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2011 Season Comes to an end at Hodgdon Island Inn Bed and Breakfast near East Boothbay, Maine.

December 12th, 2011 by richard-pamela-riley

Heavy Frost at Hodgdon Island Inn

Today in Boothbay the sun is shining, the sky is bright blue and currently the temperature is about 34 degrees.  High tide was around 11AM
this morning and as always, the water was beautiful – a bright, glistening deep dark blue.   As I sit here at my desk and look out, I see the shadow of one of our resident bald eagles as he (or she) completes the daily fly-by (I am always amazed by how very big they are) enroute to its nesting place on Barter’s Island. 

Looking out at the Sheepscot - the water is a deep, dark blue

The gulls are hunkered down on the ridgeline of the roof across the street at the Trevett Store.  And Mrs. Roberts, our neighbor and Hodgdon descendant, is coming back from one of her
walks with her dog, Foxie.  Inside, there is fresh coffee brewing (maple flavored) and loaves of homemade applesauce bread baking providing that perfectly delicious Holiday scent of coffee, maple syrup, cloves and cinnamon.  Can’t you just smell it?!  As I begin to gather my
thoughts in preparation for this BLOG I find it hard to believe that it is
December already and that Richard and I have closed our second season as innkeepers here at our beloved Hodgdon Island Inn!  2011 was the perfect illustration of the saying “time flies when you’re having fun!”
OMG!  How very true that is!  What a season!  What a year!  And most importantly, what fun!

We had guests from all around the world and all around the country.
Each and every one of our guests is special and unique in his or her
way.  The guests were Hodgdon Island Inn alumni, boaters, artists, authors, brides & grooms, scholars, teachers & professors, moms & dads, mothers and daughters, husbands & wives, doctors & lawyers, kayakers, cyclists, veterans, girlfriends shopping ‘til they dropped and those in need of respite and solitude.  We had visitors from as far away as Swaziland, Japan and Denmark and as close as Maine, Massachusetts and New
Hampshire. 

Fourth of July Wedding at the Inn

The Inn was the perfect setting for a beautiful family wedding here on the Fourth of July as well as numerous milestone birthday and anniversary celebrations throughout the season and an artists’ retreat in the fall.

How cool is this?!  Richard and I still find it hard to believe that we get to live in this very special place on the mid-coast of Maine and that we have the added bonus of crossing paths with so many special people!  We look forward to welcoming you to our tiny little island here in Boothbay,  Maine in 2012.

Artists from Ten Pound Studio, Gloucester, MA

Normally, Hodgdon Island Inn would be open year round, but we ask your indulgence as we need to make a few minor upgrades to several of the rooms. To do this with as little inconvenience to our guests, we will be closed from December to March.  Reservations can be made anytime online at www.boothbaybb.com or should you have a question for us, please leave a message on the voicemail at 1-800-314-5160 and we’ll get back to you.

Don’t forget to check the website www.boothbaybb.com for specials,
recipes, Hodgdon Island Inn Alumni discounts and more …

 

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A recipe from Pamela Byrne Riley,Innkeeper, Hodgdon Island Inn, Boothbay, Maine Bed & Breakfast

July 8th, 2011 by richard-pamela-riley

Boothbay Bed & Breakfast, Hodgdon Island Inn

FRUITY BAKED OATMEAL

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 cups quick-cooking oats

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon

1 cup milk (I use Skim)

2 eggs lightly beaten

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup of sliced peaches,
raspberries and blueberries combined

A Hodgdon Island Inn Breakfast Favorite - Fruity Baked Oatmeal

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350
degrees.

In a large bowl, combine
the oatmeal, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

In a blender mix the
milk, eggs and butter.

Add the liquid
ingredients to the oatmeal mix and stir well.

Stir in the fruit.

Pour into a greased  9 inch pan, coated with nonstick cooking spray.

Bake uncovered for
approximately 35 -40 minutes, or until top lightly brown.

Cut into squares and top
with a dollop of low fat vanilla yogurt or pour on milk of choice.

Can be served hot, warm
or at room temperature.

Yields 6-9 servings.

