The lupine have begun to appear on Deer Isle in all of their purple glory.   This beautiful flower is celebrated annually in June at the Lupine Festival on Deer Isle, which is filled with activities honoring this wildflower.  Lupine can be found from Maine to Florida, and as far west as Minnesota.  Fields of purple, lavender, pink and white blossoms can be found throughout Down East Maine from late May to approximately the second or third week in June, blanketing our landscape.  They are the subject of many photographs and make a great backdrop to family photos. Painters flock to our area to capture the rolling hills of color. When you stay at Pilgrim's Inn for the festival, from June 15-17, 2012 and participate in the activities, you'll receive 10% off of your room rate!  To view a complete listing of the activities, view the Lupine Festival Brochure. 

It's hard to believe it's only mid-March in Maine!  Unseasonably warm temperatures are calling us out of hibernation, tempting us to leave the warmth of our fires to take walks along the shore, hikes on our beautiful Deer Isle nature preserves, even paddles in our kayaks.
Within a few short weeks we will be back at Pilgrim's Inn, opening up its windows and airing out the rooms, repairing its bumps and bruises, and brightening up the interior with fresh coats of paint to welcome our customers back for another year at Pilgrim's Inn & the Whale's Rib Tavern\, on Deer Isle, Maine.

As a premiere, boutique bed and breakfast inn, located in coastal Down east Maine, we are committed to providing you with the best lodging and vacation experience available.  We know that your life can be stressful at times, and the best way to cure that is by finding a place where you can relax and have an authentic and memorable experience that re-connects you with the important things in life.   We offer opportunities to experience the quiet of our natural world with hikes through our coastal forests, sailing the brilliant blue waters of Penobscot Bay, or guided kayaking trips to Isle au Haut, part of Acadia National Park. At the end of the day you can relax with your family and enjoy an excellent meal at our restaurant, featuring fresh local Maine ingredients like lobster, shellfish and organic local produce.

So come enjoy all that Deer Isle and coastal Maine has to offer, at Pilgrim's Inn & the Whale's Rib Tavern.  We promise you won't be disappointed.

When you "like" our page on Facebook, you'll be kept up to date on news from the inn and restaurant, plus you'll receive special offers just for Facebook fans.  Right now we are running a special offer that expires on February 19th.  Vist our Facebook page to find out what it is!

One of our favorite offerings in May is our Habitat for Humanity Special -- you get a whopping 50% discount when you book room 3, 6, 8 or 14 up until May 25th.  All you have to do is write a $35 check to Habitat for Humanity.  This special offer is part of a statewide "Hospitality for Habitat" initiative from the Maine Innkeepers Association.  Every year it helps raise thousands of dollars for families in need of housing in the State of Maine.  With this special promotion you get a relaxing getaway, plus the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping a deserving family.


Another great offering is our mid-week Spring special where you can stay two nights and get the third night absolutely free.  As long as one of the days of your stay is a Tuesday, this special can be applied to any room in the inn.  Smart travelers know that the shoulder season is the best time to visit - avoid the August crowds, and enjoy a relaxing pace on the Island.

And don't forget mom on Mother's Day.  When you book a two night stay at the Inn on Mother's Day weekend (May 11-13) you and your mom will enjoy a three course dinner for two absolutely free (does not include beverages, tax, or 20% added gratuity).  So come on up and treat a special mom to a special stay.

You won't see these kinds of specials during the high season, or even in the Fall, so take advantage of them and enjoy the start of the season at Pilgrim's Inn in Deer Isle, Maine.  To view all our specials please visit our specials page.

If you're looking for a tasty but easy breakfast recipe for Christmas morning, try this delicious frittata recipe from Pilgrim's Inn.   If you have not had frittata before,  it is like a quiche without a crust. Make this a day or two before and just re-heat it when you are ready. We serve this at the inn for breakfast and get many requests for the recipe!

