The centuries-old home on the pond in Damariscotta Mills has been renovated by owners Bobby and Sherry Whear and is now a very comfortable inn that looks and feels like home. This bed and breakfast could serve as the perfect home base for many types of midcoast Maine coast vacations.
Lodging for Maine Vacations Exploring Pemaquid Peninsula and the Midcoast
An obvious plus for any vacationer who chooses the Mill Pond Inn is its central location in midcoast Maine. The inn is just minutes from Route 1, giving convenient access for day trips to any part of the midcoast from Portland to Rockland.
Many of the Midcoast's famous attractions are less than an hour away. Bailey Island, Freeport outlet stores, L.L. Bean, Bath's shipbuilding waterfront, Wiscasset antique stores, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Pemaquid Point lighthouse, Reid State Park's sandy beach, and Rockland's Farnsworth Art Museum are just some of the well-known attractions in this area.
The day starts with one of Bobby's hearty breakfasts, served in a dining room overlooking the scenic pond. The hosts are enthusiastic and involved residents of Damariscotta Mills and can give plenty of "local" tips for exploring the area.
After a long day of sightseeing, there's no long drive to reach your next destination, no search for a vacancy, no suitcase to unpack. Coming back to the big house in Damariscotta Mills will feel like coming home.
A Retreat for a Maine Coast Getaway
If the inn's location is convenient for a sightseeing vacation, it is also a wonderful setting for a getaway to unwind and rejuvenate. Damariscotta Mills (part of the town of Nobleboro) is a quiet hamlet where, even during the busiest time of the summer, one can find seclusion. Hiding away at the Mill Pond Inn for a few days could certainly rejuvenate anyone looking for respite from the busyness of life.
The inn's back lawn runs down to the pond; there's a dock for swimming or kayaking or simply sitting and watching the water and wildlife. Adirondack chairs under shade trees, a hammock and a long porch on which to while away lazy hours, and comfy nooks in the common areas of the inn might tempt travelers to park the car and stay in this one spot.
Home Base for a Vacation of Maine Outdoor Activities
If vacationers want to plan a vacation around outdoor adventures, this inn has one more advantage, the assistance of host Bobby Whear, who is a Registered Maine Guide. The Mill Pond connects directly to Damariscotta Lake, a popular lake for fishing, canoeing and kayaking. The Whears can direct guests to outdoor activities in state parks, nature preserves, and hiking trails. Winter brings possibilities of cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and ice fishing.
Affordable and Memorable Bed & Breakfast Inn
Whatever the focus of a Maine coast vacation, the Mill Pond Inn serves as a comfortable, practical, and memorable lodging choice. The inn is open all year. Reasonably priced, it is available for one-night stays but is also budget-friendly for longer vacations. Six rooms with water views have private baths and are immaculate. The house makes efficient use of all spaces and has been furnished with memorabilia that create a casual and comfortable atmosphere.
The inn's setting is a great part of its appeal, what sets it apart from other bed and breakfast inns. Damariscotta Mills is a charming corner, a neighborhood that invites walking. Water is everywhere; Damariscotta Lake feeds into the pond which, in turn, creates a waterfall that crashes down a hillside in the village, falling almost 50 feet until it flows under the bridge and into Great Salt Bay.
A significant waterfall in the middle of a village is unique in itself, but this hillside is also the site of a restored fish ladder. In late spring, alewives return from the saltwater of the ocean to the fresh lake water to spawn, and the fish ladder actually enables them to travel up the hillside to the mill pond and then on to the lake. Walkways built along the fish ladder offer close views, zigzagging down the hillside along the tumbling waters. Mill Pond Inn, sitting on the pond at the top of the falls, offers a prime spot to watch this fascinating migration in May and June. The alewife run also means an abundance of eagles, ospreys, gulls and other fishing birds.
A Choice for Every Maine Coast Vacation?
The inn, as appealing as it will surely be to many people, is not appropriate for everyone. Bedrooms are on the second and third floors; for anyone who has trouble climbing stairs, this arrangement would be most inconvenient, if not impossible. If travelers do not enjoy interaction with other guests and hosts, then a bed and breakfast will probably be uncomfortable.
Children over 10 are welcome, but younger children will find this setting restrictive, with no place to run or play except the lawn, where the water access is also a safety issue.
Pets are prohibited, as is smoking. The absence of dining options within walking distance might be a great disadvantage to some. Damariscotta, with excellent restaurants, is only a few miles away; but nevertheless, dining there does require a drive.
Beyond those restrictions, Mill Pond Inn seems to be ideal lodging for many midcoast Maine vacations.