Round numbers have always been a big deal at Yelp. Back in the day, we would all celebrate each…read moreother's 100th and then 200th reviews. That's not as important as it used to be, but this is my 1000th review and we tend to pick them carefully. I suppose that I'm the first to commemorate number 1000 by reviewing Biddeford, Maine but it's no accident. Biddeford is an amazing little city. First, an incredibly abbreviated history lesson. Skip this paragraph if you understand mill towns. Biddeford's mill town community was the workplace and home for generations of immigrants. They came to the mills looking for employment and they started at the bottom, being poorly paid and working under conditions that we would never tolerate today. The mills were busy for years but became obsolete due a new technology called electricity. The old mill buildings became run down and abandoned, the towns were stuck with massive unemployment, crime increased, and it was really bad. Biddeford was luckier than many other mill towns because it became a bedroom community for Portland's workers and because the mills were re-used to make Vellux blankets, but downtown was still depressed. I first saw Biddeford in the 80's and it wasn't pretty. Not only had it been depressed for quite a while, but a huge incinerator called MERC was built downtown and it stunk. And it stayed that way into the 21st century. Fast forward to now and Biddeford is changing fast. The abandoned mills were bought by people with a vision. MERC was finally closed. People have been attracted by the cheap rents in the mills and they're being refurbished at an astonishing rate. I haven't been able to confirm it, but about one-third of the million-plus square feet of mill space has apparently been renovated. There's a group of people who give tours of the old run down mill buildings and they say that in a year or two here won't be anything left to see because it will all have been rebuilt and occupied. There are art galleries, coffee shops, concerts in the local parks, all kinds of ethnic restaurants, and new businesses seem to be opening almost every day. In the last few months, the city has gotten curbside recycling and a new supermarket. This is good stuff for a city that many had written off and I'm glad to write about it for my milestone of review number 1000. I'm giving the city of Biddeford four stars because there's still work to be done and more than a few local politicians act like they prefer the good old days of urban blight. Some bigger businesses have been unable to move to Biddeford because there's not enough parking and there's a big debate about whether the city should build a parking lot. A bright future for Biddeford is within reach and I'm excited to have a ringside seat in my artist studio, located in one of Biddeford's nearly-full mill buildings. And no, I'm not running for office. I'm just excited about where things can go.

I had a house on Hills Beach for several years and loved the neighbors and the beautiful beach and…read moreviews. The history of this mill town is amazing; workers actually walked a rope bridge from what is now Saco, across the river to the mills in Biddeford. I have mixed feelings about the mill buildings' renovations because I hired so many expert tradesmen out of these buildings when I built our present house. The smell of oil and wood as you walked in was wonderful and it was amazing to see rope still being made in the building. I'm glad however to see the renovations and the new housing coming out of it all. Some incredible restaurants are in Biddeford: my favorite Thai restaurant, Napoli-style pizza made by a wonderful Italian pizza maker to name a few. The shopping area with Market Basket and other stores fills a need for those of us in the area. Unlike other rural surrounding towns, Biddeford is a city and has more workers and bars, so it might have a few more problems, but I have never had a problem parking and walking around at night. Most of the people at City Hall have been great; only once was there an error with a tax bill and it was straightened out quickly. I now own another property there, closer to the downtown, and again, the neighbors are great. Plus, the University of New England there is doing well and growing. I collaborate with one of the professors and enjoy the time spent on our project.

Shevenell Park is a small park in downtown Biddeford that apparently came into existence when a…read morebuilding was taken down. For many years it was little more than an empty lot with broken glass and the usual garbage that accumulates when no one's watching, but a few years ago some grant money appeared and the lot was cleaned up. Trees were planted, benches were built, and some tables and chairs showed up. Now it's a spot where there are concerts every Wednesday in the park, people drop by to eat their lunch, and the police frequently walk through. There's nothing about the park that's going to put it on the cover of Architectural Digest, but it's one of a hundred little things that can turn a small downtown from a dreary and depressing wasteland into a place where people want to work and live. Not all of those 100 things have been done yet and there's always some guy within a few blocks asking people for spare change, but it's nice to see progress. If you're near Biddeford between 5:30 and 7:00 on a Wednesday night in the summer, check out the music and then walk to one of the nearby restaurants for dinner. Shevenell Park is okay, and that's worth three stars. Actually it's a little more than okay but Yelp won't let me give it 3.5 stars.

Top notch experience! They are very well organized from the instructions you receive after…read moreregistering to the check-in process and parking for $5 for the duration of your trip. It was great that it was a live narration rather than a recording. So many interesting facts along the way. We took the shoals island tour that included 1 hour at Star Island. The option to take a 1/2 hour tour or explore on your own for about an hour was available. Plenty of time to look around. Snacks and drinks available in boats are affordable or you can bring your own snacks. Overall a great experience.

We went on the M/V Thomas Laighton to and from Star Island…read more These folks are tops in their business. Not only a pleasant trip but also a superb narration of the historical significance of the details and also the points of interest along the route. Comfortable, full bar, snacks and great views.

I highly recommend Casco Bay Custom Charters…read more We sailed with them for a special family event in July 2020. We gathered to release our father's ashes at sea. The team we worked with to plan the event were flexible with our plans including location, departure, and the actual release. They provided helpful information about purchasing a biodegradable urn and how to structure our minimal program - especially as we had young children participating (ages 4-11). They will work with you to create your ideal experience.

