FREEPORT — You might think of Freeport as a day trip: Roll into town, hit the L.L. Bean flagship store and a few outlet stores, grab a lobster roll at Linda Bean’s (or a double-chocolate whoopie pie at Wicked Whoopies), and be on your way. But why not take your time, and make this a real getaway?
You can even skip the two-hour drive. The Amtrak Downeaster train now stops in Freeport. And Freeport’s comfiest inn, the family-owned and -operated Harraseeket, is a short walk from the station. While there are plenty of places to stay in this outlet shopping mecca, staying at the Harraseeket feels like a vacation. It’s a bit pricier than some of the chain hotels in town, but the amenities are more lavish. This 93-room, AAA four-diamond-rated property offers an indoor heated pool, two dining rooms (we love the Broad Arrow Tavern), and fireplaces galore. A full buffet breakfast is included in the room rate, plus a treat-laden afternoon tea. (You might reconsider that whoopee pie.)
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Guest rooms are located in the main inn, a carriage house, and a townhouse, but the main inn offers the liveliest experience. All rooms are outfitted with 600-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets, and all have private baths; deluxe rooms have fireplaces and Jacuzzi tubs. Decor is traditional, but not over the top; sleekest digs are in the Thomas Moser Suite, completely decorated in Thos. Moser cabinetry furnishings, including a queen-size pencil-post bed and a wood-burning sandstone fireplace with a walnut mantle.
Don’t be in a rush to leave: the Lobster Sunday Brunch was voted “best brunch in the state” by Down East magazine. 162 Main St., 207-865-9377,
www.harraseeketinn.com,rooms $150-$295.
and PAMELA WRIGHT