Tyler – Portland Tour Guide
With a background in journalism and a passion for history, Tyler enjoys sifting through the works of those who came before us and exploring the local environs on foot all in an effort to bring together a coherent narrative and context to whichever subject with which he engages. He enjoys passing along his fervor for new information and his “aha” moments to those joining him on his tours or onto his friends and family whether they’d like to hear them or not.
Tyler is a lover of all things music, an obsessive cruciverbalist (it’s a word trust us), player of ultimate frisbee, lover of the hoppiest of beers, an average drummer, traveler, gardener and Simpsons-fanatic.
He and his wife Megan call South Portland their home; find them at Willard Beach tossing a frisbee when you’re in the area.
Marcia – Portland History Tour Guide
Marcia’s passion is to travel. She has enjoyed incredible experiences and exciting adventures in more than 106 countries across all seven continents. She has also had the pleasure of learning more about America by visiting all fifty states.
Being a tour guide is wonderful because she loves to interact with new people, share her stories and knowledge of Maine. She says, “What is most rewarding and fun is helping my guests to experience their new adventures!”
Peter – Kennebunkport Tour Guide
Marlene – Kennebunkport Tour Guide
Having spent the majority of her life in the travel and tourism industry, Marlene finds meeting new people to share her love of her home state of Maine (she’s 13th generation!) is one of her greatest pleasures.
A lover of all things food and having traveled and enjoyed food all over the world, she’s partial to Maine’s incredible offerings of seafood, wild blueberries, fiddleheads, and so much more, especially her very favorite – maple syrup, and enjoys sharing in the harvesting, which can be just as much fun as the eating.
Ray – Portland Tour Guide
Born and raised in New York City, Ray is a historian of photography, with a PhD in American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin; he taught college and graduate students for 15 years in Maine, Texas and New York. He loves working outside and introducing people to history directly, from the vestiges of the past found in the landscape, not just in libraries. He has traveled extensively in the Americas and Europe, and has traveled every U.S state but Alaska by motorcycle, as well as a slew of Canadian provinces. Ray is currently also working on a video series exploring lesser-known passages in U.S history and culture by motorcycle. Ray has also worked locally as a park ranger at Fort Williams.
Ray has lived in Portland since 2001. when not guiding tours, Ray plays trumpet with latin dance group and traditional jazz band, restores (and races) vintage motorcycles, and works as a carpenter. He directs the photographic archive of the photographer, Leigh Richmond Miner, the lead photographer at the turn of the century at Hampton Institute in Virginia, a historically black college.
Ray has a keen sense of humor, adventure, and appreciation for irony and off-beat fun; he loves showing people how the present has evolved and revealing deeper structures underlying daily life.
Ross – Portland History Tour Guide
Referred to by his family as a “fuzzy foreigner”, Ross grew up in Nova Scotia, Canada, fell in love with a woman from Boston, and has been in Maine raising his family for over 20 years now. He loves Maine and loves his job as a tour guide, both for the interaction with new people it affords him (don’t be surprised to get as many questions as you ask) and the constant exploration he is always making of the many intricate and fascinating links between his adopted state and his homeland. He also loves the hard questions that he gets from his guests that lead him to learn new things. He sings every chance he gets during his tours (jury is still out whether that’s a good thing or not). When he’s not on a tour and it’s not snowy enough for skiing, he can usually be found somewhere in the state neck-deep in the ocean or a lake. In this he considers himself like every other Mainer- the cold water doesn’t bother him, and you’ll find him in shorts well into the winters.
When asked who he would be if he could be anyone in the history of Maine, Ross chose James Bacon Curtis, a peculiar Maine figure who made a million bucks with America’s first chewing gum factory, which was located in the Hub Furniture Store across from Fore-Street Restaurant. Anybody can make money, but how many people invent chewing gum?!
Randy, one of our original guides and a native Maineiac, has had a long and ardent love affair with one of our state’s most delicious agricultural bounties – wild blueberries. He recalls fondly handpicking his first cupful some five decades ago in his hometown of Mexico, Maine. He has remained true to these antioxidant wonders of nature and still enjoys them on a daily basis, blending them into refreshing smoothies or incorporating them into various gourmet recipes.
Since 1974, Randy toured Maine and New England with his original one man, multi-character variety show for small and large theaters, conventions, schools and civic organizations.
After teaching stints with Ringling Brothers, Tri-Star Pictures, The Julliard School of Drama, and Circus of the Stars, Randy founded the Maine Hysterical Society, a comedy trio touted as “the best variety comedy act in New England.” Their portrayals of eccentric Downeast characters and comical songs keep their audiences in stitches. Most recently the group participated in The Humor Project’s 52nd International Conference on The Positive Power of Humor & Creativity, and performed with Lucie Arnaz at Birdland, New York City’s legendary jazz club.
