East Coast Lighthouse Inns

From a Philadelphia TV station, a story about lighthouses where you can stay overnight: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/blogs/worth-the-trip/Worth-the-Trip-East-Coast-Lighthouse-Inns-270574641.html

News from Whitehead Light Station in Midcoast Maine

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Dear Friends of Whitehead Light Station,

We are looking forward to our sixth season offering courses, long weekend getaways, and rental opportunities at Pine Island Camp's stunningly beautiful saltwater outpost.  Our season will begin with Volunteer Week, June 8th - 15th.  If you are interested in joining us for this week, during which we work hard, have fun, and eat well, please email us at info@whiteheadlightstation.org.   

Our lineup for 2014 is as follows:  

        

July 10 - 13         Mindfulness Meditation for Couples

July 17 - 20         Knitters Retreat

Aug 1 - Aug 7    Applied Mindfulness

Aug 9 - 14          Latin Cooking with Daisy Martinez

Aug 14 - 17        Pairing Food & Wine with Daisy Martinez 

At Whitehead Light Station, guests stay in the beautifully restored seven-bedroom Lightkeeper's House on Whitehead Island, off the coast of Rockland, Maine.  The Light Station captain is available throughout the summer to take guests on the short boat ride to and from the mainland. 

Rental Opportunities  The Light Station is available for families and groups to rent.  Some limited dates are still available.  Please visit our calendar and contact us if you would like more information.

Praise from recent guests  "I had no idea I was in for such incredible food."  "...from the minute we stepped foot on the island I felt at home and relaxed." "Three weeks and 5,000+ miles.....this place was the highlight of our trip!"   "The island...is a magical place and the staff were phenomenal."  Whitehead Light Station P.O. Box 242 Brunswick, Maine 04011 207-200-7957 www.whiteheadlightstation.org

The Keeper's House Inn on Isle au Haut, Maine

There was just a wonderful article in the Bangor Daily News about life in winter on Isle au Haut off the coast of Maine. Click here to read it. The picturesque island, most of which is part of Acadia National Park, now has a population of only about 30 hardy souls in winter. There was once a population of about 800 people on the island, including two dozen shipmasters.

The island's lighthouse was built in 1907 at Robinson Point. In 1986, the light station property, except for the lighthouse, was purchased by Jeff and Judi Burke. The Burkes converted the keeper's house into a bed and breakfast inn called, appropriately enough, the Keeper's House Inn.

Gourmet meals were served by the Burkes, and Judi published a cookbook of her favorite recipes. Even the oil house was converted into a cozy guest room. The Keeper's House Inn was the realization of a dream for the Burkes. The setting, with thick pine woods opening up to the sparkling ocean, is incomparable. Deer, osprey, eagles, and mink abound.

Jeff Burke wrote a book on the family's first ten years on Isle au Haut, called An Island Lighthouse Inn : A Chronicle. He explained the lure of Isle au Haut: "We all need an 'island' somewhere."

After more than 20 years of managing the Keeper's House Inn, the Burkes put the property up for sale. The keeper's house property was sold in December 2012 to Dr. Marshall Chapman, an associate professor of geology at Morehead State University and a longtime summer resident of Isle au Haut. Chapman announced plans to continue running the house as a bed and breakfast, with the Burkes staying on as consultants. “When Marshall approached us last year with his hopes of re-opening the inn, it was a dream come true,” Judi Burke told the Bangor Daily News.

From the Keeper's House Inn website:

"Off the power-grid and at the end of a half-mile private road, the property is an ecologist's dream. Powered by state-of-the-art photovoltaics, a windmill and a 30-kilowatt generator, fed by unlimited crystal-clear water drawn from the sea by the magic of a reverse osmosis system, a garden-setting sewage treatment system using peat bogs and flower beds, this alternative yet historic home allows you to live with respect for the rest of the world. Includes a bio-diesel processor to make our own fuel!"

Frommers rates Isle au Haut as one of the "10 Untouched Island Escapes." To learn more and make your reservation for a memorable stay, visit www.keepershouse.com.

Rose Island Lighthouse - Last Minute Special $100 Room Rate 7/8-11

Due to a cancellation there are rooms available this week at a discount at this beautiful and historic lighthouse in Newport, Rhode Island!

Click here  to make your reservation

Cove Point Lighthouse, Lusby, Maryland

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and cared for by the Calvert Marine Museum, the Cove Point Lighthouse has been lovingly restored and repurposed so that it can now be enjoyed by all. 

The active lighthouse and keeper’s home sit on a seven-acre point of land in one of the narrowest points of the Chesapeake Bay. It was established in 1828, making it the oldest continuously operating lighthouse in Maryland and the fifth oldest existing lighthouse on the Chesapeake Bay.   

The light-keeper’s house was originally built in 1828, but enlarged in 1925 to make it a duplex for two keepers and their families.  Now 2 ½ stories, the keeper’s duplex has been renovated from top to bottom.  It has a total of six bedrooms, four full bathrooms, two half bathrooms, two washers and dryers, Wi-Fi, brand new custom kitchens, central heat and air, a screened porch, and all the modern comforts and conveniences of home. 

Visitors can rent the entire site for three, four, or seven day periods and accommodate up to 16 people; or rent just one side of the duplex and sleep up to 8 people.       

Many of the home’s original features have been retained and restored, including hard pine floors, cast iron heaters, deep window sills, original doors, moldings, and eyebrow windows. The interior is decorated with a mix of old and new and includes original artwork, pieces from the museum archives, locally built furniture, as well as one-of-a-kind kitchen tables made from the reclaimed wood of the dismantled Cedar Point Lighthouse and a local general store. 

