When I landed in Portland, Maine, for MLK Ski Weekend with Black Travel Maine (BTM), I’ll be honest — I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve never visited the state, and as I approach 40, I’m just now warming up to the upside of cold-weather vacations. But with BTM founder and visionary Lisa Jones as our host, I was eager to get back on the slopes, to walk the neighborhoods where our history quietly lives, and to do it among people who understood why it all mattered.
Portland’s Hallmark-movie-like aesthetic, with powder adventures a short drive away, was the initial draw. But experiencing Maine through our lens — in community with other Black travelers and adventure-seekers — was the layer that made this experience feel uniquely ours. Beyond hitting new personal goals on the slopes, Black Travel Maine’s curated MLK Ski Weekend was a reminder that our stories live on in even the most unexpected places.
Lisa Jones And The Vision Behind Black Travel Maine
For more than two decades, Lisa Jones has navigated the travel industry in many capacities: as a destination wedding coordinator, international group travel host, and even as an audience fly-away planner for radio stations. But in 2022, after initially falling in love with the Pine Tree State during the pandemic two years earlier, Jones traded the sleepless pace of New York City for the historic coastal charm of Portland, Maine’s largest city.
Jones admits she was fascinated by the state’s history, which ultimately inspired Black Travel Maine, as she sought a way to preserve our stories and heritage. Forming BTM was also her opportunity to build the community she sought, while warmly welcoming visitors to Maine in a way Black travelers had never experienced.
“I noticed we weren’t traveling here, and I wanted to know why,” Jones shares candidly. “That was my first assessment — just by being at the beaches, this state is so beautiful, and we have the money, why are we not coming here?”
That question led Jones on a journey that would become Maine’s missing piece: an organization that centers Black voices, heritage, and belonging while exploring the richness of a state whose landscapes and narratives have gone largely unseen through a Black lens.
When We Gather: On the Slopes, In the Streets, And At The Party
MLK Ski Weekend is Black Travel Maine’s first gathering of the year, and the clearest example of how the organization balances party and purpose. BTM guests converge at a 19th-century Portland mansion turned boutique property, The Francis Hotel, for a weekend of social events and history tours, curated around a love of snowsports. Whether attendees came out of curiosity, to explore the slopes of Maine, or find new spaces for connection, the weekend made room for it all.
Every item on the itinerary is a warm Maine welcome, from the opening night party to the reflection breakfast on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. That introduction sets the vibe early, which makes the headlining event — time on the slopes of Sunday River Resort — a day of pure fun in a newfound community. Learning to ski with other Black travelers, falling and laughing together, was less about perfecting a skill and more about not facing the mountain alone and enjoying a space that hasn’t always made room for us. Some came for their first lesson, others — personal gear in hand — to do what they’ve always loved in a community that finally reflected them. It’s the kind of day that starts with a chilly, quiet morning road trip and ends with collective sing-alongs and unofficial after-party plans exploring Portland’s local bars and nightlife scene.
Still, the weekend is as much about ensuring Maine’s Black history gets its rightful place in the state’s broader narrative as it is about having a good time. BTM’s Black History Walking Tour, both open to the public and included for ski weekend guests, explores Maine’s untold Black history from the Underground Railroad to modern civil rights. As someone still fairly new to Maine herself, it was important for Jones to connect and work with residents whose families have called Maine home for generations.
“There are people here to tell their own stories, in all age groups, who can continue to share their family’s legacy,” Jones shares. Being led by eighth- and ninth-generation Black Portlanders and expert guides brought a moment of full-circle reflection to the weekend. Every story — from overcoming segregation in the city to key figures like Ethel Franklin Goode, owner of Green Book safe haven, The Hideaway Inn — was a reminder of how far we’ve come. Having the space to honor and celebrate that, surrounded by people who looked like me, brought us together in ways I don’t think anyone was prepared for.
What I loved most about the experience was how Jones intentionally brought together Maine residents and ski weekend visitors. Instead of isolating local life, BTM brings the community along for the journey. And somewhere between learning about the city’s prominent Black figures and the fourth line dance on our final night, I simultaneously felt gratitude for Maine as a place of refuge for formerly enslaved ancestors and understood its present-day allure for those seeking something new.
Strangers To Family: What BTM Is Really Selling
At the heart of how Black Travel Maine shows up across the state is a passion to bridge the gap between what people think they know and the actual living history happening right now.
“We belong in every space,” Jones says. “When I got here and saw how beautiful Maine was, I wanted my people to enjoy it, too. That was my vision: to be able to have the same experiences they have in the outdoors and in these beautiful, healthy environments.”
In addition to MLK Ski Weekend, BTM hosts several other experiences, including its annual 3-night sailing trip every August. The unique sailing puts coastal Maine on display with a historic schooner as your home for the overnight journey — private chef and a proper Maine lobster bake included. Beyond multi-day group itineraries, Jones also curates community events that give native residents and newer transplants a chance to connect. It also means there’s more than one way to tap into the BTM community on a well-timed Portland visit.
“If you want to move here and make it a new home, there are a lot of opportunities,” Jones says encouragingly. “We tend to go to all the places where we’re all at — Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston. Why not go somewhere where you can create your own table?”
In four short years, Jones has successfully done just that, but she’ll tell you herself that her work is far from finished. Black Travel Maine continues to welcome those curious about exploring both Maine’s soulful side and natural beauty. With every gathering and group experience, BTM is making sure that when we think of Maine, we see ourselves, too.
