View from the deck at Portland Lobster Company in Portland. Perfect summertime date night location!

As a child that grew up in Maine, I never appreciated how truly amazing the state I call “home” really is until several years ago. As a kid, you only know what you know. I knew that I lived in Maine, winters were really snowy, I got a lot of snow days, the summers seemed to go on forever and were always the best part of the year [besides Christmas! ]. As an adult, I have come to appreciate my home state more and more as time goes on. It’s awesome and when you have someone to share it with, it makes it all that much better.

The nice weather that we all crave so much during the winter months is finally HERE, so it only makes sense to take as much advantage of it if you can, while you can.

I have put together a list of 5 date night ideas that I would recommend to anyone that lives in or around Portland, Maine.

Peaks Island Date - In just 15 minutes [approx. 3 miles from downtown], you can go from Portland to Peaks Island [which is part of Portland]. “Peaks” as the locals call it is the most populous island in Casco Bay and was once known as the “Coney Island” of Maine because of its hotels, cottages, theaters & amusement parks and became a popular summer destination during the late 19th century. Unfortunately, most of the hotels were lost during fires over the years, but the island’s charm has not been lost at all and that’s why I think it’s one of the most perfect dates.

If you catch a ferry via the Casco Bay Lines, you can get breakfast or lunch on the island… The Inn On Peaks Island is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week with breakfast served on Sunday mornings. The pub stays open later based on the ferry schedule. The inn brews and serves its own beer with an in-house 15 gallon brewing system. That’ll impress that man in your life. The Cockeyed Gull [located on Island Avenue and just a short walk the from the ferry terminal] is another restaurant location with a deck overlooking Casco Bay. They serve lunch & dinner daily and breakfast on Saturday & Sunday mornings. I recently visited & was surprised to see on the bottom of their menu this: The Great State of Maine kindly invites you to order a bottle of wine with your dinner and take the remainder home. We will throw in a couple of paper cups in case you find some moonlight on a dock. After you enjoy your meal, head on over to Brad’s Island Bike Rentals & Repairs and pick up a bike [you can even get one with a basket!]. It costs about $10 for 3 hours, but with that comes a map as well as recommendations for you to stop off at during your voyage. When you are done with you island date, hop the ferry back to Portland!

Golf Driving Range Date – I have always loved to drive golf balls… I think it’s the field hockey in me , and most guys I know really enjoy hitting a bucket or two of balls from time to time. When it comes to playing a “round” of golf… I’m all set… Waaaayyyy tooooo slooooowwww for me… Let’s hit those suckers one after another, after another… a nd not chase it around 18 holes? Sounds like a plan to me! So if you are in the Greater Portland area, I have some driving range suggestions for you… Maine has abo ut 20 golf  practice facilities and driving ranges across the state, so next time you are struggling to find something different to do for date night, consider checking out Tee ‘N Tee Golfland, Inc. in Westbrook. They are located on Route 302, on the right after the Riverside Dunkin Donuts if you are coming from Portland. There isn’t a whole lot to do in that area, but after wards I would suggest heading back up Route 302 towards Portland and to Tortilla Flat [It is literally right up the road, only about a minute or two on the left] and enjoy some margaritas, chips & guacamole or maybe some homemade key lime pie? It’s YUM!

Prout’s Neck Cliff Walk Date -If you have never gone on this walk, and you live in Maine… You HAVE to do it! It is absolutely breathtaking and the history of that land is also very special to Scarborough, Maine. Winslow Homer was an American landscape painter and print maker. He had a studio on Prout’s Neck that inspired many of his famous paintings. He died in 1910 at his studio which is now owned by the Portland Museum of Art. However, right along the coast is a beautiful one mile long [rocky!] cliff walk. *Do not think you can wear flip flops or any open-toed shoes… I made the mistake and almost broke my toe! Get your sneaks for this one! It is a little hidden to find… I parked at Ferry Beach which is down the road a ways before you get to the very end of the peninsula… They have some public parking [It costs $10 during the day during the summer months]. I believe that you can also park at Black Point Inn, but I wouldn’t bank on that one unless you are paying to stay there. To find the Cliff Walk, you need to go all the way to the end of the road, past the yacht club and right before the gate, a little ways down a rocky driveway, is a path on the left… As you head down it you will see signs about dogs being allowed, but that you need to pick up after them… You’ll know you’re in the right spot then, but only after you feel like you are trespassing. You’re not, don’t worry It’s an amazingly beautiful walk with so many opportunities for photos! There are some grassy areas, as well as flat rocks that would be the perfect spot for a picnic!

Fondue Group Date at Home - I recently had fondue for the first time at a friend’s house! It is so much fun to do with a group of friends. You can do an appetizer, dinner AND dessert all with one fondue pot! This date is something you can do at your home with your special someone, OR you could invite over a couple of couple’s and enjoy the conversation created by the magic of fondue! If you’ve never had fondue, let me give you a little 411…  The word

Our Bananas Foster fondue dessert!

“fondue” comes from a French word “fondre” which means “to melt.” The “melting” is in reference to what’s going on in the fondue pot! When I recently had fondue for the first time, I was so impressed that you can cook; an appetizer, usually french bread, dipped in cheese [very delish!], the main course AKA meat fondue, which can be several different types of meat [we had chicken, shrimp & steak] cooked [dipped] in hot oil and then there are also several different fondue dipping sauces that are popular to serve with fondue. You have to make sure you time how long you cook the meat for, to ensure you cook everything thorough and don’t cross contaminate utensils with raw meat and then you can top it all off with dessert. We had a variety of different things [check out the photo] that we dipped in the Bananas Foster fondue. I can’t wait to get my very own fondue pot and begin having group fondue dates in our brand new house! If you are interested in doing the same, check out this website, Fondue Bits for some recipes. If you are interested in the Bananas Foster recipe, check out the Melting Pot Bananas Foster version. I defintely suggest you make it for your date and/or guests! 

Drive-In Movie Theater Date – Growing up, my parent’s took my little brother and I to the drive-in movie theater all of the time during the summer months. I always loved getting  my pajamas, going to the store and picking out all sorts of goodies and grabbing our blankets and pillows and piling into the back of car to watch not one, but TWO good movies. That is, if we were able to stay awake through the second movie. I also remember seeing in movies growing up, drive-in movie theater dates which were always just an excuse to make out or “neck” as my parent’s generation calls it. In southern Maine there are a couple options when it comes to choosing a drive-in movie theater. My personal favorite is the Saco Drive-In! This year you can enjoy two movies for just $15 per vehicle. That’s a really good deal! You can also bring your dog… Just make sure you clean up after them and they aren’t barking throughout the entire movie… No one wants to deal with that! There are several other open drive-in theaters in Maine that would also be perfect for a date night. Watching a movie in your own car is always a more comfortable environment. It’s also a great experience!

What are your favorite date night ideas?! Please feel free to share them below in the comments! I am always looking for some new ideas!