Shopping for a cozy landing in Kittery, Maine?

The Lawrences expanded their house to create Chickadee Bed and Breakfast in Kittery, Maine. (HANSI KALKOFEN FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE)

KITTERY, Maine - If you think the way I once did, you associate Kittery with shopping. Period. You might even avoid the place because of that, as I did for many years.

But it turns out that if your only experience with Kittery is its chain stores and the congestion they produce, you're missing the town's many charms: lovely art galleries, great restaurants, rich regional history, beautiful waterfront vistas, beaches, nature trails, even a wildlife refuge. Kittery has them all, but I didn't discover this until I stayed at the Chickadee Bed and Breakfast, which is just a quarter-mile from the shopping strip but feels a world away.

Run by Walter and Brenda Lawrence, natives of the town, the Chickadee is on a leafy residential road and for good reason feels very much like a private home. It occupies the same house - a modest, pretty Colonial built in the late 1800s - where the Lawrences have lived for nearly four decades.

After their five children were grown and gone, the Lawrences built a one-floor rear addition as their living area, leaving the rest of the house empty. They made use of that extra space by opening a four-bedroom B&B five years ago, naming it after Maine's state bird. At the Chickadee, we were conscious of being in someone else's home, as is often the case at small houses that have been converted into inns. But the Lawrences give their guests plenty of freedom and run a classy operation.

Their website is informative and sophisticated. They keep the grounds beautifully landscaped. Each afternoon, they put out snacks like cookies, cheese and crackers, lemonade, and iced tea. Their front porch is outfitted with rocking chairs, wicker furniture, magazines, loaner umbrellas, and beach towels for the seasonal outdoor pool. When Walter e-mailed our confirmation, he reminded us to bring our bathing suits. And when we arrived, our room was stocked with chocolate, candy, ice water, and flowers.

Downstairs, guests have access to the dining room and a snug parlor filled with books, games, puzzles, an entertainment center, and complimentary beer, wine, soda, and water. All the guest bedrooms are upstairs, just off a small hallway, and have names that reflect their decor: the butterfly, princess, sunshine, and nautical rooms.

The nautical room, where we stayed, has a water motif, of course, and it's impressive how many knickknacks of docks, boats, shells, and lighthouses the Lawrences have found. Like the other guest rooms, it has a private bathroom, air conditioning, coffeemaker, hair dryer, writing desk, and wireless Internet access. I liked our room very much, especially its location at the rear of the house, which helped reduce the occasional whooshing of passing cars.

The inn's location is excellent: The outlets are within walking distance; three miles in the other direction is Kittery Point, a historic waterfront part of town; and across the river is Portsmouth, N.H.

Besides Walter and Brenda, the inn has four other residents: a Yorkshire terrier named Reba and three Chihuahuas named Maggie, Gem, and Harvard ("He's a smart little guy," said Walter). For the most part, these tiny dogs - who are confined to the Lawrences' private quarters - are quiet, despite the breeds being notoriously yappy. When we first arrived, they had a brief explosion of yipping and I wondered if their barking would be a problem. But I heard them only once more, shortly after 6 the next morning, when a few yips roused us from sleep, although we quickly drifted away again.

A caveat: Check-in is from 3 to 6 p.m., a tight window if you're driving from Boston to Kittery after work. A delay at the office meant we couldn't arrive until nearly 9, and Walter was clearly irritated when we called to let him know. But he was warm and welcoming when we arrived, although he told me later that 9 o'clock is the absolute latest he's willing to allow guests to check in. Any later, he said, and "I recommend a local hotel."

Breakfast, served at a group table, is a feast. One morning alone, we had a choice of banana bread, blueberry muffins, blueberry cake, jelly doughnuts, pancakes, bacon, home fries, French toast, and eggs any style, as well as coffee, tea, and juices. So bring your appetite - as well as your bathing suit.

Sacha Pfeiffer can be reached at spfeiff@bu.edu.