George

Reading through the guest book in our suite at Wolf Cove Inn, a wonderful Maine B&B, I find visitors from Texas to Tennessee, California to Colorado to Connecticut, Nevada to North Carolina and even England — plus folks from our state. Yes, lots of people are finding their way to this very special place in Poland.

I told Roy and Sue Forsberg that I could have just pulled out the enthusiastic written comments from those guests in the guest diary in our room, and made this entire column. Lots of folks come here for intimate weddings, special getaways, birthdays, anniversaries and elopements. Roy, Sue and Annalie Jutras, the inn’s chef, go all out to make those visits very special. They even offer four pet-friendly rooms.

For example, one couple every evening can enjoy the Romance Package, which includes dinner in the boat house right on the shore, offering views of the sunset. Here’s how a South Carolina couple on their honeymoon described it: “Our romantic boat house dinner was more than perfect. We’ll be back.”

They’ve got canoes, kayaks and a rowboat to get you out on the lake; and yes, there are fish to catch there as well.

The owners of the historic Captain Lord Mansion in Kennebunkport, one of our favorite places, gave Roy and Sue lots of advice when they bought the Poland inn and started their renovations. They gave up corporate careers to do this, and are truly loving their new business and jobs.

Annalie, a culinary school grad who is very creative in the kitchen, once cooked at Marche Kitchen in Lewiston. She is clearly enjoying herself here. And we enjoyed a wonderful supper; I loved the butternut squash soup and grilled ham and swiss sandwich. Sue told me to look forward to Annalie’s amazing breakfasts — and boy, was she right!

I had basted eggs over wild mushroom and scallion hash with swiss cheese, along with the hashbrown casserole. They make this recipe with their own housemade mushroom soup and ranch dressing. Suffice it to say that this was so good and filling that I did not eat a muffin, a first for me.

They did a fantastic job in renovating the inn, adding the gorgeous cabin and making each room and suite unique. The artwork and photographs on all the walls are so beautiful that I found myself just standing there enjoying them.

Linda

The Wolf Cove Inn is a special place. Each of its 11 rooms, nine of which face Tripp Lake, is different and all are special. There are six guest rooms and five suites, along with a new luxurious cabin.

Our suit was Acadia, with a roomy pale yellow main room, furnished with comfortable seating and a propane fireplace. The separate bedroom faced the water. A four-poster bed rose high off the floor. The pillow-topped mattress was beyond comfortable, especially due to the ultra-comfortable high thread count sheets. The bathroom was luxurious, with both a shower and a large jacuzzi tub. Its powerful jets will relax you in no time.

The expansive main room gives guests a wonderful place to dine or sit and enjoy their visit and the great views of the lake. It was foggy when we arrived, but we were rewarded with clears skies the following morning and, sure enough, the lake was literally right there. Sue told us many guests linger in chairs outside, enjoying beautiful sunsets over the lake.

An evening meal of soup and grilled panini is offered this winter. Chef Annalie had prepared roasted chicken noodle soup and butternut squash soup and three kinds of panini sandwiches. Sue, Roy and Annalie sat with us for dinner. It was like dining at a friend’s house.

The paninis had been cut small, so I tried all three and they were delicious. The chicken soup had an extraordinary rich broth and the butternut soup had wonderful spices added. When I remarked how delicious it was Sue stated, “Well, wait until breakfast. That’s really special.”

Her words were not empty. Annalie and Roy created a masterful breakfast from freshly cut fruit, juice and coffee to the entrees and side dishes. We both chose the savory option of the day, which was basted eggs over wild mushroom hash. A little Swiss cheese, sherry and scallions turned those mushrooms into magic. I don’t think I ever had a serving of mushrooms for breakfast, but it was to die for. I had maple sausage made in Orland as a side. Most dishes here are gluten-free.

That was by far the finest breakfast I have ever eaten. Roy and Sue strive to make your experience here a memorable one. So come, relax and be pampered.

Visit George’s website — georgesmithmaine.com — for book reviews, outdoor news and all Travelin’ Maine(rs) columns, found listed by town in the “Best of Maine” section.