grassrootlax's » Portland, ME

Hey, I lived just south of here on Pine Point for more than 15 years.  And, yeah it's a beautiful place but not really a tourist destination as much as a beautiful (and expensive) place to live.  Crescent Beach is a local park right on the water with a great dog beach and quaint little trails through the dunes.  The north end of the beach is famous for relics – stuff thrown up by the tide – glass, pottery and rounded bricks from ruins of the past centuries.  I have a friend who carted those bricks and cobbles out of there for years (in canvas Bean bags) to finally design some great walkways in her fabulous gardens in Portland.  Reminds me, a nice beach to get pretty things – Jasper Beach in Machais, many miles up the coast – mounds and mounds of pure jasper, rounded multi-colored stones that are so smooth – well, rub them with your hands and the oil from your skin leaves them shiny and amazing.  Cape Elizabeth is known locally as CE and lies just south of Portland, one of the countries gastronomical capitals.  Long ago was made up of fishing villages and out-of-state mansions but now mostly upper crust.

But for good food in CE – the local restaurant – Good Table – owned by Lisa and her father – good multicultural food owned by the kids (and grandkids) of Greek immigrants – can't be beat.  For more "Maine" fare, try the lobster shack at the lighthouse – some of the best lobster rolls in Maine.  Oh, by the way, if you decide to live there -don't expect trash pick-up.  The thrifty yankees prefer the spend the weekend at the town dump – getting rid of their trash and, well, chatting about the week's activities!