Innsights: Spring & Summer 2015

Innsights Weekapaug Inn Newsletter

Spring / Summer 2015

Friends tell friends who tell friends, and good words about the Weekapaug Inn bring new families each season.

Robert C. Buffum, The Weekapaug Inn / The Best of All Possible Worlds, 1899-1999

Weekapaug Inn

I

Welcome t has been a great privilege to be Innkeeper at Weekapaug Inn for the past three years. To be at the helm of a team of professionals who practice the art of welcoming guests to the Inn—our hidden gem, off the beaten path, where one can find a genuine home away from home—has been a

wonderful experience.

≈

So much has happened in the three years that I have been here. The

renovation, with all its challenges, resulted in a rebirth of this special piece of the history of a hundred Rhode Island summers. The Inn has gracefully taken on its expanded identity as a yearround destination, where our guests can now enjoy the pleasures of all four New England seasons.

≈

As we grow and move forward, the time has come for me to move on to another project. In

fact, I’ll be just down the road, returning to my old home, Ocean House, in a new position, and I’ll be passing on the role of Innkeeper at Weekapaug Inn to my friend and colleague Simon Piers Dewar. You might like to see his profile (page 8) as he comes on board. His experience makes him an ideal choice, for he knows well how to balance treasured traditions with the modern touches that today’s travelers seek.

≈ It’s true I won’t be far away, but from one Innkeeper to the next, I think we

both know what an honor it is to be part of the history of a truly special place, a history that I hope will endure far into the future.

≈ Farewell!

Innkeeper

Wildlife sightings weekapaug inn 2 0 1 4 – 2 0 1 5

Weekapaug Inn

On the Pond More Summer Sounds at the Inn If you check out the latest iteration of Weekapaug Inn’s website, and click in the lower left hand corner, you’ll hear some of the sounds that reverberate throughout the spring and summer: the happy notes of the many birds who come here for the warm weather and peaceful surroundings—much as our guests do. But in addition to this beautiful natural music, joined by the continuous low beat of the ocean on the shore, we’re making a few more sounds of our own.

On Thursday evenings, from June 18 through August 27, we have a steel drum player at our weekly outdoor clambakes, and we’re also gearing up for two very special musical evenings this summer. On Saturday, July 18, Broadway, television and cabaret veteran Scott Dreier will offer the season’s first program of Love Songs on The Pond.

It will be a memorable night on the lawn, with an assortment of sweets, coffee and tea served up as you listen to Scott’s rendition of some beloved classic tunes.

To round out our summer schedule on August 29, music will again enliven an evening on the lawn as Chris Jason—who has more than 15 years’ experience performing the works of Ol’ Blue Eyes—brings a diverse selection of ballads from the Sinatra catalog to entertain our guests and friends at our second Love Songs on The Pond event. It’s truly a not-to-bemissed way to end your summer on a high note.

Did You Know?

About Our Stickley Furniture

When you’re having cocktails in the Garden Room, or relaxing in one of our other public spaces, you may find yourself in a very comfy chair with the look of another era: dark wood, in the very angular style of the Arts & Crafts era in the early 1900s. If so, you’ve happened upon a Weekapaug Inn treasure: a piece of the past that extends back to the days of the Inn’s origins in its former, pre-1938 location on Noyes Beach.

Some of the furniture you see today survived even the Hurricane of 1938—infamous on the Rhode Island coast, and the reason that the Inn was moved to its present location, rebuilt and triumphantly reopened the summer after the storm. When the Inn was restored, updated and reopened three years ago, our little treasure trove of original Inn chairs, rockers and tables found a place here.

L. and J.G. Stickley were brothers and founders of a

furniture company in upstate New York, and from the moment they opened in 1904, their Mission furniture line gained a widespread reputation for its quality. The Buffums, who founded and built Weekapaug Inn, became customers, knowing that the furniture could endure the heavy use of their summer guests—including many very active children.

