A classic twist on fresh watermelon.

Watermelon salad sounds like ‘why mess with a good thing?’ but it kicks your summer salad up a notch. Of course, your watermelon purists will desist, but if you can open up to try new foods, mixing watermelon with olive oil and lemon will give you a tasty surprise. The feta cheese adds a touch of saltiness, perfect on a hot, summer day.

Thank you all for voting for White Cedar Inn in the Northern Forecaster Best of the Best 2017. We really appreciate the vote of confidence!

It’s been getting a little bit shady here at the inn. Shady in the yard that is. We had several of the maples and oaks in the front yard ‘limbed up’ a bit in order to bring in some extra sun to help the lawn renew. You have probably heard us tell about the granite boulder in the basement. The whole front yard is on a granite ledge. The topsoil eventually filters away if the grass roots don’t hold onto it. That’s what’s happened over the past few years. We ended up growing a lot more moss than grass! (We do not like using chemical fertilizers and have taken a ‘live and let live’ attitude toward the yard.)

You can see from the photo that it’s not only the grass that’s getting a bit more sun - you can now see the house quite clearly! Sitting on the porch now allows you a better view of the comings and goings along Main St.

We also removed the evergreen that was growing outside the Chart and Fogg room windows. For anyone new to ‘Stephen King Land’ the sound of the branches scraping on the siding in a storm was a bit too creepy! I’ve started a hosta garden there now. I do have my eye on a PeeGee Hydrangea for the corner. We had an enormous one in Vermont and it was gorgeous in the fall.

Come on up and take a look at the new plantings and the soon-to-be greener grass.

You’ve been saving up for this vacation for awhile. Planning your days away from work, getting all your ducks in a row. You’ve read the reviews for everything - places to stay, things to do, where to eat, which airline to book. But, are you going to make these classic mistakes just the same?

Taking the easy way out

Are you staying in your comfort zone? Again? Sure, it’s tough to plan your once-a-year vacation on a whim. But, what if you had unlimited vacation time? What if you could do anything or go anywhere? Would you still pick the same sort of place in the same sort of location? Or, would you splurge a little? Try something totally out of your element?

It’s easy to decide to go to Disney once again. It’s clean, fun, and safe. You know exactly what you’re getting each and every time. You know the hotels will be just so. And the food will be just so. And everything will be just so. But, have you learned anything new? Expanded your horizons?

Maybe this is the year to try something out of your comfort zone. Chat with locals who weren’t hired just to help the million guests who walk through the door, but who truly love where they live and want to share it with you. Go out on a lobster boat where you might get a little wet, or the gulls might get a little close, but where you’ll be be with real lobstermen who can show you how it’s done. Rent a kayak and discover coastal inlets where osprey and eagles nest, where seals bask in the sunshine, where you’re not sharing the ‘lagoon’ with 250 of your new best friends.

Step outside that comfort zone and try something new!

And, while you’re at it, avoid this second classic vacation mistake -

Planning everything based on cost

Do you make all your plans based on the absolute cheapest prices you can find? Why pay ‘extra’ for a comfortable place to stay? After all, you’re going to be out exploring all day, right? So why pay for a better room when you can pocket that money? We travel once/year for our vacation and prices run the gamut. What is luxury in one town for $100 is unbelievably awful somewhere else at twice the price, so know your destination. Don’t expect to be dazzled for that $100 when the average rate in your vacation area is $250/night. Sure, look for a deal that meets what you budgeted for, but take everything into consideration: does your room rate include breakfast, parking, WiFi, access to the pool, or is all of that listed as ‘extra’ in the fine print?

Most of our guests mention they don’t eat lunch because they have feasted for breakfast. There’s another bit of savings for you! Your breakfast is included and you really only need a little snack in the afternoon and then dinner. (And we have snacks!)

We don’t add on fees if you have a coffee or tea in the evening. Cookies and snacks are on the house. WiFi is free and works across the property. Park your car, or drive it in and out all day - no charge.

Do it right this year

This year, when you plan your vacation, think outside your comfort zone and really evaluate what you’re getting for your hard-earned dollars (or pounds, or Euros, or yen). We’ll be here. With lots of ideas for things to do and a very yummy breakfast.

See you soon!

Coming to Portland the week of June 19 -23, 2017 - Maine Startup and Create Week. We were once where you are now - just starting out, great ideas were flowing and we needed a place to bounce ideas around with other, like-minded innkeepers. We found a place to do this and we have consistently given back to our community by mentoring and forging relationships within the hospitality sector.

You may not be looking to be an innkeeper, but you have ideas and plans for the future. We’d like to help support your vision. Show us your pass for the week or just a couple of days and receive 19.5% off your stay with us the week of the event - June 19 - 23.

