Parents’ Weekend at Bates College is a magical time of year. The trees are changing color to vibrant oranges and reds, along with fall traditions such as apple picking at Wallingford’s Fruit House. It was my parents’ first ‘Back to Bates’ weekend and they were ecstatic to see all that Maine has to offer during the fall.
Here are a couple things I took them to do on Friday and Saturday:
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Went to Fish Bones Grill for dinner. This place is delicious if you are looking for a hardy “real food” place to take the family.
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Took a quick trip to Wallingford’s Fruit House where we picked juicy apples and devoured their fresh made donuts.
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Ate another delicious meal at Orchid, a charming Asian cuisine restaurant in Lewiston right on Lisbon Street!
Butttt despite all of the cool things we did locally, my favorite day spent with my parents was Sunday in Portland. Despite the piles of school work that I had, I ventured out with my parents on their last day here and it was totally worth it. We started by having a delicious brunch at “Isa,” a very Brooklyn-esque bistro on Portland Street. I highly recommend their lunch and brunch menus, but I can specifically vouch for their ‘soup and sandwich’ combo which is squash apple soup, and grilled cheese with apple butter. Yes, it does taste as amazing as it sounds.
The final part to our amazing weekend was something that a local at Isa suggested himself, to go see the Portland Head Light. This is a beautiful place to take your family, whether you are tourists or locals, and take some scenic photos of all that Maine has to offer. We spent time walking around, and since the terrain is not arduous, it made for a beautiful Sunday walk. If you are looking for things to do within half an hour of campus, these are some of the best. These first time experiences at many of these places was very special for me and my parents, they can’t wait to come back and visit again!