....Binga's (unbelievable wings)

Gilbert's Chowder House

Be careful. A group of 10 of us ate there this summer and 2 ended up getting sick later that night. Not a pretty sight. Too much fried food. Try J's Oysters instead.

This is a link to the best food blog & info on every restaurant Portland has to offer....
http://www.portlandfoodmap.com/

For Brunch go to Caiola's - http://www.caiolas.com/
or Bintliff's - huge menu only serve brunch 7 days a week
http://www.bintliffscafe.com/

Fine Dining - http://www.restaurantgrace.com/ - BEAUTIFUL!!!! - old church gutted & made into a fine dining restaurant

Comfort Food - Caiola's or the Front Room
http://www.thefrontroomrestaurant.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6&Itemid=12

Seafood & Fish - http://www.streetandcompany.net/

Bold Flavors - large interesting menu - Walters
http://www.waltersportland.com/

The best fries you will ever eat - period... fried in duckfat
http://www.duckfat.com/

The best pizza ever is at Micucci's Italian Market - it is called a "Slab" and is deelicious!!!!
Micucci Grocery Co

You might want to pack a sweater.

I love Portland, but went once in February and it was dreadful. The icy wind howling through the place felt like it cut straight through your clothes - it was uncomfortable to be outside. Luckily Portland has a good selection of brewpubs, so we spent most of our weekend indoors drinking great beer, which also had the bonus effect of making the walk back to the hotel less painful.

Be careful. A group of 10 of us ate there this summer and 2 ended up getting sick later that night. Not a pretty sight. Too much fried food. Try J's Oysters instead.We've been going there for YEARS and not one of us EVER got sick. Wow....

I love their clam chowder and clam strips. In February, of course they have that fresh Maine shrimp fried...yummy! Their mussels with garlic is terrific and that certainly isn't fried.

I love Portland, but went once in February and it was dreadful. The icy wind howling through the place felt like it cut straight through your clothes - it was uncomfortable to be outside. Luckily Portland has a good selection of brewpubs, so we spent most of our weekend indoors drinking great beer, which also had the bonus effect of making the walk back to the hotel less painful.Dreadful? That's certainly your prerogative to think that but I disagree. I love the winter and Portland is great because the tourists aren't there. ^ Plus, it's Maine shrimp season so you can find them pretty much at most restaurants.

Bundle up and walk around Back Bay. Walk out on the jetty to Spring Point Light. Sure it could be cold but you'll see some of the college students walking around in shorts. Now that's nuts but then again, Portland is a bit quirky. :)

Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth is amazing in February. Something about the ocean and the ice to make you feel small. The worse the weather, the more amazing it is. Call me weird.

Be ready for weather. Or a bit of a mid-winter thaw. Ayuh, the weather can be some unpredictable in winter.

Like others said, Portland and LL Bean can be a good options. Neither is seasonal. Further afield, K-port is almost a normal town at that time of year, which could be interesting to see if you've ever been there in the summer. Heading the other direction, I've always enjoyed Bath.

I've always enjoyed Bath. Speaking as a guy with a retired parent up in Boothbay... who's been visiting coastal Maine out of season for many years... I can tell you there is very little going on north of Portland in February. The weather can be appalling -- snow, wind and below-zero temperatures. All attractions and most restaurants and accommodation are closed. The main drag, US Route 1, can be treacherous and there's no view of the ocean. There's nobody around. Bath has the naval shipyard and Brunswick has Bowdoin College, but it's often too cold to spend any time outside comfortably.

Freeport has L.L. Bean, some outlet shops (with unspectacular prices), and a couple of restaurants. It's about 20 minutes north of Portland. That's as far as you need to go. Visiting most of the towns further north in February is like visiting that lonely scientific base in Antarctica where the Thing terrorized those people.

Then why did your parent retire in such a horrible place? ;)

We have friends in Bar Harbor and I've been there both around New Year's and Washington's Birthday long weekend. Bring a pair of cross country skis and enjoy Acadia National Park if you happen to be up there! 295, 95 and 395 get constant snow plow attention in the snow, at least each time I've been up there. Route 3 into Bar Harbor, while not a highway, also gets snow plow attention. Just make sure your rental car (or your own car) has snow tires. AWD is also a plus.