Later on, when your dreams have come to fruition you get to give back to your new community.

We are 20 minutes from MECA and downtown Portland. Easy on/easy off I-295 to the venues. See you soon!

Make a reservation here, or give us a call. 207-865-9099

This yummy grape cake is adapted from a recipe in Food Network Magazine (great resource for super easy recipes). The grapes cooked in the honey come out amazing. It is best to use grapes at their peak, rather than when they are getting mushy. You want them to hold up in the boiling mixture.

You’ll want the Fabulous Fruity Crisp for all sorts of gatherings - summer cookouts, fall tailgating, toasty winter dessert, springtime brunch. It’s a treat that spans the seasons! This crisp works best with apples, pears, peaches, nectarines and berries. You can use up your frozen berries, the ones you aren’t throwing in the blender for smoothies.

The exquisite lobster roll

Spring is here and so is lobster roll season. Never heard of lobster roll season before? It’s strictly a Maine season. Kind of like shrimp season in Louisiana. Not like mud season, which is pretty prevalent across the northeast.

It’s the time of year when lobster shacks get opened up and aired out after what seems like a forever-long winter. Suddenly, there are lines of cars and people where lines of cars and people have not been seen since October. Yes, lobster roll season is upon us.

We know where quite a lot of great lobster shacks can be found along the coast. Just ask us next time you’re here!

I’ll leave you with this to get you started:

Monica & Rock’s Top Ten Lobster Shacks

You know you want lobster. Unless you’re allergic. In which case, skip this.

There are so many more places we haven’t tried yet. Go out exploring; bring back tales of lobster found far and wide. Enjoy!

Lemon Tart

Monte Cristo - a decadent breakfast sandwich

You’ve seen the bazillion ads on TV, on the web, on your phone, everywhere - ‘Best prices on the internet for hotel rooms!’ Did you believe the ad? You’re doing it wrong.

Did you do a search on the web for a hotel room and see lists of search results marked Ad in tiny print? Did you enter your dates only to be told there’s nothing available for those dates at any of the places you want to stay, BUT here, try one of our ‘partners’? Did you click and book? You’re doing it wrong.

Did you ever find yourself in one of those booking services (Trivago, Expedia, Hotels, Booking) and see flashing text stating ‘only one room left at this price’ or ‘last room booked 10 minutes ago, these prices won’t last’? Did you panic, click and reserve? You’re doing it wrong.

Do you look at reviews on TripAdvisor before you make a reservation? Have you seen No availability for your dates from these sites? Did you think that lovely B&B had no rooms open? You’re doing it wrong.

Where do booking services find all those rooms?

A short explanation and then all will be revealed for how to get the best price for your stay. Booking services charge individual properties a fee to get you to book a room. They use scare tactics like ‘last room!’ or ‘prices going up!’ to get you to book right away without doing any research. (Plus, they have to pay for all those TV ads somehow.) They put the hotels closer to the top that give them the most inventory or that charge the highest prices because they make a commission on every sale. From 3% to 30% on every room.

Why isn’t my favorite B&B in the list?

Many B&B’s and inns don’t have rooms on these aggregate sites. 30% of your income is a big bite! Which is why, if you love B&B’s, you should expand your search and not click on the ads that pop up first. Look at the map that your search engine sometimes provides. That usually gives you at least 3 B&B’s from which to choose.

But, back to the hotel room aggregators - hotels have wised up. That’s why you now see ads from hotels wooing you to ‘book direct’. They no longer give the booking service the ‘best’ rooms. They do what’s called ‘run of the house’. Sounds like you get everything, right? No. You get whatever room is left. The one next to the elevator, the one next to the pool where the basketball team that just won the championship is celebrating, the one next to the housekeeping or utility ‘closet’, the one with the great view of the parking garage.

Now it’s time for you to wise up as well! By all means use those aggregating services to find hotels in the area where you are going. They do sorting for you, too. Want a B&B instead of a hotel? Sort by ‘type of property’. Want pet friendly? They sort by that as well. (Good also if you have allergies and DON’T want pet friendly!)

Now that you have your list of properties in the area, don’t be dismayed if everything seems ‘full’. Hotels don’t give all of their availability to the booking service. This is where the cagey shopper in you comes to the fore - call the property directly. Here’s a sample of what you may find:

• There IS a room for you on the dates you want (hotels hold rooms back from the service);
• It’s less expensive than on the booking service (no commission for the hotel);
• They may also give an AAA or AARP discount that the booking service doesn’t have;
• You can select the room you want (as available). No need to squish your 6’6″ frame into a double bed;
• Breakfast may now be included (more savings!). Of course, breakfast is always included at a B&B;
• Optional packages may now be available to you. Maybe the hotel has a dinner package or sightseeing tickets you can take advantage of.

