Have you been through a few New England winters? If not, you might not know how dark, how cold, how blah brown things get. January is hard in Maine for sun lovers, it seems to have more weeks than it should, and we wake and end our workdays in the dark. And then, just when you think you might begin to hibernate like a Maine brown bair, February arrives. No matter what the groundhog says, we all feel a bit of hope, a little more light creeps in everyday (2+minutes a day) and we start to think long and hard about spring.
Our Christmas decorations are put away for another year. Which reminds me – Thank YOU sincerely for all the kind notes and social media shout outs from those of you who came and stayed over the holidays and all you locals that drove through the winter wonderland. Co- Owner Dana creates an amazing display every year and we love to hear how much you enjoy the bright lights during the darkest months.
Every holiday is an excuse to decorate, deck the halls, brighten things up. Halloween and Christmas are favorites!
Here at Strawberry Hill in Rockport Maine and Island View Inn we spend January and February sprucing up our rooms, painting, shoveling, catching up on standard winter chores and, above all, staring east, keeping an eye on the sun. Sometimes we venture out, to the Samoset Ice Bar for cocktails, ice sculptures, fun music and snacks, or a summer favorite that comes alive for a short time in the winter, the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. They host a winter light show that brightens our spirits.
Our office manager Buckwheat the Cat is getting our reservation book ready. Buckwheat doesnt hibernate, but he does take lots of extra naps and dreams of things like long summer days on the deck, his favorite spot. He is a huge fan of our summer season visitors, and looks forward to greeting them every afternoon.
Buckwheat has your reservation, and is looking forward to greeting you soon.
Soon we will be opening windows, dusting off the lawn mowers (oh, I can smell the fresh cut grass already in my mind) and making sure we are photo ready for our visitors. Speaking of photos,have you checked out our new room and property photos by celebrated local Rockland, Maine photographer Jim Dugan ? We try to keep room photos updated, since we paint and renovate often and we want you to be able to view the latest images of our rooms. If you have a moment, check out Jim on social media or his YouTube page that will make you feel like you have already arrived on the salty coast.
Will you be coming to Maine this summer? Do you make plans, search for inspiration, mark your calendar to call your favorite spot to make sure you get your favorite summer weekend booked? When you arrive do you relax slowly into your stay, grab a book, find a chair and wind down? Or are you dropping your bags and get right to exploring? Is FOMA driving your itinerary or do you prefer to lounge and unwind first.
However you like to vacation, we are here for you. You can reach out via phone or email if you have questions about the hotel or the Rockland, Maine, Rockport/Camden/Midcoast Maine area and Buckwheat will be sure someone gets back to you to make sure your trip plans are what winter dreams are made of.