Northshore Magazine

November 2014

Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.

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204 packs a lot of culture into a city of 66,000 people. The Arts District, a short stroll from the Old Port, is home to the Maine College of Art and the Portland Museum of Art, a stunning contemporary I. M. Pei-designed space that thoughtfully showcases cutting- edge exhibitions while also displaying a permanent collection of masters of realism, impressionism, and surrealism. Towering over the Arts District is the Westin Portland Harborview hotel, opened last winter after a $50 million renovation that transformed the historic hotel, where Charles Lindburgh stayed after his solo transAtlantic flight, with modern ameni- ties and a rooftop lounge with 360-degree views of the city. The bustling Old Port is a pleasant walk downhill from the hotel. If guests don't feel like walking, the property operates a complimentary shuttle. A 20-minute drive outside the city is one of the region's true gems: the Win- slow Homer Studio on Prouts Neck in Scarborough. Climb the stairs to the second-floor porch, cast your eyes onto the rocky Maine coastline, and you will understand from where Homer drew his inspiration. The artist painted some of his best-known landscapes here, includ- ing Weatherbeaten and The Fog Warning. Purchased from Homer's descendants by the Portland Museum of Art in 2006 and extensively restored, the cottage charms observant visitors with Homer's signa- ture etched into the window glass and his graffiti on the rustic beadboard walls. Tours are by appointment only, spring and fall, with limited availability during the summer. While visits to the Homer Studio can be scheduled through the Portland Museum of Art, one of the best ways to visit the cottage is with a package from the Black Point Inn, the only hotel still standing on Prouts Neck, a vacation hot spot since well before Homer's time. The classic seaside property, which sits at the start of an oceanfront walking trail passing right in front of Homer's studio, has partnered with the museum to offer a package (starting at $995 for two) fea- turing a private tour of the studio along with two nights' accommodations with breakfast and dinner, for select dates in October and starting again in the spring, when the seasonal property reopens. The grand old inn is an ideal spot for whiling away dwindling fall days. Feel the snap of winter coming on? Attentive staff provide cozy blankets so guests can soak up as much sun as possible while savor- ing fresh local oysters on the porch with a glass of wine. ● n TRAVEL PORTLAND, MAINE Mainstay The Black Point Inn offers luxurious accommodations. Photograph courtesy of Black Point Inn; by Leena Robinson/iStock (opposite top)

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