Mainers may say otherwise, but it is indeed possible to find a good lobster roll outside of Vacationland.

At least, that was the mission at The Daily Meal, which ranked the 20-best lobster rolls outside of Maine, with eight New England locales making the list, four of them from Massachusetts.

Here’s how the locals fared:

19) Belle Aisle Seafood, Boston
14) Brick Alley Pub & Restaurant, Newport, RI
12) The Bayside Restaurant, Westport
10) Offshore Ale, Oak Bluffs
9) Jim’s Dock, Jerusalem, RI
7) Neptune Oyster, Boston
5) B&G Oysters, Boston
3) Champlin’s, Narragansett, RI

New York’s Pearl Oyster Bar took the top spot on the list, and for the record, The Daily Meal does think that Red’s Eats, in Wiscasset, boasts the best lobster roll in Maine. That, unlike the Oyster Bar, is sure to be a popular opinion in New England.

By Hilary Nangle, Globe correspondent

Visit and climb the towers of seven Mid-coast lighthouses during the Midcoast Maine Lighthouse Challenge (207-594-4174, www.lighthousefoundation.org), June 29-30. Register for the challenge at any of the lighthouses. There’s no cost to participate, but some lighthouses have admission or parking fees. Participating lights are Dyce Head, Castine; Fort Point, Stockton Springs; Grindle Point, Islesboro; Rockland Breakwater, Rockland; Owls Head, Owls Head; Marshall Point, Port Clyde; and Pemaquid Point, Bristol. Two special activities complement the challenge. A 4.5-hour Lighthouse Sunset Cruiseaboard The P/V Elizabeth Ann departs Port Clyde on Friday, June 28, at 4:30 p.m., ($40). A Saturday evening program blending stories and songis slated at the Owls Head Community Center, Sat. June 29 at 7 p.m.(suggested donation, $5).

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

I’m a coffee freak. Not a coffee aficionado, mind you, knowing various blends and tastes and acidities. Just gimme caffeine, I’ll take it from there.

So it was a great delight recently to find the Coffee Hound Coffee Bar up in Bar Harbor, a town I hadn’t visited since the 1970s, much of which is new. Among the newest is the Coffee Hound, opened in early June by barista Chris Keegan. I grabbed a cup of Acadia Roast, expecting, well, coffee. But it was easily one of the best, smoothest blends ever, a whopping step up from the usual swill I make at home.

I love those little pleasant travel surprises, and Keegan’s shop fit the bill, a long, narrow space with the affable Keegan eager to discuss everything coffee with anyone interested in knowing. He gets his coffee from Carrabassett Coffee Company in Maine, going into details of various blends and what each has to offer.

It apparently runs in the family: Daughter Cassidy was expected to work this summer at her dad’s shop, herself a barista, her proud father says, not bad for a 15 year old.

The coffee’s great here, as is the owner’s social conscience: He donates $1 for every bag sold to ReMAINE Healthy, a research collaborative with the goal of preventing kidney disease, where his girlfriend works.

Keegan claims, as does anyone in town serving it, that he has the best lobster rolls, bar none in Bar Harbor. I didn’t try it, but judging from looking around town, his was priced on the lower side, $13 for a roll with a quarter pound of lobster meat, $25 for a half pounder.

He also serves hot dogs, including the Maine-centric red foot-long version, as well as Hebrew National brand and a quarter-pound all-beef version. Also here is a range of pastries, made by Epi’s, a local restaurant, which also makes “traveling blueberry pies” solely for Coffee Hound, Keegan says. Whatever you get, a great place to enjoy is at Agamont Park across the street, a gorgeous hilly chunk of green space affording a terrific place to eat and look out over Frenchman’s Harbor.

Coffee Hound is open through October, when much of the town shuts down and you’ll have to find another place for your java. So if you go before, stock up, help a good cause and avoid drinking swill. I know I will, as long as my Acadia Roast bag lasts anyway.

Photo of Chris Keegan by Paul E. Kandarian

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

The Colonial Inn of Ogunquit, Maine, has finished a $4-million renovation and has reopened under new ownership and management, with upgraded facilities in a Victorian building that has been an inn for more than 125 years. The inn has 62 rooms in four buildings, most with water views, and all rooms have king beds, refrigerator and new furnishings. The inn is in the center of Ogunquit Village, halfway between downtown and Perkin’s Cove. Is it managed by Migis Hotel Group, a Maine-based company. For reservations and information, visit www.thecolonialinn.com

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Got $40,000 to spend on a drink? We didn’t think so. But for $18, you can sip something much cheaper but with the same theme.

