But for two weekends this spring, the White Barn Inn will import not just the best ingredients, but chefs as well!  For the weekend of April 9-11, master chef, Christoph Zangerl, will bring creativity from the five star Interalpen Hotel in Tyrol, Austria.  Then from April 23-25, another Relais and Chateaux chef, Joseph Lenn, will take the helm while he visits from Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee.

So that makes April a perfect time to visit Kennebunkport and the Maine Stay Inn – for a chance to experience incredible cuisine with a new flair.  Take a taste of Austria or the American South without ever leaving New England.  Remember, we’re always just 86 miles from Boston!

Summer Gardens at On the Marsh

offering two gourmet cooking classes this spring. Join executive chef, Jeffrey A. Savage on Sunday, April 25 and May 2, 2010 for “The Insider’s Culinary Experience.”  After enjoying gourmet breakfast at the Maine Stay Inn, head over to On the Marsh for a four hour culinary adventure – and take home recipes exclusively for attendees.  You will learn techniques for creating an appetizer, entree, and dessert.  After enjoying the meal you’ve prepared, take a sampling home to share with your family!

This incredible culinary opportunity includes food, wine, and class materials.  Aprons will be provided.  On the Marsh will limit classes to six students, so book today.  Class cost is $120.

And, if you invite five friends along, you’ll receive the lesson absolutely free!  So bring along five of your girlfriends for a weekend at the Maine Stay – relax, rejuvenate, and reconnect – and on your way home, indulge in an incredible culinary experience to cap off a fantastic weekend.

Enjoy gourmet gluten-free breakfast at the Maine Stay!

The prospect of going on vacation can be very nerve-racking for someone following a gluten-free diet.  Will I be able to eat anything?  If there are gluten-free options, will they be any good?  Will there be anyone who can help me figure out how to eat safely?  Rest assured, the Maine Stay is here to help!

The innkeepers of the Maine Stay Inn, Judi and Walter, have over a decade of experience with gluten-free eating, because their daughter, Johanna, also on staff at the Maine Stay Inn, has a gluten allergy. For that reason, guests of the Maine Stay Inn following a gluten free diet can eat without worry – but please let us know in advance!

But breakfast is only the foundation of a gluten free vacation – what about lunch and dinner in Kennebunkport.  Not to worry – we’ve got you covered!

Bandaloop, a favorite of everyone at the Maine Stay Inn, offers a multitude of gluten-free options.  As part of their menu, you can pair any protein source with any of their signature sauces, and most of these are gluten free.  Make sure to ask your server, just to be safe!  My personal favorite “safe” option at Bandaloop is grilled salmon with their caramelized chili coconut curry sauce.  It comes paired with a medley of the freshest vegetables and turmeric rice in a bath of Thai-style curry sauce.  Delish!  But the truth is, everything on the menu is incredible, and many of the options are Celiac safe.  Their salads offer great options for lighter fare.  If you’re looking for something a little richer, try their bone-in pork chop with caramelized onion-gorgonzola cream sauce.  But the gluten-free options don’t stop here – Bandaloop’s Creme Brulee is always incredible, and a recent discovery – their raspberry-lime crisp – is also wheat-free (their oats aren’t certified GF, but if you regularly handle rolled oats, then this is a tasty treat that is normally a no-fly zone).

For more casual fare, try Pier 77’s The Ramp – this small restaurant takes excellent care of all its patrons and is attentive to the needs of gluten-free eaters.  Their hand cut French Fries are out of this world, and their Beet and Spinach Salad is just as delectable.  Add perfectly seared salmon, and you have a healthy meal safe for gluten-free eaters.

But even gluten intolerant people sometimes want ultra casual food in a fun environment. And you normally wouldn’t even consider a Brew Pub, but Federal Jack’s, the local pub (which serves lunch and dinner daily), offers quiet a few gluten-free options.  But the most important thing about gluten free dining there is to tell your server. Tell them what you would ideally like to eat and have them ask the cooks what your best options are.  As a frequent eater at Federal Jack’s there are good options.  Salads, as you well know, are good choices, and they have a variety of GF salad dressings.  They key to eating as safely as possible here is to ask for dressing on the side – that way there is no contamination from crouton crumbs or other ingredients – they’re packaged separately from other foods.  Usually safe, french fries and potato skins are out, but sweet potato fries are in.  Their house rice is Celiac friendly, and a great side to their safe meats – even burgers (not the buns, of course) are safe, as they are filler free.  Looking for something lighter?  Federal Jack’s vegetarian chili is safe and fantastic. Even their dessert menu has choices for Celiacs – check out their Crema (similar to a creme brulee, but no burnt sugar on top, with flavors varying weekly) or even their brownie sundaes – they keep gluten free brownies in the freezer.

