Facts about Ocean Point Inn

Columbus Day Weekend Festivities

The last weekend of Ocean Point Inn’s 2015 season is just about here and promises to be full of exciting things to do. It is one of the most beautiful times of the year in Boothbay Harbor Maine.

H2015Results Our Maine foliage is turning brilliant shades of red, orange and yellow. Against the deep blue sky and ocean, the vistas are simply spectacular. Driving the River Road yesterday from Boothbay to Damariscotta, there seemed to be a photo-op around every bend in the road! The road was lined with purple wild asters in full bloom and milk weed pods were bursting open shooting hundreds of seeds into the air floating away using their miniature parachutes. Chipmunks raced across the road with cheeks full of acorns for their winter stash.

The 48th Annual Fall Foliage Festival takes place at the Railway Museum on Saturday and Sunday, October 10-11. 9-6 on Saturday and 10-4 on Sunday. You will be treated to a top notch Craft Show with loads of different vendors, demonstrations by artists, rides on the narrow gauge steam train, 60 antique cars, restored buildings, live music, a wide range of delicious local food, a pumpkin carving contest and a children’s corner. There is something for all ages at this event which is not to be missed.

Fifteen minutes away in the town of Damariscotta there is another spectacular fall event, the Pumpkinfest. Local people have been growing humungous pumpkins all summer for this event. The new champion for 2015 is Edwin Pierpont whose pumpkin weighed in at 1,725.5 pounds!!!!

The enormous pumpkins are brought into town and dropped in front of participating stores. Then
extremely creative people turn them into amazing creations. Be sure to bring your camera. On Monday, October 12, there is the Pumpkinfest Regatta which is one of my favorite events. People actually create boats out of the giant pumpkins and ride in them! Build a pumpkin vehicle and race in the Pumpkin Derby on Sunday, October 11. The Pumpkin Drop is also on Sunday, October 11. The Pumpkinfest Parade is on Saturday, October 10.

Lots of food made with pumpkin will be for sale along the main street. There is a pumpkin pancake breakfast on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Live Music and Entertainment take place all weekend at the Damariscotta Pumpkinfest.

Traditional Maine Foods

As guests come to Ocean Point Inn, they bring questions about “Maine Food.” They want to know “what the locals eat!” The questions have me thinking about what foods are traditional Maine foods??

Of course, everyone thinks of Maine lobster - steamed, baked stuffed - like our house recipe for Linekin Bay Lobster, lobster rolls, lobster stew, lobster salad and more. Steamed clams and mussels are often served with the lobster. Folks also look for a good fish chowder, commonly made with haddock in this area, and served with chowder crackers and sweet pickles. Our Ocean Point Inn Crab Cakes can’t be beat - made with fresh Maine crabmeat. Oysters, farmed right here on the Damariscotta River, are great raw on the half shell, stewed or fried.

The most common dessert with a Lobster Dinner is Blueberry Pie, the Maine State Dessert, made with wild Maine blueberries. Our Ocean Point Inn pies have people coming back for more! An older blueberry dessert that I love is Blueberry Dumplings. You boil the wild blueberries with sugar and drop the dumpling batter into the berries to cook - delish with homemade vanilla ice cream. Blueberry Cobbler, Crisp and Grunt are wonderful. Do you know the differences among them? Grunts, Pandowdy and Slumps are varieties of the Cobbler. Bettys and Buckles are made with a batter similar to cake batter. These desserts are served with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. The names sound unusual but, trust me, they are all delicious.

Needhams, which were first made in Portland, Maine, in 1872 by Reverend Needham, are a wonderful candy treat. Believe it or not, they are made with mashed potato. You would never know it to eat one! The coconut and chocolate are the flavors that you taste.

Whoopie Pies have always been an old Maine favorite but are now popular in more of the country. Williams Sonoma even sells a pan for whoopee pies! Chocolate with a white crème filling is traditional but pumpkin with a cream cheese filling is yummy in the fall.

In addition to beautiful foliage, fall in Maine brings Baked Bean Church Suppers. Some bake the beans in the ground. They are traditionally served with “brown bread” which was originally a very dark bread with raisins that was baked in a coffee can. As a child, the round bread showing the rings from the can was fascinating to me.

Venison, deer meat, shows up on many Maine tables during the fall hunting season. There are sometimes fundraisers offering a “Wild Game Dinner” which includes venison and more exotic meats like moose, bear and raccoon.

New England Boiled Dinner is popular in the fall as the root vegetables are harvested from the garden. Cabbage, carrots, turnip, beets and potatoes are cooked with corned beef. The flavors blend together for a delicious meal.

As the temperatures rise in March, the maple sap starts to run and maple syrup season is underway. “Sugar on Snow,” hot maple syrup poured over the frozen snow makes a sweet sticky candy that is served with doughnuts and dill pickles. Hard to tell how that combination got started!

Once the grass is growing, the dandelions pop up. Many Mainers love to pick the early dandelion greens before they flower. The greens are traditionally cooked with salt pork and served with vinegar.