Another option, if you’re doing your planning late at night, is to do a simple search on the property that catches your eye. 99% of all hotels, B&B’s, and inns now have online reservations where you can check their calendar whenever you’re awake. (We get reservations coming in from Australia when we’re sound asleep!) You can find your room and make your reservation with a few clicks or taps.

After all this, you may find the rate on the booking service IS lower than the hotel’s website. But, you still have wiggle room. Ask the hotel if they will meet the price you see on Expedia, etc. If you want exactly what’s listed ‘standard queen room, no breakfast’ more than likely the hotel will agree to meet that price because they are still saving the 20% commission. Everyone wins!

A few easy steps to get the best value for your trip:

• Search
• Sort
• Call
• Reserve
• Relax

There you are - how to do it right. Save a little money on your next vacation. Spend it to do something fun like a sunset sail, a hot air balloon ride, or buy silly souvenirs for the kids.

Our online calendar is here. Or call us between 9 AM and 7 PM EST - 207-865-9099

Great Egrets return to Maine.

It’s always fun to take a walk on the ‘wild side’. For us, that means a few special places we return to at different times of the year to experience the ever-changing landscape. Right now is the time of year to find the seasonal and migratory birds making their way home to Maine or using Maine as a stopover on their way north to breeding grounds in Canada.

The great egret is a summer visitor in Maine (just like you!) and spends its days fishing along the coast. They are regulars in the Scarborough Marsh. Check the tide charts for low tide and go for a walk on the wild side. This trail is mostly flat and wanders through the marsh and surrounding woodlands.

It’s also possible to bike this trail or rent a kayak at the marsh to paddle around.

April 29 & 30, 2017

Bradbury Mountain, Saturday April 29

Wolfe’s Neck Woods, Sunday April 30

Park entry fees apply, all programs and activities included with paid park admission: ME Residents: Adults aged 12-64: $4; Ages 5-11: $1; ages under 5 and over 65: free. Non-ME residents: Adults $6; Ages 65+: $2.00; Children 5-11 $1. ; ages under 5: free.

The weekend events kick off on Friday night, April 28th, with a “Night Walk” at Bradbury Mountain State Park, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. Zeb Casperson, a Maine Conservation Corps Environmental Steward, and park staff will lead visitors on a night time nature walk exploring the world of nocturnal animals. At the end of the walk, weather permitting, feel free to stick around past 8:00 p.m. to observe the night sky with a telescope.

Remember that from the first day back at school in September? I hated that essay. We (my family) never did anything. But, I was a big reader, so I knew kids in books went on vacations to new places and had adventures I only had by reading about them. I spent my summers running around with my friends, playing tag, climbing on the monkey bars, begging mom for a dime for an ice cream when the Good Humor or Bungalow Bar ice cream truck came around. The farthest away from the neighborhood we ever got was Orchard Beach. (Not OLD Orchard Beach, just plain ol’ Orchard Beach in the Bronx.)

All that to say, there’s no essay about what we did on winter vacation! We did (and are still doing) a bunch of stuff behind the scenes. But, these are things you’ll see when you come to visit:

We’ve installed the new, 10-year smoke detectors in those rooms that had the old school detectors. Some areas have hard-wired detectors.

Rock installed a new range hood. It’s a LOT quieter than the old one and it doesn’t clang and crash when it’s windy outside.

These I’m going to let you guess at for awhile… One hint - they’re used in the kitchen. Guess away.

We are replacing the carpet on our side of the building. The 80’s called and they want it back. We’re gonna let it go. All the inn carpet was cleaned last week, so ready to go for the new season.

I’m still scouting for new recipes. Speaking of which - I installed a new recipe app on the website. All of the recipes are being converted to this new format which has a print function to make it easier for you to copy the recipes you like. I’m converting them one at a time. They can be found here in Recipes.

How did I determine your favorite photos? I did extensive research on Facebook to see which photos had the most likes and shares. It actually took about an hour because you know me, I post a new photo almost everyday.

However, these were your faves, in no particular order. I will say you really seem to be fans of snow photos!

Remember, you don’t have to have a Facebook account to see our photos and news. You can just go directly to our page and when Facebook encourages you to sign up, just click ‘not now’ or ‘no, thanks’ and you’re on your way. Click here to take a look.

Lemon Blueberry French Toast

An adult twist on a classic breakfast - lemon curd and blueberries make this an indulgent treat. Sprinkle a little powdered sugar on top, serve with peppered bacon and a mimosa.

