Harboring secrets

Hilary Nangle
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I toured the new addition to the Portland Harbor Hotel yesterday with the general manager, and no question, this is a great addition for those with the bucks to splurge.

On the street level are two retail shops: one will be occupied by an Italian pasta maker, who is moving here from the old country to open a fresh pasta shop; the other will be a showroom for a furnishings company.

Above these on two floors are six suites with gas fireplaces (really cool ones, with the flames shooting through stones–sames as the one in Eve’s), large whirlpool tubs in the bathroom, with sliding panels opening through to the bedroom. One is a two-room suite, where the flat-panel TV swings out so it can be watched from the tub. Fanciest suite is the honeymoon suite, with crane-your-neck glimpses of the harbor.

Downstairs is a well-equipped fitness room as well as two spa rooms, with services to be provided by 9 Stones. Future plans call for a Jacuzzi to be installed in the patio area out the back door.

Finally, there’s a new meeting room on the first floor with easy access to the courtyard through a small lobby area. Really a nice set up for biz.

The new building is expected to open in about two weeks.

Just a peep

Hilary Nangle
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Just a peep

Late fall foliage along the Airline (Route 9), October 2007.

Escape the leaf-peeping crowds

Hilary Nangle
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If I wanted to lose the tour buses, the vehicle parades, the lines and the masses, and I wanted to not only see the fall foliage show, but also the coast, I’d—sshhhh—return to the Blue Hill/Deer Isle Peninsula, and spend a weekend or longer.

Perhaps because there are no huge hotels or fancy-schmancy resorts here, the crowds and bus tours go elsewhere. Good. Now I’ve previously blogged about the Shore Oaks Inn on the grounds of the Oakland House Seaside Resort, and the Inn on the Harbor, in Stonington at the tip of Deer Isle. Besides these, favorites are the Pentagoet Inn, a butter-yellow Queen Anne in Castine, the land of white houses, and the Blue Hill Inn, an elegant oasis in downtown Blue Hill.

Thanks to the mapmaker-challenging coastline, you can watch the sun both rise and set over the ocean as you noodle the byways with a glimpse of water around nearly every bend. Spend an afternoon or longer exploring Castine’s rich history and viewing its architectural gems; mosey around Deer Isle, and if the weather’s fine, take the passenger ferry to Isle au Haut. Artists’ and artisans’ studios are plentiful, walking and hiking trails lace abundant preserves, and dining choices range from seafood shacks to elegant restaurants.

A grand time to visit is over Columbus Day weekend, when the annual Peninsula Potters Studio Tour and Sale occurs.

Cheap Sleeps in the Kennebunks

Hilary Nangle
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Cheap Sleeps in the Kennebunks

You don’t have to be religious to book a room at the Franciscan Guest House. An easy walk to Lower Village and Dock Square (avoid parking hassles), the guest house, located on the grounds of the riverfront Franciscan Monastery, provides simple accommodations, with a few frills.

The guest house is located in a renovated former Catholic high school and outbuildings. While some stay here for religious reasons, guests of any faith are welcome.

I paid $69 for a room with a single queen bed, and that rate includes a full buffet breakfast, with dozens of breads and pastries, two hot entrees, cereals, fresh fruit, meats and cheeses. The room: vintage 1970s decor, with blond fake paneling, brown carpeting, synthetic patterned bed spreads, not-so-great art, TV, pine desk and bureau, full bathroom. All spotless, with a tinge of antiseptic aroma. Also available are a rec room, an outdoor pool, free wifi, and two computers available to guests. But hey, who needs fancy with this location.

The monastery was founded by Lithuanisan Franciscans, who fled war-torn Europe in 1947 and purchased the Tudor Great House and estate, originally landscaped by the Frederick Law Olmstead firm. Monks still reside in the mansion, which isn’t open to the public except for a seasonal gift shop and a modern chapel, attached.

