Portland, Maine

FLIGHT: 2½ HOURS

1 Maine is famous for its photogenic lighthouses, but none is more picturesque than the Portland Head Light

(free, 1000 Shore Road, Cape Elizabeth, 207-799-2661, portlandheadlight.com). Dating back to 1791, it’s also the oldest one in the state. There’s a museum and gift shop in the keeper’s quarters open daily in the summer and weekends only the rest of the year. Surrounding the lighthouse is 90-acre Fort Williams Park, which features coastal hiking trails, picnic tables and a garden.

For a unique overnight stay, The Press Hotel ($170 and up, 119 Exchange St., 207-808-8800, marriott.com) is a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel located in the former printing plant for the Portland Press Herald constructed in 1923. Amenities include fine dining at the Union Restaurant and Lounge, the Inkwell coffee and cocktail bar, and free bike rentals.

The Old Port district is everything you could ever want in a New England port town: cobblestone streets, 19th-century brick buildings and historic wharves on the harbor. It’s also home to some of the city’s best restaurants and bars. Highlights include Duckfat Frites Shack ($5-$11, 43 Washington Ave., 207-200-2505, duckfatfriteshack.com), a convivial, casual place offering wings, poutine, craft sodas, duck fat milkshakes and Belgian frites served with an array of dipping sauces. There’s also a small but selective choice of micro brews. And although currently closed while it revamps its menu and space, Portland Hunt & Alpine Club ($10$12, 75 Market St., 207-747-4754, huntandalpineclub.com) reopens this spring. Named one of the best cocktail bars in America in 2019 by Thrillist and a two-time James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Bar Program, this is the place to enjoy fresh, creative cocktails by some of the best mixologists around.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PORTLAND HEAD LIGHT AND BY SUZANNE VAN ATTEN FOR THE AJC Portland Head Light is the oldest lighthouse in Maine, while Old Port is home to cobblestone streets, 19th-century brick buildings and some of Portland’s best bars and restaurants.