You’ll want a firm white bread to hold up to the lemon curd and blueberries so they don’t leak through during the cooking. We’ve used English toasting bread (tastes like an English muffin) with good success.

Orange Croissant French Toast

Croissant French Toast looks like a million dollars, but is relatively inexpensive to make. It’s easy peasy and big guest favorite!

Fall Foliage in Freeport, Maine is a wonderful thing!

Just sharing a couple of photos from this week at Winslow Park. The fall foliage in Freeport is at its peak this week. We had a little grumbling in August and September that the foliage would be a bust this year due to the drought. Well, Mother Nature pulled through just in time with some soaking rains in late September and wonderfully crisp days in October that led to the brilliant colors we’re seeing this week.

There are still some trees that haven’t turned yet so I’m looking at another few days next week where you’ll find riotous color on every Main Street and back road in the area.

If you’re headed this way for foliage, we’ll be happy to show you our favorite drives and let you know which lobster shacks are still open. We generally tell you that the week after Columbus Day is the best one for fall foliage along the coast in Maine. Sometimes it’s a little later, sometimes a little earlier. This year it’s right on time.

There’s nothing to beat a fall foliage trip to Maine - deep blue skies and ocean; vivid red, yellow and orange maples; the black-green of the pines. It’s time for a road trip! See you soon.

Ever since we went to Campobello Island a few years ago I’ve wanted to walk out to East Quoddy Light at low tide. You really have to plan this well as the tide rises quickly and it’s pretty high up there in Canada (around 12-15 ft).

The photo above is one a guest took and sent to us. Now I want to go even more! You have to climb up and down these seaweed encrusted metal stairs, then cross the sandbar to the island.

This is as far as we got last time - East Quoddy Light

Time for a drive out to Bailey Island! Head all the way to the end for yummy fudge at Land’s End. View a lighthouse and the fisherman’s memorial. Along the way, stop at Mackerel Cove and the Giant’s Stairs.

An excellent 4 hour adventure meandering thru Harpswell, Cundy’s Harbor, Bailey Island, Orr’s Island and more.

Take a look at our trip to the Giant’s Stairs.

A lovely walk in the woods! We took a hike last week to find the Glidden Shell Middens at the Great Salt Bay. There are quite a lot of wonderful trails in the Newcastle-Damariscotta area. Read more about them here - Glidden Shell Middens

Maine Lighthouses

The lighthouse trail in Maine runs all along the 3500 miles of seacoast. Yes, 3500 miles. We’re counting all of those hidden coves, tidal flats, and tiny islands along the coast. You can start in Eliot, Maine and go all the way to Canada to see all the Maine Lighthouses. (There is one on a lake far from the coast, but that’s not in this list. It’s called Ladies Delight if you want to look it up.)

We have the Maine Guide to Lighthouses and Harbors here at the inn and you’re welcome to take a copy to help you find the hidden gems. I had my mom as my co-pilot one day and we hit the section of the book along the Kennebec River. The directions for the Doubling Point light take you from a nice, wide, paved two lane highway to a smaller paved side road to a smaller still unpaved road. Finally, you’re in someone’s driveway. It’s part of the fun to find the hidden areas along the rivers and coast. There are a couple more I have seen from the river (take the lighthouse cruise from the Maine Maritime Museum) that I need to find from the shore.

The above lighthouse is the farthest east one in the US. That one is about five hours from here in Lubec at the West Quoddy park. There’s a very rocky beach there and a hiking trail around the point. If you bring your passport you can also go across the Campobello Island to see the East Quoddy Light at the tip of the island. (On it’s own island!) Stop in to see Franklin Roosevelt’s summer White House on the way.

To see more of Maine’s lighthouses you can head over to our blog and follow along as we wander around Maine looking for those beacons of light along the coast!

Don’t forget Maine Open Lighthouse Day - one weekend only, in September. Get inside lighthouses all up and down the coast.

It’s always fun to run away for a day! We went to Rockland for lunch with our friends in Camden, Karen & Dave, from Timbercliffe Cottage. This is our view at lunch.

If you’re headed up Route 1 from here, ask us about places to stay and eat. We’ve got a list of our faves!

Last week we installed new windows in the dining room. You may have noticed the seals broke on the old ones and they had that kind of permanent film on them.

We picked these windows because they allow the same great view on top, but they open on the bottom for a lovely breeze at breakfast.

Those are also the new tablecloths I made with the lighthouse fabric an old college buddy gave to me. More new tablecloths coming up in the next couple of weeks. She gave me about 20 yards! Another friend is making an apron for me. Today I got another box of ‘seaside’ fabric from the same friend. There’s enough fabric to make some new throw pillow covers. So much fabric, so little time!

