I have mentioned before that we have partnered with Maine Day Trip to offer INANE guests the opportunity for sightseeing beyond Portland without the necessity to rent a car. Now that we are getting closer to the date, it’s time to start thinking about putting plans into place! Owner Norm Forgey has some great offerings for us.

• Sunday, August 3: An excursion to the Boothbay Harbor region and the Maine Botanical Gardens is planned. We have two INANE attendees (Deborah Finfgeld-Connett and her husband Dave) who are tentatively booked for this trip; Norm can accommodate a total of 10 guests. Cost is $90/person. Boothbay Harbor is about an hour from Portland–very scenic, with a lovely harbor and lots of sailboats. If you read my earlier post on Maine movies, you might remember that portions of Carousel were filmed here. The Maine Botanical Gardens are beautiful. This will be a great trip! Contact Norm at (207) 838-5275 or by email at Norm@MaineDayTrip.com to register. Departure time is at 10 am–Norm will pick up guests at the Regency, the Marriott Residence Hotel, the Hampton Inn, and the Portland Harbor Hotel. Just let him know where you are staying.

• Monday, August 4 or Friday, August 8: Fine art and painting spots on the southern Maine coast which includes a visit to the Winslow Homer Studio on Prout’s Neck. Trust me when I say, this will be an amazing trip! The Portland Museum of Art purchased the Homer Studio in 2006 and it has been completely renovated back its true historical significance. Because it is in a very well-to-do residential area, opportunities to visit the studio are limited which makes this an extra-special excursion. For this tour, Norm will pick up guests at their hotel (see above) and provide transportation to the Portland Museum of Art, where you will then travel with Museum staff on their bus to the studio. Visit the studio for about 90 minutes and then back to Portland, where you will rejoin Norm for a tour of lighthouses and other scenic areas where artists such as Edward Hopper painted. Cost is $125/person with a maximum of 10. Departure from the area hotels will be at 9:30-9:45 am for the 10:30 studio tour. Total trip time: ~6 hours. To reserve your spot, contact Norm at (207) 838-5275 or by email at Norm@MaineDayTrip.com. NOTE: If you join this tour on Monday, August 4, you will be back at the Regency in time to join the 4 pm Portland Discovery Tour. It will be a day of fabulous sightseeing and art!

Norm is also holding other days open for INANE attendees (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) so if you have ideas of things you’d like to see and places to visit, get in touch with him today!