Karen Brown's New England
Everyone should experience the pleasure of staying in an inn on the Maine coast where the casual life of a small village is imbued with the charm of the surrounding sea and the activities of those who make their living on that sea. When you’re driving to Boothbay harbor and then on to East Boothbay through winding country roads with glimpses here and there of the water, lush green trees, and window boxes full of geraniums and petunias, you are aware that this is quintessential Maine. To enjoy this area to the fullest, you can do no better than to relax in a 19th Century retreat. The Five Gables Inn, one of hundred plus years old, sits on a hill overlooking the sea with boats just waiting for a sail to be raised for a day of exploration along the craggy, rocky coast. This inn has a common room with a wood-burning fireplace and several tables in front of big water view windows. There are 16 bedrooms form which to choose, all but one with views of the water. Number 10 furnished with a queen pencil-post bed, is a corner room that catches the morning sun and has water views in two directions. Room 14, the inn’s largest bedroom, is under a gable. It has a king bed, a bath with shower, a wood-burning fireplace, and a seating area from which there are great views of the harbor.
Directions: Take Route 1 to Route 27 south to Route 96 through East Boothbay. Turn right at the yellow blinking light onto Murray Hill Road for ½ mile to the inn on the right.