Fiddleheads, a member of the fern family, are also popular.
These days they are readily available in the grocery stores. They are fun to pick and pickled with dill they make a very tasty appetizer.

How many of these traditional Maine foods have you eaten? Look for them on your next trip to Maine, staying with us at Ocean Point Inn!

My Favorite Day Trip…Camden Rockland

Rockland Shops - Courtesy www.VisitMaine.net — Photo Courtesy www.VisitMaine.net

Having settled into life at Ocean Point Inn, I am ready to call a friend and say, “Let’s do a day trip!” Of course, my first day trip of the season must be my favorite…..Seagull Cottage here I come!

Head out of Boothbay Harbor to Route 1 and “down east” toward Rockland. As you drive through Waldoboro note Moody’s Diner, an old Maine tradition, on the right with the best homemade pies imaginable. As you drive through Thomaston enjoy the beautiful old sea captains’ houses with the unique Widow Walks. The Maine Prison Store on the right in Thomaston has nice gifts made by the prisoners - really!

rockland shop Courtesy www.VisitMaine.net — Photo Courtesy www.VisitMaine.net

In Rockland, my first stop is the Seagull Cottage which is a dream of coastal decor. You can walk through the store several times and still not “sea” everything.

Then I cross the street to the Island Institute Shop that sells beautifully made crafts by people living on Maine Islands. Close by is the Grasshopper shop for clothes and kitchen ware.

If time permits, the Farnsworth Museum is a must. I never tire of the Wyeth work. Before leaving Rockland, stroll down along the waterfront and see what Windjammers are in port that day.

From Rockland continue on Route 1 to Camden. The homes in both Rockland and Camden are excellent examples of old Maine coastal architecture. Seaside gardens explode with colorful flowers.

A walk along the waterfront will show you boats in port that day. Camden’s main street is full of interesting shops with something to please everyone.

Mt Battie View Camden - Courtesy www.VisitMaine.net — Photo Courtesy www.VisitMaine.net

There are too many choices for lunch in Camden to list them. I often just pick one I have not been to before or get something to go and head for Mt. Battie. The views from the top of the mountain down into Camden and over Penobscot Bay to Vinalhaven Island are simply spectacular!. This is a wonderful place to have a picnic and walk around. Be sure to bring your camera.

One suggestion for lunch is the 3Dog Cafe in Camden - great sandwiches. There are many places specializing in seafood if that is your desire. The choices are endless and up to you!

Here’s hoping you enjoy this day trip as much as I do. If you have questions, stop by the Ocean Point Inn Front Desk and see me before you go. See our Favorite Things to Do List, including the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, The Maine State Aquarium and boat charters from Boothbay Harbor.

Remember, you may order a Box Lunch at Ocean Point Inn the night before if you have a trip like this planned. See more Ocean Point Inn things to do in the area including a boat ride to Monhegan Island and other day trips to Damariscotta, Bath, and Boothbay Harbor.

Opening for the 2015 Season

The past few weeks I have been transitioning from winter in the Bahamas to summer at Ocean Point Inn - trading crystal clear aqua seas for sparkling deep blue waters off the rocky coast of Maine. Both locations are little slices of paradise that I am fortunate to enjoy. However, Ocean Point is “home!”

Spring comes slowly to Ocean Point but the trees are finally budding and flowers are popping open. The osprey are building nests and the ducks are laying eggs.

Ocean Point Inn is bustling with activity. New gardens have been created and all the landscaping has had a spring spruce up. Painting as well as siding and new windows have been added to some buildings. The Penthouse is getting a lovely new kitchen. Some Lodge rooms are getting new carpeting and window shades and Hatchard House rooms new entry flooring. The living room in the Main Inn is being totally redecorated. It is very exciting to see this wonderful transition in decor.

Most of the Jamaican workers started work on Tuesday. Dennis, Johnny, Frank, Patricia, Ronnie and Wayne are working away every day. The water and heat came on in the Main Inn yesterday so I hope to be back in my office starting today.

Every guest will receive Ocean Point’s Hot Buffet Breakfast this year starting on June 13th. We are discontinuing the Continental Breakfast after June 12th. The many, many guests I have talked with over the winter seem delighted with this change.

Another change for this season that guests seem very happy about is food being served in Ocean Point’s Dining Room starting on opening day, May 22, 2015. It will be a minimal menu until June 12th. The full dining room menu will be offered every night this season and the Bar will be opening at 4 P.M. The “Tavern Nights” will be discontinued.

Jim LaValle will be doing the breakfasts with all of his delicious surprises! He will also be entertaining one evening a week.

The Gift Shop has lots of new creative handmade surprises as well as the very popular repeat items. Many crafts are produced from local beach walks.

I am very excited about the opening of the 117th year at the Ocean Point Inn. The location of the Inn is spectacular, the staff are extremely friendly and helpful and the food is delicious - a winning combination. Join us this summer and let us show you why some of our guests have been coming to this special place on the coast of Maine for over 50 years.