A sneak peek toward Kennebunkport's Dock Square from the Franciscan Monastery grounds.
A sneak peek toward Kennebunkport

The monastery’s 66 mostly wooded, riverfront acres are open to the public (no pets), providing a wonderful escape from the nearby hubbub. Paved, wheelchair- and stroller-accessible trails lace the grounds, which are peppered with shrines and an outdoor chapel. Don’t miss the eye-catching, recently restored, modern sculpture, created by Vytautas Jonynas for the Vatican Pavilion during the 1964-1965 Worlds Fair. A guide to the shrines is available in the gift shop or the Guest House for 50 cents B&W or $1.50 color.

This is an inexpensive place to stay, a great value with a wonderful place to walk or meditate. Another plus for guests, it’s an easy and pleasant walk (past the oh-so-haute White Barn Inn) to Gooch’s Beach.

Frost on the pumpkin

Hilary Nangle
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Tonight! A hard frost is predicted. It is shaping up to be an absolutely gorgeous fall weekend, sun and temps in the 60s during the day, chilly at night. The frost should jumpstart the foliage a bit; so far, at least along the coast, there’s only a first blush. Truly, a perfect weekend for the Common Ground Fair (see my earlier posting). If you can, go tomorrow, it’ll be less crowded.

Border patrol

Hilary Nangle
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Border patrol

The logistics aren’t easy, but the rewards are rich for the second annual Two Countries, One Bay, Art Studio Tour, Sept. 20-21. More than 50 artists and artisans, along with regional cultural organizations and museums in waaaayyy Down East Maine (Lubec through Calais) and New Brunswick, Canada (St. Stephen, St. Andrews, Campobello and Deer Islands, St. George), are participating in this two-day arts extravanganza.

A bright spot in downtown Lubec
A bright spot in downtown Lubec

This region, surrounding the tidal wonder of Passamaquoddy Bay provides plenty of fodder for artists. Islands, cliffs, crashing surf and churning waters, whales and sea birds, lighthouses and buoys, small towns, undeveloped wilderness: it’s all here, magical, mystical, inspiring, and in many ways and places, accented by a simplicity reminiscent of a gentler era. Whenever I travel here, I feel lighter, less burdened by day-to-day worries and more keen on noticing the little things.

On this side of the border, primary organizer is the Tides Institute and Museum of Art, located in a renovate bank in Eastport. Owner/director Hugh French, an Eastport native, is the driving force behind the Tides and its goals to build significant cultural collections and to produce new culturally important works. The focus is on works by artists and photographers associated with Maine and Maritime Canada, so this project is a good fit.

Brochures map the route and detail the participating studios, which include painters, printmakers, fiber artists, stained glass creators, sculptors, jewelers, Native American beadwork and basketry, and more. Many of the artisans will also be demonstrating their work. The tour runs 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (EDT and AT) both Saturday and Sunday; just remember that the clock changes every time you step over the border.

Good thing the tour runs two days: Covering the territory involved involves bridges and ferries to offshore islands, passing through the international border, navigating backroads and small communities. Trust me, if you’re willing to make the journey, and if the weather cooperates, there are few better ways to spend an early autumn weekend. Book a room in Lubec, Eastport, or St. Andrews, eat salmon and lobster, breath in that salty air, kick back and enjoy. Oh yeah, and return with a unique souvenir.

Seeking Common Ground: Maine’s best agricultural fair

Hilary Nangle
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Seeking Common Ground: Maine’s best agricultural fair

It’s fay-uh season in Maine, and if you want a different take on the usual fair fare, head to the Common Ground Fair, Sept. 21-23,  in Unity. Sponsored by the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA), it’s a celebration of rural life without the gliz, glitter, hype, carnival rides, or junk food. The last time we went, we squeezed our pickup between a battered Volkswagen bus and a gleaming Volvo wagon with two childseats. That, in a nutshell sums up the fair’s demographics.

