... for the NEA Spring 2016 Meeting?

Are you planning on attending the New England Archivists' Spring 2016 Meeting in Portland, Maine? Make sure and reserve your room at The Inn By the Bay Hotel and Convention Center on Spring Street in the middle of downtown Portland. Rooms are going quickly (especially on Friday night) so make sure to call to reserve a room at the NEA special rate ($125/night) before MARCH 1ST. Call 1-800-345-5050 (reference the NEA Meeting).

After you've booked your hotel room, you may be wondering what to do around the city. There are a ton of options and Portland is very manageable, but in case you don't want to walk further than 5 minutes -- here are some exciting things to do and experience right around the corner from the hotel (88 Spring Street):

ART MUSEUM
Portland Museum of Art
Seven Congress Square
The Portland Museum of Art features a collection of more than 18,000 objects with decorative and fine arts dating from the 18th century to the present. PMA displays works of Maine-natives, highlighting the rich artistic tradition of the state and its artists, as well as the largest European art collection in Maine, and a diverse range of contemporary work. And admission is free on Fridays from 5 to 9 p.m.

ART WALK
First Friday Art Walk
Multiple venues all around the NEA Spring 2016 Meeting's hotel and beyond.
On Friday April 1st, celebrate Portland’s First Friday Art Walk, a free self-guided tour of local art galleries, art studios, museums and alternative art venues from 5-8 pm. More than 60 arts destinations are open from Portland’s Arts District to the East End, Bayside to the Old Port.

BAKERY, CAFE, MARKET, TAKE-OUT
Aurora Provisions
94 Pine Street
For over 15 years, Aurora Provisions has been the independently owned, go-to place in the West End for homemade goodness… from legendary raspberry scones and coffee lattes in the morning to a lunch spread that features homemade soups, panini, gourmet sandwiches, entrees, and salads to a complete prepared food case for take home ease. The bakery is chock full of inventive treats and old fashioned favorites.

BOOKS
The Green Hand
661 Congress Street
The Green Hand is a general used bookstore, carrying a wide range of well-organized but eclectic materials.

CHINESE DIM SUM
Empire Chinese Kitchen
575 Congress Street
With the arrival of Empire a year ago, finally people have stopped complaining that there’s no good Chinese food in Portland. Famous for their Easts Meets West creative dim sum.

COFFEE
Speckled Ax
567 Congress Street
Serving Matt's Wood Roasted Organic Coffee, this cool, modern space has offerings to please even the biggest coffee geek, but the menu descriptions and informative staff will help out those with less bean knowledge.

GASTRO-PUB
Little Tap House
106 High Street
With upscale pub food and local beers, the Little Tap House has lunch, dinner, brunch and one of the best happy hours in the city.

MUSIC
State Theater Portland
609 Congress Street
Known as Portland's Carnegie Hall, the State Theater hosts national acts that perform at this recently renovated historic 1929 theater.

MYSTERIOUS (AND FUN)
International Cryptozoology Museum
11 Avon Street
Cryptozoology is the study of hidden or unknown animals. This includes species unverified by science, such as Yetis, Bigfoot, Lake Monsters, and Sea Serpents. It also encompasses the study of animals of recent discovery, such as the coelacanth, okapi, megamouth shark, giant panda, and mountain gorilla. Whatever you do -- don't visit them on Saturday morning at 10:30am. Stay at the NEA Spring 2016 Meeting to see Cryptozoology Museum Director Loren Coleman and Assistant Director Jeff Meuse present at the session "Exploring the Unexplained: Mysteries, Monsters, and Archives."

SHOPPING
Chellis Wilson
17 Pleasant Street
This place is more art installation than conventional shop filled with a spare and carefully arranged selection of clothes, books, textiles, and furniture. Owner Barbara Merritt describes it as “a retail adventure, committed to strong aesthetics and integrity of production."

TRENDY COCKTAILS
Bearded Lady's Jewel Box
644 Congress Street
This is the Bearded Lady’s Jewel Box a brand new craft cocktail bar, recently opened by Nathaniel Meiklejohn through a Kickstarter campaign. The fact that there’s no sign and the front window is blacked out doesn’t matter. Locals hunt him down wherever he is, eager to sample his exotic liquor concoctions—and maybe some of the sideshow too. (He’s known to occasionally squeeze a pink dress over his lumberjack body and shaggy red beard.) The unique vibe is unlike anything else in town.

VEGETARIAN
The Green Elephant Vegetarian Bistro
608 Congress Street
Thai inspired, The Green Elephant's food includes numerous Asian influences as the chef and owner continuously seeks to bring a spirit of equality and inclusiveness to the menu. No borders. No hard lines. The food unites ingredients and flavors from Malaysia, Japan, China, India and Thailand into a meat-free menu with something for everyone.

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And make sure to register for the meeting before the early bird deadline on February 28th. Here are some important upcoming dates to remember:

2/20 -- Deadline for submissions to Spring 2016 Home Movie Day and StorySLAM events
2/28 -- Early-bird registration ends
2/29 -- Advanced registration begins
3/01 -- Hotel CUT-OFF for special NEA reservation prices
3/04 -- Last day to sign up to volunteer for a Day of Service event at the Portland Historical Society
3/25 -- Advanced registration ends
3/31 -- Onsite registration available

See you in Portland!