Rock Gardens Inn Blog

Painting Chairs

Opening day is almost here, and we're making good use of the warm, sunny weather to make sure everything is in great shape for our 100th season!  One of the largest tasks we have in the months prior to opening is making sure everything that needs it gets a fresh coat of paint.  That includes everything from cottages, to fences, to the outdoor chairs our guests use to relax and enjoy the view!  Below we have included a couple of pictures from that process (including Lily's best efforts to turn her tail into a paintbrush).  Hope you enjoy!

A Few Links You Might Find Interesting!

Firstly, the University College at Bath/Brunswick is honoring Paul Hanley with the creation of a Memorial Scholarship in his name.

Secondly, there is an interesting snippet on the Will Barnet show at the Portland Museum of Art located here.  For those of you who don't know, Will is Ona's father, and just celebrated his hundredth birthday!

We hope you enjoy these links!  Check back soon for more pictures of the Inn in the process of opening!

RGI in Print!

Happy Friday all!  Just a quick update/point of interest.  If you take a look at the May issue of Coastal Living Magazine, specifically pages 65 and 67 you will see a write up and some pictures from Rock Gardens.  Also, one of our guests, a member of the Winget family, can been seen holding up a lobster on page 68.  We thought it was fun to see, and we hope you will too!

Prep Work!

Opening day is getting closer, and we are using every nice day to full advantage.  Today Will, Andrew, and Ellie scraped and painted the fence, among other tasks.  Anne Trottier worked on our gardens.  Matt Rice began preparing the grounds.  And, of course, Ona and Randy oversaw it all.  Below are some photos from our day.  Enjoy!

It Might Be Snowing But The Sap Is Running!

Winter may have gotten its last snowstorm in today, but in the back woods of Phippsburg the trees are already celebrating the return of spring.  We spent the evening yesterday with Jim Joseph (a man well know to our frequent contradancers) making syrup!  After harvesting the sap from the trees Jim boils it down, removing excess water, until only the purest syrup is left over.  The same process is used to make the syrup we serve every morning here at the Inn.  Anyone craving pancakes yet?  We hope you enjoy the photos below!

Snowfall 2011

As the winter winds to a close, the elements have delivered what may be a last hurrah of powdery white crystals.  Below is a selection of shots from around the property here at the Inn.  Hope you enjoy!

Happy 2011

Happy 2011!  Rock Gardens' 100th year in business!

This is a very special year for us - it is the Inn's 100th year in business.  I am sure that much has changed in 100 years, and yet I hope the Inn retains the special quality that drew guests to it 100 years ago.  It is also a special year for my family - as my dad - Will Barnet - turns 100 this year as well.  He continues to work on a daily basis, and has a variety of shows and exhibitions planned for the year.

We are planning celebrations at Rock Gardens this summer, something every week so no one is left out. We will keep you posted as plans unfold.  If any of you have stories or photos of your experiences at Rock Gardens please share them with us.  We had collected many old photos from the 1920's when we celebrated our 95th - you can find them in the main lobby - but we'd love to see more.

For today though, I am posting photos of many familiar Rock Gardens spots in the snow.  We have at least 8" on the ground - more, as you can see, where the snow drifted up.  It is beautiful here today - the sun is sparkling on the snow and on the water, and Lily was very willing to pose for a shot.

Again - Happy New Year to all of you from all of us.   Ona

Happy Holidays!

It's the holiday season once again, and though the Inn is closed and shuttered, our thoughts often turn to our guests and their families.  For all of us here at Rock Gardens Inn, I would like to wish everyone Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for the New Year!  

I've also included a couple of pictures of the first snow of the year here at the Inn, taken on the winter solstice, that I hope you'll enjoy! We'll be back in 2011 with more wintry photos, and sneak peaks of plans for the 100th!  Until then, be well and take care.

Ona

Colors of the Fall

With the crisp bite of fall air reminding us that winter is just around the corner, we'd like to take a moment to show you some of the beauty that the transition from summer to winter brings to Maine, as well as some of the activities it brings to the Inn.  Below you can see the gorgeous leaves giving their last, bright hurrah, and some of our flowers, still in bloom despite the chill in the air.  We also have a picture of one of the most quintessential fall symbols, the pumpkin; this one grown by Randy!  And finally a shot of our post-season work, with Randy and Chris working on the roof of Trail's End.  We hope you enjoy this little snapshot of fall at Rock Gardens Inn!

En Plein Air

Fall is a beautiful time to be outside here at Rock Gardens Inn. Today we thought we'd share with you some of the outdoor activities we have been pursuing lately.  Below are two pictures, the first shows plein air painters Ellie Porta and Celeste Parke, the second show our plein air scrapers Tori Gilliam and Kendra Currie.  We hope that you enjoy the pictures, and that you get to spend some time out en plein air yourself in this lovely fall weather!