Clary Lake Bed and Breakfast

Location & Ambiance: Quiet, rural setting with scenic views , proximity to Augusta/Damarascotta, and historic, tastefully decorated property.

We received an email from Linda saying they had a family emergency and although "there would be a bit more work for us," would keep our reservation. We were fine with that as we are not the type of people who need special attention or pampering. We arrived to find the door locked even though Linda stated the front door would be open. We called the number given for assistance and waited 20 minutes for someone to arrive. There was a cat in a locked room that howled the entire time we were there, probably because it heard voices and/or was hungry. We had been instructed not to let the cat out of the room and finally went into our bedroom and shut the door at 8 pm just so we didn't have to listen to the cat cry. We woke up to the smell of baked muffins which were delightful even though we never saw anyone. I put the dishes in the tub as instructed in the email, food all put away in the patio fridge. I took some things to the kitchen sink to rinse and found a note to put dishes in the dishwasher and turn it on. I opened the dishwasher to find it partially full, smelling of dirty dishes. That was my turning point. I had no problem being helpful, but I'm not rearranging dirty dishes to find room for breakfast dishes. I left a note stating that, and added that the cat cried all evening and the towel in the bathroom had seen its day. I was surprised to receive this rude email days later: "We were hoping you would be the kind of people who didn't need pampering, who could rise to the occasion and do a little coping with what some would call a travel adventure. We now realize how wrong we were and we regret that. Rick and Linda Gallion, Innkeepers" How insulting. Being locked out, listening to a cat cry for hours, ripped towel, and filling a stinky dishwasher is not "raising to the occasion." This is the type of people you'll be dealing with if you choose to stay here.

All four of us (two couples) agreed that this was a wonderful place to stay. We were visiting the nearby Gardens Aglow at the Botanical Gardens in Boothbay and found this lovely B&B to stay for two nights. Linda and Rick were very friendly and attentive to our needs and provided information on local places to visit and dine. The house itself was charming with lots of antiques and great nooks and crannies. Linda had her gorgeous art work displayed throughout as well. The gathering room downstairs was very cozy and comfortably furnished, and the breakfast room was bright and cheery with a beautiful porch attached for warmer weather. Every room was clean and welcoming and the beds very comfortable. Each morning we were served a pot of hot coffee (there were also coffee makers with K-cups on each floor and an electric pot for tea) and delicious freshly baked muffins one morning, scones the next along with fresh fruit, hard boiled eggs, juice, bagels, hot and cold cereals, etc. We were well satisfied! We are looking forward to another stay at this gem of a B&B.