It’s all part of the White Barn Inn’s 40^th anniversary weekend May 31-June 2, when the luxury Kennebunkport, Maine is holding events such as a nine-course dinner, wine from 1973 and charity auction. Part of it is a $40,000 ruby cocktail that indeed comes with a four-carat ruby, which is the 40^th-anniversary gemstone. The one in the drink is a lasting keepsake for those ordering, and the drink is available through the end of the year. If you don’t want to spend that much, the inn offers a Ruby Rose martini for $18, Hangar One vodka, St. Germain Elderflower, fresh grapefruit juice, pomegranate and a spoonful of rosewater.

The menu for the nine-course dinner will be created by Chef Jonathan Cartwright, and costs $400 per person, served on June 1, with the dishes taking diners back 40 years to mark the occasion, Cartwright said. With dinner, guests will drink a 1973 D’Oliveiras Verdelho wine. And during the dinner, there will be an auction of a bottle of 1973 Hanzell Vineyards pinot noir, with proceeds going to “Share Our Strength,” which fights childhood hunger. The bottle is valued at approximately $200.

There will also be a special VIP cocktail reception May 31, and on June 1 at 11 a.m., a historic tour of Kennebunk with food and drink along the way. Through the end of June, the inn offers room specials and a $40 spa service. For information, visit www.whitebarninn.com

Using tilt-shift photography, German photographer Joerg Daiber has created the latest in intriguing destination clips to hit the web with his “Mini Maine,” which depicts various scenes in Portland that appear miniaturized.

"I kind of like to put things in the right perspective,” Daiber told the Portland Press-Herald. “Sometimes I think people take things too seriously.

"It turned into an obsession.”

The clip already has more than 25,00 views since being posted on YouTube on Tuesday.

Check out some more popular tilt-shift videos below.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Fans of Bravo’s popular series “Top Chef” take note: Guests of The White Barn Inn in Kennebunk, Maine can cook alongside some of the country’s most notable chefs, during The White Barn Inn’s 7th Annual Guest Chef Series, where Grand Relais & Chateaux Chef Jonathan Cartwright welcomes new chefs to cook with him for weekends.

Executive Chef Dale Talde from “Top Chef” season four and “Top Chef All-Stars,” who runs Talde in Park Slope, Brooklyn, comes to The White Barn April 12-14. Executive Chef Manuel Trevino from season four, and Marble Lane at Dream Hotel in New York City, is on tap for April 26-28, and Chef Kevin Sbraga, winner of season seven, and owner of Sbraga in Philadelphia, comes May 3-5 to The White Barn Inn.

The White Barn Inn is offering a package to allow guests to mingle with the chefs as well as learn their tips through cooking demos and hands-on cooking classes. The package includes two nights lodging, daily extended continental breakfast, afternoon teas with finger sandwiches, pastries and scones, welcome cocktail reception with Cartwright and a guest chef, cooking demo  on Saturday mornings at Keys TO, a private beach house; optional hands-on Saturday afternoon class; a nine-course tasting menu for two at The White Barn Restaurant on Saturday night; a signed cookbook; and a White Barn Apron.

Price is $1,282 for two nights, based on double occupancy. For info, check out www.whitebarninn.com

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

The fifth annual Maine Restaurant Week runs March 1-10 in Portland this year, with chefs creating three-course meals that highlight their restaurants’ cuisine. Cost is $15 for lunches and dinner for $22, $32 or $42. David Turin’s Opus 10, Buck’s Naked BBQ, Fromviandoux and the Lucerne Inn are new additions this year, along with mainstays like Azure Café, Back Bay Grill, Fuel and DiMillo’s on the Water.

Maine’s best bartenders and pastry chefs are getting into the action with two competitions. On March 1 at 7 a.m. at the Sea Dog Brewing Co., there will be an “Incredible Breakfast Cook-off,” and on March 10 at 4:30 p.m. at the Prime Mercedes-Benz in Scarborough, the “Bartender and Dessert Competition” is scheduled. Proceeds from the competition benefit the United Way of Greater Portland. Diners can preview participating restaurants, menus and prices at www.mainerestaurantweek.com/restaurants, where they can also buy tickets to the competitions and get a free  mobile app for iPhones.

