Event Planner's Guide 2017

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Portland was a great town for our reunion; about half of us were there for a day or more after the reunion itself spending time in the area.” — Walt Steesy, Sampson AFB Veterans Fellowship Just off the coast of Portland, several Islands await your discovery. Hop a Casco Bay Lines ferry for an overnight stay on Peaks, Chebeague, or Great Diamond and enjoy the serenity of island life for a spell. As you relax into Adirondack chairs, you’ll find it hard to believe you’re only 30 minutes to an hour away from Maine’s largest city. GO CAR FREE It’s easy to explore Greater Portland without a car. Trolleys offer narrated tours and boats are lined up along Commercial Street ready to take you out on the bay. You can get between the Portland Jetport, Portland Transportation Center (train and bus), The Maine Mall, and up to Falmouth on the METRO bus, and the Amtrak Downeaster gets you north to Freeport and Brunswick and south to Old Orchard Beach, Saco, and Wells without the hassle of driving and parking. Several tour companies will customize an itinerary for a half to several days and take you where you most want to go. So don’t hesitate to extend your visit if you arrive without a car—Maine awaits. STAY ONE MORE DAY

Your delegates may want to extend their stay in Maine with a variety of pre- and post-conference trips. Our service team can suggest daytrips or weeklong outings; from the mountains to the sea, there’s so much to discover and so many reasons to turn a business trip into a real vacation. Popular Pre-/ Post-Conference Trips SOUTH & MID-COASTAL MAINE Charming towns and villages dot the coast both south and north of Portland. Enjoy forts and lighthouses, amusement parks and maritime museums, salt marshes and beaches. Kittery and Freeport are home to wonderful outlet shopping, and outdoor outfitter L.L.Bean, in Freeport, is a destination unto itself. DOWNEAST MAINE & THE CANADIAN PROVINCES Maine’s only national park is located less than four hours north of Portland, near the resort town of Bar Harbor. The Park Loop Road, hiking trails and carriage paths offer spectacular views and a variety of activities. As you head north, visit the quaint villages of Boothbay Harbor, Rockport and Camden, boasting terrific art galleries, shops and windjammer cruises. The Cat Ferry makes the trip to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia in 5 1/2 hours, the perfect spot to begin exploring Canada’s ocean playground. MOUNTAINS & LAKES REGION Rustic cabins, camping, swimming and boating in the clear waters of Maine’s lakes…if you love to be active outdoors, this is the region for you! Enjoy mountain biking, fishing, hunting, canoeing, kayaking, whitewater rafting, cross-country or down- hill skiing, and the wildlife of these unspoiled landscapes. Get a different kind of adrenalin rush as you try your luck at table games and slot machines at Oxford Casino, a mere 40 minutes from Portland. THEMED TRIPS There’s something for everyone in Maine! Art lovers can follow the Maine Art Museum Trail and immerse themselves in works of art from ancient to contemporary. If lighthouses set you aglow, you can seek out the more than 60 beacons that illuminate the craggy coast. The Maine Birding Trail is a valuable resource for avid birders who want to see Maine’s feathered friends. Moose watching, whale watching and other wildlife tours are also available in various regions throughout the state.

Photos on right: clockwise from top left: courtesy Sugarloaf Resort; Thomas Mitchell (2)

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