Small arch, Valley of Fire Nevada

We just got back from 2 lovely weeks on vacation in Nevada, Utah and Arizona. I’ll be posting new pix over the next couple of weeks so check back often! Here’s the link to the first day in the Valley of Fire, Nevada.

Gull over Scarborough Marsh

Scarborough Marsh

Scarborough Marsh is only a short drive from White Cedar Inn, but you’ll feel like you’re on a whole other planet. The Eastern Trail runs through the marsh so you are surrounded by water, marsh grasses and wildlife as you wander along. Bring a kayak or bicycle!

FMI: Scarborough Marsh Day Trip

New Year’s Day on Popham Beach

We like to start every new year with a hike on the beach. Some years I get to take my shoes off and walk on the sand barefoot and other years I’m loaded down with scarves, mittens, hat and heavy coat. This year was halfway between - a little too cold for bare feet but not so cold that we walk for ten minutes and call it quits! We were on Popham Beach for about an hour and a half this year. Lots of horses were just coming off the beach when we arrived. Still, there were probably a hundred people milling about as the tide came in. No better way to start the new year than with a walk on the beach.

Here are some pix from New Year’s Day on Popham Beach:

There’s always something to do in Maine, no matter the weather! Give us a call to make a reservation, we’ll be happy to tell you how to get to our favorites places. 207.865.9099

White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast 178 Main St Freeport, Maine 04032

After a horrific rain storm that dropped over 6 inches of rain on Freeport in less than 24 hours, we had a bit of a mess with the old stairs. Due to undercutting on one side, the bricks were coming loose and Rock had to cement them back in place. (It worked but it looked pretty ugly!)

Here’s the before and after:

What a difference! Time to come for a visit and check out the new stairs.

This was news to me but you can see Mt Washington (in NH) from a vantage point about 2 miles from here. For more details and photos on what the trails are like and how to get there, check out the blog post ‘Hedgehog Mountain‘.

Ever walk to the western end of Popham Beach and wonder how all those people got to the beach on the other side of the river? That’s the Seawall Beach and you get there by going over Morse Mountain. Parking is extremely limited in this conservation area and the hike from the parking area to the beach is 2 miles. However, this is some of the scenery along the way. It’s a gorgeous walk, uphill both ways.

Took a drive today to Land’s End. It’s a very scenic route if you stick strictly to Rt 24 from Cook’s Corners. But, every once in awhile you should turn off the main drag and take one of those side rides. Found these common eiders off Washington St near the Giant’s Stairs.

Turning down the Cundy’s Harbor Road I found myself at the Holbrook Wharf watching lobster traps being made. From start to finish it takes about two hours to complete one trap. The order I saw being worked on was for six hundred four foot traps. The guy working on them very generously explained what he was doing and why and the different gauges of coated wire that are used. The body of the trap is assembled from a 4×4 sheet of coated 12 gauge wire mesh. 10 gauge mesh can be used for sturdier construction of the hauling end and the midsection.

Here’s a partially completed stack of traps at the end of the dock.

Take that side road. You never know what you’ll see!

BTW, some of the locals hanging around chatting with me recommended stopping in at the Holbrook Wharf in season to try out the tasty offerings at the restaurant there operated by Danny Gilmore. You may remember Gilmore’s Seafood in Bath. This is where they are now.

Casco Castle - Freeport’s original rusticator’s hangout.

Is enjoying the great outdoors hiking, kayaking, beachcombing or just hanging out with a good book in a comfy chair under the trees your idea of a real vacation? You’re a rusticator!

Rusticating became a ‘thing’ back in the late 1800’s into the early 1900’s as New York’s rich and famous fled the city in the heat of the summer to play at being ‘hicks’ in Maine. Tough to do when you brought your own train car and a good chunk of your worldly possessions with you.

Rusticating inspired the era of the Maine cottage. You know, those big old houses you admire perched on a bluff above the ocean. That’s a Maine ‘cottage’. Poland Springs, Bar Harbor and Moosehead Lake saw many hotels and cottages built for rusticators.

Freeport had the Casco Castle. Built by the trolley companies as a destination for day trippers and overnight guests the castle had it’s own zoo and amusement park. You can get an excellent panorama of the remaining stone tower at the end of Winslow Park at Staples Point. Or, check out the view from a kayak on your way to Pound of Tea, Sow and Pigs, or The Goslings.

We’d like to bring back the age of the rusticator. So, come and enjoy the laid back, relaxed atmosphere here at White Cedar Inn. Sit in a chair under the trees. Read a book. Go for a hike. Paddle around in Casco Bay. Walk on the beach. Disconnect to reconnect. Become a rusticator.