Among his most notable accomplishments, Randy ran in the very popular Beach to Beacon 10k Road Race here in Cape Elizabeth while juggling three balls the entire 6.2 miles. He finished the race in under an hour, and he didn’t drop a ball!
Randy has many favorite restaurants here in Portland and particularly enjoys dining at someplace new every month. He’s absolutely addicted to the Cajeta from Horton’s cheese shop.
Judi- Rockland & Boothbay Harbor Foodie Tour Guide
Judi was born and raised in Bangor, Maine. As a child, her family had been visiting Boothbay Harbor for as long as she remembers. Judi made her final trip out to Boothbay Harbor when she decided the coastal town would be her new home. As a food guide, it’s no surprise that Judi enjoys cooking for herself and her mother. She loves to try new things in the kitchen and abroad. She even snacked on deep-fried scorpion and tartunalta when she visited her daughter in China!
There is so much that Judi loves about being a food tour guide. Meeting new people is high on her list, she loves to learn about her guests while sharing her knowledge and love for the region. Judi tends to have plenty in common with her guests, making their time together quite enjoyable.
When she’s not showing guests around the restaurant scene, Judi spends her time out in nature either exercising or just appreciating Maine’s beauty. She is definitely an outdoorswoman, so much that she has hiked Mount Katahdin five times now!
When asked what famous Mainer she would be, she chose Abbie Burgess. Abbie and her family were the caretakers of Matinicus Rock Light in the 1800’s. Abbie saved her family during a terrible storm and looked after her family while her father was gone for 25 days!
Photo: Judi on the left with her Mother, Estelle, on the right.
Sue- Bar Harbor Foodie and History Guide
Sue is a Maine native who spent her early days growing up in Old Town, Maine with sister Pam Laskey, Owner of Maine Foodie Tours. After working in the insurance industry for almost 30 years, Sue joined the Maine Foodie team and has loved every moment!
As a food and history guide in the famous coastal town of Bar Harbor. Sue shares her rich knowledge of the town’s past in conjunction with their growing restaurant scene. In particular, Sue says that the most joyous part of being a tour guide is the look on her guests’ faces as they experience their Maine “firsts”. Their first bite into a fresh Maine lobster roll, or seeing the ocean for the first time to name a few. Sometimes, it is the simple things like a belly laugh after a funny anecdote about the town.
In her spare time, Sue can be found in her kitchen, sneaking vegetables into meals for her unsuspecting family. The cauliflower in Mac n’ Cheese was not so discreet! Her family may be full of foodies, but they never know what they are getting into. Other times, she is sipping on her favorite cocktail, Hippy Juice, from Galyn’s in Bar Harbor. A delicious combination of blueberry kombucha, blueberry vodka, and Maine blueberries.
When asked if she could be any Mainer, Sue chose Doris Twitchell-Allen, a highly esteemed Psychologist from Old Town Maine. In fact, Sue was the first person from Maine to be a counselor at her camp called “Children’s International Summer Village”.
Cynthia- Portland and Kennebunk Foodie and History Tours, Kennebunk Doggy Tours
Meet Cynthia, a self-proclaimed Maineiac hailing from Limington, Maine. Cynthia grew up in Cumberland, Maine and at the time, she was ready to leave town. She went down to Massachusetts to study International Relations at Tufts University. After college, she found herself back in Maine. Today, Cynthia is a french teacher. Beyond being fluent in French, she also speaks fluent Japanese, along with being proficient in Spanish.
She is as well rounded in languages as she is in food and history in Portland and Kennebunk. Meeting all the new people each time, sharing the history, and talking about her beloved state are all among the things that Cynthia enjoys about being a guide. She loves meeting all of your furry friends too!
On days that she is not parading around town with a pack of four-legged friends, she can be found reading books or getting some movement in with yoga, zumba, or a hike. She is also involved in the local music and theatre scene. Or perhaps she is at her favorite restaurant, Sapporo in Portland. The authentic Japanese cuisine is reminiscent of when she lived in Japan.
Her childhood interest in politics brought her to the conclusion that if she could be any person from Maine history she would be Margaret Chase Smith. This Maine native was the first woman to serve in both houses of Congress, and the first female Maine representative.
