|
|
Greetings from the Harraseeket Inn! We're honored to have been awarded #3 in the United States/New England Conde Naste's
Top Hotels 2019
and we want to thank all of you who voted for us in their Readers Choice poll this year. The Harraseeket Inn wouldn't be where it is today without your patronage, and without our extended family of  employees. Their unique talents and unswerving dedication to excellence are what make this place so special. We get letters from guests all the time raving about our great staff. If someone checks in at midnight and wants a cup of hot tea or warm milk, our staff sees to their every need. They willingly and routinely take the extra step and go that extra mile. Many of our employees have been with us for more than twenty years and if that doesn't constitute an extended family, I don't know what does. We're very fortunate to be surrounded by such wonderful people. We also want to sincerely thank our incredible guests, many of whom have become a cherished part of the Harraseeket family over the years. You're the best!
Thirty five years ago my mother, Nancy Gray, decided that the village of Freeport would
 |
|
|
Nancy Gray with friends. |
be a great place to have an inn, and she had the vision and the energy to make that dream come true. She could whip her weight in wildcats. Now in her late eighties, she's suffering from dementia. This cruel transition has been a painful one for all of us, adding to the emotional stress that goes into running a family business. Establishing a new chain of command was necessary to keep my mother's vision alive, and her act hasn't been an easy one to follow. We're so very grateful for the patronage of all of our guests, and to those of you who so graciously take the time to say hello to her. We hope that we can maintain her beloved Harraseeket in a manner that would do her proud, and keep you coming back to visit for the next thirty five years!
Halloween's coming right up! LLBean's annual Pumkinfest for Camp Sunshine is being held on Saturday October 19, with a great music venue and of course, the lighting of ten thousand pumpkins! Bring the kids, carve some pumpkins (no charge for the pumpkins!), join in the costume parade, enjoy the games and festivities and help raise funds for Camp Sunshine. Get your spooky Halloween spirit on!
We just weathered another power outage during a mid-October nor'easter and it's still very windy and wet. Up in Fort Kent this morning it's snowing, big wet flakes that won't stick around but are a reminder of what's heading our way. Remember the snows of last November that DID stick around? Get those leaves raked up!
Recipe of the Month
Lobster Stew: serves four
Ingredients:
4 one pound lobsters
2 cups mixed onion, celery, carrot
4 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs parsley
3 peppercorns
1 cup sweet sherry
4 pints heavy cream
1/4 cup butter
Remove meat from claws and tails of steamed lobsters. Save the spiders (the main body of the lobster) and in a large saucepan, sauce the spiders, butter, chopped veggies and herbs for 15 minutes, until onions are clear. Add sherry and reduce until it's the consistency of syrup. Add heavy cream and reduce again by 1/4. Strain the stew base, add chopped lobster meat and serve warm.
******
Upcoming Events and Special Offers:
***Thanksgiving Grand Buffet: check out the menu on our website and make your reservations soon!
***Lobster Lovers Getaway: Love Maine lobster? Check out the menu in our Broad Arrow Tavern. Dine on fresh steamed lobster, Lobster Macaroni and Cheese, or our signature "Maine Meal" which includes a lobster roll, our  award winning lobster stew and your favorite locally crafted brew. What could be more "Maine" than that? If you still haven't gotten your fill, stay over Saturday night (or check in early Sunday) and enjoy our Lobster Sunday Brunch, all you can eat freshly steamed and chilled lobster along with prime rib and a bountiful medley of delicious salads, appetizers, entrees and desserts. Brunch runs from 11:45 until 2 pm every Sunday. What a way to celebrate fall!
|
|
Lobster Sunday Brunch at the Harraseeket
|
***Book direct on our website or over the phone (1-800-342-6423) and receive afternoon tea and full buffet breakfast free of charge, a $60. value for two! We have free on-site parking and offer free shuttle service to and from the Downeaster train station.
*Discover our
L.L.Bean Guest Cottage, located right next door to the inn. Beautifully designed and furnished by L.L.Bean, it's become one of our most popular lodgings. Here's a fun article about the cottage that was just published in Forbes Magazine.
*
Take it outdoors with LLBean's
LLBean Outdoor Discovery Schools
Learn to fly fish or kayak and get out in nature, which really is the most relaxing therapy for our fast paced chaotic world. In a few short months you could be strapping on snowshoes, cross country skis...okay, we'll wait a while for that.
*
Visit Freeport
Sales and fun happenings in town! Everything "Freeport" in one handy website. This is one web site you'll want to check out frequently in this seacoast "village of sales".
*Mahoosuc Guide Service Offering canoe trips and dogsledding tours. Explore all the best the Maine outdoors has to offer with the finest and most experienced outdoor guides in Maine!
*Seacoast Tours right here in Freeport offers cruises out to Eagle Island, as well as lobstering and wildlife cruises. They have a van that will pick you up right here in town and shuttle you to the harbor, a great convenience considering how hard it can be to find parking at the town wharf. If you want to get a taste of life in and on Casco Bay, this is the perfect opportunity.
*****************************************
 And now for October's Trivia question: In 1957, John J Pullen published a book called "The Twentieth Maine" that highlighted the volunteer regiment in the Civil War and their commanding officer, Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. Chamberlain lived in nearby Brunswick, and his home is now a museum on the campus of Bowdoin College. (Incidentally, being as we're close to Halloween, this museum is listed as one of Maine's haunted places because Chamberlain and his wife Fannie, as well as General Grant, have allegedly been seen by visitors. This museum is only a few miles north of Freeport and well worth checking out.) Chamberlain's leadership of the 20th Maine is renowned. He was wounded six times, once almost fatally, and had six horses shot out from under him. If you ever get a chance to read "The Twentieth Maine", it's an excellent and very humbling regimental history of the Civil War. Chamberlain was most renowned for two great events in his military career. The first when the 20th Maine, under his command, held the extreme left flank of the Union line against a fierce rebel attack at Little Round Top on the second day of Gettysburg. What was the second?
All correct answers win a voucher worth $5. toward food or lodging on your next visit. One voucher per family, please. You may redeem up to 12 months at a time, a $60. value, in one stay, either toward your room or your meals. Be patient with my replies, there are hundreds of responses. To answer the trivia question, simply reply to this newsletter and your answer will go directly to our dedicated newsletter email site.
Good luck, Happy Halloween and we hope to see you soon!
Warm regards,
Penny Gray
The Gray family
|
|
|
