Twin Hearts Farm Bed & Breakfast, Sebago
Several years back, working the wedding of the innkeepers themselves, Jo & Steve, is what sealed the deal for me on what this special family home represents. I use the term “working” loosely. I offered my amateur services to my dear, dear friend, Jo, to do whatever was needed in the kitchen on that special day – cooking, serving, cleaning up. I’ve blogged before about the wedding itself – one of the most special days I’ve ever experienced, permeated with love and living life to the fullest, in nature, and simply.
Over 200 years old, on a hill in Sebago, on a road lined with hand packed stone walls, Twin Hearts Farm was once called Elm Cottage. If those walls could only talk? Now that would be a Maine history lesson. Generations of family have lived in this rambling home, worked in its barn, shoveled snow from its dirt driveway.
Renovations and preparations for turning this home into a B&B had been bubbling in Jo’s mind long before the wedding, long before she retired from her day job. I was fortunate to hear the stories and see the photos of the progress as they did the work, mostly themselves, to create the five themed guest rooms spread out across three stories. I’ve come to believe there is nothing Jo and Steve can’t do.
Jo worked in financial services so she’s a savvy business owner. Steve is a master carpenter – there is nothing the man can’t build. They both cook. He plays music; she paints murals, among other things. Flat paper dolls, these two are not! They are interesting, authentic, curious, kind, gracious, so enjoyable to be around.
After toiling for a matter of years, everyone who had helped the couple get there, were invited to be the first guests of Twin Hearts Farm B&B – such a treat! My husband and I headed up in October, one of my favorite months to live in Maine. We had to wear orange walking Chessey Preserve to the hidden pond; it was hunting season after all. Leaves were turning color, the air had cooled, the smell of fall lingered in the country air.
We were fortunate to stay in Suite Toscana which comprises the entire third floor. I felt like Anne of Green Gables as I peered out the side windows overlooking the lawns, down from our bathroom where the wedding had taken place. With peaked roof lines, ancient floors, and an enormous bathroom suite, all decorated with an Italian theme, we relaxed and slept deeply.
Breakfast was Steve’s signature omelettes, waffles in the shape of hearts (of course), yogurt, fruit, piping hot coffee. We lingered. Chatted. Laughed. Enjoyed every bite of their delicious breakfast.
Their kitchen is chock full of all that cooks need, filled to the brim and within arm’s reach. There is even an ancient stove, likely from great-great grandparents’ generation beside a rocking chair where I’d sometimes lounge watching Jo prep and cook.
Everything about Twin Hearts Farm says “life” and “living” to me – good people living out their days, toiling busily, spending time together with guests and alone, gardening, reading, delving into deep conversations. Jo and Steve’s authenticity comes from experience and a place of honesty.
At the B&B, you can slow down and unplug – play pool in their game room, cards or cribbage, borrow a book or video from the library, or start a puzzle to chip away at during your stay. On the lawns, you can play corn hole or croquet, or just lay in the hammock reading or napping. Nearby, you can snow mobile, snow shoe, cross country ski, or swim in Sebago Lake. You can hike Douglas Mountain or head to Shawnee Peak winter or summer, each a short drive away.
Twin Hearts Farm exemplifies a simpler way. A Maine way. History and tradition.
And at this time of year, I’ve no doubt the wild flowers are in full bloom!