Barbara – Kennebunkport Tour Guide
Barbara and her husband Bob have lived in the Kennebunk area for over 30 years, where they raised their three children. It was the love of her community that motivated Barbara to launch a second career as a tour guide after she retired as a hospital administrator several years ago. She especially enjoys meeting people from “away” and all walks of life, and showing off all that Kennebunkport has to offer, including beautiful sites, great food and a fascinating history.
When Barbara is not conducting tours, she can be seen biking around town, hiking with her Golden Retriever (Gia), or enjoying her passions of yoga, tennis, and golf. She has traveled extensively around the world but is always grateful to come home and appreciate “the way life should be” in Maine!
Julie – Kennebunkport Tour Guide
Beth – Kennebunkport Tour Guide
Beth has lived in Maine for over 30 years. She is originally from Wisconsin but has found the Maine coast to be her happy place. She loves all the activities summer in the Kennebunks offers: hiking, tennis, beach days, walking her rescue dog, reading, kayaking, and enjoying great local restaurants. She is an avid traveler herself. Beth was a speech/language pathologist for 25 years, then worked in a legal office, and now enjoys being a guide. She feels it is always a pleasure to meet people from away and show off our beautiful town, history, and food!
Tim – Portland Tour Guide
Timothy is a Portland native, born on State street at Mercy hospital and still calls the peninsula his home. He is well traveled however and has spent time in most places here in the states, most recently living in Savannah, Georgia where he was working on developing his artistic practice in alternative photographic processing as well as guiding spooky walking tours through the historic down town. With a background in graphic design and textiles Timothy has been part of the Portland art scene for the last 10 years and has an extensive knowledge of the culture and happening here in town. Also as someone who frequents the nightlife scene here often, Timothy is well read on the best bars, drink specials and not so known in between spots throughout the city. He loves the water and most days when he is not guiding tours or in his studio you are likely to find him on his sailboat in the bay or sitting on one of the docks.
You can see some of his latest works featuring Maine products at ramblemoredesign.co.
Meredith Lubking – Operations Manager
Meredith has lived up and down the east coast her whole life but now calls Portland, Maine home. Her most favorite way to spend a weekend is hiking the beaches and trails of Maine with her rescue pups, Tom Brady and Emme – and, of course, her spouse! She loves trying all new restaurants and bars on the scene and hosting dinner parties in her home.
Craig Rouse – Kennebunkport Culinary Guide
Yanni Raymond – Portland Tour Guide
Yanni was born in Portland, and grew up in midcoast Maine and Charlottesville, Virginia. With
roots in southern Maine stretching back to the 18th century, you may hear him interweave his
own family story with Portland’s history. Yanni graduated from Harvard College in 2024 with a
degree in math and history. He completed a masters degree at Oxford University in 2025, and
will be returning to Oxford in the fall of 2026 to pursue doctoral studies in the history of math. As
a history guide, Yanni offers a tour from the perspective of both a local and a
historian-in-training.
Yanni is passionate about the culinary scene in Portland, which is a lot more than just lobster
rolls. A noted sweet-tooth, Yanni claims that Maine should be better known for its dessert
offerings, from whoopie pies and needhams to some of the best donuts in the world – in fact,
Maine makes a claim to the invention of the donut.
Outside of tour-guiding and school, Yanni is an avid hiker in the mountains of New England. He
loves watching baseball (Go Sox!) and playing baseball (for the Oxford University baseball
team). Yanni connects with local history through his hobby of metal detecting, and will always be
happy to talk about his latest find!
Pete Morrill – Portland Tour Guide
Residing in Maine since the 6th grade, Pete currently lives in the coastal town of Saco just a few miles south of the city of Portland. A graduate of University of Maine, Pete also proudly served in the United States Air Force at Loring Air Force Base located in the Northernmost part of the state. With deep local roots and a passion for travel, Pete strives to provide engaging and memorable food tour experiences that give guests an authentic taste of Portland and the state he has proudly called home for decades.
- John Ferland – Portland Guide
A Portland-area resident for over 40 years, John has great enthusiasm for the city’s dramatic and delights in bringing this rich narrative to life and helping newcomers
uncover the hidden treasures and deep heritage of Portland.
John’s role as a guide is enriched by a diverse career: journalist, coastal planner, marine emergency responder, entrepreneurship mentor, industry association executive and developer of
river and ocean energy projects in North and South America, and Western Europe. He is a native Mainer (yes, the accent is authentic) who enjoys snow (relying on skiing to get him through the
winter). When he’s not sharing his passion for local history, John is an avid traveler himself – most recently cycling in Portugal, sailing Canada’s St. Lawrence River, and exploring Mexico City.