Their purchase proved to be an enduring one.

Our antique Stickley furnishings are carefully maintained by a Warwick, Rhode Island, company called V. Mignanelli & Son. A family enterprise for four generations that includes 87-year-old Roland Mignanelli, his son Ron—the current proprietor—and 26-year-old Ron Jr., the company is known throughout Rhode Island, and beyond, for high-quality repairs and restorations of furniture heirlooms. In fact, some of their refinishing and reproduction work can be seen in Hollywood films.

“Stickley used quarter-sawn oak,” notes Ron Sr. “This is the best and sturdiest cut, and very expensive to use today. It’s part of the reason that these pieces have held up so well.”

When repairs are needed, each piece is taken apart and put back together without the use of nails or screws.

“It’s hard to duplicate the wood, and the construction of these pieces today,” says Ron. “Working with family antiques every day, you get to appreciate the quality.”

We hope you’ll enjoy sitting in our Stickley treasures during your stay with us.

Weekapaug Inn

Inn Nature & Recreation Recreation Preview

Off the Beaten Path: Pond Paddles One of the Inn’s many attributes is its unique location between the waves of our Sound beach and the quiet ripples of Quonochontaug Pond, which gives our guests so many options for water recreation. The pond, especially, provides many opportunities for interacting with the natural wonders that surround the Inn. In addition to kayaks, we also offer stand-up paddleboards—another relaxed and very popular way to enjoy the gentle waters.

This summer, the Inn will offer three special events for paddlers. The fun starts with our Paddle Open House on Saturday, July 11. This is a day set aside for paddlers of all skill levels, with plenty of on-site supervision, should you need it.

Notes From The Naturalist One of the really grand birds we have during the summer is the osprey. Also known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, they are big, strong flyers that feed almost exclusively on fish.

Here at the Inn we have a nesting pair within sight of our deck. Perhaps you have seen an osprey nest—they are large stick constructions, typically atop of a phone pole or a purpose-built nesting platform.

In our area, ospreys begin arriving in early April. Ospreys typically mate for life and produce a clutch of two or three eggs per season. Chicks hatch in early June and quickly start crying out for food. During our July outings we often see chicks flapping their wings and stretching their growing bodies, while mom and dad work double shifts to keep up with the insatiable appetites.

By mid August the youngsters are close to full body weight and ready to fledge. This past year one of our

tour boat groups watched the first clumsy flight of a fledgling as it circled the nest and then tried to land on a branch much too light for its weight.

Over the following weeks the young will work out the details of flight and learn essential survival skills.

Come September or early October, individuals will start heading south. If they are fortunate, the north winds of autumn will provide a tail wind and sweep them along their way. Based on data from satellite tracking we know that ospreys nesting in our area migrate along the East Coast to the Florida Keys, and then island hop to South America.

This spring or summer, when our osprey population returns from South America, why not come and stay at the Inn? I will be happy to point out the nesting birds and their growing chicks, along with a wide variety of other fine birds.

—Mark Bullinger

Choose a kayak, or test your skill on the paddleboard; Quonnie Pond is a great place to explore at this time of year.

Next up is the opportunity to experience the special beauty of the pond at night. In late summer, an

evening paddle will reveal local species of small, non-stinging jellyfish that inhabit the waters of the pond.

These ctenophores (the “c” is silent) will glow like fireflies when jostled; run your hand through the water, and phosphorescent plankton glitter and sparkle around you. Guided by our Inn Naturalist, a nighttime paddle on Friday, August 14, will bring these seemingly

otherworldly features of the pond to your fingertips—literally.

Finally, the shore and its unobstructed horizon provide a view of yet another wonder on August 29, with the full moon at its brightest and closest. Take out one of our paddle fleet for a look at this amazing sight at its most magical time—at night over our beautiful pond.

Weekapaug Inn

It’s Beach Time!

