Maine Stay Inn ~ An Insider's Guide to Kennebunkport

While Maine Stay Teddy looks like he is about to enjoy a sumptuous full New England breakfast, Maine Stay Inn style, don't be fooled.

No more hints. This one is easy enough as it is.

Read the rules. Send in a guess.

Good Luck!

Labels: Let's have some fun

Many of you may already know The Maine Stay Inn Teddy Bear. You may also have heard of the game, Where's Waldo.

We invite you to have a little fun and play Where's Maine Stay Inn Teddy. As an incentive to play we offer you, our Blog regulars, the opportunity to win a Maine Stay Inn Tee Shirt.

All you need to do is be the first to guess where Maine Stay Teddy is and you are the winner and proud owner of a burgundy, Maine Stay Inn tee shirt (a $12.95 value).

One of Maine Stay Teddy's interests is sightseeing so you can expect him to appear at various locations.

For example, in this picture, if you were the first to say, "Maine Stay Inn Teddy is in The Maine Stay office, reading the Blog" you would be the winner. This one doesn't count.

Here are some of the rules (subject to revision if I forget something):

Respond by posting a comment to the article by clicking on Add a comment at the bottom.

All comments are only posted after I approve them. I will post all incorrect guesses but will hold off posting the first correct guess. Instead, I'll post a message to the lucky winner asking them to post again with their real name and mailing address (and repeat the correct answer) and I'll mail a tee shirt in S, M, L or XL. I will not post your real name and mailing address.

The mailing address must be within the USA.

Don't forget to identify yourself in some way when you post a guess. It doesn't have to be your real name.

The decision of the judge (that's me) will be final.

That's it. I hope you will have fun and play along. Check back to see where Maine Stay Inn Teddy makes his next appearance.

Labels: Let's have some fun

Well, Kennebunkport is officially in its quiet season. Also known as the serenity season, or the peaceful season, or perhaps the most popular of all (and the least flattering), the off season.

Inevitably the question comes up as to which restaurants are still open. I have compiled a list below and included links to "The Insider's Guide to Kennebunkport" review of each.

The Cape Arundel Inn (upscale dining)

The Hurricane Restaurant (upscale dining)

On The Marsh Restaurant (upscale dining)

Pier 77 Restaurant (upscale dining)

The Wayfarer Restaurant (casual dining)

Windows on the Water (upscale dining)

And there are two others I want to highlight:

Bandaloop Restaurant (casual dining)
I have not yet reviewed this restaurant but, Janice and I have eaten there a few times. The food is consistently fantastic. I'll do a full review after our next visit.

And,

Roly's English Fudge (finger food)

I know...Roly's is not a restaurant. Gimme a break. On several occasions I have made a meal out of their fudge and gelato. I think that qualifies Roly's as one of my restaurants. You however, should go for dessert and bring home some fudge to your friends and family.

There you have it...when it comes to dining these are The Best of Kennebunkport.

Labels: Kennebunkport Restaurants

Kennebunkport's quiet season is a great time for a cozy and romantic weekend getaway. Relax in front of a warm fireplace. Unwind in a sultry double whirlpool tub. You bring the wine. We'll supply the bath salts.

We'll make reservations for you at one of Kennebunkport's fine, romantic restaurants.


The Artist's Studio at CrossTrees

In the morning, enjoy a full New England breakfast in the Maine Stay Inn dining room or, if you are in one of our Romantic Cottage Suites, we'll deliver breakfast to your door.

The Maine Stay Inn and the CrossTrees Inn have several rooms that will make your Romantic Weekend Getaway feel like a whole vacation.

Labels: Kennebunkport Bed and Breakfast, New England Inns, Specials at The Maine Stay

It is nearly Halloween weekend in Kennebunkport and there are some great ways to celebrate with memorable events.

One of the best and most creative is to accept the challenge of the "Moonlight Maze" at Pumpkin Valley Farm. On Friday, October 27 and on Saturday, October 28, Pumpkin Valley Farm will open their corn maze from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. Those who have not successfully navigated their way through this challenging maze by 9:00, well.....dress warm.

The 2006 corn maze is a challenge in the daylight but, at night it should prove to be very exciting.

Check in at The Maine Stay Inn and let us know you would like directions to Pumpkin Valley Farm. It will be a Halloween event you will never forget.

Labels: Things to do in Kennebunkport

Halloween weekend is right around the corner. A trip to Kennebunkport for a romantic getaway is always a great idea for you and yours but, on this Halloween weekend The Brick Store Museum is sponsoring a special event that will be truly memorable.

On Saturday evening, October 28, plan on attending the All Soul's Walk. Begin at the museum at either 2:00 pm or at 4:00 pm for a narrated walk through the Hope Cemetery. You will be directed to the graves of some of the early residents of Kennebunk. The stories of their fascinating lives and their tragic deaths will bring a chill to your bones.

