What a wonderful weekend and a gracious restful night at the Inn at Sunrise Point!  Not all of you need an excuse to travel; for us we had two reasons for our trip: to pick up our old, repainted and  restored  Brattleboro-made wooden chairs, vintage 1910 from the Windsor Chair Company in Lincolnville and  celebrating aging gracefully; 29 years of marriage!  (Come on you young and vigorous youngsters out there, try to hang in there as long as we have!)

It was a glorious car trip. It was breezy, sunny, and just beautiful to see those blue snippets of ocean around Portland, and up Route 1; blue-grey coves and jutting inland here and there and the trees blowing gracefully in the wind.  Always unexpected, curved inlets, sails floating far off on the horizon, and the towns, teeming with white buildings on both sides of the road, boats in the harbors and tourists beginning to cover the side-walks; we loved it all! Our eyes and noses taking it in, sights and smells: so different than Vermont.

Getting to the Inn late afternoon, we saw the ocean lapping against the rocks below the Inn’s lawn, a tranquil sight. Three sets of white wicker chairs poised to look into the ocean, and a wooded island framing this perfect setting. An older couple leaning toward each other, their hats firmly in place, seemed in harmony with all of the beauty and grace that surrounded them. Later we learned from our Innkeeper that this couple had been at the Inn for 10 days as a gift from the congregation where he is the Minister. Whoa, what a gift and it was deeply rewarding to see their appreciation.

But the greatest enjoyment came when we were greeted by our Innkeeper. She and her staff glowing in the roles they played to make everyone’s stay exceptional and the appreciation that existed among them. Her desk person said: “thank you for bringing Daina Hill to us; it is wonderful to work for her!”  How about that from a staff member? Daina attended our seminar and did an internship at the Arrowhead Inn, in Durham, N.C., but her professional life was as a successful lawyer!

Daina’s attention to details, in everything, her commitment to quality, her appreciation of individuals and their needs make her a terrific Innkeeper!

We spent one evening, and what a delightful, peaceful place it was for us! Bill, do you think that we can make it for another 29 years? Who knows? But I do know that if we have more evenings like that we can go on and on…. Heide

Tags: get away, Heide Bredfeldt, Inn Partners, innkeeping, Inns, Travel