Day Trip

We were actually expelled from the inn this week for remodeling purposes.  The hardwood floors in the guest pantry and soon-to-be tasting room are being refinished. We cannot wait to get back to see the result.  Until then, we've been forced to take a trip up the Maine coast (so we can better recommend vacation spots to our guests, of course).  The town where we stayed is Camden, "where the mountains meet the sea."  As the above picture of rocky coast helps to demonstrate, the tagline fits.

It has been a lovely visit.  We field-tested highly rated restaurants--one worthy, another not so much.  If you ever make it to Camden, by the way, try Francine Bistro.  Its intriguing flavor combinations and service reminded us of one of our favorite restaurants in Lawrence, 715. Plus, Jed and I literally had a 15 minute laugh session after just visiting Francine's website.  Click on the link and you'll hear why ;)

We hiked, lounged (read: knitted), and even got plenty of work done.  We are also excited to hit the Farnsworth Art Museum on our way out of town.  And, though it might seem strange, one of my favorite things to do in a historic town is visit the cemetery.  There is something awesome about the connection between people born centuries apart.  This person was a Civil War vet, that person was a WWII vet, etc. This mother died when she was 29.  This plot memorializes three hundred years of family members.  Even if you are not a graveyard geek like me, it is usually a beautiful walk.

Given weeks with no days off (and no 8-hour days at that), we expected an intense desire for rest when the opportunity presented itself.  After being on our feet all day as innkeepers, though, we started to get antsy after a few hours of sedentary vacationing.  I'm glad we did, or we might have missed the quiet woods and coastline, or even the unexpected regional icon: the oreo cow.  Like most adventures, we did not get what we expected.  But so far, the reality is even better.

 

Throwback

There are some jobs that existed long before the Industrial Revolution.  These iconic roles are so embedded in human consciousness that everyone has a sense of what they mean.  We can picture the work of a soldier or priest without difficulty.  Say a person is a farmer or carpenter, and your listener will understand. Physicians, musicians, politicians--all familiar.  Cultural connections surrounding this work have solidified.

For the first time in my life I hold such a position.  What I do every day has been done by others for hundreds and even thousands of years.  The incidentals have changed, of course.  Most of my predecessors did not deal with social media marketing or flat screen TVs, but they probably did encounter unanticipated requests or demands as well as a combined environment for business and personal affairs.  This has generated an unforeseen perk to the job.  No more quizzical looks or ten minute explanations that bear little fruit.  What do I do?  I am an innkeeper.

Think Drinks

We need your help!  Jed and I are developing a cocktail menu for the inn. While we will offer Bloody Marys, we're trying to create a range of early morning offerings. We want to find the right balance between recognizable and unusual, all delicious.  The kicker is that they must be prepped at light speed.  If you were staying with us and having breakfast, what would you order?

Just vote for one or more beverages from the below menu in our poll to the right.  We can't wait to hear what you think :)

Refreshing – Light & Fruity Drinks

House Sangria                               

     -with fresh fruit & paired quality liqueur

Kir Royale                                      

     -crème de cassis (blackcurrant) & bubbly

Sanguine Mimosa                                 

     -our adaptation with blood orange

                                                                 

Greyhound                                                              

     -classic vodka cocktail with grapefruit

                                                    

Raspberry-Lime Rickey                   

     -sparkling drink with rum & fruit puree

Gin Fizz                                          

     -effervescent gin beverage with lemon

Rich – Coffee & Chocolate Drinks

Spiked Hot Chocolate                     

     -choice of hazelnut, mint, or orange

Cognaccino                                     

     -cognac, Kahlúa, & amaretto; served cold

Irish Coffee                                      

     -traditional whiskey cocktail; served hot

Coffee Sambuca                              

     -digestif or aperitif with coffee beans

Mocha-tini                                      

     -layered chocolate & coffee martini

Café Romano                                  

    -coffee with limoncello; served hot or cold

Backstory

By popular demand, here is a brief history of what led us to Maine and innkeeping.

We knew we wanted to move somewhere striking with an obvious connection to nature.  And Jed always wanted to run an entire hospitality related business.  Shortly after we got together, the idea of a bed and breakfast came up. Other options were certainly on the table--food truck, brew pub, or café on the moon--but we kept circling back to the B&B.   We decided that one of these days we'd give the lodging industry a try. We started looking into the details of such work, both getting it and performing it.  Then came the whirlwind.

Almost immediately after we started researching, the perfect want ad came up for an Innkeeper/Manager gig in (you guessed it) Maine.  We felt the description of the ideal applicants fit us completely.  Our only thought about the eccentric, nine room, historic home by the coast? I want to go to there! 

We decided to give it our all, including but not limited to sitting on the Wishing Bench in East Lawrence. A while after throwing our hat in the ring we thought we were unsuccessful.  We settled into our then jobs/home a little further, content that we'd at least acted.  Then entered mischievous fate. Jed's father, an acclaimed vocational consultant, taught him to approach the application process in a certain way. Jed sent one last 'thank you for considering us...' follow-up e-mail. We got a response, interview, and job offer within the next three days.  Apparently we passed the sample menu test with the below:

Summer

Local blueberry salad | baby greens | almonds | honey sherry reduction

Citrus madeleines

Buttermilk waffles | caramelized rhubarb | local sausage

Bruschetta | crispy prosciutto | poached egg | mornay sauce

Autumn

Baked apple | cranberry chestnut stuffing | salted caramel drizzle

Homemade sesame bagels | black cerignola olive cream cheese

Pumpkin rabanada | cranberry maple coulis | local bacon

Egg white omelet | local kale | porcini mushrooms | gruyere

Winter

Roasted root vegetables | fig sauce

Ginger cinnamon rolls | coconut icing

Crepes | spiced apple cider chutney | local sausage

Goat cheese quiche | leek | pancetta 

As much fun as we're enjoying playing with food like this, I'll admit that both of us cried when we left Lawrence.  When it comes down to it, we have stopped missing the work and the house we left behind.  We miss the people... the relationships.  We face that a little bit each day, but still believe we made the right decision. Every move has introduced us to amazing individuals we would otherwise never have known.  And even when we stay put, we end up missing our friends who leave to chase family, education, duty, or bliss.  So, I suppose it's just our turn.