Some other area restaurants that easily accommodate gluten free patrons include The Cape Arundel Inn, Pier 77, Mekhong Thai, The Kennebunk Inn, Nunan’s Lobster Hut, and On The Marsh. As with any restaurant, make sure you server knows that you cannot eat gluten and that they convey this to the chefs.

The Maine Stay Inn, with its experience in gluten free cooking, is the perfect bed and breakfast inn for a safe and healthy getaway. So book your vacation at the Maine Stay Inn and Cottages in Kennebunkport, a small town unlike any other, offering a plethora of dining options for those with gluten intolerance,  and treat yourself to a safe and healthy getaway.

Current exhibitions at the Brick Store Museum include:

• Pennies to Ride: The Kennebunks’ Turn of the Century Trolleys
• Mailed from Maine: Vintage Postcards of the Kennebunks
• Civil War Quilts
• Happy Birthday, “41″! (a celebration of George HW Bush’s 85th birthday and his impact on the Kennebunks
• Salon Style: Fine Art from the 1830s
• Lafayette’s Visit to the Kennebunks (1825)

Now there’s no excuse not to visit the Maine Stay Inn and Kennebunkport during this early spring season – great food, great accommodations, and a great time – and for a great cause!

The Marginal Way - great for a walk or jog!

We at the Maine Stay Inn regularly suggest scenic runs or long beach walks to guests, but the fitness options available in the Kennebunks doesn’t stop there.  In fact, Kennebunkport is a virtual hub of fitness activities – which is a good thing, considering the incredible dining options that abound here as well!

For indoor gym fiends, you have to head outside of town to Kennebunk for two great fitness center options.  The Fitness Nut House, a rather traditional small-town gym, located on Route 1, offers the basics – treadmills and ellipticals, free weights and weight machines – as well as some great classes like Zumba, spinning and Pilates.  Personal training sessions are also available.  The Fitness Nut House is really more of a “home” because of its non-threatening, laid-back atmosphere and members that feel more like family than anything else.  One sweat session at the Nut House and you’re sure to make a new friend!  Almost directly behind the Fitness Nut House lies Quest Fitness, the mammoth new gym with all the bells and whistles.  You’re greeted by neon green walls and encouraging fitness oriented phrases on the walls and a well-staffed front desk.  They are as high tech as you get – weight machines with built-in computers to track your progress and monitor your form during exercises.  All treadmills, ellipticals, and stationary bikes (no spinning here, sorry!) come with their own TVs, and most with individual iPod docking stations.  Great classes are offered here as well (definitely a good option for all you Yogis-in-training), but the biggest draw is most definitely the indoor pool – so even if it rains, you can go for a dip!  The facility is pristine, although I can’t be certain whether this is merely due to its newness or not.  Either way, there’s always custodial staff present and working – always a good sign!  Their lockers rooms are just as high tech, with individually programmable locks, powerful hand dryers, towel service, and a sauna.  But the best part is that, even without a door, you feel as though you have stepped into a spa, filled with soft music and sweet-smelling amenities.  Of course, though, you’ll pay for the difference – to the tune of $15 for an individual day pass or $49 for a family.

But there’s still more for us fitness fanatics – think kayaking or canoeing on the Kennebunk river, open ocean kayaking, or learn-to sail classes.  For those blessed with hand-eye coordination, there are public tennis courts and private tennis clubs throughout the Kennebunks.

As for golf, there are many great options.  The Maine Stay Inn recommends The Old Marsh Country Club, a rather new course in Wells.  It has been rated as one of the nation’s best new courses and often offers special clinics and packages to our guests.  Webhannet is also a fantastic course in Kennebunk Beach with tidal water hazards and a snack bar. But let’s not forget the Bush Family’s course – the Cape Arundel Golf Course.

For those on bikes, the options are nearly endless.  A short family ride might take you past the Kennebunk beaches or out to Parson’s Beach or neighboring Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge.  For a longer ride, head out to Goose Rocks Beach, but be forewarned, there are no restrooms out there!  Adventurous riders might choose to explore north from Goose Rocks Beach to Biddeford Pool, another spectacular Maine beach with limited parking (not to mention it requires a town of Biddeford pass).  Experienced road riders should head south from the Maine Stay and check out Wells and York beaches or Ogunquit.  But no bikes allowed on the Marginal Way – foot traffic only!

So while in Southern Maine at the Maine Stay Inn enjoying amazing food and incredible sights, make sure to take part in some of the amazing fitness activities that are just part of what makes Kennebunkport an incredible place to vacation or escape the stresses of everyday life.

