Mr. Cleaver and I have a somewhat annual tradition of a mid-winter getaway: that time somewhere between late January and mid-February when we get stick of being stuck inside and need to get away from the house. Ironically, we have often gone to somewhere colder than we're leaving, but its always been good for the soul nonetheless.
When we were dating it was a rainy day-trip to Boston. Two years ago we went to Lake Geneva, Wisc. where I had hands-down the best meal I've ever had in my life. This year we headed an hour north to Boothbay and stayed at the charming Kenniston Hill Inn.
This year's trip was a bit of a last minute decision, but we are both so glad we went. We spent two days at the inn, eating Valentine's cake and drinking tea by the fire, both in the living room and our room at the inn.
We wandered around Boothbay and nearby Wiscasset, and while a number of places were closed for the season, we still found some great antiques stores to visit (including one where I got a new apron for my collection), some tasty places to eat and my new favorite fabric store in Maine.
When it wasn't too windy we took in the area's outdoor area. In a park in central Boothbay someone had hung hundreds of fabric hearts from the trees.
We also attempted to visit the Coastal Maine Botanic Gardens, but the cold and lack of trails turned us back after about 20 minutes. We did see some small bits of green before we left.
All in all it was a fantastic time, which has bolstered our spirits in the continuing winter.
p.s. there's more photos of our trip on my flickr account (see the sidebar for a link).