This is no business for amateurs.
B&B owners are the frontline ambassadors for a region. They
arrange for car repairs, handle the odd
medical emergency, and recommend the
appropriate restaurant or realtor. They
also sew the occasional button, pose for
photos or dig hostas or lilies-of-the-valley
from the garden for guests to take home
with them. The McCartneys have helped
many people settle into new jobs and got
them started on establishing a network of
new friends. There is a large collection of
brochures and travel advice and ideas for
those who have the time.
A
good
B&B should complement its environment.
Kate and Kevin McCartney were not born
in The County, but are northern Mainers
by choice and wear that label as a badge of
honor. Northern Maine is not like other
places. The people here have a pride that
is readily visible in the well-kept yards and
gardens, owned by people who can only
afford to do that work themselves. There is
a can-do ethic that allows major feats to be
accomplished by volunteers and donated
materials. Everyone knows and helps one
another as neighbors. The owners of this
B&B are a part of that environment and
communicate it to visitors to our region.
And there is breakfast too. Guests
are asked the previous night if they want
something “eggy” or “syrupy,” though
accommodations for any dietary choice
can be handled. Muffins are a standard
at the Old Iron Inn, though cream cheese
pan pies might materialize when there is a
full house. Some guests need to eat and be
out by 7:00 a.m. while others linger (too
long!) until 10:00 a.m. or later. Often
the guests provide their conversation and
long friendships have been created during
breakfast. Others enjoy quiet and read the
paper.
“Twenty years of B&B operation
in northern Maine has been an enriching
experience,” say the McCartneys. “We
never envisioned this life when coming
here a quarter century ago, but now
cannot imagine doing anything else. It is
a constraining lifestyle – there are no days
off if a B&B is to be a serious business –
but there is always somebody interesting
to meet and something new to learn.
And there is no place in the world like
Aroostook County, and we look forward
to saying that to guests for years to come.”
SPRING 2012
67