Area hotels are offering a variety of packages for the event, including the Camden Harbour Inn, which has a deal for $199 per person, which includes a two-night stay in a guestroom or suite, a four-course dinner at Natalie’s and champagne breakfast each morning. For info, visit www.camdenharbourinn.com/promotions/maine-restaurant-week-package.htm
 Check out other deals at  Check out other deals at www.mainerestaurantweek.com
 

By Necee Regis, Globe Correspondent

Rockland, Maine, goes pie crazy on Jan. 27 with the 9th Annual Pies on Parade Pie Tour. From 1-5 p.m. sample more than 40 pies at businesses, restaurants, and inns throughout town. The 20 participating venues will serve both a savory and sweet pie, including galettes, tarts, quiches, pot pies, pizza pies, and even a grilled pie. Adults $25, children ages 10 and under $10. Ticket sales benefit the local food pantry. The Historic Inns of Rockland — Granite Inn, Captain Lindsey House, Lime Rock Inn, Berry Manor Inn — offer a Pie Tour package. A two-night stay includes two tickets to the Pie Tour, silent auction, wine and pie tasting, $50 credit for dinner Saturday night, two personally baked pies, breakfast, and more. Rates from $345. 877-762-4667, www.historicinnsofrockland.com

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

The Portland Harbor Hotel in downtown Portland, Maine, is hosting its annual Ice Bar Jan. 24-26, featuring martini bars pouring specialty cocktails, as well as an ice bar serving local beers. The ice bar is carved outside in the hotel's courtyard and is surrounded by fire pits and ice sculptures. Inside, music is provided by a DJ along with free samples of food from area restaurants.

It's a popular event, organizers say, with tickets selling out quickly in advance; they are  not available at the door. Tickets are available through Brown Paper Tickets, www.brownpapertickets.com, and are $20 each, for those 21 and older.

The Portland Harbor Hotel has overnight stays from $189 for double occupancy, including two tickets to the event and two drink vouchers for the ice bar. Rooms must be booked by calling 207-775-9090.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

The Maine town of Rockland, dubbed “Pie Town USA” by the Food Network, is hosting the ninth annual pie-a-thon to celebrate National Pie Day (yes, there is one, it’s Jan. 23). The town is celebrating the event Jan. 27 from 1-5 p.m. when the Historic Inns of Rockland join town businesses and restaurants for “Pies on Parade,” where visitors can sample more than 40 different pies throughout the community, take tours of the town and some guest rooms at the inns, and participate in silent auctions featuring pies, local gift certificates and a chance to win an inclusive two-night stay.

All proceeds from Pies on Parade benefit the Area Interfaith Outreach Food Pantry & Fuel Assistance Program. Over the past eight years, more than $50,000 has been donated to the pantry. Lodging packages can be found at www.historicinnsofrockland.com, or by calling 877-762-4667.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

You don't have to go terribly far to see the northern lights - at least the L.L. Bean 7th annual Northern Lights Celebration in Freeport, Maine, a series of ongoing events that include horse-and-wagon rides, live shows, light displays, sled dogs and more. New to the list of Northern Lights activities this year is a Music Holiday Light SHow, featuring choreographed lights and visual effects timed to music. A new show appears each hour, five times a night, running through the end of the year. The shows start at 6 p.m. The famous store is celebrating its 100th anniversary, and ends the party New Year's Eve, with a fireworks display and free entertainment. All events are free. For information, visit www.llbean.com/northernlights

By Kari Bodnarchuk, Globe Correspondent

Hop aboard a lime-green minibus and take a tour of southern Maine’s top microbreweries. The 13-passenger Maine Brew Bus offers three tours with stops at Allagash, Sebago, and Rising Tide breweries, Federal Jacks brew pub (the birthplace of Shipyard), and other beer-related hot spots. Each tour includes samples and snacks, a tour of the brewing operations, and a chance to chat with brewers. The Local Pour Tour visits a mix of beer, spirits, and coffee producers in Portland. $65-$75, depending on the trip length.  207-200-9111, www.themainebrewbus.com  

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

For the first time in 50 years, Amtrak is going north of Portland, Maine from Boston, with its Downeaster service to Freeport and Brunswick. Kicking it off are a couple of packages from the Inn at Brunswick Station that include Amtrak tickets. The first deal, the "Inn at Brunswick Station's Train to Maine" package, includes an overnight stay at the inn and two tickets, starting at $139 for Monday-Thursday stays, and $169 for weekends.