Check out our rooms. Give us a call.

Pulled together a little list (with a map!) of different places in Freeport where you can find antiques, uniques and fun Maine gifts. It seems like this spring was the time Freeport got its own little corner of the antiques market. All of a sudden shops were opening along Rt 1 taking advantage of the larger spaces and easier parking than we sometimes encounter in downtown.

It’s now pretty simple to plan an antiques roadshow of your own with White Cedar Inn as your home base. From Freeport to Brunswick (Cabot Mill) to Montsweag (flea market) to Wiscasset (Avalon Antiques) and south to Portland (Flea for All and Portland Architectural Salvage) you can find the parts to build your house and then furnish it. Plus having great dining within walking distance and coastal hikes to clear the cobwebs from your brain.

Plan an antiques and uniques trip to Freeport today!

Here’s the map of Freeport antiques and uniques.

You can take an old dresser and refresh it pretty easily with paint and new knobs as I did over the winter. The sky’s the limit when you use a little imagination. And these antique shops will give you plenty of ideas! Even repurposing clothing can update your look in a flash.

The Maine coast is dotted with picturesque lighthouses that guide sailors home in all weather. Several lighthouses are open during the summer (such as Pemaquid Light, above) so you can get an up close look at the lenses and the views!

For more lighthouses you can visit during your stay, take a look at the lighthouse page on our blog. We haven’t seen all of them, but we’re working on it.

And don’t forget Maine Open Lighthouse Day in Sept!

We have the Maine Lighthouse guide here at the inn. Get your free copy with photos and directions and plan your day of lighthouse sightings.

Time to hit the beaches here in Maine! The skies are brilliant blue, clear and sunny. The air is still crisp. None of the humidity that comes later in the summer. Here are a couple of our favorite beaches. We even go in the winter!

Popham Beach is our all-time favorite. Here are some pix from one of the trips we made to the beach.

Just across the river is Reid State Park. This beach has several separate areas including a tidal pond where kids can explore.

Of course, there’s Old Orchard Beach, Ogunquit Beach, Wells Beach and the beaches in York. As you get farther up the coast the sandy beaches give way to the rocky shoreline, great for hunting beach glass and heart-shaped rocks.

This dresser is a long way from home! Found the label on the back when I was doing the refinishing. We knew the dressers weren’t very old (this one is younger than we are) but didn’t know exactly when they were built. The label indicates March 1963. (Or 64.)

We’re not sure where the other, similar dressers are from. The same place? Possibly as they all look alike.

Head on over to Freeport June 5 - 7, 2015 for Girlfriend’s Getaway weekend. Events around town all weekend (Fri-Sat-Sun) include discounts at shops (ask us for a brochure with the list), a free hot towel mini manicure, samples of Wicked Whoopies, jewelry design workshops, wine and cheese reception, chocolate factory tours and more.

Check our special 3 M’s package for the weekend - Movies, munchies and Moxie!

Room rates start at $148+ tax. 2 night minimum.

It’s a great time for a girlfriend’s getaway.

If you’re a bicycling enthusiast, join Maine Women’s Bike Ride on Sunday, June 7 at 8 AM.

Rather do some shopping? Great sales on all weekend.

How about learning a new sport? LL Bean Walk On Adventures can teach you SUP, kayaking, archery, fly casting. $20

Want to be crafty? Make a bracelet at Casco Bay Fibers.

Wine and cheese your thing? Bow St Market is hosting a wine tasting.

Or, take yourself off to the beach to hunt for sea glass and watch the waves roll by.

Easy walk from White Cedar Inn to all events in town.

The new schedule for the LL Bean Summer Concerts is out. All shows start at 7:30 PM and are free. Bring your own lawn chair and relax. No smoking or alcohol allowed on Bean campus. Discovery Park is a short walk from White Cedar Inn. Bring a picnic dinner to the park!

Here’s the schedule - LL Bean Summer Concert schedule

Continuing our transformation to a ‘Maine cottage’ look, I stripped this dresser and turned it from farmhouse to seashore. Take a look:

That one went so well I’m planning a second one for next week. Still selecting a color. Hmmm…

Even though the temperature dropped 20 degrees from yesterday, Spring is not far away. The sun is warm, the snow is melting and we’re looking forward to getting back outside again. And to taking down the Christmas wreath. We leave it up because it’s a bit of cheer in the dark winter. But it starts to look a little odd once the snow is gone. Luckily (?) the snow is still pretty deep on the ground right now.

Still, I will leave you with this springtime view, to think of warmer days to come.

