Maine's Green Town

In the fall of 2007, Ogunquit formed a group with the goal of going green. Town wide - the whole village from residents to businesses to involving our many visitors.

At the Meadowmere, we were thrilled to be a part of the process. When we began our environmental efforts, the idea was just beginning. Now it is exciting to be part of a town wide effort and see others taking part (A great example is Clay Hill Farm - who now offers green wedding options and became the first restaurant certified by the National Wildlife Federation).

Now, the local town government has signed on to join the Carbon Challenge and encourage the greening of Ogunquit.  There more details in Jim Kanak's article online (http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080731/NEWS/807310376/-1/rss01), but the Green Committee has developed a program to reach 20% involvement of homes and businesses as the first goal.

On your next visit with us, before to ask about our green efforts - little things like recycling in the rooms and more add up!

Keep up the good work going green!

Three Reasons to be in Ogunquit August 16th

August is the dog days of summer  - soaring temperatures, New England's famous humidity and endless back to school commercials. So it's no surprise that many people pack up the car and escape to Ogunquit Beach. However, if you are looking to plan a few extra activities this August - we've go the scoop on a great weekend to make the trip!

Saturday August 16th is a busy day - lots to enjoy, but here are our top three:

1 - Great Works Land Trust Art Auction - benefiting land conservation in Southern Maine. Over 52 artists will be participating this year. The Auction begins at 6pm at Beach Plum Farm and the art can be previewed weekedays from 11am-3pm. Great Works was featured in our lobby during World Ocean Day weekend this past June and shared the amazing job that they are doing helping preserve open space for future generations. Even if you don't visit the auction, stop by Beach Plum Farm to see the salt marsh, community gardens and read information on local hiking. Jim Kanak has a great article on the event - check it out here: http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080731/NEWS/807310375/-1/NEWS14&sfad=1

2 - Made in Maine Festival - Celebrate Maine Festival returns with crafts, artisians, growers, bean pole beans, Maine brewers, blueberries, lobsters, potatos and more. Check out the calendar of events here: http://www.gatewaytomaine.org/made_in_maine/madeinmaine.html. The festival is a quick trip from us in Eliot - just southwest of Ogunquit. Our recommendation - don't miss the Don Campbell Band Saturday afternoon and definitely go hungry! The Meat House is a sponsor and yes - they will be grillin'!

3 - Frank Santos at Jonathan's Restaurant - This one is for those with a great sense of humor. Frank Santos is the R Rated Hypnotist (hence the reason this activity starts at 9pm). Definitely adult, but definitely a night filled with laughter. He's considered New England premier hypnotist and has a fan following to prove it! (What can we say - they're under his spell!)

'Gossip' Comes to the Producers

Our guests - any many of our staff! - have been raving about the Producers, playing at the Ogunquit Playhouse through August 6th. The performances are amazing and the show is a hit.

Recently, the Gossip Lady made the trip for a behind the scenes video tour of backstage at the Producers. Check out the video at http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=GOSSIPLADY and a little blurb about about the delicious time had by all can be found here : http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080731/ENTERTAIN/807310332/-1/ENTERTAIN&sfad=1

If you haven't made plans to see the show in Ogunquit, hurry to catch this show!

New August Print & Clip Specials for our Ogunquit hotel are here!

New August Print & Clip Specials for our Ogunquit hotel are here!

Check out the specials by clicking here

Good for the last summer fling this month - One more trip to the beach!

Fishing Gets Fun - And Ugly

Being on the Maine coast means fishing. Lobster, haddock, tuna and more. In Perkins Cove, Ogunquit, one can see lobstermen leaving each day to catch one of our favorite local treats - Maine Lobster.

But some people like to get in on the action and board the boat for an adventure. Two local boats are well known for offering great excurisions for deep sea fishing - the Bunny Clark and the Ugly Anne. Recently we spotted an article about one Vermonter's seaward trip on the Ugle Anne. Check it out in the Times Argus. This reporter even experienced some of Maine fishermen's quirks - that way to speaking with a Maine accent and saying just enough, nothin' more, with dry sense of humor for someone who spends so much time near water. Makes one wonder if they get an innerward chuckle about the landlocked folks .  .  .

Eco Update: Out Spot, Out!

Famous words, minus a profanity, from our friend Shakespeare. And though our most recent eco-update was not because the regular laundry process wasn't working, the ability for our new process to do even better makes us think of this famous line.

Hotel laundry rooms are rather fascinating in that over 100 beds of linens can get clean in less than a single day. Imagine washing, drying, folding, making, and unmaking your bed 100 times in a day. Now add to that room towels, pool towels and specialty items like gym towels and table clothes. Now do that everyday for six months. Then relax for a bit since it is about half that for the other six in the off season (maybe - we've had a few times that surprise us). Phew. It's rather amazing that in three hours between 11am check out and 2pm check in - every room gets checked and made ready. Almost makes one have to take a break from reading this and take a nap . . .