The inn's "Small Town, Big Experience" package is more inclusive, with a two-night stay, free rides to Freeport for holiday shopping and two tickets to the Bowdoin College Museum of Art. A private dining experience in the Tavern kitchen is included, led by Executive Chef Kevin Cunningham, featuring wine pairings with food. The price starts at $639 midweek and $699 on weekends, and includes daily breakfast and roundtrip Amtrak tickets. This package must be booked by calling 207-837-6565.

For more information, visit www.innatbrunswickstation.com

Photo of Inn and Brunswick Station lobby by Ted Axelrod

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

If you believe in ghosts, and even if you don't, this is the time of year where things going bump in the night seem to get bumpier. The Kennebunk Inn in Maine celebrates its haunted heritage this Halloween season with a special harvest dinner and overnight stay for those willing and eager to experience the paranormal activity at one of the state's most historic inns.

On Oct. 27 and 31, guests can attend "A Spirited Evening Harvest Dinner" with internationally known psychic Vicki Monroe, starting at 6:30 p.m. with a three-course dinner with appetizer for $68 per person, which gets you a choice of three entrees and dessert. The fun stuff, all eating aside, starts during the "Dueling Spirit" dessert created by Chef Shanna O'Hara, featuring an aptly named devil-dog ice cream sandwich and angel food cake with strawberry balsamic compote. Monroe will be your spiritual messenger for the evening, revealing, hopefully, the inn's source of ghostly activities over the years as she shares insights into the spook world she purports to know so well.

The 200-year-old Kennebunk Inn has two former employees - Cyrus, an inn clerk who died in the mid-20th century and lets his spirit self be known via falling wine glasses and other objects that mysterious take flight, and Silas Perkins, a night watchman and published poet. There is a third spirit in the mix, Sara Emily, identified by Monroe, who inhabits the main stairwell and waves to guests as they enter the building. Most do not see her, but she is said to be playful and enjoys knocking on guest room doors. The inn's room 17 is said to have the most paranormal activity.

Some dinner guests whose spirits connect with Monroe will get a personal reading during the program, and all can stay for a "Meet and Greet" with her in the lounge after dinner. For those guests wanting to take part in the inn's restaurant, Academe's award-winning cocktails to enhance their paranormal sightings, the inn offers a 25-percent discount off room rates in the Adams, Jefferson and Madison suites. Prices overall start at $79 per night (not including dinner). Reservations must be booked by phone only, inn officials said, by calling 207-985-3351.

Book soon, inn officials said; last year's event sold out quickly, prompting them to add the second date this year. For information, visit www.thekennebunkinn.com

 

Yup, that’s the grand prize of this year’s North American Wife-Carrying Championship, taking place at Sunday River in Newry, Maine on Oct. 6, along with five times your betrothed’s weight in cash. Of course, wives also have the option of carrying their husbands for the same prize.

The Wife-Carrying Championships were inspired by Finnish wife-carrying folklore and the 19th century character, Rankainen, who chose people for his band on the strict nature on how well he could carry his wife over an obstacle course. The modern day event takes place on the slopes during Sunday River’s annual fall festival, on a 278-yard alpine course complete with wooden hurdles, sand traps, and the “widow maker” water hazard.

Competing teams don’t necessarily have to be married, but must comprise of a man and a woman, 21 years or older. Couples compete two at a time on the course until the top two fastest times have been determined for the finals. Winners also automatically qualify for the 2013 event.

There will be a playing field of 50 couples vying for the prizes this year, the 13th time Sunday River has hosted the event, including a selection of former champions. For complete information, visit www.sundayriver.com.

Sunday River Photo

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

From one man -- Leon Leonwood Bean -- came an eventual $1.4-billion empire. And now a party to celebrate it all.

In honor of its centennial, L.L. Bean is hosting a 100th Anniversary Hometown Celebration on Main Street in Freeport, Maine, from July 4-7, a four-day event that includes free daily concerts in L.L. Bean's Discovery Park, the 35th Annual L.L. Bean 10K Road Race, family friendly outdoor activities and more. The event ends with a fireworks display.

