Maine Food Adventure: Testing Amex Gold’s Refreshed Perks

Summer and Eric had been friends for two decades, reuniting annually over trips designed around great meals and new discoveries. This early summer, they chose coastal Maine for a week of scenic driving, lighthouse exploration and restaurant hopping, while putting the refreshed American Express® Gold Card to the test across flights, car rentals, hotels and dining.

From Houston and Los Angeles to Maine

Two cross-country flights meant choosing an AmexTravel.com booking to capture 3 Membership Rewards points per dollar on airfare. Summer flew from Houston while Eric departed Los Angeles, accumulating points before they even arrived at their rental car counter.

At the car rental location, Eric claimed his complimentary Hertz Five Star status (enrollment required) to upgrade from a compact car to a Buick Encore SUV—a useful trade for several days navigating Maine’s coastal roads. His prepaid reservation through AmexTravel.com had already generated 2 points per dollar.

Lighthouses, Lobster and Island Bikes

Read also: Presale Access Shaped My Labor Day Weekend: Here’s How Much I Saved · Best Cash-Back Credit Cards for Every Spending Style · Two Chase Ink Cards Hit Record Bonuses: $1,000 Cash Back

Two Lights State Park

The drive south from the airport took them past picturesque New England homes to Two Lights State Park in Cape Elizabeth, where twin lighthouses sit on a rocky headland. The Lobster Shack at Two Lights—an area institution—served heaped lobster rolls with claw and tail meat, mayo and Old Bay seasoning. Eric added a whoopie pie, Maine’s signature dessert, plus strawberry-rhubarb pie. The Atlantic breeze intensified the flavors, and the meal earned 4 Membership Rewards points per dollar paid with the Amex Gold Card.

The Ferry and Peaks Island

In Portland, they boarded the Casco Bay Lines ferry for a half-hour journey to Peaks Island, watching sun-splashed views of the city skyline. They rented bikes and pedaled around the island, admiring summer homes and ocean vistas from strategically placed benches. Returning to the dock, they stopped at Jones Landing Bar and Restaurant for lemonades and rosé before catching the ferry home. The meal again earned 4 points per dollar at the restaurant.

Portland’s Hotel and Dining Strategy

The Press Hotel and Dual Earning

The Press Hotel, Autograph Collection, occupied the former offices of the Portland Press Herald newspaper and retained idiosyncratic details: a lobby wall mounted with 62 vintage typewriters, woodblock art installations and vintage Scrabble sets. Because the hotel participates in both Marriott Bonvoy and American Express‘ The Hotel Collection, they could activate multiple earning streams. By booking through AmexTravel.com, they received 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar on the prepaid stay. The Hotel Collection also delivered a $100 statement credit toward eligible charges for stays of two nights or longer, which they applied toward parking, breakfast at the on-site restaurant Union, and evening drinks.

Summer received a Deluxe King room; Eric a Superior King. Both featured king beds dressed in Frette linens with Cuddledown comforters, rolling leather office chairs embossed with “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog,” and marble bathrooms stocked with Ink & Water bath products. By adding her Marriott Bonvoy number after booking, Summer triggered her Platinum Elite status, which covered additional incidental charges.

Resy Dining and Statement Credits

At Wayside Tavern, housed in an 1881 Italianate mansion on Congress Street, Chef Mike Sindoni served broiled oysters, scallops with bearnaise and caviar, tonnarelli pasta with guanciale and black pepper, and halibut in brown butter with capers and roasted mushrooms. Because the restaurant is bookable on Resy, it qualified for the Amex Gold Card’s statement credit: up to $100 annually (split $50 per half-year following enrollment). The credit covers eligible Resy purchases at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. restaurants.

On their final night, Eric used his portion of the Resy credit at Central Provisions on Fore Street. The lively restaurant offered bluefin tuna crudo with radish and scallion in soy sauce, Maine peekytoe crab over miso pancake, mafaldine pasta with lobster and Calabrian chiles, pan-roasted cod with asparagus and green garlic in white wine butter, and suckling pig with apple brown butter and marcona almonds. With the Resy credit covering part of the cost, both travelers felt free to order desserts—key lime tart and rhubarb-raspberry trifle with pistachio honeycomb.

The Coastal Route North: Rockland and Beyond

Heading northeast along the coast, the pair drove through picturesque fishing villages toward Rockland. Despite the prior evening’s seafood feast, both craved fresh Maine lobster for lunch at Archer’s on the Pier. Summer ordered a salad topped with nearly a pound of local lobster; Eric chose a simple lobster cocktail with melted butter. Afterward, they toured the Farnsworth Art Museum, which houses over 15,000 American artworks including pieces by N.C. and Andrew Wyeth, Edward Hopper, Winslow Homer and Rockwell Kent.

The scenic drive continued to Freeport, where Eric completed his single mission at the L.L.Bean flagship store—finding a summer hat for future beach trips. Before departing, they stopped at Dunkin’, where their purchase triggered the card’s statement credit benefit: up to $7 per month, capping at $84 annually with enrollment, on U.S. Dunkin’ purchases. A quick grocery run through Whole Foods to stock road-trip essentials—Maine Root sodas, popcorn and trail mix—earned 4 points per dollar at the supermarket (capped at $25,000 annually, then 1 point per dollar thereafter).

How the Perks Translated to Real Value

Across the week, the card’s benefits compounded: flights delivered 3 points per dollar through AmexTravel.com; restaurants consistently returned 4 points per dollar until the annual $50,000 threshold. The $100 Hotel Collection credit and up to $100 annual Resy credit directly reduced lodging and dining expenses. The $84-per-year Dunkin’ credit, the complimentary Hertz Five Star upgrade, and dual earning at a Marriott-affiliated property all reinforced the value proposition. The $325 annual fee was offset by demonstrable credits and a multiplier structure tilted toward the trip’s largest category—food. Over seven days combining scenic drives, museum visits and regional dining institutions, the refreshed Amex Gold Card’s updated benefits—particularly its emphasis on dining and hotel credits—proved capable of substantially offsetting the costs of a thoughtfully planned road trip.