White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast 178 Main St Freeport, Maine 04032

Wandered around in the Owls Head Transportation Museum on Friday. Rock likes everything but I pick one item to focus on while he reads all the information placards. Today it was antique radiator caps. Enjoy!

Check out more of our trips to OHTM on our blog! Also note we have discount admission tix for sale when you make your reservation. Select OHTM from the Add On tab.

White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast

The breeze is picking up and the sun is warm. Spring is on the way! Although it’s great fun to play in the snow every year, once we get to March we start looking forward to seeing the lawn again.

This year is tough going for maple sugerers. Usually they are out in the woods by the end of February getting their lines set up, repaired and siphoning systems in place. This year it just hasn’t gotten above freezing so no sap flowing. Lets hope we ease into Spring and don’t end up with a year where it gets too warm too fast.

Here’s a little video from a couple of years ago when we had the trees out front tapped.

Now we are getting our yummy maple syrup from The Sugar Shack in Millinocket. Getting time to place an order!

Don’t forget Maine Maple Sunday is coming up on March 22, 2015. Take a drive to a maple sugaring demonstration near you.

White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast

Here’s something we’ve been wanting to do for a long time - refinish the brass light fixtures to be more au courant. Although, I think we’ve waited so long that shiny brass is coming back. Perish the thought. A couple of weeks ago Rock redid the mirror in the hallway, which was previously a kind of pinky mauve color. That came out so well he got the nerve to tackle the light fixtures.

Because it’s winter (You knew it was winter right? -18 this morning. 10′ banks of snow. Etc.) he set up a ‘painting studio’ in the basement using the huge cardboard boxes the new towels came in. (You knew we got all new towels, right? I have to remember to keep these posts up to date.) Anyhoo, he has a painting box in the basement to spray paint these lights without painting everything else.

The color for the new fixtures is a hammered bronze. I’m particularly impressed with how the lightbulb matches the fixture. Rock is slowly replacing all the brass with these newly redone fixtures. One more project almost finished.

White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast 178 Main St Freeport, Maine 04032

I’ve been meaning to take down the wallpaper in the front hallway for 10 years. This was the year! It’s still up in the stairway because it’s all that’s holding that wall up when the suitcases go by. But the downstairs is fresh and clean. I may still do the upstairs hallway as well.

The candy dish is in the living room, not to worry. Rock is very proud of the new escutcheons. Be sure to mention them!

White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast

More pix from yesterday’s snowfall…

Another day of snow is upon us. Here’s the poor bear, practically buried again. He should be hibernating anyway! Only a few more days until we reopen after vacation.

The front hallway is painted, the new floor is in Capt Dan’s bathroom, the huge crack over the fireplace is fixed. It was an easy January as far as projects go but we did a lot of sitting around relaxing, too, and that’s always good for the soul.

Rock spent the morning laying the new floor in Capt Dan’s bathroom. He wandered into the kitchen an hour later saying he needed a rolling pin. This sort of thing happens all the time and I always follow him with the camera. You just never know.

There’s never a dull moment around here!

And the finished project:

White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast

We’ve finished digging out from Juno. Now awaiting the next three storms headed this way over the next week. Whew! Hope it stays cold enough to keep it all snow and no rain.

Looking forward to getting out snowshoeing soon.

Make a reservation – come see for yourself all there is to do in winter in Freeport! After your day in the great outdoors, enjoy relaxing in front of the fireplace in the living room with a cup of hot cocoa and a cookie. Make plans for dinner at one of Freeport’s excellent restaurants. Not a fan of the great outdoors? Lots of shopping going on around here!

Don’t forget, you can take the train instead of driving! Amtrak service from Boston to Freeport runs twice/day.

White Cedar Inn Bed and Breakfast

Here’s what it looks like around White Cedar Inn today…

Come enjoy the winter snow…

Make a reservation - come see for yourself all there is to do in winter in Freeport! After your day in the great outdoors, enjoy relaxing in front of the fireplace in the living room with a cup of hot cocoa and a cookie. Make plans for dinner at one of Freeport’s excellent restaurants.

We have guest books in each room here at White Cedar Inn. Some of them get filled up quickly and others take awhile. (I always wonder about that - do some rooms encourage more spontaneous comments than others?) Kids like to draw us pictures, guests from far away leave comments in languages I try my darnedest to translate on my own, many tell us how they enjoyed the fun adventures we sent them on.

One of the funniest comments we ever got wasn’t written in the book. A guest came down for breakfast holding the guest book in his hands and told us that he read the comments and, “This person here? She’s my best friend’s mother! We stayed in the same room!” He was amazed. It’s really a small world.

Every once in awhile, I’ll post a page from the comment books here so you can read for yourself what guests say.