One of the great features of the Inn is its nearby, beautiful and pristine ocean beach; its given name is Noyes Beach, but our guests know it as “the Inn beach.” When we renovated the Inn, we also decided to make a day on the waterfront even more appealing, with the addition of a brand-new Bathhouse. This convenient stop on the way to the shore has become very popular, not only with our guests but also with residents of the Weekapaug community who are permitted to use it as well. The Bathhouse is equipped with restrooms, showers and a food counter where our Inn staff serves snacks and drinks, including an icy cold favorite, locally made Del’s lemonade. Guests who would rather snack at a table will find a number of them on the Bathhouse deck—it’s a great sheltered spot to sip something cold and pass the time with friends or a book.

To make things even more convenient for beachgoers, our beach attendant is on hand to provide chair and umbrella service, as well as towels, and even toys for our younger guests. Unlike the old days, when everything going to the beach—chairs, umbrellas, food, drinks, towels and toys—had to be carried from the Inn, our attendant has your beach needs well in hand, and from the Bathhouse it’s just a few yards from the boardwalk over the dunes to the beach.

One special note for guests: The waves at the Inn beach do crash very close to shore, so no boogie boarding or surfing is permitted here. However, for those who want to use surfboards, the Fenway beach, located just a 15-minute walk from the Inn, permits board water sports, and has calm shallows that are great for small children who want to wade in. Bathhouse benefits are not provided at Fenway beach, though our guests can get towels and toys before they walk over. There is also a small, quaint, cash-only shop across from the beach.

Did You Know?

The Quiet Fourth On Independence Day after sunset, anyone who looks skyward can see bursts of fireworks along the coast of Long Island and Block Island Sound, in every direction. But at Weekapaug Inn, our beach is quiet, and most guests who are with us on the fourth for our festivities wonder why.

Truth is, our beach is host to two rare and wonderful things. The first is a small colony of piping plovers that choose to make their nests and raise their young here. Because this species is endangered—there are only about 6,500 birds worldwide—their ground nesting sites, of which many are along the Atlantic coast, are protected from human activity, and often cordoned off by netting or other deterrents.

In 2014, our Naturalist Mark Bullinger reported nine nesting pairs on the beach. Newly hatched plover chicks look a bit like cotton balls with legs, and are closely watched by their parents, who will fake a broken wing to distract predators from their young. If you’re around at this special time of year, ask Mark or one of his staff to help you spot plovers with the Inn’s high-power scope.

Of course, nesting plovers are frightened and disrupted by loud human behavior—fireworks being one example of things that scare the birds. So instead, we at the Inn are lucky to have a fantastic substitute. Our first president, George Washington, arrives at the shore of Quonochontaug Pond in our launch,

the Quonnie Queen. Watch for him as the sun sets at our Independence Day celebration, which will be held on July 3.

Weekapaug Inn

L a n d, S e a & S k y From Chef Jen’s Kitchen: Few things are better in summer than freshly picked ingredients, served up with a little seasoning.

Here’s a simple salad that you can make with cukes from your own garden, or your local farmers’ market. Good feta cheese and olives add something special to its flavor and texture.

Cucumber-Feta Salad

A Taste of the Season Part of the benefit of farm-to-table cuisine is the opportunity to taste things that have been grown nearby, and come to you fresh—often justharvested—from the producers. Of course, local means seasonal, and Chef Jennifer Backman has made it her kitchen’s practice to make these fresh foods a major part of the Inn menu; our offerings change regularly to coincide with what’s fine and newly harvested in the Rhode Island regional marketplace. And, to augment this variety, every month outside of high season, Chef Jen prepares a menu to spotlight “fresh and local” with a custom, one-night-only dinner. A popular return engagement from last spring, and as a hat tip to its super-fresh offerings, we call it Cooking Through

Yield: 8 portions 3 pints cucumber, sliced in half moons, quarter inch thick ¾ cup pitted Nicoise olives 1½ cup diced feta cheese 1 small red onion, julienne 2 ⁄ 3 cup apple cider vinegar 10 mint leaves, chiffonade ½ cup olive oil 6 turns cracked black pepper 1½ tablespoons granulated sugar Salt to taste

the Seasons.