Weather is certainly unpredictable but just be prepared and enjoy Maine without the gawky tourists.

Back to the OP's concern, for one or two days, downeast Maine is a long drive no matter what the season is. But the Portland vicinity, kchoya, including Freeport and the lighthouses that are abundant on the coastline (my favorite is the Portland Head Light) make a visit in the winter a pure joy. Portlanders are outdoors people (like much of Maine) so they're outside enjoying winter whether it's walking around Back Cove, cross country skiing, alpine skiing, playing hockey on a frozen pond, whatever. ^

Then why did your parent retire in such a horrible place? Headstrong. Now secretly, privately regrets staking out such a remote, diversion-free area, but too proud to admit it. :)

There is one Chinese restaurant in Boothbay that stays open year round... it is genuinely terrible, with hideous and frightening food, but when you've got cabin fever down the Boothbay peninsula in February you inevitably end up there at least once, bracing yourself as you go in... it's become a running family joke; whenever we're faced with a grim and sickmaking meal, we tell each other, it could be worse, we could be in Maine in February at [restaurant name withheld].

Portland is my favorite destination in Maine. Three great things to do there:

1) Have a coffee and waffle at "Mornings in Pairs" and read a paper by the window (or go visit the book store across the street)

2) Have dinner at Fore Street. Easily the best restaurant in the city and quintessentially Maine -- all local ingredients with simple preparations but done oh so perectly. I remember having pan sauteed anchovies and then a venison chop. PM if you'd like some photos of the restaurant i took.

3) There is an archiectural salvage store in town thats awesome

We're heading to Portland on Friday for a long weekend. I don't know of "Mornings in Pairs". We usually go to Becky's and enjoy breakfast/read the Portland Press Herald. How does it compare?

Not sure I have heard of Becky's. Mornings in Paris is very small and very quaint though. So Becky's may be bigger / a little more bustling and have full table service (not sure as I have not been). MiP is essentially a coffee shop / cafe.

Mornings in Paris....did that used to be the old Java Net? Becky's is a diner in Hobson's Wharf. It's the best for breakfast.

Mornings in Paris....did that used to be the old Java Net? Becky's is a diner in Hobson's Wharf. It's the best for breakfast.

Good question! I'm not sure. I asked a buddy who lives up there now and he is not sure either, unfortunately.

Mornings in Paris is a small french coffee shop on Exchange St in the Old Port. Mostly just coffee with pastries. I still don't get why everyone is so enthralled with Becky's for breakfast - there are so many better places in Portland for Breakfast. Becky's is just another diner with mundane diner food.

Mornings in Paris is a small french coffee shop on Exchange St in the Old Port. Mostly just coffee with pastries. I still don't get why everyone is so enthralled with Becky's for breakfast - there are so many better places in Portland for Breakfast. Becky's is just another diner with mundane diner food.What do you want for breakfast? I want a simple, delicious, & affordable meal with great people working there. Sitting at the counter and talking with the locals about what's happening in Portland/Maine/the world is really enjoyable. Plus we all share the newspapers floating around. It's laid back and exactly what's for breakfast.

I miss Java Net. Who else had bubble macs? :p

As the OP, thanks for all the great tips. With our trip just under two weeks away, I hope the heavy snows have stopped for the season so we can get around.

As the OP, thanks for all the great tips. With our trip just under two weeks away, I hope the heavy snows have stopped for the season so we can get around.

So do we! :p

And we've had some rather cold weather lately, so definitely pack lots of "layers" of clothing.

Glad that you're going, kchoya. We're actually going the first weekend in March unless there's a blizzard! Our plans we had made for a long weekend in Feb got cancelled due to family obligations. I'm assuming we'll still be able to enjoy the Maine shrimp season in early March. I think last year, the shrimp season went past February?

Go Pirates!