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PACO’S TACOS, DAMARISCOTTA, A FAVORITE EATERY OFTHE INNKEEPERS AT BOOTHBAY B&B HODGDON ISLAND INN

June 17th, 2011 by richard-pamela-riley

PACO'S TACOS Damariscotta, Maine

By now if you’ve read any of our blogs, you know that Richard and I, in addition to spending time in Boothbay Harbor, like to hang out in
Damariscotta.  Damariscotta is a great little riverfront town on the Pemaquid Peninsula located about twenty minutes from Hodgdon Island Inn www.boothbaybb.com, Boothbay.  The town has a wonderful array of shops, fun things to do and some great eateries.

One such eatery is Paco’s Tacos www.pacostacos.info.  Paco’s is located at 1 Tacos Alley. The alley is just off Main Street, between Sheepscot River Pottery and Puffin’s Nest (really neat shops by the way, but I won’t digress). Hours of operation are Monday through Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.  Free WiFi is available (and it works better than a lot of public accessible WiFi we have encountered throughout our travels). Their telephone number is 207-563-5355.

Paco's is in the basement of the Sheepscott River Pottery Building

Their menu www.pacosme.com/menu2.html
offers a wide range of tasty dishes that not only please the palate, but are very easy on the wallet (everything is priced under $10)! We plan on working our way through the menu, but our favorites to date include in no particular order:  the Loaded Veggie Burrito with choice of beans (red or black), cheeses, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, rice, onions, olives and sour cream; Nacho Grande – a large plate full of yummy salsa chips topped with your choice of meat or beans, lettuce, tomatoes, olives, salsa, guacamole and sour cream; and the Taco Pescado (aka Fish Taco) which features a fried redfish fillet wrapped in a soft tortilla seasoned with a mildly spiced tartar sauce and topped with lettuce and tomato, served with a side of chips and salsa. Most days we prefer the Medium Salsa, but our best friend really likes the Hot Salsa.

Paco’s is in the basement of Sheepscot River Pottery building.  We love
opening the door and inhaling the air thickly permeated with the smell of fresh chili peppers, cilantro and all of your other favorite Mexican spices.  The décor is
very pleasant – fun colored tables, chairs, and benches with lots of striped
pillows and exposed brick walls painted white and all spotlessly clean.  Owner Mike Frame and his crew are very pleasant and take excellent care of all their patrons.  As you can probably tell, Richard and I give Paco’s Tacos in Damariscotta a “thumb’s up”, but don’t take our word for it, stop by and try it for yourself.  To
visit them on Facebook, go to www.facebook.com/pages/Pacos-Tacos/225673352787

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B&B BOOTHBAY HODGDON ISLAND INN WELCOMES SPRING!

May 14th, 2011 by richard-pamela-riley

Hodgdon Island Inn Welcomes Spring!

Spring has come to Boothbay!

Spring is happening at Hodgdon Island Inn!

We have: tulips and tea at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens; tulips lining driveways; daffodils poking up on the roadside along Route 1; beautiful purple azaleas are towering over the fountain in the center of the inn’s circular driveway; forsythia bursting out on what used to be hen hill at the old Hodgdon farmstead and on the outer edges of the pool; and bumble bees are heard to be happily humming.

This year's dandelion crop

This year’s dandelion crop is making a real
show of spring yellow on the spring green grass!

The gentle rumbling of lawn mowers can be
heard from Barter’s Island to Hodgdon Island to Boothbay and from Boothbay to Boothbay Harbor.

Windows are being washed; porches and wicker
furniture are being hosed down; it’s time to call the “pool guy”.

Front porch gets gussied up!

Route 27 and Barter’s Island Road are being
blacktopped – good-bye potholes.

Restaurants and shops are opening; awnings and
umbrella tables are going up; “closed for season” signs are coming down.

The air is changing.

Spring is happening at Hodgdon Island Inn!

Spring has come to Boothbay!

