On our last day in Portland, I tried to squeeze in as many last-minute stops as I could. First up in the morning was the East End Observatory Tower. I lived only a few blocks away from the tower before I got married, but I’d never taken the tour.
My friend Emily (in college it got a little confusing to have two Emily’s, so she was “Nice Emily” and I was “Other Emily”. It was an accurate description – she’s way nice!) and I met up in the morning and walked over to the tower.
I’m usually not such a big fan of tours – I like to look at my own pace, see it, and get out – but our tour guide, Roland, was awesome. He had so many fun facts and tidbits about the tower’s lifetime – from 1807 to today. My favorite fact? The tower is kept from blowing over in the wind by several tons of rocks in the basement!
You can find information about the Observatory Tower and its history here. It was built in 1807 so that the people in Portland could know when and what ships were coming in to port from as far as 30 miles offshore.
{Me with a forced smile – it’s high up there and I’m a huge wimp at high heights!}
{Miss Emily with the Eastern Promenade in the background}
When the watchmen in the tower could see a ship coming in, they would fly the coordinating flag from the top so the people of Portland could assemble at the docks. Isn’t that handwriting beautiful?
Obviously, the views of Portland, Casco Bay and the surrounding towns are amazing. For only $8 for the hour-long tour, it’s a great deal!
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