Sweet Bayside Cottage on Picturesque Pemaquid Harbor

My wife and I, and my sister and brother-in-law have spent a week at Bayberry for each of the last eight summers. We are all educators, and our stays here are always the highlight of our summer vacation.Twenty-five hundred characters is not nearly enough space to describe everything we love about this place. My wife loves to cook, and the open kitchen and dining area allows us to entertain the 11 family members who spend the same week in Pemaquid. Bayberry is always cool and comfortable, with its high ceiling and loft and its very efficient ceiling fan. On especially cool evenings, we enjoy sitting by the fire in the lovely stone fireplace. The screened back porch provides beautiful views of Pemaquid Harbor, and opportunities to spot eider ducks, cormorants, kingfishers, great blue herons, and, if we are particularly lucky, even harbor seals. Both of the bedrooms are cozy and airy, and appointed with beautiful antique furniture. Beds are very comfortable. Although we trade bedrooms each summer, with each couple eagerly anticipating their time in the back bedroom where we wake up to harbor views, we have never been disappointed in the middle bedroom either. Bayberry is amazingly well-cared for and we always find it spotless upon arrival. I don't even mind washing the dishes when I'm here: Window boxes beyond the sink contain flowers that often attract hummingbirds. There is a large, grassy area just steps from the front door that is ideal for playing horseshoes, bocce, or wiffle ball. A very short stroll down the dirt road leads to a boat launching area, and a pier and dock where children can try their luck at catching little crabs. The Colonial Pemaquid restoration and the unmatched beauty of Pemaquid Beach are both about a quarter of a mile away. Many people, especially those with smaller children, enjoy the charms of the equally nearby "Little Beach." Pemaquid Point, with its picturesque lighthouse famously depicted on the reverse of the Maine state quarter, is a short drive or bike ride away. Seafood lovers experience nirvana at such only-in-Maine waterside venues as Shaw's Fish and Lobster Wharf, the Pemaquid Fishermen's Co-op, Muscongus Bay Lobster Co., and the Round Pond Fishermen's Co-op. Groceries are available locally at C.E. Reilly's and Dee's Variety in New Harbor. Some of the best breakfasts we've ever eaten have been served at The Cupboard, which is within easy walking distance of Bayberry. I'm really looking forward to next summer!