Maine is known for it’s quintessential New England charm; its mixture of hefty forests and immaculate beaches, the smell of salt water blanketing its little towns, and the roadside clam shacks that make mouths water. The state draws in millions of visitors each year, and the small town of Kennebunkport draws in many of them, claiming its fame as the place that our 41st president, George Bush senior, calls home. But the most magical house in this town isn’t the Bush’s ocean front property on Atlantic Avenue. Nestled deep in the woods, down the beaten Bufflehead Cove Lane, only a mile from the center of town, is a big, beautiful house with a wrap-around porch. It sits alongside a lush garden on one side and a wide, and silent riverbank on the other. The Bufflehead Cove Inn is owned and run by the Gott family and has been for the past twenty-five years.
It was my favorite part about visiting Maine.
Sure, there’s plenty to do in the town of Kennebunkport and the surrounding towns of Kennebunk and Wells. If you are an antique collector, I am happy to tell you that you’ll find more than twenty antique shops along the main drag in Wells, one right after the other. In the town of Kennebunkport, you’ll find plenty of shopping, savor the taste of Aunt Marie’s homemade ice cream, and even take a two-hour schooner ride along the Kennebunk River. For lunch or dinner, the Arundel Wharf restaurant is a must. I’ve never had a more crisp and fresh salad, and the crab cakes were perfection. Sitting outside on the pier, enjoying the food while the sun beat warm on my skin, I knew I was in paradise.
But when I loved it the most, the trees in Maine were dripping wet with rain. And the air and grass were damp. And I was subjected to laze around in the bedroom at Bufflehead Cove Inn, with a good book and curl up on the cushioned sitting window that overlooked the river. The room smelled like downy and polished wood. My mom (my travel companion for the weekend) and I enjoyed games of Rummy 500 on the large and comfy porch as we drank hot chocolate and beckoned the fireflies to light up as they passed. The Gott family: Harriet, Jim and their son Erin, were very attentive; offering tea and cocoa, preparing special diabetic-friendly breakfasts for my mom, giving advice on where to explore in their vicinity, and sharing stories from their years in the Kennebunks.
I can’t imagine lovelier people running an Inn. Their stories were sweet and filling, like a jar full of cookies. I imagined what twenty-five years worth of visitors must of done for their family bond, and how their kindness and faith in perfect strangers may have loosened the knots in their backs. How
welcoming these people in their home, fostered a sort of warmth in the house that I had never yet experienced at a travel accommodation, but surely noticed during my time there. It’s an old house thing. And surely something that comes with all that New England charm. But I realize now, having spent every trip in a hotel room and none at an old fashioned B&B, that this comfort must come from the care of running something all your own, something family-run. And that’s why Bed & Breakfast’s and Inns should always be the first choice when looking for accommodation. No matter where you are visiting.
When looking for a B&B, reputation is key. After choosing the region, state or town you’d like to travel to, try picking up a few magazines that are either privy to the area or known for their reviews of lodging like New England Home, for example. www.BedandBreakfast.com is also another way of doing some research. This site hosts information for over 7000 Inns in the United States. Here, you can search for accommodation, read reviews, and book your stay. But I suggest, once finding a place that looks appealing, to call the Inn yourself in order to get a feel for its atmosphere. You know you want something genuine, and a premature conversation and booking over the phone, will offer you some comfort in knowing that you’re staying at the appropriate place. When we parked our car at our B&B of choice, Harriet Gott not only knew our names, but also remembered the conversation she had on the phone with my mother, as she greeted us with warm hugs. As if we’d been friends for years.
Longevity is also important when accessing the reputation of an Inn. According to Erin Gott, the “average burnout time for a B&B is eight years.” Having beat that more than three times over, Erin assured us it’s because the Gott’s “love people,” and claims that if they didn’t, it never would have worked out for them. I also suggest looking into these, “breakfasts” that your Inns offer. At Bufflehead we enjoyed fresh Hawaiian pineapple, and cinnamon French toast stuffed with cream cheese and baked granny smith apples. Baked by Mr. Gott himself. That was day one. You have to make sure your getting the real deal. Not a continental type of thing. Most states have Innkeepers Associations that you can find on the Internet to begin your search. Individual websites also say a lot about the appeal of a particular Inn. You can tell a lot about what’s offered, the specific charm, and attitude of an Inn, just by seeing how the innkeepers handle their website. What pictures does it host? What information does it offer? Do they take pride in the aesthetic of their website? It’s like inferring a statement just by the tone of a voice.
If you’re area of choice is also in the Kennebunk region of Maine, I suggest looking into the following Inns, all of which seemed quaint and comforting from the outside. And with the tight knit community of Kennebunkport, I can’t imagine them being anything but, once you step through the door: Old Fort Inn, English Meadows Inn, Captain Fairfield Inn, The Harbor Inn, The Green Heron Inn, The Captain Jefferds Inn, and of course, The Bufflehead Cove Inn.
The beauty of staying at an Inn or a B&B as opposed to a hotel is that there is a sort of magic and escapist quality to it all. You should feeling like you have left your daily life, but gone to someplace familiar. There is no feeling like feeling at home
By Barbara Ford
