The Camden Windjammer Festival takes place every year on Labor Day Weekend, and is a real celebration of this beautiful harbor on the Coast of Maine.   Billed as the place where the mountains meet the sea, this is a really spectacular spot to enjoy a late summer getaway. 

The Windjammer Festival celebrates the great sailing schooners which are a part of Camden’s maritime history.  The Maine Windjammer Fleet sails into the picturesque harbor and all of the ships are available for visits.  The festival itself is in the waterfront parking lot right behind all of the shops and restaurants of Camden and in the waterfront park overlooking the Harbor.  The Festival is replete with many exhibitions and performances throughout the Labor Day Weekend.  Schooner rides are available throughout the period, and many of the shops have specials for just this festival.  All of the restaurants gear up for this very popular weekend.

This Windjammer Festival is truly a celebration for this seaside community, and should be on everyone’s list of things to do and see in Maine this summer.  Luckily, one of our fantastic Distinctive Inns, the Camden Maine Stay Inn, is located right in the heart of Camden in the High Street Historic District, just a few blocks from this Festival.  So make your reservations as soon as possible, because both Camden and the Inn will fill up quickly.  Best of all, enjoy the Windjammers, as they are a spectacular treasure of Maine!

Everyone has been hearing of people giving back in these troubled times.  The evening news even has a segment on special things that individuals are doing to assist others with a little happiness in times of need.  Now you can add a member of the Distinctive Inns of New England to that list.

Rabbit Hill Inn is a proud members of Distinctive Inns of New England and Select Registry and is located in Lower Waterford, Vermont.  Innkeepers Brian and Leslie Mulcahy have been involved with the Rabbit Hill for over 15 years and have known the strains of unemployment and understand the meaning of hard work.  They are now reaching out to individuals who have been laid off from their jobs by developing a “Pink Slip Getaway Giveaway” package. 

How does the Pink Slip Getaway work?  If you have been laid off from your job for six months or more, they ask you to write a letter to the Inn prior to June 1 telling them about your personal situation. The strictest confidence is kept!  They read each and every letter and to date have received more than 50 stories.  Each month they’ll choose one couple to come to the Inn for an all inclusive two-night midweek getaway, free of charge.  Recipients of the package enjoy all of the joys of the Inn, including a dinner one night, lodging, breakfasts, and more.  There will be six packages given away in total, one each month April through July, and again in November and December.

Now that is an Innkeeper giving back!

by Rebecca, Quantum Hospitality

Travel through Vermont’s green rolling hills until you reach nearly a mile before Quebec, Canada and you will discover one of Vermont’s coverts, Lake Memphremagog. Try and say that ten times fast. Newport, Vermont’s 27-mile fresh water glacial lake is one not to be missed. Mostly surrounded by residential estates, your best luck is to stay in the rental homes and that is certainly no complaint. For the most part, the rental homes will present two stories, full amenities, a private driveway, and plenty of space to play volleyball and have a cookout in the lawn. Plenty of activities lie within this sacred lake all year around.

Plan your vacation week for sunshine or snowfall and prepare for a variety of things to do. The spring and fall season bid perfect conditions for a bike ride or walk on the rail trail. Rent some kayaks or canoes nearby and explore the picturesque Lake Memphremagog. Throw your shades and sun block on in the summer and watch the sailors and windsurfers from the sandy white beach. With numerous boat launches, you can cruise the perimeter with your family and kids on their water skies or in their tubes. Rejuvenate yourself with a simple swim in the crisp and fresh water of Newport, Vermont.

Visit again in your winter gear for further enjoyment on the frozen Lake Memphremagog. Grab those cross-country skies or haul up the snowmobile for a pictorial route in the radiant snow. For the extremists, travel less than 20 miles to ski or snowboard at Jay Peak, a very reputable ski mountain in Vermont. So book your house for a week, a month, or a whole season because Lake Memphremagog works around you with activities to do any time of year.

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