On Wednesday, April 15, the program kicks off with a Land and Sea dinner, and some of the best springtime ingredients you’ll find anywhere. The three-course meal is paired with an excellent selection of wines; last year’s dinner included such gifts from the sea as lobster and clams, and this year will have plenty of good selections.

On tap for Wednesday, May 20, the dinner’s theme is Barbecue, with traditional grilling favorites, and everything that goes with them, accompanied by sides of ice-cold beer.

Method of Preparation

Finally on Wednesday, June 17, with the early local harvest in full swing, you

1. Combine all ingredients

will enjoy a meal made from all the freshest ingredients from one of our local

in a bowl.

farmers’ markets. The three-course dinner will of course be accompanied by great

2. Season. Serve cold.

wine pairings from our well-stocked cellar.

All Cooking Through the Seasons events are served family-style in the Inn tradition of casual elegance; these dinners are a great way to take a break, leave winter behind and welcome in the warmer months.

Cocktails are served at 7 p.m., and dinner begins at 7:30. You may reserve your seats now for a relaxed evening of good eating.

Weekapaug Inn

See You in the SeaRoom Inn guests love the casual atmosphere, the beautiful Pond views and the outdoor seating of our SeaRoom in the summer. They also love the menu, with its salads, sandwiches, sliders and sides—not to mention tempting sweets—offering multiple good choices for lunch or snacking.

This season, you’ll find some changes on the menu, though the SeaRoom will still offer its lighter fare for the benefit of our guests who enjoy this welcoming and relaxed space. Chef Jen has some changes in store, though she reassures us about a particular favorite. Says our Chef: “One dish that we will keep is the Lobster Roll! That is always a summer favorite in this area. Ours is different because we offer it on a large challah bun as opposed to the split top rolls, so it allows us to fill it with a generous helping of our signature lobster salad.”

Located just outside The Restaurant, on the patio, is our fully equipped “summer kitchen,” tasked with preparing food for all of the SeaRoom’s al fresco dining, plus other events. Chef Jen notes that guests upstairs on the deck of the SeaRoom love to watch the food being prepared as they also take in the action on the Pond and the lawn.

We look forward to seeing you upstairs on the SeaRoom deck this summer!

Holidays at the Inn

Spring brings April showers, May flowers and several dates to mark in the calendar. This year, Easter falls on April 5, Mother’s Day on May 10 and July 3 begins a nice long weekend of festivities in honor of the nation’s birthday. The Inn will be ready with its own special meals, designed by our Chef Jennifer Backman and her staff, to celebrate these holidays.

For Easter, book reservations at the Inn for seatings from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. While jackets and ties are not required, ladies are invited to wear their bonnets if they so desire.

The three-course menu, served family style, makes the event

feel like an intimate family occasion. Expect some seasonal and holiday favorites; like all Inn menus, ingredients are selected based on the freshest local food available. Traditional menu items like lamb and ham will most likely take their place among the varied offerings; in addition to fresh flowers on the tables, expect to see a few seasonal hues—lemon yellow and lavender— decorating the abundant confections for the dessert course.

Tell Mom to hang up her apron, and treat her to a celebration of her day on May 10, when the Inn will offer a three-course meal in her honor, served family style in seatings from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. Last year’s menu offered many tempting dishes, from potato cakes and vichyssoise as starter choices, to a lobster crepe entrée, among others, and great sweets to top it all off. This is the year’s most popular dining-out day, so make reservations early!

