AARP calls Portland, Maine, Number One Vacation Destination in USA

Who can argue with the organization of the elderly and the near-old? Here, in part, is what AARP's monthly magazine said in putting Portland above New York City, among other cities:

"Modern-day Portland is the state’s largest city, a commercial hub where glass-and-steel high-rises house multinational corporations. But it’s the revitalized, working Old Port that makes the city so appealing. Lobstermen still commandeer wooden fishing boats, and the air rings with the music of ship bells and foghorns. Stroll the wooden wharfs and cobblestoned streets. Dine on fresh seafood, including lobster, at spots like Portland Lobster Company and hip Fore Street. In fact, in 2009, Bon Appetit named Portland the Foodiest Small Town in America for its roster of award-winning restaurants and top chefs."

In this post, you'll see no photos of the highly recommended "Old Port." Formerly a rough but real neighborhood, rich newcomers decided to make it cute and nice - and too expensive for most Mainers.

My recommended sites include:

Longfellow Square

Monument Square 

Tate House of 1755 (under repair)

The Victoria Mansion, finished in 1860

The West End, with some of the oldest homes in Portland

The Waterfront, where you can dock your yacht at your doorstep. And if you can afford to live here - you've got a yacht!

Finally, you've got to love a city where a headless manikin is used to advertise a hair salon!