Chuck Kaelin – Portland Tour Guide
Chuck has spent most of his life in Florida including working forty-one years at Publix Supermarkets, twenty-five as a Store Manager.
He began coming to Maine over a decade ago and was enchanted by the beauty of the state and the welcoming attitude of Mainers even to one “from away”!
Visiting different cities across Maine, Chuck and his husband landed on Peaks Island, a short ferry ride across Casco Bay from The Old Port.
He loved the island so much that they bought a summer cottage six years ago, then last year bought a year round house.
Chuck and his husband both recently retired and are spending six months in Florida, six months in Maine. The more temperate climate of Maine made being out in nature hiking or on the water one of the main calling cards of living here.
Enjoying the many festivals across Maine celebrating lobster, blueberries, Moxie, etc make for fun trips across this huge state we live in.
Chuck also enjoys traveling the world and has visited over twelve different countries from Europe to Asia! Enjoying different foods and cultures are the best part of those trips!
So come along on a stroll through interesting Portland and enjoy what brought Chuck here as a tourist and turned him into a resident!
Kim – Portland Tour Guide & Southern Maine Tour Manager
Kim is a native Mainer, born in Calais and raised in Bangor before eventually settling in
southern Maine. She has worked in hospitality and tourism in greater Portland since
2007 and has been a guide with Maine Day Ventures since 2023. She is passionate
about sharing the history, culture, authentic experiences, and amazing local food in
Portland with everyone from first-time visitors to long-time residents.
She loves to travel as much as possible, and discovering new foods and flavors is one
of her favorite parts. In her free time, you can find her enjoying the arts and restaurant
scene in Portland, exploring Maine with her husband and Frenchie-pugs, and planning
her next adventure. Her insider tip – many of our incredible bakeries offer online pre-
ordering, so no need to wait in a long line to enjoy a local treat!Kim – Portland Tour Guide & Southern Maine Tour Manager
Kim is a native Mainer, born in Calais and raised in Bangor before eventually settling in
southern Maine. She has worked in hospitality and tourism in greater Portland since
2007 and has been a guide with Maine Day Ventures since 2023. She is passionate
about sharing the history, culture, authentic experiences, and amazing local food in
Portland with everyone from first-time visitors to long-time residents.
She loves to travel as much as possible, and discovering new foods and flavors is one
of her favorite parts. In her free time, you can find her enjoying the arts and restaurant
scene in Portland, exploring Maine with her husband and Frenchie-pugs, and planning
her next adventure. Her insider tip – many of our incredible bakeries offer online pre-
ordering, so no need to wait in a long line to enjoy a local treat!
Charlie – Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park Guide
When you meet Charlie, one thing becomes clear. Charlie loves Maine and his Island home of Mount Desert. A descendent of the first European settler, his roots run deep.
As a student of history, he has a wide knowledge of the people, places, and events that shaped Bar Harbor and
Acadia National Park. It is this love and knowledge that he enjoys sharing with guests on his tours. He is always ready
with stories and anecdotes from Island lore and suggestions to help you create lasting memories of your visit…
suggestions ranging from hiking to boating to unique experiences such as exploring off the beaten track villages or sampling local cuisine.
Charlie holds a bachelor’s degree in government and a master’s degree in media studies from Boston University. He
is a former teacher and professional videographer. He lives on the west side of Mount Desert Island in the family home
built by his 2nd great grandfather.
Claire – Bar Harbor & Acadia National Park Guide
Southern born and raised, Claire moved to New England in her thirties. From New York to Boston and now to Mount Desert Island, she has settled in her favorite place on Earth. Claire is a writer and editor for educational publishing companies, but relishes getting away from screens and meeting new people on food on tours in Bar Harbor. Claire has been guiding for “too many summers to count” and enjoys every minute of sharing her love of the island and state of Maine.
When she’s not working, she is hiking with her two doodles, biking on back roads, dipping in the ocean (even in winter!), and eating great food. She is a theater fanatic and sings second soprano in the Bagaduce Chorale in Blue Hill. She volunteers for the Friends of Acadia and Island Connections, a nonprofit that transports islanders that need support to doctors’ appointments.
David – Bar Harbor & Acadia National Park Guide
A retired international banker, David was a summer visitor for 33 years before retiring to Bar
Harbor in 2021. He is entering his 26 th season as a tour guide on Mount Desert Island, especially
Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. He loves to show off the natural beauty of the area and
explore its history with visitors. In addition to guiding, he volunteers with Acadia National Park
helping to maintain its trails and carriage roads and driving seniors to medical appointments and
grocery shopping. He is a year-round resident of Bar Harbor.