Maine’s largest city...Portland!

   Known as Forest City, the Pine Tree Trail gets its start (or ending, depending on your direction of travel!) on Forest Avenue. Over half a million people work and live in its metropolitan area. While the economy is currently dominated by tourism and service sector jobs, it still has a busy waterfront that supports marine industries and commercial shipping. Located just over 100 miles from Boston, Portland is the beginning point of the Southern part of the Pine Tree Trail. For those who love and long for the sea, the experience that is Portland will not only satisfy that yen but will leave lasting memories that lure one back time and time again.  America’s 20th largest fishing port is also the closest transatlantic port to Europe.    

While many people assume that Portland, Maine was named after Portland, Oregon, the opposite is true. Asa Lovejoy of Boston and Francis Pettygrove of Portland, Maine each felt that they should use their hometowns’ name as the moniker for the community on the west coast. They decided it by a coin toss: Pettygrove won, and Portland, Oregon was born. THIS Portland is truly a jewel cradled by the sapphire blue Atlantic.  For more information, check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland,_Maine