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FOGGY DAYS COME TO COASTAL MAINE B&B INN

May 14th, 2011 by richard-pamela-riley

Today at Hodgdon Island Inn, a coastal Maine Bed & Breakfast near Boothbay Harbor, we are under the umbrella of a beautiful soft, delicious and ultra-quiet fog as a result of a tug-a-war between the old cold air and the new warm spring air.  It’s heavenly and I just had to share one of my favorite poems with you …
FOG
The fog comes

on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
by Carl Sandburg

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EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR A PERFECT MOTHER’S DAY GETAWAY AT HODGDON ISLAND INN’S SPECTACULAR LOCATION CLOSE BY COASTAL MAINE BOTANICAL GARDENS & BOOTHBAY HARBOR

March 29th, 2011 by richard-pamela-riley

A Perfect Mother's Day Getaway!

A Mother’s Day Promise … 

A quiet, relaxing weekend away at Hodgdon Island Inn is just the ticket – all our rooms have comfortable beds, private baths and water views.We promise Mom will be pampered each morning with sumptuous gourmet breakfasts and scrumptious homemade desserts each evening …

A breakfast treat just for Mom

 

 … Hodgdon Island Inn also offers the best front row seats around for beautiful pink sunsets.

If shopping is on the agenda, then Boothbay Harbor is just minutes down the road and we promise MOM will find everything her heart desires from hand crafted jewelry to fine art and to the latest in fashions and home furnishings …or if a quiet romantic outing on the water is her preference, there are plenty of cruises to choose from.

Tea and flowers

Mother’s Day wouldn’t be Mother’s Day without flowers and of course, a cup of tea to relax and while the afternoon away with.  We promise Mom will find just the ticket at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens’ Tea & Tulips Spring Tea in the Kitchen Café on Saturday afternoon.

Homemade Lemon Glazed Blueberry Pound Cake

 

And of course, since Hodgdon Island Inn is the closest Bed and Breakfast to the gardens, we promise Mom will have time to come back, relax, maybe sip a glass of her favorite wine on the front porch overlooking the water before changing for a lovely dinner at any one of the area’s fine restaurants like Jordan’s,  Tug Boat Inn , the Boathouse Bistro or the Damariscotta River Grille.

 

A Mother's Day Promise ...

We promise to help you tell Mom just how much you love her!  Call us at 1-800-314-5160 or send an e-mail to stay@boothbaybb.com  Richard and I will be more than happy to help you plan your Mother’s Day Gift Weekend for that special lady in your life!  And don’t forget to take advantage of our “Come Stay in May in Boothbay” special:  book a two-night minimum stay at Hodgdon Island Inn anytime during the month of May and save 21% on the room of your choice.

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THREE AND A HALF HOUR DRIVE FROM BAR HARBOR TO BOOTHBAY’S NUMBER ONE RATED ACCOMODATION, HODGDON ISLAND INN

March 27th, 2011 by richard-pamela-riley

Boothbay’s Number One Rated Accomodation the nine-room Hodgdon Island Inn is at the halfway point between Boston and Bar Harbor.   Driving time is three and half hours each way.

 

They searched for years to find it.  Pamela and Richard love Boston and they love Acadia National Park and feel that the Boothbay Region allows them easier access to both.Innkeepers Pamela Byrne Riley  and Richard B. Riley are particularly fond of their home on their tiny island in Maine. 

Bar Harbor, Maine

For the trip to and/or from Bar Harbor they recommend taking Route 1 as there are so many real Maine places to see and explore along the way.  Leaving Bar Harbor, the first recommended stop is in the Searsport area.  The Penobscot Narrows Observatory and Fort Knox State Historic Site which is open daily 9-5 May through November.  Another not-to-be-missed stop in this area is the Blue Jacket Shipcrafters.  Blue Jacket is Maine’s largest selection of classic and contemporary ship models and nautical crafts.

Mt. Battie Round Tower & Overlook

From there Route 1 meanders along to the Greater Camden area and the next recommended sights to see include the 6,000+ acre Camden Hills State Park  with Mt. Battie at its summit and can be reached from the road that starts at the park entrance off Route 1 just north of the town of Camden.  The views are spectacular.  Also in the park is Mount Megunticook (1,380), one of the highest points on the Atlantic seaboard.

Sightseeing can make one hungry and if that’s the case by the time you arrive in Camden a great place to eat is Cappy’s Chowder House. It’s located on Main Street and is open year-round.

