The town of Boothbay Harbor, Maine and the Spruce Point Inn are tailor-made for family vacations — especially with grandparents and multi-generational groups who love the picture-perfect harbor brimming with lobster boats, schooners and windjammers.
Boothbay Harbor Is as American and Timeless as Apple Pie
This village is as welcoming as a slice of home-baked blueberry pie on a summer’s day. An Americana spirit infuses its quaint streets.
There are lots of old-fashioned festivals, such as the Antique Boat Parade, the Annual Rock Skipping contest and a yummy Blueberry Festival.
Families will be kept busy visiting the Maine State Aquarium, Boothbay Railway Village and the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, with its fabulous literature-inspired Children’s Garden.
At dusk, you can join other local and vacationing families for a round at Dolphin Mini-Golf, before you head over to one of the local fudge shops to indulge your sweet tooth.
An All-American Resort with Lots of Recreational Choices
It seems fitting that this iconic Mid-Coast Maine town is home to the Spruce Point Inn. The Spruce Point Inn Resort & Spa is the kind of place where guests of all ages gather around the fire circle for a nightly snack of s’mores before bedtime. The Inn is low-key and understated, and offers lots of ways to have fun in the great outdoors.
Besides bikes in every size for you to borrow, there are all types of water-worthy vessels for you to enjoy. Our favorites are the individual and double sea kayaks, but it might prove hard to pull the kids away from the two swimming pools, the oceanfront saltwater and the shaded fresh water pool. Shuffleboard and a giant checker set are just a few of the nostalgic diversions that you can find here. The waterfront location is serene and stunning, but equally lovely are the miles of bucolic nature trails that surround the resort. Our family enjoyed the pine-scented strolls that we experienced each evening, before the mid-Summer sun set.
A Resort that Harkens Back to Kinder, Gentler Times
In some ways, Spruce Point Inn seems stuck in another time, when life was just a tad simpler. Yet modern conveniences are plentiful here, and even the most demanding, tech-happy teens will be satisfied, thanks to amenities like free wireless internet access, iPod docking stations and LCD flat-screen televisions.
My family and I spent a recent summer weekend here. Thank goodness we had explored Boothbay previously, because everyone was having such a good time at the resort, I couldn’t manage to get them to leave the grounds for even a quick jaunt into the village on the sleek Inn-owned boat that motors guests into town in a jiffy.
My teens enjoyed kicking back poolside, with brief interruptions to chow down on the Inn’s wonderful, New England-style cuisine. The resort has three restaurants on premise. 88 is the most formal and serves Maine coastal cuisine, Bogie’s is a casual bistro and Deck is the open-air café. My kids were thrilled that they could indulge in lobster without any of the usual effort, as the menu offers it lazy man style, all cracked and ready to eat.
The Scoop on Spruce Point Inn Accommodation Options
The resort is set on 56-acres, with a mix of seaside cottages, historic Inn rooms, Townhouses and hotel-like modern lodge rooms. The eight classic cottages and contemporary townhouses offer the bonus of the option to prepare light meals. The lodge rooms are spacious and comfortable, and feature refrigerators and over-sized soaking tubs.
There are nine guest rooms in the Historic Inn, where the ambiance is traditional and cozy, perfect for those traveling without kids. The variety of accommodations makes Spruce Point Inn a good choice for family reunions, as there really is something that should work for everyone in your group.
Kids Will Be Busy in Maine
My teens are too old for kids clubs, but the Spruce Point Inn Kid Camp offers families three ways to have fun while staying at the Inn. Kids ages 4-12 can sign up for the Lighthouse Camp in July and August, which operates Thursday to Sunday from 10-2:30. The program includes activities such as swimming, arts and crafts, nature and science, plus lunch and snacks.
Kids’ Night Out is scheduled Thursday to Sunday evening from 6-9 pm and includes dinner and activities. The third option is Beyond Kids’ Night Out, which extends the Kids Night Out program from 4-10 pm. Prices are reasonable, with discounts for siblings. The kids we met raved about these programs. Kids of all ages are welcome to play ping-pong, pool, video games and imaginative dramatic play in their own special building nestled among the trees anytime they desire.
A Seasonal Maine Resort, Family Owned and Operated
Spruce Point Inn has been around for over 100 years and is family owned and operated by innkeepers Joe and Angelo, who have been running the Inn since 1991. Many of their family members work at the property and this breeds a welcome familiarity that we all noticed. Spruce Point Inn closes each October and reopens in May. Book ahead, as they have an overwhelming number of return visitors.
We think the Spruce Point Inn is a particularly good choice for a multi-generational family getaway. For the adults, time spent here feels like a quiet stroll down memory lane. There is a range of activities to keep all ages happy. The natural beauty that is all around is a respite for your senses, but there are plenty of creature comforts.
My family and I are eagerly anticipating our return.
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