Famous People at the Inn

Frank Sinatra was originally cast to play Billy Bigelow in the movie “Carousel” filmed in Boothbay Harbor in 1956. The cast knew they had to film some scenes twice, one for regular Cinemascope and the other for Cinemascope 55. Sinatra claimed he was only paid to film one movie and walked away from the set saying, “You are not getting two Sinatras for the price of one!”

Warren Barnes, the owner of the Ocean Point Inn in 1956, had the Inn maintenance man take two leather suitcases, stencil F.S. on them and place them in front of the Inn. This caused quite a stir with the Ocean Pointers who thought the star was staying at the Inn.

Helen Hayes stayed at the Inn when she was narrator of an NBC special on Rachel Carson and her book, “A Silent Spring.” They used the lily pond as the backdrop for the credits.

Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley came to dinner at the Ocean Point Inn to escape the crush of fans in town. They were a glamor couple at the time and had good fun with our staff signing autographs and even checks. It was said they were guests of Paul McCartney on his yacht.

Local celebs who spend their summers in the area include Robert Duvall and former NFL commissioner Paul Taglibus on Squirrel Island and the Wyeths on Monhegan Island. Walter Cronkite and Charles Kuralt spent many days on their sailing yachts in Boothbay waters. Jimmy Dean’s yacht, The Big Bad John, and the Chicago Blackhawks’s owner’s yacht, Blackhawk were annual visitors to Boothbay Harbor near Ocean Point Inn.

History of the Ocean Point Inn

The Ocean Point Inn will celebrate 117 years this summer and there is an interesting history during all those years. The Pleasant View House was founded in 1898 by Capt. Edward Burnham. It was a twenty room lodging facility with a dining room that seated 40 people. The Main House and Annex (today’s Inn and Lodge)offered “rooms with electric lights and access to public bathrooms.” The main house was used for years as the Ocean Point general store and post office. Guests would travel to Ocean Point by Steamship or by train to Wiscasset and taxi to Ocean Point over corduroy roads with logs for a surface.

Capt. Warren and Mrs. Mattie Barnes discovered Ocean Point while sailing the Maine Coast. Nowhere on the coast had they seen such a dramatic open ocean setting with the view of spruce clad islands, the rugged rocky coastline and the brilliant sunsets of this western exposure. They opened the Ocean Point Inn. They hoped to expand the property and make the spectacular setting available to more people. As they expanded, they always kept in mind the importance of the wonderful view and unspoiled natural scenery.

The Barnes began their initial operation with the Main House, the Annex and a restaurant serving three meals per day. Since guests came for long stays in those days, it was customary to offer American plan rates including all meals and accommodations. During the 1950s they gradually made major improvements to the property. The old Annex was made into the Lodge with the addition of the large wrap around porches and private bathrooms. More cottages were built and the Inn was enlarged, adding dining room space, a better living room area and a comfortable lounge. What we call the “On the Rocks” part of the dining room today was a charming living room where people would meet to socialize, play cards or just curl up with a good book by the fireplace. The center dining room, now called the “Upper and Lower Deck” was the lounge - no bar to be seen - just a relaxing setting where one could enjoy a drink and look at the ocean.

In the mid 1950s the Barnes recognized the need for “modern motel style” accommodations. They purchased the Burnham farmhouse and renovated it into colonial style rooms. The motel section of the property was completed in 1964 and run almost as a separate operation. Ruth Habblitz and Flossie Turner would serve a continental breakfast and provide some entertainment and local information as well.

During the 1970s and 1980s fewer guests were staying for a month at a time or the entire season. The new guests had different needs and the Inn once again adapted to the change. Rooms were enlarged and picture windows, porches, balconies, larger beds and televisions were added. The wonderful outdoor heated pool was added at this time and it remains to this date the largest outdoor heated pool in the Boothbay Region.

In 1985 Warren and Mattie Barnes handed over the ownership of the Inn to long time employees David Dudley, Tony Krason and Mark Sweetland. The tradition of adapting to the the times continues at the Ocean Point Inn. The newest additions include the Starfish Coffee Shop which is open 7:30 A.M. to 10:00 A.M. daily, Live Entertainment one night a week and Happy Hour some afternoons each week. How long have you been coming to the Ocean Point Inn?

Welcome to Ocean Point Inn!

Welcome to our Ocean Point Inn blog. We look forward to seeing you at The Point in 2015. In the meantime, be sure to check out our 2015 rates which are now posted on our site. One of the things we are most pleased about offering you this coming season is free full hot buffet breakfast included in every room.

See our 2015 Ocean Point Inn rates and reserve today to guarantee your best room and at our best rates.

Also check out the beautiful photos our guests took of Ocean Point this past year and see our 2014 Photo Contest Winners. Have your cameras and smart phones ready for the 2015 season as we will continue out photo contest with a fun new twist – OPI selfies. Stay tuned for detail. Click here to see our 2014 Ocean Point Inn photo contest winners.

Stay well and we look forward to seeing you at The Point in 2015, our 117 season! Opening day at Ocean Point Inn is May 25, 2015.