When it falls on a weekend, Independence Day promises three days of fun, and at the Inn festivities begin on Friday, July 3, with our traditional holiday clambake—another family-style meal, with outdoor seating in the Inn’s backyard, refreshing beverages and our signature s’mores under the stars. Plus, watch the boat action on the Pond; as has become our own Weekapaug tradition, a very special guest (see page 4) will arrive at some point in the evening. It’s a great meal for your family, or a group of friends who’d like to start this weekend off with a real treat.

Weekapaug Inn

Living Inn The Mural Various pieces of art decorate the walls of the Inn, and we are especially fond of one work that is literally a part of the fabric of this beautiful structure. As you pass through the main entrance and ascend the stairs to the Inn’s front desk, you will have a wraparound view of our hand-painted mural, which runs from the first floor to the second floor ceiling, along the stair wall.

This painting, executed by the noted muralist Sonja Vaccari, was a finishing touch on the newly refurbished Inn, unveiled when our doors reopened to the public in October 2012.

Commissioned by the Inn’s owners, it depicts Weekapaug and the surrounding community in high season, with many of the same elements that will unfold around you during your stay. In a recent interview, Sonja talked about how the mural came about, and some

of the meaningful details it contains.

“Regarding the prep work, I was given a wish list from Lang and Kathy Wheeler, and then we began an ongoing discussion. Lang is a wonderful photographer and provided a library of photos for reference. I visited the site, took measurements of the space and then created a small-scale diorama to help the clients visualize placement of the various elements of the scene.”

On her website the artist notes that such details as sail directions on sail boats, buoy and channel marker placement and the location of quahog beds were all important to know.

Sonja was aware that a number of guests at the Inn are locals, or sailors who know the waters well. Also, the mural would be used as an educational device for the naturalist to teach guests about the flora, fauna and the natural history of the salt pond. So she knew

that, for example, the birds she depicted, and their behavior, needed to be true to life.

Sonja recalls that the most challenging part of the project was working as the only female employee on an extremely busy building site. Surrounded during her 12-hour days by noisy contractors and plenty of dirt and dust the conditions were quite a change from the quiet domestic surroundings where she usually works.

But the challenges were balanced by the opportunity to swim in the ocean each night—she was a guest of the Wheelers as she worked—the positive responses from the workers on the job, and then the compliments of appreciative guests that have followed the mural’s completion. The experience, says Sonja, has been “one for the memory box!”

Mural By: Sonja Vaccari sonjavaccarimuralist.com

Weekapaug Inn

Meet the New Innkeeper

Winter 2015 is quickly turning to spring, and we are excited to welcome our new Innkeeper, Simon Piers Dewar, to the shores of Quonochontaug Pond.

After three years at the helm, our beloved first steward of the revived Weekapaug Inn, Antonia Korosec, moves down the road (not too far! See

her letter on page 1). Simon has arrived, with his well-honed hospitality skills and world traveler’s wisdom, to ensure the continued top-tier level of hospitality that our guests have come to expect and enjoy.

Most recently Simon served as General Manager of Blantyre, a perfectly restored, late 19th century estate in the Berkshires that is, like the Inn, a member of the distinguished Relais & Châteaux group. In 2013, Blantyre was again awarded Five Stars by Forbes, as well as the Wine Spectator Grand Award. With training in fine cuisine, business and hospitality management, and many applicable skills gleaned from a prior career in the British Army, from which he retired as a major, Simon is well prepared to exceed all expectations in his new post.

Simon is married to his Americanborn wife, Aimee, and they have two children and an energetic Jack Russell; all look forward to life on the beautiful Rhode Island coast. Says Simon: “There is something quintessentially American about the Weekapaug Inn. It is elegant, relaxed and serene. From the moment I drove up I could sense the history of place associated with the inn and immediately felt drawn to its location. One can imagine the people that came before us, summering here and making the Inn part of their family histories. I look forward to the opportunity to serve as innkeeper so that I can share my enthusiasm for the property with our guests.”

Welcome, Simon!

Thanks to You… Since it opened in the fall of 2012, Weekapaug Inn has received numerous accolades from reviewers, travel media and organizations devoted to hospitality. But what’s most gratifying is the praise we get from travelers themselves.

