Tandem - popular spot for coffee and baked stuff. Very good.  Smalls - chill little cafe for coffee and drinks.  Washington Ave strip -- lots of good stuff here. Kombucha, sandwiches, Vietnamese, ice cream, mexican/barbecue spot named after cool Texas border town Terlingua, lots more if you just walk around.  Washington Baths - no joke one of my favorite places ever? Guy lived in a trailer on this property and saved his money. He had spent some time in one the Nordic countries (I think Finland) and got obsessed with the sauna culture. Built his own. Really well done. gender separate saunas (naked optional) and communal hot outdoor pool, cold plunge, good snacks/food and light nordic/german beers, wine etc. The salmon soup was great. The Shop - also on Washington Ave, but deserves its own callout.  oysters, tinned fish, day drinking, sun, picnic tables. All things that are good.  Honey Paw - amazing food, kinda Thai, kinda Japanese. Drinks are also very good.  Central Provisions - a little fancier, haven't been but have only heard good things.  Banh Appetit - fat ass banh mi sandwhiches.  Duck Fat - solid bar food. good fries.  Mackworth Island - nice spot for a stroll or a run. Also don't miss the pet cemetery for former Governor Baxter's dogs (and I think a horse?). 
May 5, 2025

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I’m taking this as a sign from the universe to take that trip to Maine I keeping dreaming about
May 5, 2025
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@OLAFTHESWEDE it’s a beautiful place. I have more coastal recs if you decide to venture outside Portland!
May 6, 2025
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seconding Smalls and Duckfat! +Standard Baking for croissants and a walk along the water
May 5, 2025
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For Boston, here are some music recs. A lot has changed as far as food, shops, etc. so I'll leave that up to other folks to weigh in. For NH and into Maine, it depends on how far north you're going. The NH and Southern Maine seacoasts are amazing, but Acadia National Park is kind of the crown jewel of coastal hiking/sightseeing. Mt. Major in NH is one of the best effort-to-payoff hikes around. Portsmouth, NH is great for walking around and popping into random shops and restaurants. Portland, ME has some of the best food in the country, but there are too many places to even list (Duckfat is a long-standing classic.) If you have more specific spots or interests, I can add more details!
Mar 8, 2024
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Haven’t been to Portland in years so hopefully this is all still relevant. It’s an incredible food town: - Duck Fat for fries and milkshakes - Holy Donut - Mount Desert Island Ice Cream - lobster role at that basic place on the water. I forget the name but remember it being very good. - there was an arcade bar called Arcadia that was pretty fun, not sure if still there
Jul 4, 2024
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It’s just the best. I’m chock-full of specific recs for this wonderful place if you want them. It’s beautiful and bite-sized!
Mar 13, 2024

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