Fun stuff along the way: Freeport Fourth of July parade, featuring the L.L. Bean Bootmobile; free Outdoor Discovery School demos, including kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding; appearances by Red Sox legendary shortstop Rico Petrocelli, Wally the Green Monster and the Sox World Series trophies; a Muddy Bean Boots ice cream sampling, a flavor created by Gifford's for the anniversary; outdoor games with Olympic gold medalist snowboarder Seth Westcott; music from Chris Isaak and Jo Dee Messina; farmer's market; free concerts by regional artists; and all-day street festivals with local crafts, food and live entertainment.

Bean started his company in 1912, a one-man operation catering to those lovers of the great outdoors, starting with the waterproof "Bean Boot," which remains an iconic symbol of the company. L.L. Bean still makes the boot -- and a lot of other things, outdoorsy and fashionable.

For a complete schedule and more information, visit www.llbean.com

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

If you haven't heard a moose call and want to, check out the World Invitational Moose Calling Championship in Rangeley, Maine, June 22-24, hosted by the Rangeley Regions Guides and Sportmen's Association. It's part of the annual Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife's moose lottery drawing which determines who gets permits for the fall moose hunting season, a very big to-do in the Maine hunting world.

Moose callers replicate the barks, bellows and grunts of the giant denizens of the north woods, and this year is the first that combines the contest with the lottery. Last year, more than 3,000 people attended the lottery drawing. This year, there are 3,725 hunting permits up for grabs to the tens of thousands of hunters who have entered the drawing. The whole thing is part of a three-day festival, which is good for tourism, said Judy Morton, executive director of the Rangeley Lakes Chamber of Commerce.

"Our region is enthused about hosting the moose lottery and the moose calling contest and our shops, restaurants and bars will be joining in the festivities with moose-themed specials, like chocolate mousse, moose whoopie pies, moose jewelry and moose shots.

The moose calling semifinals will be held June 22 at Moose Alley in Rangeley and the finals the following day in front of the Rangeley Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum. Participants will have previously qualified at one of several preliminary competitions across the state.

Winners are judged in cow call, bull call, other attraction techniques (props allowed) and presentation/sportsmanship. First-place winner gets $1,000 (and bragging rights), and top finalists earn packages from Cabela's and Extreme Dimension.

It's three days of all manner of outdoor activities and events, information on which can be seen at www.rangeleyoutdoors.com/2012-moose-lottery-festival/ And for a video clip of moose calling in action, check out www.maineprmaven.com/tag/video/ It shows Maine guide Roger Lambert demonstrating various calls, that you can presumably try on your own. If a befuddled squirrel taps at your window looking for Bullwinkle, you may want to turn down the volume.

Photo from Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife website

PenAir, an Anchorage, Alaska-based regional airline, has begun offering service between Presque Isle, Maine, and Boston.

The carrier, which launched the new flights on Thursday, plans three daily nonstop round trips between Northern Maine Regional Airport and Logan International Airport Monday through Friday and two each on Saturday and Sunday, according to a report in the Bangor Daily News.

PenAir started the flights about nine months after Colgan Air informed federal regulators that it would stop serving the route. In April, Colgan's corporate parent, Pinnacle Airlines, filed for Chapter 11 reorganization.

National Park Service will offer free admission to all its facilities and programs from Saturday April 21 to Sunday April 29 in celebration of National Parks Week. There are more than two dozen facilities in New England, with the bulk of them being in Massachusetts. If you happen to be traveling that week, the NPS maps out locations by state on its website.

Photo of Adams Mansion in Quincy by Mary Schiess

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

More and more, it's one big happy -- and multigenerational -- family when it comes to travel. Preferred Hotel Group recently conducted a study of the leisure traveler, analyzing more than 400 variables, including the travel-related attitudes, behaviors, preferences, social values, lifestyles and media habits of people who identified themselves as "multigenerational travelers." The study found that 40 percent of US leisure travelers -- about 21 million of them -- had taken a multigenerational trip in the previous 12 months, that defined as a trip of three generations.

Traveling in groups isn't limited to families, either. Luxury travel operator Abercrombie & Kent also reported that 11 percent of its reservations in 2011 were for groups of five more, compared to eight percent the year before.