Ingredients
1 pint heavy cream
1 cup cooked spinach (you can use one packet of thawed out chopped frozen spinach, but if using fresh you will need approximately 1 pound of fresh spinach to get a cup of cooked)
1 cup seeded diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
1.5 cups grated good quality sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt
2 pinches black pepper
Non-stick cooking spray

Procedure

• Heat oven to 350 degrees
• If using fresh spinach, saute in a hot pan until wilted and let cool.  If using frozen, then follow package instructions for thawing, and squeeze out excess liquid. 
• If using fresh tomato, saute briefly in a pan until slightly cooked, and let cool. If using canned, drain out excess liquid.
• Beat the eggs together in a mixer or by hand and add the heavy cream until well combined.
• Fold in the spinach, tomato, cheese, salt and pepper
• Spray a deep, 9 inch pie plate with cooking spray and pour in the mixture
• Place pie plate on a baking sheet to catch any drips, and place in oven.
• Bake in 325 degree oven for 40 – 50 minutes or until egg mixture is light golden brown on top and center is cooked to an internal temperature of 160F  (do not overcook)

It's hard to believe that the holidays are almost upon us and it's time to get those gifts to the post office. Below are some great gift ideas that will be sure to please your friends and family,  take very little time to order, will remind you of your time on Deer Isle and will also support the hard working men and women from Deer Isle and surrounding areas in Maine.

We of course couldn't start this list without mentioning that a gift certificate to Pilgrim's Inn and the Whale's Rib Tavern is a great holiday gift idea.  We'll send out a certificate along with our brochure before the holidays, so give us a call at 207-348-6615 and 888-778-7505, or email us at innkeeper@pilgrimsinn.com

One of our most favorites places is Nervous Nellies Jams & Jellies  run by Ann and Peter Beerits out in Sunshine on Deer Isle.  We serve their delicious blueberry jam for breakfast at Pilgrim's Inn and their awesome chutneys with our cheese boards at the Whale's Rib Tavern.  They make the holidays easy by packing up some great combinations of jams and pastry items, like their scone mix with strawberry jam -our favorite is the tea party combo.  They send these out in pretty natural boxes with gingham ribbon directly to your recipients.

If chocolate is your secret desire, you can't go wrong with gifts from Black Dinah Chocolatiers on Isle au Haut, run by Kate and Steve Shaffer. We give their chocolate bark as special gifts to our returning guests at Pilgrim's Inn.  Their truffles are to die for, and the hot chocolate mix makes a great stocking stuffer or simple gift.   Kate's new cookbook would make a great gift this year!

New in the last year is 44 North Coffee, roasted by our friends Melissa and Megan, who you may have met this year working at the Whale's Rib Tavern.  Melissa and Megan have started their own small business on Deer Isle roasting responsibly sourced, fair trade, organic coffee, just around the corner from Pilgrim's Inn. 

If you are looking for Christmas wreaths and centerpieces made from fragrant balsam fir from Maine, and decorated with chestnuts (that may even be from our chestnut trees at the inn), then visit Harbor Farm on Little Deer Isle.  We send their wreaths out every year to our extended family for everyone to enjoy.

Whatever you like, we guarantee that you will be pleased with all these products, and that they will take very little time to order, making your holidays even better!

Now that cold weather has officially arrived, we are closing up the inn and putting it to rest until next spring.   Furniture is covered in sheets, rugs are rolled up, supplies are inventoried, dishware is carefully wrapped and put away, road signs are taken down and stored,  plants are put into our office "greenhouse", and the water is turned off.   The inn goes into a kind of hybernation, waiting to be woken once again and taken out of her slumber to welcome guests next spring for another memorable season on Deer Isle.  As if on cue, an early snow storm arrived on October 30th and covered the inn and grounds in a blanket of winter white.
But while the inn is at rest, we certainly are not!  Over the next five months we will be spending our time exploring new recipes and wines for the restaurant, collecting new amenities and furnishings for our rooms, and dreaming up new ways to please our guests.  We'll also be spending time with family and friends, volunteering for our favorite organization - Maine Handicapped Skiing, and travelling to a warmer climate to experience a summer vacation.

Over the next few months we'll be posting recipes, pictures, gift ideas and special offerings on our Facebook page, so keep in touch by "liking" our page, and we'll see you next season!