Greenville Inn

We picked this Bed and Breakfast based upon its description and the fact there was a room for the dates we wanted.  It was the Lumber Baron's Suite, the most expensive one in the place. We decided to splurge for these two nights and looked forward to staying here. 

Our initial experience upon arriving should have clued us in.  Just after 3 pm on Thursday the 9th I went to the front door to check in and couldn't open it.  I thought it was locked.  There was a sign for the Inn by the door so I called the number given there.  The person answering didn't identify themselves but said the door handle sticks but was unlocked.  I assumed the person I was speaking to was the person who was supposed to be at the desk we saw upon entering.  There was a card on the counter saying they were away from the desk and would return shortly. Since I thought I'd spoken to that person we waited, and waited and waited.  Finally after we had explored the downstairs while we waited and read their literature, Dan suggested I call the number on the card on the counter because it was a different one from the front door. The person who answered said she'd be right down and we could hear her descend the stairs.  She had had no idea we were there as long as we had been: at least 30 minutes.

So the first strike against this place was that the initial person I spoke to did not identify themselves, welcome us to the Inn and let us know that someone else would be at the front desk to check us in.

The desk person showed us to our rooms and gave us a welcome letter.  Not much in explanation except to say that breakfast was from 8 am to 9 am.  The welcome letter told us more including that the bar would be open from 4 pm to 8 pm with tapas and charcuterie.  That sounded nice.  We had helped ourselves to tea and cookies while we had waited so we thought maybe we'd forgo dinner and just have what's served at the bar.

Second strike: after 4 pm I went to investigate the tapas at the bar.  Nothing there.  I asked at the desk, a different person from when we arrived, and she said "Oh, you have to preorder that". Nothing in the welcome letter made mention of that. Also one would expect for the price we were paying per night, that some extras like afternoon appetizers would have been offered.

The view from our window of Greenville, Moosehead Lake, and surrounding mountains was lovely despite the cloudy day.

The Lumber Baron Suite was spacious and comfortable.

Here's the sitting room.  It had a fireplace to the left.

The bathroom had a huge tub and a very tall shower that dated to when the house was built in 1890s.

Photo from website.

To read about the history of this house go here.

This was on the wall of the entry way.  I think it's an early intercom system.  There was no phone in the room.

Breakfast was another strike against this place.  A long wait, a lackluster menu, and cold eggs when finally served.  We skipped the breakfast the next morning and checked out.  Not a place we'd recommend staying.

Maine Trip - The Great Carrying Place

Don't know about you, but when we're driving on vacation we usually stop for historical markers and points of interest along the way.

This stop was identified as the Great Carrying Place. 

The event memorialized here predates Benedict Arnold's treasonous act later during the Revolutionary War.

No mention is made of the fact that Arnold was a traitor in 1780.

We had recently seen the old movie "Northwest Passage" with Spencer Tracy and Robert Young and there was a scene in that where heavy wooden boats had to be carried over hills to avoid capture from the French.  We could visualize Arnold's troops having to do the same thing over these hills.  Later in our trip we saw a bateau of the type used at that time.

Here it is upside down at a fort we visited in Augusta later in our trip.

Maine Trip - Height of Land

 After having met up with some through hikers of the Appalachian Trail at our stay in Bethel, we became very aware of places where our journey crossed the AT.  I had also checked out from the library Bill Bryson's book "A Walk in the Woods" (his experiences hiking the AT).  We decided not to listen from the beginning but selected the last two disks which featured his hiking in VT, NH and Maine. [If you haven't read the book, it's worth getting a copy to read or listen to.]

With that intro, we came upon the AT again at an expansive overlook - Height of Land.  Located on the Rangeley Lakes Scenic Byway it gives you a view of several interconnected lakes, one of which Mooselookmeguntic Lake - is a mouthful to pronounce.

It was a gray rain on and off day so the spectacular views west to the White Mountains were not for us to see.  It still was a beautiful overlook.

Not sure what was being memorialized at the base of this tree.  May have had something to do with the AT.  We did see a lone hiker in the parking lot and I overheard him making a call for a shuttle pick up.

Couldn't decide on one picture of the lakes so included several.

Back in the car, and our journey continues listening all the while about Bryson's AT experience.

Smart Animals

 

Source: my friend Marilyn who keeps me laughing.