June 5, 2008

US & Canada | US | Maine

Summertime and the Living is Chillin’

By Judy D'Mello

Where to go now on the New England coast.

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There’s often a pine-scented crispness to the Maine air — even in July when, by contrast, much of the lower 48 feels like the malarial tropics. But you don’t need your own presidential compound to enjoy the state’s cooler climes and sparkling coastline, dotted with lobster shacks and lighthouses.

Tomorrow, Inn By The Sea, in Cape Elizabeth, re-opens following a multi-million dollar “greenovation,” becoming Maine’s first carbon-neutral hotel and the first to be heated (crisp July air, remember?) by solar panels and biofuel. All 57 guestrooms, suites and cottages have been completely overhauled, with oversized showers or tubs, energy efficient dual-flush toilets and flat screen TVs. Set within Wildlife Habitat-certified gardens, this eco-luxe resort on sleepy Crescent Beach is a 10-minute drive from artsy Portland and boasts a newly expanded spa as well as a new restaurant. On the environmental menu: planting milkweed to help the endangered monarch butterfly, carbon-free conferences and green white-weddings.

Just 33 miles south is Kennebunkport, famous (now infamous) summer camp to the Bush clan, and home to New England’s hottest opening this summer. Here, on July 12, “flip-flop chic” resort Hidden Pond unveils 14 individually designed one- and two-bedroom cottages . (Think Winvian by-the-sea.) Screened-in porches lead indoors to Frette-draped beds, stone fireplaces and kitchens, with private chefs available to cook gourmet dinners. Sixty secluded acres of birch and balsam surround Hidden Pond, offering garden yoga, forest clambakes, and an organic farm. You’ll also find a landscaped pool, a network of nature trails and nearby Goose Rocks Beach. If you must wander further, put the North Atlantic Blues Festival on your itinerary — July 12 & 13, in Harbor Park, Rockland, about an hour’s drive from Kennebunkport.