portland.gov/fort-allen-park | Google map
Parking your picnic blanket on this 10-acre path of green on Portland’s East End can cause your head to swivel. To the left you’ll have a view of Mackworth Island and the sailboats that float along off East End Beach. Behind you stand some of the city’s most stately historic homes. And ahead will be the brilliant blue of Portland Harbor, complete with sightings of Fort Gorges, South Portland’s Bug Light and several Casco Bay Islands. Gaze. Relax. Enjoy.
Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

4000footers.com/Hamlin | Google Map
It takes some work to get to the 4,756-foot summit of Maine’s No. 2 peak but oh the sights you’ll see: Baxter Peak and Knife’s Edge across the way, Chimney Pond down below, and the dizzying Great and North basins, which sit on either side of Hamlin Ridge Trail. While everyone else crowds the other peak for their Katahdin summit photo, enjoy your quiet time taking in the expansive views of mountains and valleys, sky and clouds as far as you can see.
Photo by Karen Beaudoin

You can also sample your fill of craft beers by the ocean and enjoy lots of tea in an historic spot.

Indie-folk, Haitian and blues all on tap in the coming days.

Trio of free events happening this weekend in Portland.

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The views along the drive are almost as good as the end result as you travel the length of Orr’s Island and across the famous cribstone bridge to your destination. You can grab a chair on the deck of the Land’s End Gift Shop, but the better spot is on the rocks that stretch out to the ocean. Watch the gulls, admire the boats, soak in some sun. You may have to leave when the tide creeps in, but you won’t want to.
Photo by Margo Batchelder

www.maine.gov | Google Map
You can see this huge patch of blue from the Height of Land, but it’s so much better to be on it. Preferably with a paddle in hand. The seat of a canoe or kayak provides the best vantage point to admire the expanse of the lake, surrounded by expansive mountains. Stick to the shoreline for views of impressive camps and homes or maneuver around Narramantic Island just a short paddle from the edge of the state park.
Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

www.wellsreserve.org | Google Map

Your $6 entry fee goes a long at the reserve where easy-to-navigate trails lead through fields and woods to the edge of the marshland, rivers and to the rocky edge of Barrier Beach. The trails are always open – think walking when the leaves turn and snowshoes when the flakes fall. See the sights on a guided walk or kayak tour or visit for during the annual nature crafts festival in September.
Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer