Archive for the ‘Maine Coast Activities’ Category
HODGDON ISLAND INN, BOOTHBAY ONLY AN HOUR FROM OWL’S HEAD TRANSPORTATION MUSEUM
October 6th, 2012 by richard-pamela-riley
This year MG is the featured marque. MGs of any year are welcome to exhibit on Runway 17 for free. Free admission includes the driver and one passenger.
GUESTS AT HODGDON ISLAND INN BOOTHBAY MAINE PREPARING FOR CULINARY DELIGHTS AS RESTAURANT WEEK KICKS OFF
September 20th, 2012 by richard-pamela-riley
Restaurant Week: September 22-28, 2012
For the great price of $24.95, enjoy an appetizer, entree, and dessert from a special menu at participating restaurants. This great bargain will allow you to sample some of the wonderful dishes the chefs in our region have to offer. Participating restaurants include:
- Andrews’ Harborside - Restaurant Week Menu
- The Boathouse Bistro & Tapas Bar - Restaurant Week Menu
- Boothbay Harbor Inn – Windows on the Harbor Restaurant – Restaurant Week Menu
- Boothbay Lobster Wharf – Restaurant Week Menu
- Brown’s Wharf Inn – Restaurant Week Menu
- Fisherman’s Wharf Inn – Restaurant Week Menu
- Kaler’s Restaurant http://www.kalers.com/ - Restaurant Week Menu
- McSeagull’s Restaurant - Restaurant Week Menu
- Ports of Italy http://www.portsofitaly.com/
- Rocktide Inn and Restaurant – Restaurant Week Menu
- The World is Mine Oyster – Restaurant Week Menu
- Tugboat Inn – Restaurant Week Menu
BOOTHBAY HARBOR REGION CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FIRST ANNUAL CLAW DOWN TO KICK OFF RESTAURANT WEEK 2012
September 19th, 2012 by richard-pamela-riley
First Annual Claw Down Chef’s “Lobster Bite” Competition
Wednesday, September 19, 2012, 6:00-8:00 p.m., The Opera House at Boothbay Harbor
Join us for a memorable evening at the Opera House with Emcee Lynn Archer, (a.k.a. The Queen of Clubs), owner of the Brass Compass Cafe and winner of the “Lobster Dekkah” challenge on the Food Network Show: Throwdown with Bobby Flay
Be there when local chefs vie for the best “Lobster Bite” to be determined by three renowned judges:
- Meredith Goad, Portland Press Herald food writer “Soup to Nuts” column
- Dane Somers, Executive Director of the Maine Lobster Promotion Council
- Kelly Patrick Farrin, 2010 Maine Lobster Chef of the Year, Sous Chef at Primo restaurant, Rockland.
Cast your vote for the people’s choice award and sample savory lobster bites from the following restaurants:
- The Boathouse Bistro & Tapas Bar
- Boothbay Lobster Wharf
- Brown’s Wharf
- Davis Island Grill
- Fisherman’s Wharf Restaurant and Lounge on Pier 6
- McSeagull’s Restaurant
- Newagen Seaside Inn
- Oliver’s at Cozy Harbor
- Ports of Italy
- Robinson’s Wharf & Tug’s Pub
- Rocktide Inn and Restaurant
- The Lobster Dock
- The Thistle Inn
- The World is Mine Oyster
- Tugboat Inn and Restaurant
- Under Currach Tavern
- Windows on the Harbor
HODGDON ISLAND INN B&B BOOTHBAY HARBOR REGION CELEBRATES APPLE SEASON
September 13th, 2012 by richard-pamela-riley
The “apple man” cometh!
This morning while Richard and I were fixing breakfast here at Hodgdon Island Inn there was a loud knocking on the front door followed by the low murmuring of voices intent on not disturbing the guests still sleeping.
I have to admit that it is pretty unusual to have someone knock that early in the day, so I was trying to think who it might be. Of course! It was time for the “Apple Man” to come! I could not believe it!
Summer had changed to fall and apple season was upon us. The signs were all there: shorter days with really deep pink sunsets, heavy dew on the morning grass, Monarch butterflies heading in a southwesterly direction and the “apple man” at the front door.
The apple man comes twice a year from Augusta with his station wagon full of just picked Maine apples http://www.maineapples.org/varieties/ Yum! The smell is absolutely delightful. It reminds me of my childhood apple picking adventures down by the Ohio River at Parlor Grove Farm in Kentucky. The best ones of course, are always on the high, high branches. I hate ladders, being slightly afraid of heights, so I loved it when my dad would take me in his arms and swing me up high so I could pick the really good ones! Picking apples with the “apple man” is a lot easier and requires no ladder, but that same element of fun is there when one takes his paper basket and begins picking the assortment of apples one wants. A McIntosh here, a Jersymac there, a Jonamac or two and a Paulared … J
Apple season is here and so for the next few weeks Hodgdon Island Inn guests will be treated to a multitude of apple recipes including our most often requested signature dessert: apple pie cobbler cake (see September 12, 2012 BLOG for recipe).
Happy Fall!
HODGDON ISLAND INN B&B LODGING NEAR CABBAGE ISLAND, BOOTHBAY HARBOR, MAINE
June 23rd, 2012 by richard-pamela-riley
Bennie Alice arrives at Cabbage Island
Last summer, Richard and I were invited to a 60th birthday celebration for a very dear friend and neighbor. The celebration, she told us, was to be held on CabbageIsland as she had always wanted to have a clambake for her birthday so where better to do it than on the five and a half-acre CabbageIsland inLinekinBay.
We were psyched. It was a beautiful Saturday evening in July; our guests had all checked in; good friends were inn-sitting for us and we were about to embark on a fact-finding mission: we were about to find out for ourselves if everything we had heard about “The Cabbage Island Clambake” http://www.cabbageislandclambakes.com/clambakes.htm was true. The experience from start to finish was amazing – from the boat ride to the dinner to the friendly and professional staff to the island itself – we understood completely why this adventure is and continues to be a favoriteBoothbayHarborattraction!
The boat, named the Bennie Alice, departed from Pier 6 at Fisherman’s Wharf (the boat goes out daily in the summer and twice on Saturday and Sunday). Along with about 150 other adventurers, we gently cruised out ofBoothbayHarbor, pastSquirrelIsland, around the Burnt Island Lighthouse, gazed at Ocean Point,RamIslandand other coastline treasures until we docked about forty-five minutes later atCabbageIsland.
Enjoying the fare!
Once we had disembarked, we made for the picnic tables that theCabbageIslandstaff had so thoughtfully set up for our party of 12. Drink orders were placed (FYI – they do offer full liquor service on board the Bennie Alice and onCabbageIsland) and then our meal began with a cup of deliciousNew Englandseafood chowder (generous chunks of fish and clams swimming in a lightly seasoned broth). Shortly afterward we heard the boat horn announcing that “lobsters were ready”. We made our way to the area designated for picking up dinner.
Yum!
Dinner was sumptuous as we worked our way through two luscious bright red lobsters, tender white steamed clams wrapped in foil, an ear of sweet golden corn on the cob, an onion, and a full size newMainepotato accompanied by plenty of drawn butter for dipping. It was a culinary delight! Richard and I said to each other as we picked up our artfully arranged trays that there was no way we were going to be able to eat all of that food – well guess what? We did. It was delicious! And to top it all off, we were served generous slices of the famous Cabbage Island Blueberry Cake with fresh coffee. Did I mention that it was delicious?!
The magic, they claim, is in the cooking process. The Original Downeast Clambake ofBoothbayHarboris cooked in seaweed, steamed from top to bottom, and covered with tarpaulins and rocks in order to capture all the flavor and sweetness of theMainelobsters and clams.
Keeping up the family tradition, owner Wayne Moore and Pamela
Magic is a good word to use in conjunction with the Cabbage Island Clambake. Needless to say our friend enjoyed her birthday celebration as did we and the rest of her party – none of us wanted to see the evening end. It was perfect: good friends, delicious food, a beautiful location, and all surrounded by the sea. AUDIBLE SIGH …
Advance reservations are suggested as the clambakes are very popular. Be sure to get there early as reservations are held until 15 minutes prior to departure. For reservations call 207-633-7200.
THE WINDJAMMERS ARE COMING! THE WINDJAMMERS ARE COMING!
April 10th, 2012 by richard-pamela-riley
Come celebrate over fifty years of maritime history in Boothbay Harbor when the majestic schooners drop anchor to take part in the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce’s 51st Annual Windjammer Days Festival, June 25-26, 2013.
Stay three nights at Hodgdon Island Inn and we’ll give you 50% off the third night in honor of this special occasion. The inn, a nine room Bed & Breakfast, just minutes from the hustle bustle of Boothbay Harbor, the Boothbay Country Club & Golf Course, the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens and the area’s fun and fine dining establishments, offers casual elegance, private bathrooms, water views, free WiFi and lots of personalized service!
A full gourmet breakfast is included every morning along with fresh homemade desserts each evening. Complimentary hot beverages and bottled water are available throughout the day.
Hodgdon Island Inn has a heated in-ground pool (open Memorial Day through Columbus Day, weather permitting) and a secure parking lot.
Exclusions: Offer does not apply for one or two-night stays and is good only on stays from June 23 –June 30, 2013. Cannot be used with other specials or discounts and is based on double occupancy and availability. 7% Maine state lodging tax is extra. Please mention this special at the time of booking or put in the “Comments Section” when making an on-line reservation and we’ll apply the discount when we confirm your reservation. Rates subject to change.
HODGDON ISLAND INN BED AND BREAKFAST INNKEEPER, PAMELA BYRNE RILEY, ELECTED TO SERVE AS PRESIDENT, BOOTHBAY HARBOR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
February 28th, 2012 by richard-pamela-riley
Landmark footbridge, Boothbay Harbor, Maine
On Monday, February 20th the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce (BBHRCC) welcomed its new Board of Directors. The Board will guide the long term strategic direction of the Chamber in the areas of membership, community and visitor relations, public policy, marketing, and revenue generation with the goal of fulfilling the BBHRCC’s mission: to promote a positive business climate by focusing on advocacy, access and leadership.
From its humble beginnings in 1962, the BBHRCC has grown into a first-rate multi-service membership organization that currently serves over 330 members in the communities of Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, East Boothbay, Edgecomb, Monhegan, Newcastle, Southport, Westport and Wiscasset. Its programs are a continuum of services that address the needs of all business in the region whether they are open year round or are just seasonal operations. The BBHRCC also partners with other area nonprofits; local, state and regional government entities as well as mainstream institutions and tourism councils. Its advocacy efforts include community planning and infrastructure; economic development; healthcare and education; marketing and visitor relations; and other issues pertinent to a future of greater social and economic equity, in support of a better quality of life for all in the region.
Hodgdon Island Inn Owner, Pamela Byrne Riley, will serve as President of the Board; Vice-President is Doug Roberts (Owner, Oak Street Provisions), Secretary is Evelyn Andrews (Associate Relations Manager, Hannaford), and Treasurer is Sue Wood (Professional Volunteer, Barter’s Island).
Pamela Riley, Lorna Weber, Jim Chaousis, Dorothy Freeman,Tim O'Donnell, Evelyn Andrews, Peter Robison, Sheri Gordon,Doug Roberts and Catherine Wygant. Not pictured: Susan Wood andEileen King.
Other members include Jim Chaousis (Town Manager, Boothbay), Dorothy Freeman, PhD (Director of Philanthropy, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens), Sheri Gordon (Owner, Midcoast Clock Sales), Eileen King (Superintendent of Schools), Timothy O’Donnell (O’Donnell, Lee, McCowan & Phillips, LLC), Peter Robison (Senior Sales Rep for On Premise Sales, Central Distributors), and Lorna Weber (Branch Manager/AVP, The First, N.A.)
The Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce (http://www.boothbayharbor.com) along with its signature event, Windjammer Days, will be celebrating their big Five-O anniversaries this year! Preparations are under way now to ensure that this community-wide signature event, scheduled for Tuesday June 26 & Wednesday June 27th of 2012, will reflect the quality and unique character that is associated with Boothbay Harbor and its maritime history. All friends of the Boothbay Region are invited to attend this incredible 50th anniversary celebration. Be sure to check the Chamber’s website along with your favorite Boothbay Region businesses for upcoming WJD specials.
Catherine Wygant serves as Chamber Executive Director.
PLANNING A WEDDING IN THE BOOTHBAY MAINE REGION – HODGDON ISLAND INN CONVENIENTLY LOCATED FOR GUESTS AND BRIDAL PARTY ALIKE!
February 9th, 2012 by richard-pamela-riley
Bridal Party at Hodgdon Island Inn
Hodgdon Island Inn, situated just minutes from the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens (http://www.mainegardens.org) the churches, restaurants and resorts of Boothbay Harbor, the Boothbay Region Greenhouses, Wilson Chapel at Ocean Point, Southport and/or Squirrel Island, is conveniently located, easy to get to and offers secure on-site parking.
Bridal Party enroute to Wilson Chapel at Ocean Point
The inn’s nine contemporary-traditionally decorated rooms with en-suite bathrooms, air-conditioning comfort, in-room refrigerators and water views provide the perfect home-away-from-home for you and/or your guests.
Wedding guests headed to Isle of Springs
“The 30’ long Loft, Room Number 9, is a favorite for our bridal couples” says innkeeper, Pamela Byrne Riley. “It has its own entrance, a super comfortable king bed, a sitting area, a large bathroom complete with a whirlpool tub (outfitted of course with candles and plenty of bubble bath) and outstanding views.” It also has cable TV, a refrigerator and an electric fireplace for cuddling in front of during stays in the cooler seasons.
So whether you are: 1) looking for luxury accommodations for you and your new spouse to hole up in before, during and after your big day; 2) looking for the “perfect Maine getaway” to house family, friends, bridal party members or guests; and/or 3) looking for the picture-perfect spot for a small, intimate, casual wedding, Hodgdon Island Inn is the Maine destination for you and the innkeepers, Pamela & Richard, promise to love, pamper and spoil you and your guests from beginning to end.
Deb & Josh loved the Loft!
Megan & Matt married at Hodgdon Island Inn
Hodgdon Island Inn is located about an hour northeast of Portland; an hour south of Camden or three hours from Boston or Bar Harbor. If coming by air: fly into Portland International Jet Port; rent a car, call for a limousine service or make arrangements to be met by a Boothbay Harbor Region taxi. Private planes may fly into Wiscasset Airport; rental cars and taxi services are available. If coming by car from points south follow I-295 to Brunswick. Take Exit 28 or Exit 31 to Route 1 North. Follow Route 1 through Wiscasset. Just across the river bear right onto Route 27 out of Edgecomb south to Boothbay. After 9.3 miles, bear right at the Boothbay Civil War monument, across from the town common. Go straight at the stop sign. After a quarter mile, bear right onto Barters Island Road.
Tom & Sarah married at the Gardens
The Inn is about 1.2 miles down the road (you will go past the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, down a hill and cross over a bridge) and our driveway will be on your left just before the Trevett Draw Bridge, General Store and Post Office.
To find out how to rent the entire inn, or get a group rate, contact Pamela & Richard via e-mail at stay@boothbaybb.com or call them at 1-800-314-5160. Hodgdon Island Inn is open from March through November.
Beautiful bridesmaids
HOTTEST TRENDS IN HOT TEA, TEA ROOMS, TEA DRINKERS, JANE AUSTEN AND P. D. JAMES’S NEW BRITISH MURDER MYSTERY ALL BLEND TOGETHER AT COASTAL MAINE B&B BOOTHBAY MAINE
January 28th, 2012 by richard-pamela-riley
Surrounded by cookbooks, magazines, and my dog-eared notebooks, my head is swimming with the possibilities
Today here at Hodgdon Island Inn, it is a stay-inside-and-drink-plenty-of-warm-beverages kind of day so I am using it to do some more research on one of my very favorite subjects: recipe development! As I sit here sipping a cup of Red Rooibos tea infused with blackcurrant extract I am in seventh heaven. Surrounded by cookbooks, magazines, and my dog-eared notebooks, my head is swimming with the possibilities for new breakfast starters, entrees and desserts. Just think poor Richard will have to suffer through yet another round of “taste testing”.
In between reading up on the latest cooking trends, healthy ingredients, the importance of shopping locally and thinking about which recipe(s) we will try this week, I have been riveted to P.D. James’s new mystery novel, Death Comes to Pemberly. It is every bit an exciting sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice as it is one of James’s very British murder mysteries (I keep waiting for Commander Adam Dalgliesh to appear)!
But I digress … I digress because I came across an interesting fact on the Internet today – January is National Hot Tea Month – which caused my mind to begin to wander and connect the dots between my delicious cup of Red Rooibos tea (infused with blackcurrant extract – yum) with the cure-all cup of tea in Regency England with what the so-called hottest trend in hot teas is at the moment.
January is National Hot Tea Month
According to the experts, this year’s hottest trend is “flowering teas”. It is amazing to watch as hand-sewn sachets of tea and dried flowers bloom! If you have a few seconds to spare, check out this video link: http://www.whas11.com/video/yahoo-video/January-is-National-Tea-Month-13 and once you get there you may have to type in “January is National Hot Tea Month” in the video search section …
Now we know there are wonderful coffee shops and bookshop/cafes around the Boothbay Harbor Region where we have the occasional fresh-brewed cup of coffee and the calorie-busting frappucino, but I have to admit, under normal circumstances, to being a dyed-in-the-wool tea drinker. In fact, legend has it, that my mother (being fromIreland), used to put milk with tea in my baby bottle. And I am afraid I am not just a tea drinker, but I am a discerning tea drinker which means that I require water that is at a rolling boil, the appropriate steeping time, coffee-free vessels, and whenever possible, china cups or mugs.
So Richard and I have set out in search of local tea purveyors and found a gem right here in Boothbay: McNab’s Tea Room up the road from the inn off Back River Road. http://www.mcnabsteatoom.com/
Well, I’m off to put the kettle on and make dinner. A possible new breakfast entrée is on taps for tonight: baked eggs in bread bowls with Panko-crusted baked tomatoes. I’ll be sure to let you know how it turns out – you know if it is thumbs up or thumbs down from Richard. Be sure to stay tuned … 
SNOW DAY AT HODGDON ISLAND INN BED AND BREAKFAST NEAR BOOTHBAY HARBOR, MAINE
January 19th, 2012 by richard-pamela-riley
Snow Day at Hodgdon Island Inn
In nearby Boothbay Harbor today it is 28 degrees Fahrenheit, the humidity is at 92%, the winds are from the north at 5mph and it’s snowing! Here at Hodgdon Island Inn I am sitting at my desk looking out at a landscape which only can be described in terms of not black and white, but grey and white.
A multitude of grey for that matter! As I look westward across the Inn’s circular driveway I can just barely discern the water at the end of the yard. It looks like molten pewter, the sky overhead looks like a soft dove grey, the trunks of the horse chestnut trees are the color of ashes and the boughs of the giant pines standing watch over the north corner of the yard appear to be a dark brownish grey.
The water looks like molten pewter beneath a soft dove grey sky
The seagulls that can normally be seen perching on the rooflines of both the Trevett General Store and the Mill Cove Lobster Pond across the street are almost invisible as their grey and white feathers blend perfectly into the background. Of course all of these surfaces are being covered with lots of very wet and very white snowflakes. In short, it’s beautiful!
It is so nice to be at home sitting at my desk. Richard and I (and Charlie) have just returned from our annual sojourn south to celebrate the holidays with family and friends back in Kentucky. We hope your holiday season was as joyous as was ours. It is always nice to catch up on the “gossip”, overeat, visit the old haunts and in short, make wonderful new memories, but it is always good to come home. And home it is here at Hodgdon Island Inn! Last night’s run to Hannaford’s in Boothbay proves it: we ran into someone we know at the grocery store!
IN BOOTHBAY ON HODGDON ISLAND INNKEEPERS CELEBRATE J.R.R. TOLKIEN AND SECOND BREAKFAST
HODGDON ISLAND INN B&B BOOTHBAY REGION SHARES GOOD NEWS ABOUT MAINE LOBSTER FISHERY
Maine Bed and Breakfast Innkeepers Share Fast, Fun and Easy Foods to Play with on St. Patrick’s Day