Scenic Drive - Belted Galloway Cows at Aldermere Farm

If time allows be sure to take Pamela and Richard’s favorite “scenic drive”.  Begin on Chestnut Street in Camden and follow this incredibly peaceful road by a lily pond and by the herd of belted Galloway cows (black on both ends and white in the middle). Take Calder Lane through the woods; continue along Beauchamp Avenue to Rockport Village and harbor, and return to Camden via Union Street.

The next area for sightseeing along Route 1 after Camden is the Rockland area.  You will be spoilt for choice here as well.  Located in the heart of Rockland is the Farnsworth Art Museum and the Wyeth Center.  The museum is incredible!  It houses a 6,000 piece collection of 19th and 20th century Maine-related American Art and features works of three generations of the Wyeth Family (Nathaniel, Andrew and Jamie).

Owl's Head Light

Directly outside of town is the Owl’s Head Light State Park – one of Maine’s many dramatically placed lighthouses and the Owl’s Head Transportation Museum.  The transportation museum has a reputation for being a “premier facility for celebrating wings and wheels”.

From the Rockland area it’s about another 40 – 45 minute drive to Hodgdon Island Inn.  Pamela & Richard like to recommend that the stops along the rest of the way be done via day trips from the inn, but are always willing to work with their guests to personalize their agendas – just let them know your preference.

Follow the signs to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

To get to Hodgdon Island Inn from Rockland follow Route 1 South turning LEFT onto Route 27 to the Boothbay Region.  Follow 27 to the Civil War monument on the Boothbay Green.  Turn RIGHT at the monument onto Corey Lane.  Go straight at the stop sign.  After a quarter mile, bear right onto Barters Island Road.  The Inn is about 1.2 miles down the road (you will go past the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens and cross over a bridge under construction) and the Inn’s driveway will be on the left just before the Trevett Draw Bridge, General Store and Post Office.

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Hodgdon Island Innkeepers spot sign of spring in Freeport: “18 Days and counting till Ice Cream Season starts”

March 26th, 2011 by richard-pamela-riley

LL Bean Store Window Freeport, Maine

Today, Richard and I made a trip into Freeport with some very dear friends from “back home” (Kentucky & Ohio).  Freeport is only 45minutes away from our nine room inn on our tiny island here in Boothbay, Maine .  Our day started off with grey skies and about an inch of snow giving our friends a taste of winter 2011 in Maine, but by noon it was all gone and Mother Nature had decided to smile.  The sun was shining and Freeport was hopping.  The huge parking lots behind L.L. Bean were pretty full.  It felt like everything and everyone was waking up after a long winter’s nap.  As we came around the front of the L.L. Bean home wares building, we were stopped dead in our tracks!  People of all shapes, sizes, genders and ages were learning how to cast fly fishing rods. 

One of Pamela's favorite haunts - Bridgham And Cook LTD.

It was mesmerizing to watch, but we eventually tore ourselves away and headed for Main Street and some of our other favorite haunts like Jones of New York, Mangy Moose, Cool-as-a-Moose, Brooks Brothers, Clark’s of England, Bridgham & Cook British Importers, Sherman’s Bookstore and of course, all of the L.L. Bean stores.

In the course of all this “exercise” we got thirsty and were in the process of trying to decide how we would quench our thirst when we spotted the sign that read “18 days till ice cream season begins!”  Just think – tonight the moon will be the fullest it’s been in 21 years; tomorrow is the first official day of spring and in just two weeks and 4 days (April 1st) ice cream season will be here!  How cool is that?!

To celebrate we tried out the new coffee shop/café located on the lower level of the L.L. Bean Flagship store.  It was fun and it was good.  The coffee shop showcases Coffee by Design from Portland. This was our first time to try their products and I have to say we enjoyed our Cappuccino (Richard) and Mocha (Pamela) Frappes respectively and our friends enjoyed their Roasted Red Pepper Quiche and hot teas.

Then it was down the street to the Georgetown Pottery and Edgecomb Pottery.  I’m afraid I could spend hours in each and still not see all the beautiful shapes, glazes, art and giftware there.

