As cliché as it may be, it’s true: all good things must come to an end.  Fortunately for Hidden Pond, the end of the 2009 season simply means that the 2010 season is right around the corner!  So tonight, Halloween, is the final night to enjoy Hidden Pond before the new decade.

Throughout the past season we’ve witnessed 184 bonfires, 146 issues of the daily newsletter, 118 Hidden Pond martinis consumed, and countless memories with unforgettable guests.

Our guests have enjoyed swimming in the heated saltwater pool, roasting marshmallows on starry nights, Beach Safaris to Goose Rocks Beach, gourmet dinners prepared by talented personal chefs, riding bikes to the Farm and soothing massages in the Spa Tent.

When thinking of the perfect vacation for next summer, perhaps Hidden Pond will be first on your list.  Or, maybe you’re planning that your New Years resolution will be to spend a week in one of our cottages next autumn.  Either way, we all deserve a little “ME” time — and Hidden Pond is the perfect place for it.

We are currently taking reservations for 2010, and will continue to do so even while Hidden Pond is hibernating for the winter.  For reservations or general information, please call 1-888-967-9050 or email us at info@hiddenpondmaine.com.  We look forward to sharing the Hidden Pond experience with you in 2010!

Happy Halloween.  Happy Vacationing.  See you in the new year!

Fall is the perfect time to experience all of the delights of Kennebunkport and Hidden Pond….here’s just a few:

Hit the Links: Hitting the links at Cape Arundel Golf Course is a perfect way to enjoy a crisp autumn afternoon. The course is over a century old, and has seen the likes of George HW Bush, Richard Nixon, Babe Ruth and Phil Mickelson (who happens to hold the course record). So, whether you’re looking to break Phil’s record or simply play golf at a classic Maine course, Cape Arundel GC is a great choice. For more information, please visit: http://www.capearundelgolfclub.com/

Take Your Pick: Apple picking is a quintessential Maine autumn activity – a chance to experience the Maine outdoors while getting an authentic taste of Maine. Nearby Spiller Farm offers apple and pumpkin picking, freshly pressed cider and hayride farm tours. On your way, stop at the Café at Merriland Farm for a delicious brunch overlooking sweeping greens.

Hike Kennebunkport: Kennebunkport and the southern Maine coastline is a hiker’s paradise offering seaside strolls down Ocean Avenue, wildlife walks at the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge and hilly hikes through the Kennebunk Bridle Path. Scenic Ocean Avenue winds through Kennebunkport offering views of public and private beaches, rocky jetties, oceanfront estates and the famed Walker’s Point. The Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge totals 50 miles of coastline throughout York and Cumberland counties. The portion in Kennebunk and Wells is comprised of forested upland, barrier beach/dune, coastal medows, tidal salt marsh and the distinctive rocky coast. The Kennebunk Bridle Path is an old railroad bed from the 1880’s about 3 miles in length from the Kennebunk Depot to the Webhannet Golf Course. A section from Sea Road to Route 9 is wheelchair accessible for those with wide-tread tires. This path is a birdwatcher’s paradise and a wonderful nature walk for the family.

Tour de Cuisine: Food loving guests surely won’t want to miss a tour de cuisine of the local restaurant scene; sampling some of America’s finest seafood and produce throughout town is a “foodie’s” dream. Bandaloop, Pier 77 and The Ramp create culinary treats from fresh, local ingredients that are guaranteed to leave a lasting impression on your taste buds.

Sail the Seas: If you’re looking to test out our sea legs, Kennebunkport offers plenty of nautical excursions! The Rugosa Lobster Boat holds daily lobster boat cruises allowing guests to explore the coast of Kennebunkport, pull lobster traps and learn about the lifecycle of lobsters. The Schooner Eleanor is an authentic 1920’s style yacht that sails the seas for about 2 hours.

Take a History Lesson: For history buffs, the Kennebunkport Historical Society offers personalized tours to educate visitors on the depth of our town’s history. Walking tours, historic residence tours and museum exhibits will stimulate your mind and transport you back in time. Through October 10th, the KHS offers an hour-long tour that allows guests an opportunity to “become intimately acquainted with some truly pristine examples of Colonial, Federal, Greek Revival, and Victorian Homes”. If a structured tour doesn’t suit your style, there are self-guided walking tourbooks available at a local gift shop for your purchase.

Explore the Lighthouses: For lighthouse lovers, Kennebunkport is home to its very own guiding light and is surrounded by four others within a 20-mile radius. Goat Island Light in Cape Porpoise can be see from Cape Porpoise Harbor (right near Pier 77 and the Ramp). To read more about this lighthouse, please see my previous Blog post. Within the area there are 4 others: Wood Island Light, Nubble Light, Whaleback Light, Boon Island Light. Although not all of these lights are accessible by car or foot, all but one can be viewed from land and are perfect photo opportunities for your next holiday or family greeting card.

