Experience Portland, Maine

Don't know much about Portland, Maine? Well, it certainly looks like a terrific place in this "promotional" tourist video that praises the city's enviable quality of life and competitive workforce. Offering a tour (hosted by local comedian Bob Marley, whose lame bits and commentary don't add much), and sections on hotels, restaurants, entertainment, and recreation, the video clips here reveal a harbor town with a cosmopolitan feel and "vacation-land" mystique, boasting an efficient ferry service, beaches, boating, a low crime rate, good schools, a cluster of islands in Portland's bay ripe for exploration and whale-watching, and close proximity to Boston. In addition, a 35-minute piece, hosted by CBS News Sunday Morning's Charles Osgood, chronicles the 400-year history of the city. An obviously uncritical look, Experience Portland, Maine nevertheless packs a lot of information into two hours, and it's economical price tag makes it a good choice for travel collections starved for new material. Recommended. Aud: P. (T. Keogh)