April 2016 | view this story as a .pdf

A getaway stands time on end. It is geographically distinctive. It conveys relaxation, is comprehensive as its own destination, and is sure of itself.

By Claire Z. Cramer

The Samoset Resort, Rockport

When the Bay Point Resort was sold in 1902 to the Ricker family–of the Poland Spring Water resort and bottling dynasty–Hiram Walker renamed it the Samoset after a Pemaquid chief who welcomed the Mayflower pilgrims. Today the resort and spa compound has among its charms a golf course perched spectacularly at the edge of Penobscot Bay. It is a doorway to the midcoast experience.

Chebeague Island Inn

What is it about the Chebeague Island Inn?

“Located on an island and accessible only by boat, the Inn creates a feeling of escape even for visitors coming from nearby towns,” says Caitlin Prentice. “The Inn sits on the highest point of the island facing west, so it offers the sunset overlooking Casco Bay.”

The “island of many springs” is appealing for the privacy it offers. Recent guests who have sought its seclusion include Star Wars director J.J. Abrams, actress Rooney Mara (Carol, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, New York chef Dan Barber, and actor Michael Richards (Seinfield). Beyond these, the inn has Charlie’s ghost.

“Charlie was a bit of a drinker, and he frequented the bar at the inn,” says Prentice. “This was about 100 years ago. One night, his wife got fed up with him and kicked him out. He went to the inn, drowned his sorrows, and stumbled upstairs to a room. Before doing so, he carelessly tossed a lit cigarette under the porch. The inn caught fire and burned to the ground. In his drunken stupor, Charlie never woke up. He died in his room.” He’s said to haunt the inn, which was rebuilt in 1924.

York Harbor Inn

Talk about historic. It was around 1637  when what would become–and still is–the York Harbor Inn’s post-and-beam “Cabin Room” with fireplace was dismantled and transported by barge to York Harbor from the Isles of Shoals, where it had been used as a sail loft. The stables were converted into a lounge in the 1870s, which endures today as the Ship’s Cellar Lounge.

Spruce Point Inn

The Spruce Point Inn sprawls over 57 acres of waterfront and woods, with accommodations ranging from the inn to cottages to townhouses. Private wooden porches with railings to rest your feet are everywhere, with endless water views.

Guests across the ages include Vice President Mr. and Mrs. Hubert Humphrey; Senator and Mrs. Edmund Muskie; Governor and Mrs. Kenneth Curtis; Maine Congressmen William Hathaway and Peter Kyros; Senator and Mrs. Robert F. Kennedy; Senator Edward Kennedy and family; and Col. and Mrs. John Glenn. Conde Naste ranks the Spruce Point Inn in the top 25 resorts in the Northeast.

Colony Hotel

Built in 1914 and originally called The Breakwater Court, this unmistakable Kennebunkport waterfront landmark was designed by John Calvin Stevens. Today, the hotel has 125 guest rooms and is environmentally conscientious, pet-friendly, and still undeniably grand.

Asticou Inn

Here’s a gracious escape to Acadia. You have the Asticou Azalea and Thuya gardens to explore, with Bar Harbor shopping and Acadia National Park just up the road. But why leave your room at this charming, rambling, shingled inn or adjacent cottages–if not for the tea and popovers they’ll serve you this afternoon on the deck overlooking Northeast Harbor? So relax.

Newagen Seaside Inn & Linekin Bay Resort

We’re New England’s only all-inclusive sailing resort during the months of July and August,” says Linekin Bay Resort’s Cherie Scott. “We’ve got a fleet of Rhodes 19 sailboats–guests love our annual regatta to Cabbage Island–plus paddleboarding, kayaking, and a full waterfront staff. It’s a passion.”

In the shoulder months of May, June, September, and October, the lodges and cabins operate as a B&B. “We have a lot of dock-and-dine guests who cruise over for dinner at The Deck restaurant and use our guest moorings. We’re the place the locals eat.”

After more than 100 years of ownership by the Branch family, Linekin was recently purchased by Steve Malcolm and Scott Larson,  who owns the nearby Newagen Seaside Inn .

Located on Boothbay’s Cape Newagen and “surrounded on three sides by the sea,” the Newagen Inn has offered guest accommodations since 1816. In 1943, it burned to the ground–legend has it the fire was intended to signal German U-boats offshore–and was subsequently rebuilt in an elegantly rambling Colonial style. Environmental activist Rachel Carson, a frequent visitor, wrote of “the hollow boom of the sea, striking against the rocks,” and at her request her ashes were “returned to the sea” off the point.

Claremont Hotel

“I can say without reservation that the Claremont Hotel sets standards of gentle hospitality and enchanting environment that should be emulated by every one of the thousands of hostelries catering to the millions of vacationers and visitors who travel our breathtaking shores each summer,” wrote the late, great John N. Cole in Portland Magazine almost 30 years ago. Cole’s real agenda: “That lovely nine-wicket jewel high on a hillside”–the hotel’s croquet lawn. A tradition at the hotel since Victorian times, the popular Claremont Croquet Classic has been held in August since 1977.

The hotel was built in 1884 by Capt. Jesse Pease, who found the view of Somes Sound and Acadia National Park beyond to be the most beautiful he’d ever seen. It’s hard to argue. Best-selling novelist and Southwest Harbor resident Christina Baker Kline declares her favorite summer treat to be “blueberry martinis at the Boathouse Bar at the Claremont.” Past guests at the hotel include Robert Kennedy and writer Calvin Trillin.

More recently, President Obama and the first family came for lunch in 2011 during their whirlwind tour of Acadia.

Island Inn

Ten miles from offshore, the Island Inn (original parts of which are 200 years old) is your escape from 2016. No telephones, televisions, or electronic appliances disturb your peace–although there is some limited wireless internet. Instead, plan to hike the nine scenic miles of trails and find a lovely spot to read. Or pick up an Art Monhegan map and visit nearly 20 artists’ studios that dot the island. Monhegan has been a magnet for talents from Rockwell Kent to Jamie Wyeth to Zero Mostel to Alice Swett.

Lucerne Inn

In 1814, the Lucerne Inn was the only stop between Ellsworth and Bangor offering food, drink, and lodging. It was built on land granted to John Phillips for fighting in the Revolutionary War, and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Travelers are always impressed by the scenic views of Phillips Lake and mountains beyond.

“I had a guest tell me she’d been to Lucerne, Switzerland,” says concierge Dan Reeves. “She was startled by the similarity of the scenery.”