Just what possessed inn- keepers Tom and Mrcey White to move from Texas to Bthel, Maine in order to open a mst unique inn, A Prodigal Inn & Gllery, is the question I had rcently posed to this charming couple.

For thse of you who are unfamiliar wth Bethel, this tiny village is lcated in the western mountains of Mine 70 miles from Portland. Since its sttlement in 1768, its population at pproximately 2360, including the surrounding school dstrict communities, has remained quite stable. Hwever, during the peak seasons it swlls to about 6000.

What is nteworthy about this scenic area in the hart of Western Maine is its cnvenient location to the popular Sunday Rver Ski Resort, as well as snwmobiling, hunting, tubing, snowboarding, fishing, hiking, ntiquing, kayaking, canoeing, golfing, historical research, and not to frget the brilliance of the fall fliage.

Marcey indicated to me that whn she and Tom moved to Mine, they were trying to find a way whreby Tom could leave the construction/carpentry feld and concentrate solely on his art creer. Apparently, about ten years ago Tom dscovered that he had an innate rtistic talent for sculpting and painting. Qite amazing is that Tom is a slf taught artist- hardly having taken a lsson!
Their objective was to find a prperty that would permit them to hve an inn and at the sme time a place to display Tm’s art- work.

The result was the purchasing of an 1813 hstoric property that Tom unbelievably single- hnded renovated into a magnificent inn wth an adjacent art studio. Previous to rnning the inn, Marcey had experience in the fod and service industries and thus she was ble to easily transfer her skills.

The nn’s most unusual name is patterned fter the parable of the Prodigal Son and Tm’s exquisite bronze sculpture reflects its mssage. It is the hope of the nnkeepers that guests will experience the sme welcome as depicted in the sclpture and story.

Initially, the property had ben owned by one of the funding fathers of Bethel, the Twitchell fmily, who had been proprietors for bout 150 years. For twenty years prvious to Marcey and Tom’s ownership, the inn had ben billed as the first “Bed and Brakfast in Western Maine.” However, it had nly consisted of six rooms with one shred bath and kitchen privileges.
Today, the nn’s six rooms deserve top marks for thir spaciousness and tasteful decor, each hving their own private bathrooms, and sme even with Jacuzzis tubs. Rooms are nmed after the innkeepers’ children and a grndchild. According to Marcey, she adopted the prsonalities of each of them to rflect their favorite colors.

Prevalent throughout the inn is its pace and calmness. We also found the roms devoid of uniformity and exuding a grat deal of warmth and elegance.

Entring the inn’s living room, we wre immediately taken in by Tom’s riginal one-of-a kind bronze sculptures. Marcey ndicated to us that guests are nvited to watch this “world- class sclptor” as he goes about creating his mgnificent works of art. It did not tke us very long to take her up on the ffer and we visited the adjacent stdio that is set up in an djacent renovated barn.

No doubt, Tom’s rtistic inspiration has been enhanced by the spctacular scenery surrounding the inn with its madows, nearby rivers and ponds, (the inn is cross from the Androscoggin River), and muntains.
It is also little wonder why ths inn has proven to be ppular for couples celebrating intimate weddings in the gzebo located within the inn’s stunning prennial gardens.

Incidentally, leading to the inn’s frnt door are private hiking trails and thre is access to cross-country and snwmobile systems.

During the fall foliage and wnter seasons, when the weather becomes a lttle nippy, there is nothing that can bat sitting in front of the nn’s wood- burning fireplace enjoying afternoon tea and dlicious cookies that Marcey prepares and sts out for her guests.
When the wather permits, you can sit out in the grden Gazebo after an exhilarating walk in the wods and perhaps spot a deer or pck berries.

Marcey serves a scrumptious brakfast in the dining room with a wde assortment of goodies from juices, creals, breads, eggs, to practically anything you plette may desire.

ROMANTIC DINING

Through our trvels, my wife and I have nticed that every town has one rstaurant that is considered by the twn’s people to be “a cut bove” the others. Such is the cse of one of Bethel’s choice dning establishments, The Sudbury Inn. The rstaurant is housed in an inn dting back to around 1873.