But back to the blog at hand. As you can imagine, all this washing takes water (hot and cold) and chemicals (we use an eco-friendly detergent) and energy (to run the washers and dryers and heat the water). Bottom line is that the laundry is necessary, but not necessarily eco-friendly.

That's why our newest eco-update to our Ogunquit hotel is so great. This month we have made the switch to Ozone in our laundry facility. Ozone is a chemical process that cleans the laundry with only cold water - eliminating the hot water, reducing the time the machines fills (it's less than half - from 4.5 minutes to 1.5 minutes), shortening the wash cycle (45 minutes to 20 minutes) and shortening the dry cycle (something about what happens makes drying go faster - it's a bit technical, but it works!). Obviously a huge boost to being a better environmental leader! Best part - it cleans the laundry better, brighter and softer (so far so good - though this one may be in the eye of the beholder).

This past June, our laundry facility was part of our World Ocean Day Eco-Tours of the Resort. Be sure to check this area out next World Ocean Day for a behind the scenes look.

Til then - every little bit counts! Keep up the good green work!

Stu's Reviews . . . Tapas N Tini's

Our fearless Stu was on vacation - but have no fear! Elle is here!

Actually, Elle was at Tapas N Tinis - a new restaurant in Ogunquit's village center. Featuring tapas - or appetizers/small portion servings - and a huge drink menu (with of course, mar-tinis!), you can find Tapas N Tinis just north of our hotel on Route 1/Main Street heading into Ogunquit Village. Certainly walking distance - and definitely recognizable by the bright orange exterior. Here's Elle's review!

"The greeting when I first arrived was excellent and my first impression was that the atmosphere was very laid back. The restaurant was warm, cozy - it is like a european cafe with the patio seating - and very comfortable. Jeans, casual attire work here - no need to be fancy. The menu has a lot of variety - something for everyone's taste. I choose to have the Cuban and Steak Sandwich, which was great. I also tried the calamari and artichoke spinach dip - both were excellent. The service was excellent as well - very attentive to my needs. Though clearly if it is busy, it may seem silly to wait for appetizers, but that is tapas dining - order lots of little things and share. Overall, the very comfortable ambiance, very friendly atmosphere and fair prices for the quality of the food made this restaurant memorable. It was also nice to see a good drink selection to go with the many food choices. I'd recommend this restaurant for couples - it's not really a family choice, but great for friends dining together."

Overall, a Stu Review of 5 of 5 - by Elle! 

Great Surf Shots on Bob's Blog

No surprises here - we get daily updates on Ogunquit happenings online and we check out each little tidbit of information.

Today Bob Nocek's blog caught our eye with a posting about surfers in Ogunquit. Looks like he was taking some pictures recently of our local surfers and braving our Maine waters. Check out his amazing pictures at his blog:

http://bobnocek.wordpress.com/2008/07/10/surfers-in-ogunquit/

And if you think you're ready to try - give our friends at Liquid Dreams a call. They have a great lessons program - including the Learn to Surf package with us, but also one on one instruction, board rentals and surf gear (gotta look the part).

Anyway - the pictures are awesome - we couldn't pick a favorite - but we'd love to know yours!

Taste Magazine's July Top Ten

Hot off the presses is Taste Magazine's Top Ten Restaurants for July. A few of our staff favorites made the list - which isn't just fine dining, but also includes some great causal choices too. Here's the complete list:

July 2008 Taste Top Ten

The Green Monkey  Jumpin' Jays Fish Cafe  Anneke Jans Pesce Blue  White Barn Inn  Blue Latitudes Carriage House Bonta  Clay Hill Farm Flatbread

The Green Monkey has been a staff favorite and one of our regular recommendations for guests visiting Portsmouth, NH (about 15-20 minutes south of Ogunquit). And Clay Hill Farm is a wonderful county inn setting just under 2 miles from us - no traffic either since the restaurant is located on Agamenticus Rd directly across from our main entrance. Flatbread is a fun, low key choice again in the Portsmouth area. The woodfire oven is amazing - built by hand and cooking live in front of you (now that's fresh). The food is organic and local sources, which we like here as an Environmental Leader and a big supporter of going green.

Finally, Anneke Jans - well, we guess the cat is out of the bag. This little haunt is located in downtown Kittery (yes, there is a downtown) and is best found by looking for the black awnings. The bistro style restaurant is cozy and always busy. House specialities include the mussels and fried olives (neat presentation). Be sure to take your server's recommendation on wine - the selections are unique and excellent.

July Print & Clip Ogunquit Vacation Deals Are Here!

New July Print & Clip Specials for our Ogunquit hotel are here!

Check out the specials by clicking here.

Good throughout this month - Time to hit the beach!