We finished our Freeport adventure off with dinner at the Muddy Rudder.  There was a brand new menu to choose from and between us we sampled Panko Baked Haddock, Hanger Steak, Baked Haddock and sirloin tips accompanied by creamy mashed potatoes with a side of crisply steamed julienned beets.  It was all very good and our waitress was cheerful and attentive.  It was, as they say, the perfect ending to a perfect day.

Directions to Freeport from Hodgdon Island Inn:  turn RIGHT out of driveway onto Barter’s Island Road; make a slight LEFT onto Corey lane; turn LEFT onto ME-27 to US-1 South; turn LEFT onto US-1 South through Brunswick; take I-295 South to Freeport Exit 20.  Follow signs to Freeport and parking lots.

P.S. At the time of this posting the number of days left til ice cream season is now six!

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Hodgdon Island Inn is located about an hour northeast of Portland; three hours from Boston; three hours from Bar Harbor

March 7th, 2011 by richard-pamela-riley

Follow signs to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

By Air

Fly into Portland International Jet Port (www.portlandjetport.org ); rent a car, call for a limousine service or make arrangements to be met by a Boothbay Harbor Region(www.boothbayharbor.com) taxi.  Private planes may fly into Wiscasset Airport; rental cars and taxi services are available.

By Car 

From Portland (www.portlandmaine.gov) 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 (www.boothbay.org).  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.  The Inn (www.boothbaybb.com)  is about 1.2 miles down the road (you will go past the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens (www.mainegardens.com) and cross over a bridge under construction) and our driveway will be on your left just before the Trevett Swing Bridge (www.youtube.com), General Store and Post Office.

 

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INNKEEPERS AT HODGDON ISLAND INN, BOOTHBAY, MAINE SEND ANNIVERSARY WISHES BACK HOME TO MOM & DAD

March 2nd, 2011 by richard-pamela-riley

The Four Popovers: Pamela, Dad, Mom & Richard

On March 5, 1949, a young couple in Kentucky got married.  That was the year that the New York Yankees would beat the Brooklyn Dodgers in the World Series.  It was the year that a horse named Ponder would win the 75th running of the Kentucky Derby.  The average price of a new home cost $7,450.00 and the minimum hourly wage rate was 70 cents an hour.  Harry S. Truman was President of the United States; Margaret Chase Smith was the Senator from Maine; NATO was established; Newfoundland joined Canada; soap operas debuted on television; the first VW Beetle was sold in the US; the very first automatic street lights were installed in New Milford, CT; the first Polaroid Camera sold for $89.95 and to celebrate the company’s 80th birthday, the first Pillsbury Bake-Off was held at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.  Movies that year included Adam’s Rib, Twelve O’clock High, On the Town, and Roger’s and Hammerstein’s South Pacific debuted.  Folks were listening to Hank Williams “Lovesick Blues”, Vaughan Moore’s “Ghost Riders in the Sky” and Gene Autry’s   “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”.  William Faulkner received the Nobel Prize for Literature and Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” opened.  And some very talented people were born that year:  Vera Wang, Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, Lionel Ritchie and Bruce Springsteen to name a few.

Ben & Pat Riley married on March 5, 1949 - fast forward 62 years

Fast forward 62 years and we know that some things have changed a lot and some hardly at all, but one thing remains steadfastly the same:  that young couple is still married and going strong!  As the parents of two sons (the eldest of which happens to be my beloved husband, Richard) and one daughter; the grandparents of two; and the favorite companions of a Maine Coon Cat named Bro, they are kept pretty busy.  In addition, Dad loves to read and star gaze, Mom loves to cook and bake, they care for all sorts of birds and animals, and they love everything Maine:  Maine lobstah, Maine chowdah, Maine blueberries (preferably in the form of yogurt or a crisp), fresh hot popovers, the jagged mountains, the rugged coastline and everything in between from Kittery to Bar Harbor. 

They love everything Maine!

Richard and I thank them for their love and support and for their company on all the Maine adventures through all the years.  We hope you will join with us in wishing them all the very best on this their 62nd wedding anniversary! 

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM & DAD WITH LOVE!

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