In October 2014, Condé Nast Traveler magazine published its annual Readers’ Choice Awards, and it seems that the magazine’s readers—a well-traveled bunch, for sure—have added to our heap of laurels with two more distinctions. On its roster of the world’s top hotels and resorts, Weekapaug Inn has snatched the number 62 position out of 100 world-class destinations—a very nice place to be, we admit.

Even more satisfying, when the magazine’s readers consider the Northeast—replete with beautiful places in cities, along rivers, atop mountains and along the Atlantic coast—Weekapaug is the #3 resort in this part of the U.S. Needless to say, we’re thrilled, and aim to work even harder to earn your praise in 2015, and all the years to come.

Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards No. 3 Top Resort in the Northeast, 2014

Weekapaug Inn

Past & Present Our Favorite Migration Nothing makes the staff and management of the “new” Inn happier than to meet guests who came to Weekapaug Inn when it was a beloved summer resort in the care of the Buffum family. It’s great to hear stories about activities and times past, and even better when we receive kudos from these guests, about how we’re doing in our four-season, updated incarnation of this special place.

We recently talked to two generations of one family who were introduced to Weekapaug back in 1980—35 years ago—by a third generation (an aunt) who had been going to the old Inn for years before that. It was a love at first sight experience, and they’ve been coming to Weekapaug every year since.

So we hoped they’d oblige when we asked for a bit of reminiscence on their part, and with fingers crossed, an evaluation of how we’re doing today.

Kathryn Gorman and her daughter, Jennifer Ellsworth, share their memories of the Inn new and old; Jennifer was barely a toddler, just a year old when Kathryn, expecting a second child, arrived at the old Inn with daughter and husband.

“I just loved everything about it,” recalls Kathryn, “and I knew right away

Jennifer Ellsworth 1981

we’d be back. My son always jokes that even though his sister was there from age one, he came to Weekapaug before he was born!”

Both mother and daughter remember the carefree feeling of life at the old Inn; the “cubbies” on the second floor where guests stashed their own wine and spirits, since the old Inn had no liquor license.

“Everything was on the honor system,” notes Kathryn. “Even the young children were taught to sign out for soft drinks that the Buffums also kept upstairs.” In the old Inn, there was a children’s table area, and then the big dining room for the grownups.

“It was considered an honor to ‘graduate’ to the main dining room,” says Ms. Gorman, who now reserves the Great Egret Suite for herself and family every August. “I love the relaxed feel and the quiet,” she says. “That special feeling, and the beauty of the place haven’t changed a bit, and it still feels like home. I bring a stack of books, and my puzzles—I love puzzles and always do the Stave puzzles that the Inn keeps around—and I enjoy the casual ambience. It’s great to feel you don’t have to do a thing, even though there’s plenty to do.”

She adds, “We were a little more formal in the dining room in the old days, but the food in the new Inn is just exceptional. I wouldn’t miss my week here for anything.”

For her part, daughter Jennifer has her own special memories. Her mother recalls a cute busboy in the dining room who would have her and her adolescent friends draining their water glasses so their crush would stop by and refill the glasses. Jennifer also recalls the carefree times she and her family spent at the Inn, and also loves what’s new.

“I think the Bathhouse is spectacular.

It’s great to be able to have a snack and just walk over to the beach, with someone to bring you towels, umbrellas and whatever. It’s a beautiful place and I am so glad it was renovated and reopened. The gym, the pool, the restaurant and the SeaRoom—these are great changes, and I love the luxury touches. I don’t know what we’d do without our family vacation at the Inn.” Weekapaug Inn has made happy family memories since 1899. We cordially invite you to come and make some memories of your own.

