Portland Maine beckoned for 14 UK tour operators this year to attend DNE Summit and meet with local suppliers, hoteliers and attractions, and David and I were there too.
It was a bumper crowd as we had a total of 97 delegates from across the world meeting with up 300 New England suppliers, many of which turned up to hear my presentation on the UK market. Whilst hugely encouraging that these suppliers recognise the UK as a leading market for visitation, I confess it did make my knees shake a bit.
Nevertheless I got over it, waxed lyrical about the wonders of the British traveller and was delighted to get some great questions.
This event is always so much fun. After the business has been talked about the evening events really get people together to enjoy the wonders on offer – in this case lobster and lots of it.
This theme continued as we headed out on our fam trip and over to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. The weather did well by us and we got to experience some the stunning, if not a bit chilly, Maine coastal towns. As on most fam trips we motored through Camden, Bath, Boothbay Harbor and Brunswick; seeing the sights and eating our way through their lobster led menus.
Heading south into the New Hampshire coastline we came to Portsmouth for the night. There’s no better way to get to grips with a town than as part of a foodie walking tour, and Portsmouth with it charm and personality didn’t disappoint.
Our final stop was Salem… yes known for the infamous Witch trials but home to so much more. We loved the drama of the Salem witch museum, the crooked intrigue of the House of Seven Gables, but we loved the Peabody Essex museum (PEM) with its quirky exhibits with our favourite being Yin Yu Tang, a genuine Chinese House (yes brought over in one piece from China) and the stuffed penguin from the 19th century.
Sadly it was over all too soon and we found ourselves at Boston airport reminiscing about or favourite bits of our trip. For me it was the never tried before Hot Lobster Roll, Stunning Acadia and the PEM! Note to self – must re-visit with more time and in warmer weather! J