Denise Goldberg's blog

Red-clad feet on a purple bike
Wandering on two (bicycle) wheels in Downeast Maine

Sunday, July 17, 2005

Yes, there really are more pictures

Interested in more pictures of my week's worth of wandering in Downeast Maine?

If you'd like to see more (oh, and yes, there is some overlap between this journal and the galleries)... there are 4 galleries within the gallery titled Wandering by bike in Downeast Maine - June 2005. You can get to them from the top level gallery, or you can click to each individually using the links below:

Sunday, July 3, 2005

Would you stay there again? Yes!

My lodging for the trip was a combination of 4 nights in basic hotels (Fairfield Inn in Bangor & Bar Harbor, and Comfort Inn in Ellsworth) and 3 nights in B&B-type accommodations.

The hotels were just as I expected, basic accommodations but clean and very acceptable. The Comfort Inn did me the additional favor of allowing me to leave my 4-wheeled vehicle there while I was out touring, suggesting that I leave it right by the front door. Not only was I given permission to leave my car there, the manager remembered our conversation and greeted me on my return to the hotel with questions about how my tour was going.

I would happily return and stay again at both the Oceanside Meadows Inn and Harbor House on Sawyer Cove. They had different feelings - at least partially due to the fact that one was an inn and one a B&B - but both were comfortable and welcoming.

I stayed at the Oceanside Meadows Inn for one night in Prospect Harbor. The inn has 2 buildings containing guest rooms, and in addition both buildings have sitting rooms scattered thoughout for guests to use. One of the buildings contains the dining room used for guest breakfasts, and the other includes a kitchen that is available for guest's use. Restaurants in the vicinity are not in walking distance (although there was a deli about a mile away), so I picked up food for dinner in Winter Harbor before riding to the inn, and made use of the guest kitchen. I was greeted here with a smile, given a tour of the inn, and given information about activities around the inn - including a couple of hikes and oceanfront access. The innkeeper told me that I could keep my bike in my room (and the room was large enough to accommodate it), but there was also a garage in the building that I suspect would be usable for that purpose. My room was on the second floor, and had 4 windows overlooking the water, and included both an easy chair and a rocking chair sitting by the windows. A king-sized bed and a private bath completed my home away from home.

Choices of times for breakfast were every half hour between 7:30 and 9 (or 9:30 - sorry, I wasn't interested in the later times so I guess I didn't pay that much attention to the time of the last breakfast slot). Breakfast was a multi-course affair (mango-lime soup, followed by zucchini bread, followed by blueberry waffles - with a choice of juices and coffee or tea), accompanied by good conversation from both our server and other guests (amazing that I wasn't the only one who chose the 7:30 breakfast slot!).


Oceanside Meadows Inn - My room was on the second floor, the 4 windows on the right as you look at the photo.


Harbor House on Sawyer Cove in Jonesport was my home away from home for two nights. What a wonderful B&B! I was greeted by Maureen who then proceeded to show me my room, the back porch - which was the location of my very nice breakfasts (and could also be used by guests just for sitting & relaxing), the yard, and the shortcut over to the area where I would board the boat for my puffin cruise. And my bike was welcome to stay on the enclosed (back) porch). The first floor of the building housed a cafe (used for cooking guest breakfasts but didn't appear to be open other than that - might be seasonal, I didn't ask!). Maureen & Gene - the owners and my hosts - live on the 2nd floor. And the 2 guest rooms are on the 3rd floor. My room was lovely, and had a king-sized bed, a sitting area, and a table and chairs by the bay window looking out over the harbor. And again, the room included a private bath. Coffee & tea were available at all times, and there was a refrigerator on the 2nd floor that guests are welcome to use.

I thought since the puffin tour had a meeting time of 6:30 AM that my breakfast would have to consist of the energy bars that I was carrying with me. Not so! Enough guests take the tour that Maureen offers breakfast at any time between 6 AM and 9 AM. And a nice breakfast, at that! My first morning, I had fresh fruit (melon, papaya, kiwi, and berries) and blueberry waffles. The second day the fruit accompanied eggs and English muffins. Cereal (both cold & hot) was also available, as were breakfast meats if you so desired. And of course there was the usual juice and coffee or tea...


Harbor House on Sawyer Cove - a view of the sitting area in my room, the wonderfully comfortable bed, the enclosed porch (breakfast area), and a couple of residents who happily welcomed me to the house.