From right: Kathryn Gor Carol Murr m ay, Jennifer an, Mary Polla Ellsworth , k

Weekapaug Inn

Calendar Of Events April 5: Easter in The Restaurant

July 3: Fourth of July Clambake

Celebrate the holiday, and the start of spring, with this family-style, three-course feast featuring Easter classics as well as the Chefs’ creative twists on classic favorites. Seatings from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; $68/ adult, $34/ child age 4 to 12; children 3 and under free (plus tax & gratuity)

The most patriotic clambake of the season is the best way to kick off the Independence Day holiday. Seatings from 5 to 8 p.m.; S’mores from 8:30 to 10 p.m.; $105/ adult, $50/ child age 4 to 12; children 3 and under free (plus tax & gratuity)

July 11: Paddle Open House April 15: Cooking Through the Seasons Dinner: Land and Sea With the best that the Rhode Island land and sea have to offer, the Inn’s Executive Chef and her team will serve a three-course, family-style dinner with carefully selected wine pairings. 7 p.m.; $75/ adult, $35/ child age 4 to 12; children 3 and under free (plus tax & gratuity)

May 10: Mother’s Day in The Restaurant Show Mom how much she matters to you by treating her to the Inn’s threecourse, family-style meal. Seatings from 11:00 a.m. to 6 p.m.; $68/ adult, $34/ child age 4 to 12; children 3 and under free (plus tax & gratuity)

May 15–16: Murder Mystery Weekend Think you can figure out who did it? Join the Inn for this interactive weekend of mystery and intrigue. $595/ couple includes room, prix fixe dinner, admission and breakfast the next morning; $150/ person for dinner, show and breakfast only (plus tax & gratuity)

Snug on the shore of Quonochontaug Pond, Weekapaug Inn offers an incredible setting for paddle sports. This is the perfect opportunity to learn new skills and try your hand at new paddle craft. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Complimentary for hotel guests

July 16 & Aug 13: Beach Stone Walk Our adventure will start with a beach walk to collect the most beautiful stones we can find and will continue as we learn about the stones we found and how they came to be found on our shoreline with our geologist guide. 4 to 5:30 p.m.; Complimentary for hotel guests, $10/ non-hotel guest (plus tax)

July 18: American Songbook: Love Songs on the Pond with Scott Dreier Spend a romantic evening under the starry night sky while listening to the melodic tunes of Scott Dreier and savoring sweets from the dessert buffet. 8 to 9:30 p.m.; $45/ person, $20/ child age 4 to 12; children 3 and under free (plus tax & gratuity)

July 31: Blue Moon Champagne Toast May 20: Cooking Through the Seasons Dinner: Barbecue Get ready for the season with the best summer tradition of all: barbeque. The Chef and her team will prepare three course, served family and each paired with complementary beer. 7 p.m.; $75/ adult, $35/ child age 4 to 12; children 3 and under free (plus tax & gratuity)

May 23: Kite Fly-Inn Experience the Inn’s third annual Kite Fly-Inn set on the shores of Quonochontaug Pond with kite demonstrations, the chance to decorate your own kite and lunch off the grill. 1 to 3 p.m.; $15/ person (plus tax)

A blue moon comes along, well, once in a blue moon. Because moonrises are so spectacular from our deck, we invite you to join us to toast to the rise of the second full moon of July 2015. 6 to 8 p.m.; Complimentary for hotel guests

August 14: Phosphorescent Jelly and Plankton Paddle In late summer, ctenophores (small, clear, non-stinging jellyfish that glow like fireflies) can populate our waters by the millions. It is great fun to take a night paddle on our calm pond and see their ghostly green glow in the circles where paddle meets water. 8 to 9:30 p.m.; $20/ hotel guest, $40/ non-hotel guest (plus tax)

August 14: Perseid Meteor Shower June 2: Horseshoe Crab Spawning Adventure By the light of the moon and our headlamps, we will watch these living dinosaurs glide across the sandy shallows and through their ancient spawning ritual. 5 to 10:30 p.m.; $20/ hotel guest, $40/ non-hotel guest (plus tax)

June 17: Cooking Through the Seasons Dinner: Farmers’ Market The Inn’s culinary team works to prepare a three-course dinner that will feature the best local ingredients that can be found at Rhode Island farmers’ markets.