The walk concludes back at The Brick Store Museum for some light refreshments and viewing of the potraits of many of those "Souls" that you had just learned about.

Based upon reports from last year's Walk, you will not be disappointed. This event will happen rain or shine (we're hoping for shine) as a modified version will be offered indoors, if need be.

The cost is just $5.00 per person. If you are staying at the Maine Stay Inn, we have a map ready for you with directions to the Museum.

Labels: Things to do in Kennebunkport

According to the Maine Department of Conservation, we are at Peak color with Moderate leaf drop. Perfect conditions!

Now is the time to visit Southern Maine for our spectacular Fall colors.

We hope to see you at the Maine Stay Inn. We have a foliage tour all mapped out for you.

Photo of previous foliage season taken by Robert Dennis

Labels: Things to do in Kennebunkport

Looking for a great gift idea for the holidays this year? I know it seems early but, there are only 75 more shopping days 'til Christmas.

This year, why not give the gift of hospitality? A Gift Certificate from the Maine Stay Inn is a gift that will create wonderful memories for many years. It makes a great gift for birthdays, weddings and anniversaries.

Call the Maine Stay Inn and we will take care of everything on the telephone. We will have your gift certificate in the mail that day or, if you truly are a last minute shopper like me, we can email a Gift Certificate.

Labels: Kennebunkport Bed and Breakfast, New England Inns, Specials at The Maine Stay

This wonderful photo was taken by Robert Dennis in Kennebunkport during a previous foliage season

Foliage along the Southern Maine coast, including Kennebunkport, is currently classified as Moderate. Several miles inland, along our foliage drive, the foliage is now classified as High. The leaves are still in the trees and, it appears we are in the midst of the best foliage season in many years.

Peak foliage is coming to Southern Maine...you should be too. Call us at The Maine Stay Inn. We'll have a wonderful room waiting for you. Afternoon tea will be set out upon your arrival, a delicious New England breakfast will be waiting for you the following morning, and directions for a wonderful foliage tour of Southern Maine will take you through some beautiful countryside. We will also show you how a brief diversion along your ride will take you to some wonderful Apple Cider Doughnuts that are baked fresh. Yum!

Labels: Things to do in Kennebunkport

In autumn, Wallingford Farm in Kennebunk is a colorful reflection of the bounty of New England’s harvest. Visitors are sure to be drawn in by the beautiful setting of this historic farmhouse, farm store and flower barn. If the vibrant display of plants so beautifully arranged on the spacious front lawn isn’t enough… just step inside, you’ll find a host of yummy treats.

Located on Route One, in Kennebunk, Wallingford Farm has a majestic setting. From early Spring through late Autumn the grounds are chock full of colorful plants and garden items. At this time of year, it’s all about the harvest season in New England and that means plenty of pumpkins and gourds. The farm store carries a wonderful selection of specialty foods and produce, including fudge, cheese, fresh breads and more. Samples of cheese and fudge are just one of the reasons I look forward to our visits. Wallingford Farm's Flower Barn has a large selection of fresh, dried and silk flowers. Their garden center carries a wide variety of plants and gardening accessories and in the summer months, you can even pick your own bouquet from their garden!

Built in 1804, this property was once known as Wallingford Hall and was also referred to as George Washington Wallingford Hall. Owner Charles Godfrey purchased this stately property 9 years ago with a plan to restore it to its original splendor. His research has identified the original colors of the building and as you can see, the main house is now getting its facelift. With the body of the building being painted in what is best described as salmon with a cream color trim, the window sashes and the front door will be returned to their original color of a dark green. Wallingford Farm was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

Wallingford Farm is already looking fantastic. Charles is doing a wonderful service for our community by bringing this magnificent property back to its previous grandeur. If you are staying with us at the Maine Stay Inn, Wallingford Farm is a pleasant, 10 minute trip through the Historic District of Kennebunk. It is well worth the trip. And in case you are planning to visit around Halloween, you may want to be aware that...Wallingford Farm has a ghost! An honest to goodness (let's hope it's goodness) ghost!

Labels: Shopping in Kennebunkport

Isn't it great when you try a restaurant and realize that you have found another wonderful place to dine.

While so many of our guests are devoted patrons of the Wayfarer, Janice and I hadn't eaten there in many years.

This evening, when pressed for a place to have a relaxing evening out, Janice, Marc, Sue and I all agreed, "let's try the Wayfarer." We had no reservations and we arrived at 6:30. There was one other party in the entire restaurant and when I asked the hostess if she could accommodate a party of four, I was only kidding. Her response was to study her seating chart for, what seemed like several minutes (it really wasn't, but it seemed like it). Huh, was she kidding me back?

