Portland bares all for Playboy (updated)

Those of you who read this blog regularly (both of you) know I like to point it out when Greater Portland gets nationwide recognition — top 10 lists, the bests of the bests, if you will, as published by experts in influential travel, trade, tourism and aficionado magazines.

We’ve seen a bunch of mentions in Travel + Leisure and Forbes, with some shout-outs in places like Men’s Health, Kiplinger Personal Finance and Parenting, among many others.

The latest national publication asking Portland to bare all of its, ahem, attractions — if you know what I mean — is reportedly Playboy.

I tagged along during a game fishing excursion aboard the Atlantic Adventurer Thursday to recognize the start of the local MDA Sportfishing Open and, to a lesser degree, the end of the Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week.”

Capt. Jim Harkins stole some moments here and there, between landing game fish and explaining the finer points of deep sea fishing to the day’s tag-alongs, to quietly coordinate Playboy coverage.

So I had to ask.

Apparently, the magazine, best known for its pictorial spreads of nude women, also occasionally includes words, and coming soon is a piece on the best ways to enjoy Portland.

In fact, Portland may even be in the big September issue, which hits news stands today with Kate Middleton’s cousin on the cover.

One of those ways, if the telephone interviews with Capt. Harkins and appearance of a Playboy app photographer on the docks Thursday is any indication, is to go sport fishing.

I’m not sure which other of Portland’s assets made the list, however, if indeed the story is out today. I have yet to go down to the local news stand and pick up a copy… for the articles, of course.

Update, Aug. 18, 2012, 3:09 p.m.:

Since posting this yesterday evening, I’ve gotten some feedback which could help clear some things up. I heard from the aforementioned photographer who met us on the docks Thursday evening, and she said the Portland featurette was for Playboy’s mobile app specifically, not for the print edition.

So for those of you who ran out to your local book store Friday night and grabbed the September Playboy, then diligently studied each and every page seeking news of how best to enjoy Maine’s largest city, sorry about that.

Download the Playboy app instead, and see what pops up.

Seth Koenig

About Seth Koenig

Seth has nearly a decade of professional journalism experience and writes about the greater Portland region.