As might be expected, resorts are focusing on the large-group angle, creating programs and specialties for families and those traveling with a crowd. The all-inclusive Curtain Bluff Resort in Antigua is running a multi-gen package valid from May 15-July 28, based on two interconnecting junior suites for seven nights, and includes private sunset sail on a 49-foot sail boat; private family cocktail party at The Bluff House; and photographer for family portrait, to include CD of the shots, for a cost of $8,950. Additional junior suites are available at $4,325 for the week. Check it out at www.curtainbluff.com

Villas are ideal for family travelers and on the 1,400-acre private island of Mustique in the Grenadines, there are 74 rentable villas, from two to nine bedrooms, fetching anywhere from $6,000 to $150,000 a week. Mustique's only resort, the Cotton House, has 17 suites and babysitting services. Anyone staying on the island has access to nine beaches and a downtown market, and kid activities including pony camp, tennis camp, sailing classes and movie nights. Check it all out at www.mustique-island.com and www.cottonhouse.net

In Turks and Caicos, the upscale The Somerset on Grace Bay has 53 villas and estates and new this year is the "Caicos Kids Club," a free program for kids ages five to 12 and run by certified teachers from a local school, a day program that offers a variety of changing, kid-friendly activities. They also have a group kids' dinner on select evenings to give their parents some alone time. Rates at the resort, with accommodations ranging from 1,400 to 5,000 square feet, start at $900 a night. For more info, visit www.thesomerset.com

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

The White Barn Inn in Kennebunk, Maine, hosts some of New York's hottest chefs during its sixth annual Guest Chef Series this spring. White Barn's Grand Chef Relais and Chateaux Jonathan Cartwright joins culinary forces with Little owl's Joey Campanaro March 23-25, Recette's Jesse Schenker April 20-22 and Gramercy Tavern's Howard Kalachnikoff May 4-6. In addition to hosting the chefs, the White Barn Inn Restaurant, one of three restaurants in the country maintaining an AAA Five Diamond rating for 20 or more straight years, offers a package starting at $649 a night, in which guests can learn from the chefs during a hands-on cooking class and private culinary demonstration. Guests mingle with chefs at a welcome reception and get rooms for the duration of the weekend, which also includes daily breakfast, afternoon tea, and a nine-course tasting menu dinner for two at the restaurant. For more information, visit www.whitebarninn.com/kennebunkport-maine-restaurants/package04/

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

March in Maine is a time when business is usually slow, especially this snow-light winter. The fourth annual Maine Restaurant Week, March 1-10, aims to pick up the economic pace while highlighting the state's laudable food scene and helping out local charities, which receive a portion of the proceeds. More than 75 restaurants are taking part in the event, serving three-course dinners for $20, $30 and $40, depending on the restaurant. Some are also serving prix fixe lunches for $15. For a complete list, check out http://www.mainerestaurantweek.com/

Many hotels are offering specials, including the Camden Harbour Inn, where $109 per person gets you a night's lodging, glass of Prosecco in the bar, a welcome gift and a three-course Maine Restaurant Week dinner at Natalie's Restaurant, where Chef Geoffroy Deconinck was nominated by Food & Wine for the People's Best New Chef Award 2011. Also included is nightly turndown with chocolates, the hotel's signature champagne breakfast and free room upgrade on check in, when available. Check it out at http://www.camdenharbourinn.com/ or call 800-236-4266.

The Portland Harbor Hotel in the heart of the Old Port section of Portland, has a few packages to offer, including one for $140 a night that includes free Lincoln Town Car service; another for $170 per night that includes cocktails for two, an amuse bouche upon arrival and breakfast for two; and another for $230 per room that includes dinner at Eve's, at the hotel. Check it out at http://www.portlandharborhotel.com/ or call 888-798-9090.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Valentine's Day is approaching, which reminds of us two things: It's time to be romantic, and winter is half over. There are a number of places, far and near, to warm up to the romantic cause with Valentine packages, and here are some: 

The White Barn Inn up in Kennebunk Beach, Maine, is running a romance package for the romantic month of February, which includes a night's stay in a deluxe room adorned with chocolate-covered strawberries and champagne to wash them down with. Included is continental breakfast, afternoon tea and a romantic dinner for two. Rates are $600 for one night, dropping to $565 if staying more than one night. Check it out at http://www.whitebarninn.com/ or call 207-967-2321.

The Opus Vancouver has a "Cupid Concierge" deal for $295 a night, getting you a room, sparkling wine at check-in, a half-dozen roses or orchids delivered to your room before arrival, a half-bottle of Veuve Clicquot, a framed photo of your choice and a handwritten message from you delivered to your room before arrival, breakfast in bed and late check out. Upgrade to a suite for $100 more. See more at http://www.opushotel.com/vancouver.html

Also in Canada, Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth in Montreal has a "Bare Your Heart Package" for the romantic in you, which includes a one-night stay and breakfast in bed, with rates from $219 in Canadian dollars (the exchange rate is nearly even these days), available throughout February (except Feb. 24 and 25). A $10 donation per package sold will be made to Fondation En Coeur, a Quebec-based agency that helps kids with heart disease and their families with support services and information, and helping improve medical services in pediatric cardiology and adult congenital heart disease. Visit http://www.fairmont.com/queenelizabeth for more information.