Well, we were seated at our table and promptly presented with a menu and a bottle opener. Wayfarer is BYOB and we had our own B. The menu had several entrees that sounded wonderful but, we realized that we had arrived on the night that we had heard so much about...Thursday night or better known to Wayfarer groupees as "Pot Roast Night."

So for Janice, Marc and Sue it was Pot Roast all around. I, on the other hand, chose the Chicken Satay. You see, I knew I was going to get some of Janice's Pot Roast when she was finished.

The selections all included a salad to start. Usually, for me it's Blue Cheese dressing and most often, a double dose please. In reciting the dressings offered, our waitress mentioned a Feta Cheese Vinaigrette. I guess I am broadening my horizons, I chose the Feta, it sounded Betta. Sorry.

The salad and the dressing were both excellent, as were the crispy rolls that came before them.

The Chicken Satay was a boneless breast of chicken that was grilled and sliced on a bed of rice and topped with a spicy peanut sauce. It was remarkably good. It was surprisingly good. There was just the right amount of spice. It started out fairly light. I mentioned to Janice that I wished it was spicier. I got my wish, the more I ate, the spicier it got. (I should have made some more wishes, I may have been on a roll) The combination and the quantity of peanut and spice were just right.

The others were raving about the Pot Roast. I knew given a short time, Janice would call it quits and I would be able to give a first hand review of the Pot Roast myself. We professional food critics would prefer not to rely on others. You see we have finely tuned taste buds.

The Pot Roast was so good that the next time we go to the Wayfarer, it will be on a Thursday night. What will I order? Stay tuned, it might be next Thursday night.

One last thing...the hostess wasn't kidding me back. You see, we weren't there more than 15 minutes and the place was SRO.

If you are staying at the Maine Stay, you can be sure we will be suggesting a dinner at the Wayfarer.

One more last thing...no credit cards at the Wayfarer. Bring cash.

Labels: Kennebunkport Restaurants

A truly wonderful place to visit, Janice and I have known the lure of Kennebunkport for many, many years. In fact, when we first attended a seminar designed for aspiring innkeepers, the instructor asked the question, "if you ultimately decide to become innkeepers, where would you prefer to locate?" Most answers were similar to, "the east coast" or "in North Carolina." When the question was posed to Janice her answer was concise, "in the Historic District of Kennebunkport, Maine."

Clearly travelers have also known the appeal of Kennebunkport dating back to the mid-1800's.

Well, there is another visiter who stops in Kennebunkport each year. On our drive along Ocean Avenue today we almost collided with these travelers. Who am I talking about? The beautiful Monarch butterfly.

As we drove, we saw what seemed like thousands of Monarchs stopping briefly for a quick meal before continuing their migration that will take them up to 3,000 miles, to the mountains of Mexico.

This Photo taken today along Parsons Way, Kennebunkport.

Monarchs are the only butterfly to make such a long, two-way migration. They fly in masses to the same winter location, often to the same trees. While this sounds very much like what you would expect from birds or even whales, the monarchs make this round-trip only once. It is their children's grandchildren that return south the following fall. Nobody knows how their homing system works, however there are many involved in unraveling this, and so many other mysteries of the Monarch.

Monarchs are also poisonous to their predators. Their diet of milkweed allows them to store poisons from that plant that are effective against most of their predators. It is not uncommon to see a Monarch with a beak sized bite out of one of its wings. The large wings of the Monarch allow it to escape after the predator realizes that they aren't as tasty as they look.

One last thing, this year's migration is unusual in that they are in Kennebunkport very late. This fascinating site typically occurs in Kennebunkport between early to mid September.

Labels: Things to do in Kennebunkport

A common scene throughout Kennebunkport, an artist paints one of an infinite number of beautiful settings in our quaint seaside village.

In this case, the artist is Lynne Carr, a talented artist working with oil. Lynne has been painting in the Kennebunkport area since 1975 and displays her work at the L. Blanchard Carr Gallery located at 367 Mills Road in Kennebunkport.

Lynne very much prefers to work on location. For those of you who haven't figured it out yet...the location in this scene is the Gardens of The Maine Stay Inn.

When you come visit us at The Maine Stay, consider staying in the Garden Room. You can sip your early morning coffee while overlooking this same scene from your private deck.

Labels: Things to do in Kennebunkport

Pumpkin Valley Farm is located along the Saco River in Dayton, Maine. Just a short and scenic drive from the Maine Stay Inn, the farm comes alive with activities each fall. With festive cornstalks, gourds, ornamental corn and, of course, plenty of pumpkins.

The farm also sponsors an educational program titled, Planting Seeds of Knowledge.

Come visit Kennebunkport during the week. The crowds are smaller and the scenery and activities are just as good as they are on the weekend.

Stay at the Maine Stay Inn and we will give you directions for a scenic drive to Pumpkin Valley Farm where you can pick your pumpkins and try to conquer the Farm's 2006 Corn Maze.

Labels: Things to do in Kennebunkport