The Maine Stay Inn says “Banda-Lupes” is not to be missed!

Kennebunkport and the Maine Stay Inn is the perfect place to begin your exploration of the Maine Beer Trail.  Just a short drive from the Maine Stay is the Run of The Mill Public House and Brewery, located in Saco, Maine.  Continue traveling up the coast along scenic Route 1 to Scarborough for your next stop at the Sebago Brewing Company.  Next up – the breweries of Portland!  While it is home to several small brewing companies, Allagash Brewing, DL Geary Brewing, Gritty McDuff’s, and Sebago Brewing, it is also the current home of Shipyard Ale – the Shipyard Brewing Company.  And at just 30 miles from the Maine Stay, it’s not to be missed!

If you have any steam left, head north toward Freeport – home of the famous L.L.Bean, but also to two breweries!  Leave the ladies (if they’re at all like me) in your life for an afternoon of shopping, and hit the pub – you can’t go wrong at Gritty McDuff’s (a microbewery and brew pub) or at stop at Freeport Brewing Company.

Of course, there are oodles more breweries to visit on the “Maine Beer Trail,” so book your reservation and ask the Maine Stay Innkeepers today to help plan your Maine Brewery Tour.

Dessert dining can be a huge challenge for visitors, because they may have eaten on their way to Kennebunkport and may be uncomfortable going into a restaurant just for dessert. But an evening just isn’t complete without that sweet treat!

So here are some great options in the area for those needing just dessert:

• Old Vines (This wine bar in Lower Village Kennebunk is a great stop for after dinner noshing – their selection of cheeses and cured meats are great for non-sweet eaters, their homemade desserts are top notch, and they offer a great assortment of after dinner drinks.  The best part? They’re open late!)
• Federal Jack’s (While we at the Maine Stay Inn recommend this eatery for Maine basics – fried fish, chowdah, and steamed lobster – their extensive dessert menu has options for all tastes (but pass on the bread pudding – they do other things much better).  And like Old Vines, they serve late – in season their “Late Night” menu is available until midnight.)
• Ben and Jerry’s (I wouldn’t be a true New Englander if I didn’t mention this area favorite.  They’re located just steps from the Maine Stay, so they’re a perfect evening stop after exploring Dock Square.  But they’re seasonal, so winter visitors, don’t be disappointed!)
• Roly’s English Fudge (Also a short stroll from the Maine Stay Inn, this favorite on Ocean Avenue offers a huge selection of English style fudge – think a bit more crumbly with undertones of caramelized sugar – and gelato.  This is a must-taste for chocolate lovers and those looking for something light and fruity.  Keep in mind, though, that they operate on limited hours in the winter, so check with the innkeepers before venturing out!)
• The Ramp at Pier77 (At the Maine Stay, this one of our personal favorites for a casual lunch or dinner, but their desserts are out of this world.  You might be most comfortable digging in at the bar if you’re just ordering that after-dinner snack, but their staff will take great care of you no matter the size of your order!)

Even for that little bedtime snack, Kennebunkport offers ample options.  But don’t forget that for just $20, the staff at the Maine Stay Inn will create a homemade dessert and deliver it to your room for the ultimate romantic experience.  Kindly give us a few days notice if you think you’d like to indulge!

The waitstaff at Bandaloop Restaurant is cheerful, but not overbearing, and very helpful to those of us plagued by indecision.  But at Bandaloop, indecision must be incredibly common – the menu is just too good!  A two-page menu and handful of specials shouldn’t be terribly troubling, but when you consider the option of pairing any protein source with any of their signature sauces (and there are around 7 of each), the menu seems to grow exponentially!

In all honesty, there is nothing that I wouldn’t like at Bandaloop.  Their trend is toward organically raised products and interesting combinations, many with an Asian fusion flair.  My personal favorite is their grilled salmon or fried tofu with caramelized chili-coconut sauce.  But you certainly can’t go wrong with their spinach salad and Mac & Cheese!  And the menu offers a host of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free options.

No matter the season, we at the Maine Stay Inn recommend reservations – even on a Wednesday in March.  So let us make on for you, because Bandaloop is certainly not to be missed!

The Maine Stay Inn, of course, makes it our business to make your vacation better than you imagined.  Kennebunkport is wonderful, but a stay at the Maine Stay Inn and Cottages it the key to making your Maine Summer Vacation perfect.  So this summer, from June 1 through September 15, the Maine Stay Inn will offer complimentary passes to the Kennebunk Beaches with any two or more night stay.  That means you can enjoy the glories of Southern Maine’s incredible beaches at no cost to you!