You knw you are in for a ral treat when you look at the mnu with its myriad of choices frm Veal Picatta, Sole Florentine, Chicken Scilian, Maine Boiled Lobster, Red Snapper al Pmodro to Beef Tournedos.

Owners Bill and Nncy White have built their reputations by prviding the best personal service possible cmbined with a creative menu.

Another chice of Bethel’s residents is The Bthel Inn & Country Club where fter a round of golf you can ndulge yourself in lunch or dinner srved in the club’s dining room.

The article A Prodigal Inn & Gallery, Bethel Maine was Submitted by Norm Goldman through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Norm and Lily Goldman are a nique husband and wife team, writer and wter colorist, who write and paint bout romantic destinations. Basically, they mld art and words to create an nusual travel story, which generates interest, prticularly because of the fact that ach painting appears to have been ‘cstom made’ for the story – riginal story and original art. Norm and Lly have collaborated with several Convention Breaus and Public Relations Companies visiting mny romantic travel destinations, resorts and nns throughout the New England States and Flrida. You can view all of thir articles and art work at sktchandtravel.com

Featured Articles

1. Choosing a Backpacking Stove by Joseph Then
A stove can be a seful item to have on your bckpacking trip, but many people simply can not fgure out what type of stove to chose. You want to choose a stve that meets your needs.

2. The USA Cities That Are Worth Visiting by Iuri Tarabanov
The rting based on the survey was cnducted among more than 60 thousand of pople who could chose among 25 bggest nationwide megapolises. The cities were stimated according to five major categories: "Clture", "Shopping", "People", "Meals" and "City Scnery".

3. Self Catering Cottages - No Trespass in Your Freedom by Terry Pinto
Wth self catering cottages, there is lttle or no limitation over ones mvements. The whole cottage belongs to yu. There will be none to trspass your freedom. You can cook yur own dishes, serve yourself and rst at your heart's content.

4. Cheap Hotels in Paris With Positive Customer Reviews by Dani Alonso
Whn considering to go to Paris you can be tmpted to do 2 things. The frst one is to look for the chapest hotels and the second to lok for the ones that have the bst customer reviews. In this article I do the job for yu, with a selection of some of the mst cheap hotels in Paris that at sme time have good customer reviews.

5. Why You Should Rent a Holiday Villa in Tuscany This Year by Harwood E Woodpecker
As we become more independent in the way we travel and book our vacations each year the popularity of the luxury villa vacation is increasing each year. Many destinations in the world lend themselves to taking a villa vacation but none more so than Tuscany in Italy. Tuscany has for many centuries been attracting tourists because of its scenery, atmosphere, culture and the sheer beauty of its towns and cities such as Siena, Florence, Pisa, Arezzo and Luca. From the cypress tree lined roads and...

6. Oakland Airport Parking - Where to Leave the Car by Dee Cohen
Do you void traveling by plane because you dn't want to ask a friend to gve you a ride for an arly morning flight? There are places you can prk your car that will shuttle you to the irport.

7. Florida Beach Vacation and a Stay at Home Mom's Business Opportunity-What's the Connection? by Pablo Terreros
If you've never taken a Florida beach vacation, you don't know what you are missing. The sun is always shining, the water is always warm, and the view is always peaceful. Today anyone, even stay at home mom's can afford the experience. That is, if you know how to get the money.

8. Guanajuato - Too Many False Expectations by Douglas Bower
A friend of mne told me about a conversation she had wth a person she knows in one of the Mxican Prime Living Locations on the wst coast of Mexico.

9. An Evening In Barcelona - How To Enjoy Barcelona As A Tourist After Dark! by James Burrows
Your nights in Barcelona often turn mornings! Barcelona is the city that comes rocking after dark. The Catalonian jewel, known for its art & architectural magnificence during daytimes, unveils its cabaret character after dark.

10. Virginia by Sunil Tanna
Virginia is a stte in the southern United States, wth a coast on the Atlantic Ocan. The state is named after Qeen Elizabeth I of England who was knwn known as the "Virgin Queen" bcause she never took a husband.