Maine Day Trips | INANE in MAINE 2014

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!

Greetings!

Being the good nurses that we are, I suspect that when most of us attend a conference, we dutifully attend all the conference sessions that we can manage, meet up with a few friends and acquaintances (there is never time to see everyone), and then leave just in time to make it home for the next event on our busy calendars–all without seeing anything beyond the four walls of the hotel and the sights to and from the airport from the windows of the hotel shuttle!

But this year’s INANE conference in August could be different! Here is the perfect opportunity for a blend of work and fun…a lovely New England setting at the peak of ideal summer weather (not too hot, not too cold–just right!) and a host of things to see and do, many of them off the beaten track. To heighten the fun, Leslie and the Planning Committee have arranged a special opportunity for INANE attendees with Norm Forgey of Maine Day Trip: personalized guided tours for you and your traveling companions. Your trip can take any direction at any pace you wish! Norm is reserving the dates from Saturday, August 2nd, through Thursday, August 7th exclusively for us. Whether you are flying to Portland, or taking the bus or train–here’s your chance to forego a rental car and see a bit more of this beautiful state beyond the environs of the city of Portland. Make a reservation and Norm will meet you at the entrance of the Regency Hotel for a total day of fun, sightseeing, and relaxation!

Norm Forgey, founder and owner of Maine Day Trip

You may notice that Norm’s trips are available before and after INANE as well as throughout the time that our exciting and irresistible conference will be happening. For conference participants, I am sure you will not be inclined to take off for a day trip during this time (see paragraph one if you don’t believe me!). But if you have others traveling with you who are not attending the conference, this is a perfect opportunity for them to get out and about. Norm will schedule trips for groups of one to ten people and create the itinerary based on folks’ interests.

The challenge is that our companions often do not know anyone else, but might appreciate connecting with others to share a day of adventure. And, you might be interested in connecting with other INANE folks for a day trip before or after our conference. You can contact Norm and tell him: 1) day you want to tour; 2) number of people; and 3) what you’d like to see. He’ll create tours based on the input he receives and confirm directly with you when the planning is finalized.

Note that this is a little different from the way Norm usually schedules his trips, but he is willing to be flexible to offer the maximum number of attendees and friends a great day trip. For another way to connect with others about planning and gauge interest about dates and itineraries, consider leaving a comment on this post. Either way, remember that your perfect off-site adventure awaits! Visit our Traveling Further Afield page now to start planning!

A journalist’s hotel room in Sochi

I’ve been watching the Olympics and had a good laugh at some of the horror stories about hotel accommodations for journalists. I haven’t been to the Regency (yet) but Leslie assures me that all the hotel rooms have desks big enough for computers and the water that comes out of the tap is clear, fresh, and safe for bathing, drinking, and brushing your teeth! If you haven’t do so yet, take this as a reminder to register for the conference, reserve your hotel room, and make your travel plans to Portland. The regular registration rate is in effect for another ten weeks so don’t delay. It will go up by $100 on May 1st. I suspect by that time the Casco Bay Cruise and Lobster Bake will be sold out and the best hotel rooms will be reserved. Don’t wait too long and be disappointed!

I look forward to seeing my colleagues in Portland in August. It’s going to be a terrific conference!

Peggy

For the Planning Committee: Leslie Nicoll, Margaret Comerford Freda, Shawn Kennedy, Lisa Marshall and Jean Proehl