In addition to plentiful organic produce and food vendors (100-percent organic, at least 50 percent of ingredients sourced in Maine), the number and variety of offerings are overwhelming. Tents shelter crafts, folk arts and Native American arts, exhibits by social and political-action organizations, environmental activists and whole-life practitioners. There are spinners and stone-cutters, exhibits about sustainable energy and environmental concerns, a children’s area and youth enterprise zone.

Now add the talks, demonstrations and contests—for example, sheepdog demonstrations and donkey and mule shows; Choosing the Best Goats for You and Growing Food Legumes in Maine; the Horseshoe Pitch Off and the Harry S. Truman Manure Pitch Off. The latter two events are conveniently held near the composting and recycling area.

Anyhoo, you get the idea, this fair is way cool, way green, and way fun.

A few notes: If you run on caffeine, drink up before entering the hallowed grounds. Don’t even consider bringing a pet. If driving, park nose in. Ride your bike to the fair, and you get valet parking and $2 off admission. Go hungry.

Chocoholic’s choice

Hilary Nangle
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Chocoholic’s choice

Just back from nibbling my way through the first Mid-Coast Maine Wine and Cheese Festival, held at two Rockport locations, Cellardoor Winery’s retail shop and the State of Maine Cheese Co. Plenty of food fun, including tastings of cheeses, wines, chocolates, jams, sausages, smoked seafood products, and more.

I dutifully toured my way through all the vendors, but my faves (no surprise, here), were chocolate related. I’m a huge fan of Safe Harbor Confections, a Waldoboro chocolatier that dedicates a percentage of income, donated in product or cash, to animal-related causes. I love their salt caramels, and the raspberry truffles. And… mmmmm.

For truffle perfection, Dean’s Sweets wins for its stout truffle. Oh my! The bitterness of the stout (beer) brings out the bitterness of the chocolate, without being, well bitter. No sharp edge, just that sublime taste of dark chocolate with depth. Now, the tequila lime, the needhams (made with Cold River Vodka instead of mashed potates), the scotch, the cayene, and the ginger, and… well, let’s just say I spent a bit of time here immersed in quality control. Portland-based Dean’s only uses dark chocolate, and it doesn’t use nuts. The truffles are available at Rosemont Market, in Portland and Yarmouth, from the house by appointment, or via the internet.

Quite the delicious afternoon. Now, must exercise.

Make a difference, NOW

Hilary Nangle
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As the first reports begin to seep out of Galveston and Houston, it’s already evident that the damage is widespread. Ditto for Haiti and Cuba. You can make a difference. Make a donation to Doctors Without Borders or the American Red Cross or your favorite charity offering aid in these areas. Trust me, every dollar will help. Just do it. Now. Please.

Let's talk leaves

Hilary Nangle
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Let's talk leaves

As in foliage. According to the folks who study this stuff, thanks to our wet summer, Maine is expecting a grand foliage season, with vibrant color.

Early foliage, Grand Lake Stream, 2007
Early foliage, Grand Lake Stream, 2007

“With a few localized exceptions, the forest statewide is in good health, thanks to the abundant and relatively well-distributed rain we’ve had since spring,” said Bill Ostrofsky, a forest pathologist with the Department of Conservation, Maine Forest Service. “The great majority of hardwood trees have carried a full complement of healthy foliage, and appear to be on typical schedule for changing. Overall, I expect leaf coloration to be magnificent once again for this season.”

Best way to track that color is here. Now conventional wisdom says foliage usually peaks around Columbus Day, but that’s very early this year.I’m guessing the traditional foliage destinations—Rangely, Bethel, Greenville, and along the coast—will peak at least a week or two after that. Which means you may be able to snag a room at a decent rate.

A few more hints re foliage-related travel:

First, it’s still peak season in many places, which means peak rates. You’ll find less-pricey possibilities in the fringe towns and at the smaller properties without the marketing budgets or fancy web sites.

Second, because it’s peak season (at least through Columbus Day Weekend, and likely on weekends after that), make advance reservations for lodging and, if dining out is important to you, at restaurants, too.

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