Go west and get warmer with the "Back in the Saddle Package" at the Tanque Verde Ranch in Tucson, Ariz., which offers 20 percent off room nights (their rates are all inclusive, with meals and activities) for anyone booking three or more nights from Feb. 10-19. Rates start at $225 per night, not counting the discount. The resort is a working horse ranch with 180 horses on 60,000 acres of desert landscape between the Rincon Mountains, Saguaro National Park and the Coronado National Forest, where couples can horseback ride, hike, mountain bike, swim, fish, enjoy the spa and relax in a room - that has no television. This is about romance, not what's on cable. Visit http://www.tanqueverderanch.com/

Wine is romantic, and the Fairmont Mission Inn & Spa in Sonoma, Calif., unwraps its "Romance in Wine Country Package," with a room, two one-hour spa treatments, sparkling wine and a chocolate strawberry amenity, rose-petal turndown and sparkling wine tasting passes at Gloria Ferrer Winery. Packages are priced from $429 per night, and the special runs Feb. 10-19. The hotel serves what it calls a food lover's "aphrodisiac menu" for $125 per person. Check it out at http://www.fairmont.com/sonoma

Another Arizona resort, L'Auberge de Sedona, offers its "Sedona Snowmance" package for two that highlights skiing and getting warm and cozy later in new guest rooms with mountain views. The package includes two nights, two lift tickets to Flagstaff Snowbowl per day booked, a $75 food and beverage or spa credit per day booked and free winter drinks by the fire, ciders, teas and cocoas (the hard stuff is available but not free). Package savings are 40 percent with rates starting at $265 for guest rooms and $320 for cottages. The deal is valid through March 15. Check it out at http://www.lauberge.com/

Sunsets on the Pacific are pretty romantic, and the "Stay, Spa & Splashes" packages at Surf & Sand Resort in Laguna Beach, Calif., allow you to enjoy them. The deals, with 30 percent off rates starting at $625 a night, include a one-night stay, spa treatment for two, three-course dinner for two at the resort's signature Splashes restaurant, and gourmet breakfast in room (or the restaurant). Check it out at http://www.surfandsandresort.com/

If you like pie, you’ll love Pies on Parade, Sunday, Jan. 22, 1-5 p.m., in Rockland, Maine, dubbed Pie Town USA by the Food Network. The annual Pies on Parade Pie Tour, sponsored by the Historic Inns of Rockland, Maine, is a double treat: Not only do participants get to eat every type of pie imaginable, but they also help support the local Area Interfaith Outreach Food Pantry.

Here's how it works. Purchase a $25 ticket (or take advantage of one of the packages offered by the inns), arm yourself with a fork, then visit more than 20 downtown venues for sampling portions of 45 different pies: sweet and savory traditional pies, as well as galettes, tarts, pot pies, pizza pies, seafood pies, quiches, and more. You can walk site to site or hop on and off the free trolley. Rain, snow, ice, sleet, nothing stops this event from happening: Hundreds of pies have been baked. Since its inception, nearly $50,000 has been raised to help feed the hungry.

Tickets for the tour alone sell out quickly; $25 adults, $10 kid 10 and younger. To order tickets in advance, call 1-877-ROC-INNS (877-762-4667).

Two-night packages available at the sponsoring inns range $345-495 per double room and include lodging, daily breakfasts, event tickets, two personal-sized pies, a $50 voucher for dinner valid at a number of area restaurants, admission and exclusive tour of the Owls Head Transportation Museum, and more. One-night packages begin at $185.

The four member inns—The Berry Manor, Captain Lindsey, Granite Inn, and Limerock Inn—were all built between 1835 and 1898 and are located intown. These aren’t home-stay B&BS, all are historic homes turned into boutique inns, complete with all the whistles and bells: private rooms, private baths, common areas, Wifi, abundant breakfasts. Some have fireplaces and whirlpool tubs. One is especially kid and pet friendly.

Photo of lobster quiche at 2011 Pies on Parade event/Hilary Nangle for The Boston Globe