Looking for up to 10″ of the fresh stuff today! Here’s hoping it stays cold enough so there’s no rain. We’ll go play in the snow tomorrow at one of our favorite trails. January is when we try to get out at every opportunity to enjoy all that Maine offers in the winter season.

Take a peek at some of our previous trips to the park:

Wolfe’s Neck Woods in winter.

Us, horsing around in the snow - video

Other hiking areas nearby:

Bradbury Mountain

Tidebrook Trail

Gilsland Farm Audubon Center

Winslow Park

Make a reservation - come see for yourself all there is to do in winter in Freeport! After your day in the great outdoors, enjoy relaxing in front of the fireplace in the living room with a cup of hot cocoa and a cookie. Make plans for dinner at one of Freeport’s excellent restaurants.

So, there we were, going along doing our winter projects when Number 1 son calls to say he is getting married. In a week. I was on my way out the door to NY when the call came in so I quickly made plane reservations and hit the road. Came back on Tuesday and was out the door again on Thursday for Vegas.

Now I’m in vacation mode. No ambition to do ANY projects. More fun to look at vacation photos and chat with my new D-I-L.

Here’s the happy couple:

Will be putting together a longer post with photos from vacation. Right now, though, I have to get some ‘work’ done!

This week has seen the coldest weather we’ve ever seen since we’ve been here. Although, coming from Vermont, it’s still 20 degrees warmer than what we experienced there where 35 below was kind of normal at this time of year.

If you’re shivering, too, here are some summer photos to warm you up. (Oh, there might be a few winter ones!)

Four seasons in Maine.

Take a look at just a tiny selection of great things to do in Maine. Whether you’re here on vacation, to visit family or even for work, there’s always time to see a slice of Maine. Really short on time? Head over to LL Bean for a Walk-On Adventure. Usually under two hours, the adventures run in summer and winter.

Went out yesterday for a ‘First Walk’ on Popham Beach. I know you really want to see the photos instead of reading about how cold and windy it was. Really, though, it was a beautiful day! Sunny and brisk but any day at the beach is a good day. Happy New Year!

Popham Beach is a wonderful day trip no matter when you come to Maine. It’s amazing to see the changes wrought by storms and tide as the beach is constantly shifting and moving. Some years we can’t walk to the islands. This year it was easy to get there at low tide. Check the tide charts before you go to insure there’s ‘enough’ beach for a long walk. High tide here can be 11-12 feet, which eats up the shoreline pretty quickly. Another option is to go to Fort Popham, farther down Rt 209. Or Fort Baldwin and the Phippsburg Colony, along the road to Fort Popham.

Happy New Year

from White Cedar Inn!

Today we start that loooong list of renovation projects we’ve saved up all year.

First up:

• Strip the wallpaper in the front hallway
• Patch the hole in the living room ceiling from where we took out a woodstove
• Replace a water fill valve in a toilet (it had a wicked hammer when it finished filling)
• Start putting ‘Christmas’ back in boxes until next year

So far, we’ve gotten the wallpaper down. These are the paint samples I have to choose from. We’re leaving the wallpaper on the stairs. You’ve heard me say a million times, ‘That’s what’s holding the house up.’ Plus, no worries when a 90 lb guest is trying to haul their 75 lb shopping bag up the stairs!

This is the first pass. The filler for the hole. Joint compound next up.

Tomorrow Rock will be washing the front hall to remove the wallpaper paste and then he’ll patch the dents and dings and holes. (Always amazed how many holes are in the walls from pictures that were taken down eons ago!)

Right now I’m going to pull up a chair in front of the fire and work on the last chapter of my book.

We had two new Maine postcards made up for you to add to your collection of White Cedar Inn postcards. Please feel free to take them when you’re here. These are made from photos yours truly took while we were out and about. Maybe this is my next career!

These are the postcards we had from 2014. They are still available.

Looking for winter activities in Maine? Here’s a list from us of multi-season adventures. Snowmobiling, skiing, dog sledding and more can be found here on the Maine Tourism website. Not everything on the Maine list is available in Freeport. But you can stop here on the way to there and gear up!

Make a reservation - come see for yourself all there is to do in winter in Freeport! After your day in the great outdoors, enjoy relaxing in front of the fireplace in the living room with a cup of hot cocoa and a cookie. Make plans for dinner at one of Freeport’s excellent restaurants.

Found this in one of our older guest books - original artwork from the illustrator for the movie. We have the coolest guests!

Found this article the other day in the Food & Dining section of the Boston Globe! One of their ‘Tank Away‘ articles on things to do close to Boston. Yes, you can get here from there and there is so much to do!

Check our website for restaurants, shopping and things to do.