Page 101 - 914INC - Q3 - 2013

Story Deanna Cioppa, Nancy L. Claus, and Laurie Yarnell
Chebeague Island Inn
Glenmere Mansion
Unplug: Just walking into the white sanctuary that is the Mayflower Spa will lower your blood pressure about 20 points. Curl up with a cup of ginger tea in the Garden Room looking out over Blue Heron Pond and the woods beyond, before and after a luxurious spa treatment. Try the Japanese Red Flower Treatment Ritual with a shiatsu massage or the Midnight Honey Body Buzz with warm honey massage (and thank us later), or soak in the shimmery mosaic whirlpool or lap pool.
Ramble through the meditation labyrinth or the Shakespeare and American Poets' Gardens on your way to the dining room or bar at the Inn. Despite the elegant atmosphere of the Main Dining Room, the dress code is “country casual,” meaning a jacket and tie are not necessary. (Jeans are fine, but no shorts at dinner. We said unplugged, not sloppy.) Don’t miss the Mayflower Bibb salad with blue cheese, frizzled shallots, tomato, and truffle vinaigrette or the crab cakes with papaya, mango, and jicama, topped with crispy plantains.
Smartphone Substitute: Wrestle yourself away from the WiFi, and ask the spa concierge to help you choose from the doz- ens of classes, treatments, and experiences available: Pilates and yoga classes, archery, fencing, fly-fishing, even poetry read- ings. Or go “off reservation” for a brisk 45-minute guided hike around the countryside or kayaking on the Housatonic River.
Details: Mayflower Inn & Spa, 118 Woodbury Rd, Washington, CT, (860) 898-9466; mayflowerinn.com. During the week, the Mayflower offers two or three night Mini-Luxe Experience packages with accommodations in one of 30 rooms or suites, three spa cuisine meals a day, and unlimited access to all scheduled classes and activities; treatments and private fitness sessions available on an à la carte basis, from $1,150 per person (all tips are included). There is a two- night minimum stay on weekends; rooms start at $550. WiFi is avail- able free of charge throughout the property, but cell phone service is spotty for all but AT&T customers. —NC
RETREAT
Chebeague Island Inn, Chebeague Island, ME
Escape: They say no man is an island, but, last time we checked, "they" seem to have no problem with man doing some serious relaxing on an island. Chebeague Island, located in Casco Bay, is a short ferry ride from Portland, but at times feels like the edge of the world—a very friendly edge of the world, where the inhabitants wave to each other on the roads regardless of acquaintance (or lack thereof). Aside from a post office/gift shop, a convenience store, and a part-time clam shack, the island is meant to be enjoyed on its own terms. The Chebeague Island Inn is the center from which this warmth radiates. Think an ultra-cozy parlor complete with blazing fireplace; a cocktail menu and bar perfect for quieting cor- porate demons; and a porch that couldn’t be more picture-perfect.
Unplug: This 1920s Greek Revival inn is really the only game in town when it comes to lodging, and that's just fine. Retreat into one of its 21 unique guest rooms, furnished with cozy queen beds and a sunny décor that brings the sea inside. Enjoy walks on the island’s many beaches, kayaking, and lots of reading by the fire, broken up by excel- lent meals at the Inn’s upscale (and a bit pricey) restaurant. (Note: Get the butter-poached lobster. Get it for every meal. Pack as much in as you can; it’s that good.) And to cut down on the distractions, the rooms are sans TVs and landlines. Oh, you’ll relax, all right.
Smartphone Substitute: If you’re worried about becoming too well rested/read, consider rousing yourself for some play. Lawn games are available to all guests, as are L.L.Bean bicycles to take around the island, and a nine-hole golf course abuts the property ($30 fee for guests of the Inn or restaurant). The Inn can arrange kayak tours of the bay, and a ferry trip back to the mainland is well worth it for a tour of the bay on one of the fantastic wooden schooners of Portland Schooner Company (portlandschooner.com).
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