Our small family really enjoyed this private charter experience. The crew was super friendly and…read morevery knowledgeable. The boat was comfortable and the tour included some hardy snacks and drinks. Would highly recommend this company to anyone looking for a private Charter tour in the area.

Had lunch at the bar with a friend. Always a fun time! Of course I had to order the turkey dinner…read moreplate. It was delicious. My friend had a chicken wrap with cole slaw. Everything was great. Fun bartenders.

I went there last night and got the haddock sandwich, I then spent the rest of my night into this…read moremorning violently puking my brains out. I had to go to the ER and get IV fluids and meds. I spent the ENTIRE day at the hospital. So would I recommend them? No I wouldn't. Also little advice to the restaurant, maybe check the dates of your food before cooking it and sending it out to people!!

When Norm heard that we wanted a photography tour, he did not disappoint. From moment one he had…read moreplanned out an itinerary of bucolic and iconic Maine sites. From the famous Portland Head Lighthouse to off the beaten path locations that no tourist ever attended, he found spots to take gorgeous photos and videos. Although the weather on the day we visited was overcast, Norm even planned for those weather contingencies and had multiple locations ready for us to film from. He helped to structure the tour so that lighting was best for the specific shot. Prior to our tour, Norm had also location scouted a variety of different locations so that he could recommend specific spots from which to film rather than us wasting time looking for a spot to shoot from. Norm was also extremely hospitable and friendly and epitomized Maine hospitality. Norm and his company have the flexibility to cater the tour to your exact specifications: You want local only food places for foodies; you want a tour in Cantonese or Portuguese; You want a tour of all lighthouses -- nothing was a problem. Norm also took us to a local restaurant that had some of the best clam chowder in the east coast, and the absolute best lemon mascarpone cheesecake that I have ever tasted in my life. Thank you Norm. We would never do Maine without first booking a tour with you.

My wife and I traveled to Portland Maine this past weekend (August 20th 2022) for my birthday. My…read morewife booked the Portland Venture to try a few different restaurants in the Portland area. Our guide was Jason G. He was so much fun, but moreso, very knowledgeable about the city, restaurants, and some of the historical landmarks. he was a very personable guy and you need that type of a personality on a 2 hour walk. It was one of the best parts about our trip to Portland. We were able to try some great local food and drinks and learn so much about a fantastic city! We will definitely be back. Jason was fantastic and we highly recommend asking for him through Maine Day Ventures! you won't be disappointed!

Free parking and a nice short trail to a cascade. It was dry when we went so the cascade was a…read moreletdown tbh but still a fun time

I have noticed this trailhead many times on our trips to Old Orchard, but never had time to stop in…read moreand check it out. Today, we did! I'm so glad! The trail is beautiful, and easy for anyone (except a wheelchair, sorry) I have a bad knee with limited mobility, and this was doable for me! I'm so glad we made it out there today. The waterfall was at full force, and was so gorgeous. The little landing area at the bottom was full of downed trees, but the kids were having so much fun climbing and navigating. There were people flitting about in every which way, miniaturized by the big waterfall. The bridge was washed out, looking to be repaired, so I think one access from the loop was cut off. But people were navigating over the downed trees and on rocks. Nobody seemed to care. It was a blast! HIGHLY recommend this trail.

This was easily the highlight of my trip. 2hr Tandem Paddle at Sunset…read more We backpacked into Portland feeling a bit unprepared but ready for adventure, and Portland Paddle made it happen!! We stored our bags with the kind folks manning the station -- they were all SO friendly and they even had a lil puppy chillin with them. Our guide was Harry and he was AMAZING!! He helped gear us up, put us through a mini safety/how to lesson, and took us out! As someone who's never kayaked on the ocean, I felt extremely ready with Harry at the helm! He was super knowledgeable of history, the boats, the wildlife, and the marina. He was so fun to yap with and patient with our shenanigans and jokes on the water hehehe. We saw many beautiful boats, including historical reenactment sailboats, sea birds, Osprey and their nests, and talked to some locals on the water. Harry said it was the windiest he's seen all summer when we were paddling back - be prepared to get a good workout in!! It was sunny out so no need for thick garments- even the water didn't feel icy cold like I expected. None of us tipped but even if we did, we would've been safe in this weather. For people's reference if you're wondering what to wear: Swimsuit, leggings (shorts would've been fine on a day like this), water wicking long sleeve top, hat, sunglasses, Tevas. They provide life vests, water shoes, and dry bags!!! THANK YOU HARRY FOR MAKING OUR TRIP SO SPECIAL

Easiest scheduling experience and reasonable prices. 2 hours for a tandem kayak for $50. Gear was…read morein great shape. Did a self-guided tour of the area and the customer service gave us a quick, yet thorough, overview of the 'exploration' area and other tips. It was fun just navigating through the water and seeing Portland from this perspective. We were rookies and didn't plan to bring snacks/drinks, but there's a little island that you can easily get to and land for replenishment/take a break, with an excellent view of Eastern Prom. Would certainly consider doing a kayak guided tour next time, since we were kind of floating aimlessly around with the only goal of soaking up the last bits of summer. Still, it was very fun!