While I recommend that all Hidden Pond guests experience the Rugosa Lobster Boat Tour, I just learned about a new excursion offered by the captain.  The Goat Island Lighthouse Tour is a 2-hour cruise up the coastline to Cape Porpoise Harbor where guests are able to disembark and explore the island and its light.  The tour is $40 for adults and $30 for children and is offered on a regular basis (depending on the tide schedule).

Here are just a few reasons why this tour is truly unique and super cool:

- Captain John Smith, known for both his Oscar-worthy role in Disney’s Pocahontas and for having one of the most common names in history, discovered and named Cape Porpoise and its harbor. 

- The first keeper of the lighthouse, John Lord, was paid an annual salary of $350 for his work.  But heck, who would complain if there is a lifetime supply of lobster swimming around in your backyard. 

- In 1990, Goat Island Light became the last lighthouse in Maine to be automated.  Don’t worry, by “automate” I don’t mean “replaced with a giant disco ball”…although that would make for a popular Kennebunkport nightlife spot.

- For a time during the presidency of George H. W. Bush, secret service agents lived at Goat Island, which offers a good vantage point on Bush’s estate at Walker’s Point.

So, for all these reasons and more, I believe that this is a must-do trip during your stay in Kennebunkport.  Call us at 207-967-9050 to book your Hidden Pond vacation and ask how you can take in this excellent nautical exploration.

May the Goat Island Lighthouse guide you here…

**A special thanks to New England Lighthouses: A Virtual Tour for providing me with a great nighttime read and brief history lesson.

That’s how our garden grows…well, not exactly.  We owe a great deal of thanks and appreciation to the Maine sunshine and Gina, our resident farmer.

Aside from being one of the main focal points of our beautifully landscaped resort, the Hidden Pond organic farm is one of our most unique and prized guest amenities.  Guests are able to walk through, pick, photograph and admire a variety of flowers, vegetables, herbs, fruits and other lush botanicals at their leisure.  Whether you’re an urban dweller or a rural lifer, our garden is sure to provide enjoyment as well as a vacations’ worth of fresh produce and flowers.

Most recently, the farm and resort were featured in Food & Wine’s September issue.  Entitled “A Cook’s Dream Vacation”, the article talks about a guests’ relaxing stay as described through her garden finds and resulting delicious cottage-cooked meals.

So to show some love to the poem that inspired this blog post’s title (and is a personal childhood favorite of mine):

“Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells, and cockle shells,
And pretty maids all in a row.”

As for the “pretty maids all in a row”, they’re down by Goose Rocks Beach taking in the summer sun and refreshing Maine ocean.

For the full version of this article, please visit Food & Wine (click the link), or pick up the September issue (begins on page 28) in newstands and stores today!

Personal trainer, skilled bartender, Division I collegiate athlete, runaway circus act or a combination of all four?

Drew does it all.  You can find him during the early hours at Hidden Pond on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays helping our guests strive towards achieving perfect “beach bodies”. Or, you can find him Sunday through Thursday mixing drinks, sharing stories and having a good time behind the bar at the Back Porch.  As legend has it, Drew fixed a martini so tasty that a guest insisted that we name it “The Drewtini”.  So, being that the Hidden Pond staff aims to please, we gave the guest what they wanted.

Drew’s workouts consist of short circuit exercises that encourage guests to max out on various cardiovascular exercises and other demonstrations of brute strength.  Whatever he does, he’ll help you feel the burn. 

If a personal trainer isn’t your cup of tea…and actually, if tea isn’t your cup of tea..join Drew at the Back Porch Bar for a glass of vino, a local ale or a skillfully crafted cocktail.  Less than two months ago Drew was nothing more than an apprentice barkeep, but he has since blossomed into the expert mixologist that we all knew he could be.  Be sure t0 chat him up about his San Diegoean roots, his dream bike tour, or his recent first place finish at the 2009 New England Lifeguard Championships held on Old Orchard Beach.

Yes, you could say he’s superman. 

To quote the extremely talented, and always funky Earth, Wind and Fire,
“Ba de ya – say do you remember/Ba de ya - Hidden Pond in September”…we’re now giving you a reason to remember and stay at Hidden Pond! 

From September 6th straight through October 31st (the saddest day of the year…when we close), we are offering a special promotion.  If our website, pictures, cottages, heated pool, organic farm, article in Traditional Home and excellent TripAdvisor reviews haven’t tempted you already…we have just the thing.

For a stay of 5 nights or more (between 9/6/09 and 10/31/09), we are inviting you to “celebrate the number 5″ and choose from one of the following:

1) Stay 5 nights and the 6th night is on us!

2) Enjoy $155.55 to use towards dinner at the waterfront restaurant Pier 77 in Cape Porpoise.

3) Unwind with two 55 minute massages in the Hidden Pond spa tent.

4) A round of golf for two at Cape Arundel Golf Club (where 5 heads of state have played)

5) A full day long kayak rental for two

Call us at 207-967-9050…our delightful staff is standing by.

If stepping foot into your beautifully designed cottage or hanging poolside on a sunny day doesn’t melt your stress away, join Mindy in the morning to relax with Yoga. 

