Tag: Portland

Experience Art

Generally people don’t think of Portland, ME when they think of art.  However, a trip to Portland without a visit to the Portland Museum of Art is incomplete.  I believe the PMA is one of the most underrated attractions in the city.

The Collection

Whether art is “your thing” or not, the collection is so vast there’s something for everyone.  From Impressionists Mary Cassatt and Claude Monet to American John Singer Sargent, there’s no shortage of representation from famous artist.  Being a Maine museum, the PMA features Maine artists such as Dahlov Ipcar and the beloved Winslow Homer.

Take a quick look at the collection yourself!

Your Museum, Reimagined

The PMA launched the Your Museum, Reimagined campaign this year.  A multiyear project, the campaign focuses on improved access and promises to “fundamentally change the way the public interacts with the PMA” according to director Mark Bessire.   Check out the following video courtesy of the PMA for a closer look at their progressive developments.

Visit

Not convinced you should visit yet?  The PMA features notable exhibitions on a rotating basis.  I recently viewed an exclusive Matisse exhibit including the artist’s most private works and journals.  Prior to that I saw a spectacular Andy Warhol exhibit featuring some of his most famous works, such as Campbell’s Soup Cans.

Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for students, but UNE students are free!  The museum is also free Friday evenings from 4-8.  Stop by while you’re checking out the First Friday Art Walk, a great way to truly experience the culture of Portland.

For more info, check out the Portland Press Herald‘s perspective on the PMA here.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for Lib’s Dairy Treats

Every town has its favorite ice cream place, and Lib’s Dairy Treats is the go-to spot for residents of Portland’s North Deering neighborhood.  A North Deering resident myself, I’ve been satisfying my sweet tooth at Lib’s, as locals call it, since before I was born – literally (my mom craved their vanilla milkshakes when she was pregnant).

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A family owned and operated business since 1969, Lib’s specializes in soft-serve ice cream.  If you’re hoping for hard-serve, go elsewhere because Lib’s doesn’t have it.

Previously a Dairy Queen in the 1960s (a small cone cost 5 cents!), one of Lib’s’ standby menu items is perhaps not so coincidental;  “Arctic Blasts,” as they’re called at Lib’s, would be more recognizable by the name “Blizzards.”  You won’t find Guardians of the Galaxy limited edition mixes but a list of classics ranging from chocolate chip cookie dough and M&M’S® to my personal favorite, rocky road.

Lib’s always features vanilla and chocolate, and twist, on their whiteboard menu but rotates select flavors such as black raspberry and peanut butter according to popularity and the season.  They usually have a fruit whip too.

If you’re in North Deering, I recommend walking to Lib’s with your family or friends (you’ll thank yourself for the exercise after an indulgence).  Otherwise, feel free to drive because there’s ample parking space even on busy, hot summer days.

Bring your dog too!  Lib’s bakes their own dog treats to accompany kiddie bowls of vanilla ice cream – “doggy dishes,” so no member of the family is forgotten.

A seasonal location like many ice cream places in Maine (our winters don’t encourage much frozen food consumption), Lib’s opens in early spring and closes in early fall.  I count down the days until opening from about February and load up on freezer-friendly “Buddy Bars” before closing to carry me through the remaining year.

Not located in the touristy Old Port, Lib’s is truly a local gem worth visiting for the best soft-serve in the city, if not the state.

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