The meal is served family style and includes wine pairings. 7 p.m.; $75/ adult, $35/ child age 4 to 12; children 3 and under free (plus tax & gratuity)

Thursday Night Clambakes A summer tradition in Weekapaug, Thursday Night Clambakes return with plenty of clambake fare served family style. After dinner, gather at the fire pit for s’mores under the stars. June 18, 25, July 9, 16, 23, 30, August 6, 13, 20, 27; Seatings from 5:30 to 8 p.m.; S’mores from 8:30 to 10 p.m.; $85/ adult, $40/ child age 4 to 12; children 3 and under free (plus tax & gratuity)

The Perseids are one of the best meteor showers of the year. This year they will be at their height after 10:00 p.m. on August 14, and our back lawn is the perfect place to relax and take it all in. 10 p.m.; Complimentary for hotel guests.

August 22: Model Sailboat Regatta From the time we fire the starting cannon, you’ll be on the edge of your seat watching the sailing action. Not only will there be races, but you can try your hand at piloting a radio controlled sailboat or an electric motorboat. 1 to 3 p.m.; $15/ person (plus tax)

August 29: Super Moon Paddle There’s nothing like being out on the ponds at night under the light of a full moon. And this isn’t just any full moon—it’s a Super Moon, an occasion when the earth and moon are particularly close and the moon appears extra big and bright. 6:45 to 8:30 p.m.; $30/ hotel guest, $40/ non-hotel guest (plus tax)

August 29: American Songbook: Love Songs on the Pond Featuring Songs from Frank Sinatra with Chris Jason The tunes of Frank Sinatra will set off fireworks—both literally and figuratively—at this romantic evening set on the shores of the Pond. 8 to 9:30 p.m.; $45/ person, $20/ child age 4 to 12; children 3 and under free (plus tax & gratuity)

for reservations and more information, please call 888.813.7862 or visit weekapauginnevents.com

Weekapaug Inn

Spa Getaway Package Refresh your mind, body and spirit at OH! Spa (located at our sister property, Ocean House). The seasonally inspired treatments are designed to echo the therapeutic and rejuvenating healing properties of the ocean and the harvest.

Perfect to create a girlfriend’s getaway or to customize for couples.

• Luxurious accommodations at Weekapaug Inn in either our Cove View or Pond View deluxe rooms • Daily breakfast for two • $150 spa credit per guest • 10% off additional spa services • OH! Spa gift

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Offer valid from September 4, 2014 through May 21, 2015 and September 8, 2015 through December 29, 2015

General Package Restrictions Packages are available seven (7) days a week. Limit two people per package. Not applicable to groups. Resort Credit, if applicable, will be deducted from incidental charges upon checkout and cannot be applied towards the room rate. All cancellations are subject to a $100 administrative fee and cancellations must be received more than 7 days prior to arrival to avoid a penalty charge to your credit card equal to 50% of the full stay or 100% of a one night stay. Additional fees may apply. The property reserves the right to charge an early departure fee in the event a guest departs earlier than the original departure date. Based upon availability; date restrictions apply. Rates are subject to change without notice.

Based on double occupancy. All minimum stay requirements for hotel apply to package. Exclusions may apply. Taxes and Resort Fee and Gratuities are not included unless otherwise noted. Alcoholic beverages are additional and not included in any package that includes meals.

“The only potential pitfall from feeling like everything (within reason) is at your disposal, as I see it, is overindulging. Which we did very enthusiastically at dinner that first night. (And, really, if I’m being honest, at every meal we ate over those three days.) But we have no regrets. Every bite, right down to the pumpkin spice truffles we were handed as a parting snack, was savored.”

Mainline Magazine, December 2014