If you haven’t visited Vinalhaven, you don’t know what you’re missing!

What better way to relax than running away to an island off the coast of Maine! Vinalhaven boasts beautiful Nature trails to hike, miles of coastline to kayak, some of the best fresh water quarries to swim in, and a few awesome restaurants and galleries for socializing. The temperatures are much more mild than summer on the mainland, too! So, catch the Main State Ferry out of Rockland and set out for an island adventure.

Payne Homestead B&B is located at the bend of Main Street Vinalhaven, and offers an opportunity to experience the historic elegance of the island from a perfect in-town location. Check out our 1BB.com listing, and give us a call to schedule your R&R. There’s no better way to de-stress!

See you soon!!
Donna L. Payne
Innkeeper
207-863-9963

Ferry Coming In

Jumping Into Quarry

Payne Homestead B&B

Well over a quarter of a million overseas tourists visit Nottingham each year, as well as many from the UK. The main drawcard for the city is undoubtedly its history, and the story of Robin Hood in particular, with Sherwood Forest and Nottingham Castle being especially popular attractions.

Sherwood Forest is nowadays a one and a half square-mile remnant of its former self, but it is still home to the famous Major Oak, which is between 800 and 1000 years old and, according to local legend, was the hideout of Robin Hood. There is also an annual Robin Hood Festival in Sherwood Forest for a week each summer, which features all the major characters from the Robin Hood stories and other entertainment including jousting tournaments, strolling players, and a medieval encampment complete with jesters, musicians, rat-catchers, alchemists and fire eaters.

Nottingham Castle was destroyed in 1649, but there are enough remains to give a good idea of what it was like. A ducal mansion now occupies the center of where it was and this  has become the city’s main museum and art gallery. A bunch of annual events are also held at Nottingham Castle, including the Nottingham Beer Festival and the Robin Hood Pageant.

Further notable historic attractions are the Galleries of Justice Museum – a preservation of Nottinghamshire’s old courthouse and county gaol and collection of artifacts relating to crime and punishment in the last 300 years,  and Wollaton Hall and Park – a stately country house, now a natural history museum, situated in 500 acres of beautiful gardens and parkland. Wollaton Hall features as Wayne Manor in the upcoming Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises.  An annual family-friendly music event called Splendour is held in Wollaton Park, this years one is coming up on July 24 and is headlined by Blondie, the Scissor Sisters, Feeder, and Eliza Doolittle.

And speaking of annual events, The Nottingham Goose Fair is an annual fun fair held during the first week of October at the Forest Recreation Ground. It is widely considered to be one of the most prestigious fairs in the UK, and historians generally believe the fair has probably being running since just after 1284. Attractions are largely provided by travelling fair people and it is Europe’s second biggest itinerant fair after ‘The Hoppings’ in Newcastle upon Tyne.

So there’s plenty to do in Nottingham, but only one place to stay – Elm Bank Lodge. however, there are plenty  more choices in the wider district of Nottinghamshire.

Robin Hood Topiary, Nottingham Castle

Castle Hill

St Marys

Nottingham Canal