Mindy holds regular yoga classes at the farm on Mondays (9:15am), Thursdays (9:15am) and Fridays (8:15am).  The classes are complimentary to all Hidden Pond guests and are open to adults and children alike. 

Whether you’re a Yoga newbie or a firefly-posing pro, Mindy’s class will improve your strength and flexibility, in addition to bringing a big smile to your face when you’re finished.

To learn more about Mindy and her private Yoga classes (which she conducts in addition to her classes at Hidden Pond), check out her website: http://mindymuseyoga.com

Namaste.

7:30 AM:  Wake up to the sound of Maine chickadees chirping, the smell of pine and the fresh Maine outdoors.  **DISCLAIMER: For those who sleep in late, late (like myself) please ignore this hour…or jump forward to 10:25am** 

8:00 AM: Roll out of bed and check the hook outside of your cottage for the recently delivered Breakfast Basket.  The basket features Lucy’s freshly baked bread, pastries, coffee, juice, New York Times…a morning staple that you have come to love during your stay.

9:15 AM: Participate in either the complimentary yoga or personal trainer class being held that day.  You’re slightly surprised that you’ve broken a sweat before lunchtime on your vacation — but you realize it was worth it (and gives you justification for that dessert you’ve been planning to eat tonight)

10:25 AM: Contemplate a day at the pool or a day at Goose Rocks beach…after a very heated debate, your family comprimises and settles on the beach for the morning and pool for the afternoon (a perfect example of having your cake, and eating it too!)

10:30 AM: You are off to Goose Rocks beach with Eric (your Beach Safari captain at the wheel) for a day of sun and lounging.  You brought a b0ok with you, but the soothing sound of the waves puts you to sleep for a late-morning nap before you know it.

1:30 PM: Eric picks you up from the beach and compliments you on your great tan or lobster red sunburn…and before you know it you’re driven back to your personal paradise (otherwise known as Hidden Pond).

2:00 PM: You skip the shower and skip changing out of your bathing suit, because let’s face it, you’re headed to the pool!

2:30 PM: You’ve plunked down on your prime poolfront real estate (a choice of one of the many cushy, comfortable Hidden Pond chaise lounges) and you have one of Cathy’s delicious Lobster Rolls resting next to you ready for consumption.  At this point you’re starting to wonder if your day can get any better…your mother/father/husband/wife/sister/brother/son/daughter reassures you, yes!

5:00 PM: You’ve showered, gotten dressed in your evening finest…and you’re ready for dinner…BUT WAIT! Lucy’s appetizers will be ready at the bar in 30 minutes and you haven’t had the pleasure of tasting one of Kathy’s or Drew’s delicious cocktails yet!  So, to the Back Porch Bar it is.

7:30 PM: Dinner time — you visit the Front Desk for perfect dinner options (The Tides, Nunan’s, Pier 77, the Ramp, Bandaloop, Big Fish…just to name a few) and you finally settle on (insert fabulous Kennebunkport restaurant here).

9:30PM:  You hit up the Back Porch Bar for a nightcap, and roast a marshmallow over the bonfire that Pete perfectly crafted during the afternoon.  You get convinced to roast one more and then the yawns set in.

10:00PM:  You practically collapse onto your comfortable king sized bed after a long, but exceptionally fun, day in Kennebunkport.  You start to doze off to sleep dreaming of a perfect resort in Maine featuring 14 two-bedroom cottages with an organic farm, fitness center, spa tent (etc, etc) all  tucked away in a nature wonderland.

This is Hidden Pond.

207.967.9050.

Hidden Pond recently stumbled upon an excellent blog, Maria’s Farm Country Kitchen, while surfing through cyberspace.  Whether the subject is cooking, nature, travel, family or life, Maria’s blog is always about “making the complicated simple, easy, and fun—while cooking up trouble and dishing out advice”.  Her posts are genuine, informative and entertaining.  Perhaps our favorite post (and the way we stumbled upon this blog) is “Greetings from Maine: The Top 10 Things I Love about Vacationland” , an accurate list of some of the best things Maine has to offer to visitors and locals alike.

These things and more are the reasons that a vacation to Maine and Hidden Pond should be your #1 priority this summer season!

Happy blogging,

The Hidden Pond Staff

“Maine artist, Judith Kinsman, brings a feeling of warmth and involvement to her work, using vivid color to accent florals and landscapes.  Influenced as a child by her grandmother’s watercolors and flowering gardens, Judith brings a bold and colorful approach to her favorite subject matter. As she has developed as an artist, she has increasingly connected to the luminescence and flow of watercolors.  Primarily a self-taught artist, she delights in the use of negative space demonstrating the heart and spirit of her paintings”

Click the hydrangeas to view more of Judith's work!

Judith’s site can be viewed at http://www.judithkinsman.com 

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On a side note, the rain in Maine hasn’t spoiled our fun at HP and we’re due for some blue skies and hot rays soon!  Kennebunkport came alive this weekend with visitors and the Fourth of July is going to prove to be one of the best yet!