The kitchen cabinets were handcrafted locally and the tile that was laid captures the character of a 1925 home. 

To add interest to the site, portions of the drywall have been removed to expose some of the features of the original 1 ½ story home, which were covered when it was enlarged in 1925.  

 

Four acres of the grounds are fenced with a private entrance and direct access to the beach. In addition to the 40-foot high brick light tower, dating back to 1828, other buildings on the site include the 1901 fog bell building, a small cottage built in 1950 which is used as a visitor’s center, and a brick building housing the Coast Guard’s radio transmitter and emergency diesel generator, also dating from 1950.  

The site is an idyllic place to slow down and enjoy uninterrupted time with your family and friends. The grounds have been landscaped and designed to accommodate a casual wedding, reunion, or private family event. Since this mixed-use lighthouse site is still a fully functioning site, in addition to being a vacation rental, it will continue to welcome the public for tours of the grounds daily between 1:00 P.M. and 4:00 P.M. May-September.

More information regarding the Cove Point Lighthouse can be found by clicking here, or you can call 410-326-2042.     

Whitehead Light Station 2013 Schedule

Just received the following from Whitehead Light Station in Maine.

 

Dear Friends of Whitehead Light Station,

 

We are looking forward to our fifth season offering courses, retreats, long weekend getaways, and rental opportunities at Pine Island Camp's stunningly beautiful saltwater outpost.  Our season will begin with Volunteer Week, June 9th - 15th.  If you are interested in joining us for this week, during which we work hard, have fun, and eat well, please email us at info@whiteheadlightstation.org. 

We are proud to host the following course retreats in 2013.   

        

July 12 - 17      The Craft of Beer and Brewing with Charlie Papazian

July 19 - 24      Knitting Retreat

July 25 - Aug 1 Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction with Dr. Robert Cox

Rental opportunities are also available.  Please visit our calendar and contact us to secure the dates you would like. 

We hope to see you this summer!  Stay tuned for more events in 2013, including a Columbus Day Weekend getaway.

Warmly,

The Whitehead Light Station Crew

The Craft of Beer and Brewing with Charlie Papazian Instructor Charlie Papazian returns to Whitehead Light Station in 2013 and is inviting beer enthusiasts, their friends and partners to continue the journey in a fifth season of his special beer and brewing course. Charlie will instruct and lead conversations on beer and (home)brewing with an emphasis of celebrating America's remarkable beer journey. The course will include a field trip to a special beer and brewing destination in the local area as well as on-island participation from guest craft brewer(s), who will add to the conversation, share their beers and their experience.  There will be plenty of time to relax, read, and enjoy being unplugged and unhurried.  The five-night, six-day course will include demonstrations, lectures, informal socializing, great meals and a huge variety of beers. You do not have to be a devoted home brewer or beer enthusiast to enjoy this course.  It has proven to be fun and relaxing even to those who have come thinking "...I don't really like beer that much."  There will be a maximum of 12 course participants. This is a once a year opportunity and an unparalleled journey exploring the joys of beer & brewing from around the world. Learn more about Charlie and the course on our website, and view this YouTube link of 2012 participant Mike Johnson's video slide show. REGISTER FOR BEER AND BREWING TODAY!

Knitting Retreat  Pack your knitting bag, your half-done projects, your favorite yarns and patterns, and join us on the island for a mid-summer getaway designed for those who love the fiber arts. Amidst wild roses and towering spruce, with unobstructed views of Penobscot Bay, you'll learn from and be inspired by your fellow knitters and local experts. We'll discuss challenges and share ideas while enjoying the beauty of Whitehead Island, its rich maritime history, the elegant Keeper's House, and delicious fresh meals prepared with local ingredients. Whether you're a skilled knitter or a beginner, this is an opportunity to relax and regroup in a breathtakingly beautiful setting, enhance your knitting skills, and enjoy good company. REGISTER FOR YOUR KNITTING RETREAT!

Mindfulness Stress Reduction with Dr. Robert Cox

Every participant in Whitehead Light Station's Mindfulness Stress Reduction course has given rapturously positive reviews of what was for most a life-changing experience.  We are very pleased to have Dr. Robert Cox back at the Light Station in 2013.

Mindfulness Stress Reduction (MSR) is a rigorous and systematic training in mindfulness, a form of meditation originally developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979 at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. Thousands of people throughout the United States and around the world have benefited from this well-established program that can be practically integrated into everyday life to enable one to more easily manage stress, pain, illness, and the challenges inherent in everyday modern life. Participants (a maximum of 12) can expect to develop a personal program that can have profound mental and psychological benefits and will promote a way of life that reveals the gentle and loving wholeness that lies at the heart of our being, even in times of pain, suffering, and difficulty. The training in mindfulness aims to develop an in-depth skill in moment-by-moment awareness that becomes the platform for embarking on a journey of self-development, self-discovery, learning, and healing.

REGISTER FOR MINDFULNESS-BASED  

STRESS REDUCTION!

Virginia's Perfect Destination: Smithfield Station

Smithfield, Virginia, is a quaint river-port town with a rich history. In the heart of historic Smithfield, on the banks of the Pagan River, sits Smithfield Station. 

This one-of-a-kind waterfront inn combines fine amenities, unique conference space, on-site dining, and a fully equipped marina all within walking distance to art galleries, specialty shops, historic attractions and a diverse array of dining options.         

This riverfront jewel offers a variety of accommodation options ranging from spacious water view rooms with private balconies to unique Lighthouse Suites with panoramic views of the Pagan River.  


The location allows convenient access to many recreational options - the newly opened Windsor Castle Park across the street provides 4.5 miles of pristine walking trails.


There is something for everyone at Smithfield Station!

Visit www.smithfieldstation.com to learn more.