Learn the history of the Chatham Railroad Museum – A New England and Cape Cod attraction

Even if you’re not crazy about railroads, a trip to this beautiful 1887 Victorian building filled of “Railroad Gothic” work of wooden art and tapering turrets. Inside you’ll find volunteers revealing the lore and historic artifacts featuring the “walk-through” 1918 New York caboose. This only 7-mile long railroad once connected Chatham, MA with the Old Colony Railroad main line in Harwich, MA. What’s stunning is the depot construction was begun in June; it and the neighboring engine house (with turntable), car house, work shed, and water tower (with well and windmill) were completed just 6 months later on November 22, 1887. The property of the Town, the Museum is run by an unpaid director and a group of volunteers and is welcome for donations. There’s a playground across the street which is perfect for a picnic lunch. They’re open from mid-June to mid-Sept Tuesday through Saturday 10am-4pm and located on 153 Depot Road off Main St. (1 block N of the rotary) in Chatham, MA. Being not so up to date, there’s no phone number or website to contact this New England attraction

Going northeast up Old Harbor Road for just about a half a mile is the Captain’s House Inn. The most distinctive Cape Cod bed and breakfast, the Captain’s House Inn is regarded by many respected lodging reviewers as “The Cape’s” finest smal inn. This four-diamond sea captina’s estate on two acres in Chatham, Massachusetts is the perfect choice for an affordable romantic getaway. There are four distinct facilities – the Main House, an 1839 Greek-Revival style mansion, the attached Carriage House, the luxurious Stables and the 200-year-old “bow roof cape” called the Captain’s Cottage. Find the right accommodation and check out their specials and packages to make your romantic getaway weekend perfectly fit for you.

Chatham Railroad Museum

Museum of Fife and Drum Corps and a Connecticut country inn in Essex

THE MUSEUM OF FIFE & DRUM

Essex, Connecticut

At the Museum of Fife & Drum learn about America’s visual and music background dated from the Revolutionary War to today. Listen to shrills of fife and the beats of long drums as you observe the numerous artifacts on display such as drums, fifes, military swords, uniforms, medals, awards, and photographs. If you enjoy colorful and upbeat parades, then this is the perfect place for you to visit on your next Connecticut River vacation. There will even be free concerts every Tuesday evening during July and August usually featuring two corps per night. If you’re a drum corp, club, historical society, or college/high school music group, call the museum at (860) 767-2237 to arrange for a group tour. The donations are only $3 for adults, $2 for youth (ages 13-17), and children under 12 are free. Click the link proceeding for travel directions. Not even one mile down Comstock Avenue is the Copper Beech Inn, a four-star country inn and four-diamond, wine-spectator-award winning restaurant. It’s located in the beautiful Connecticut River Vally aside the Long Island Sound shoreline nearby several charming historic towns, shops, attractions and many outdoor activities. Currently they are advertising a two-night Summer package highlighting an Essex Steam Train & Riverboat Cruise, champagne upon arrival, free dinner for two one night in Brasserie Pip, and VIP discount coupons for Clinton Crossing Premium Outlets. Add a 3rd night for 50% off the regular room rate and enjoy your stay in Ivoryton, Connecticut.

Camden Opera House: A Maine Musical Stay

The Camden Opera House hosts a thrilling occasion for the musically enthused. Scheduled for the summer of 2008 are several showings varying from Deathtrap! to Seussical the Musical! The atmosphere is equivalently pleasurable as the highlighted shows. What additionally makes the opera house exquisite is the recently renovated Victorian style together with grand chandeliers, a horseshoe balcony, and antique moldings. The 500-person capacity and three distinct function rooms cater to all performers any size. And better yet, a quality seat stands at a sheer $16.00 per person; so don’t hesitate to see more than one show. Settle down after a show to elegant and romantic ambiance not even a half a mile down the road.

Gain up to $400 off from Innsiders Club

Guests of the Distinctive Inns of New England (DINE) save significantly when they become members of the DINE Innsiders Club. All they need to do to enjoy the Innsider benefits is to pick up a DINE brochure during any stay at a DINE inn and use it to keep track of their visits.

Each time Innsiders stay at four different DINE inns, they receive $100 off their next DINE visit of two nights or more. They can do this up to four times, for a total off of $400. This allows Innsiders to explore new inns while also returning to inns they enjoy particularly well.

All DINE inns offer all the services of the finest bed and breakfasts and luxury inns. Their guests enjoy opulent accommodations and a wide variety of recreational activities. The inns themselves are located in historic buildings set in lovely New England settings.

DINE Innsiders already get their money’s worth in comfort and relaxation, plus the inns offer getaway specials, romantic packages, and other lodging discounts. The Innsiders Club provides a bonus savings to recognize Innsiders’ loyalty to the 10 DINE inns.

The inns are (in Rhode Island) Cliffside Inn, (in Vermont) Windham Hill Inn and Rabbit Hill Inn, (in New Hampshire) Chesterfield Inn, Manor on Golden Pond and Inn at Thorn Hill and Spa, (in Massachusetts) Captain’s House Inn, Gateways Inn and Deerfield Inn, and (in Maine) Camden Maine Stay Inn.

The fine print to the Innsider offer is minimal. Some blackout periods and restrictions may be applied by the individual inns. Only $100 DINE dollars can be redeemed at a time. Innsiders need to present their DINE Innsider Card, which is part of the brochure, and have it stamped when they visit inns. There’s no cash value to this offer, and the card expires two years after its issue date.

Innsiders who already use their Innsiders Club card find it an easy process and rewarding too. That extra hundred dollars can buy a special bottle of wine, an afternoon of spa treatments, or some other treat that will make their time away particularly memorable.

Innkeeping comes with surprises

As soon as Jim and Ibby Cooper crossed the covered bridge to Jackson, New Hampshire, and saw the Inn at Thorn Hill, they knew they wanted to buy it. Hospitality is in Jim’s blood, being from a family in the business and working for 20 years for various hotels. Ibby was a teacher whose skills would be applied to training staff and developing programs.

Yet there were surprises to come. the Coopers had three children in college and one in seventh grade when they bought the inn, and shortly after, Ibby became pregnant with their fifth. Their new son was popular with their guests, as Ibby waited tables with him on her back.

“I thought I could do this for five years,” Ibby says, “but it’s now been 16 years. New England was an adjustment, as we’d lived before where it was warmer. But we’ve learned to enjoy the four seasons.”

An even bigger surprise occurred on October 13, 2002, when a fire destroyed the inn. All guests and staff were safe and sound, but the Coopers faced a decision, whether to walk away or rebuild. They chose to build a new inn like the original but with a long-range vision for growth.

Now the main building at the Inn at Thorn Hill and Spa has 16 guests rooms (up from 12), an award-winning restaurant, a wine cellar, a cooperage, and a spa with exercise room and dry sauna. After more than a year, the inn reopened on December 22, 2003 to welcome new and previous guests.

Jim and Ibby see their warm and attentive hospitality, which they instill in their staff, as key to the fact that 35 percent of their guests have been there before. “They come back to try different rooms, new menu items, and the various seasons here,” Jim explains.

The Coopers were among the three inns in northern New England that founded DINE. The group encouraged Europeans with their long vacations to come to the U.S. and stay at all three inns. The DINE idea grew, and now guests (like you) from anywhere in the world can plan a vacation with stays at Distinctive Inns throughout New England.