Martha Stewart, Penn Cove Mussels and the Lovejoy Inn

Sorry, almost forgot we had a blog! I've been working on the new Coupeville Lodging Association brochure and this time we've added local restaurants. We have some yummy food pictures and one was of a bowl of Penn Cove Mussels. Coupeville's number 1 specialty food is Penn Cove Mussels. Coupeville is on Penn Cove, mussels grow wild in the water, and there is a the Penn Cove Shellfish Farm that farms the mussels. Its's about impossible to get a bad mussel in Coupeville - they are delivered to the restaurants fresh - all week long.

So I was searching for a Penn Cove Mussel photo on the web and I came across a segment of Martha Stewart where she focused on our mussels. Great shots of the farm, Tim the mussel man, and the guy making mussels on the beach at Ebey's Landing on Whidbey Island. The video is fun (and educational) and will make you hungry. Watch the Martha Stewart Mussel show on youtube by clicking here

The Lovejoy Inn doesn't serve mussels with our breakfast, but can point you to a number of great restaurants within 2 blocks that will let you experience our local - farm to table - delicacy.

I'm back . . .again . . . Lovejoy Inn has had an awesome summer!

Wow, it's been much too long since I last posted. I realize I say that about every 3rd post, then I apologize ... sorry.

I've got an excuse - we've had a really great summer - very busy with lots of great guests from all around the country, a bunch from a mild mannered neighbor to the north, and a few from abroad (aka across the pond).

Favorites were from Pennsylvania, Wash DC, New Orleans, Gulf Coast of Florida, Anchorage, Portland, and even from our town - Coupeville. Of course there were more we enjoyed and really, so far, none that we would have rather not stayed with us. Overseas we had folks from New Zealand, France, London, Holland, and Seattle (we are on an island).

We are now on Facebook! That should help me stay on track with our blog - there are lots of stories from these past few months that need to blogged - recipes shared - secrets unveiled.

More to come soon - Mitch the Innkeeper

(pic is of our little "no vacancy" sign that we were able to get some use out of this summer. A little moth/butterfly in Lovejoy Inn colors landed on the front porch so I snapped this picture

before I squished it (just kidding).

Need More Room than the Lovejoy Inn? Try "The House Next Door"

Here at the Lovejoy Inn - we have 4 rooms. One is the Carriage House-off by itself, spacious, bright, king size bed and kitchenette - sleeps 2 (sometimes 3). We also have our 3 rooms in the inn - The Landing (near the landing of the stairs and because of Ebey's Landing), The Coupe (upstairs-full size bed, cute bathroom with "cozy" clawfoot tub/shower - named after Thomas Coupe - founder of our town - and because it its on the cozy side), then we have the Penn Cove View Room - spacious, queen bed - and the name says it all).

But, what if you need more room? Have a dozen people coming, want your own kitchen, yard, deck, cable tv . . . then we suggest the house next door.
Huh?

The House Next Door is a vacation rental, and we manage it. It is a gorgeous Cape Cod style home that looks like it's been here a century but is only 15 years old. 3 bedrooms, 1 sleeping loft, 1 den with fold out futon - it's great for 6 to 12 people (we've had anywhere between 1 and 12 + a dog stay there.

If you are coming to Whidbey Island, the Lovejoy Inn and/or The House Next Door Whidbey Vacation Rental are the perfect way to ensure a comfortable, affordable and relaxing stay.

Google Celebrates PacMan's 30th Anniversary - and so do we, in an unexpected way

So, this is a little more random than some of the other posts...forgive me. And, as usual, forgive it being 2 months since my last post (good marketing, huh?).

On Google's homepage Friday and Saturday, the Google logo came up as the game of PacMan. Kind of cute and nostalgic and if you waited about 10 seconds the logo would become an actual game you could play - pretty cool ...but, so what? Where are you going with this, you may ask?

Some of the characters in PacMan are these little blob things that chase PacMan - named Pinky, Blinky, Stinky etc. Blinky is the red blob. Hang in just a little longer . . .

Here at the Lovejoy Inn, we've been serving up alot of strawberries lately - seems like the season in California has begun, and we use them in our yogurt/fruit/granola parfaits. Yesterday we pulled one out that we decided we couldn't serve a guest - and that we didn't want to chop up.

IT WAS THE SPITTING IMAGE OF BLINKY! It was the freakiest little strawberry I've ever seen.

We let the girls inspect it and say how weird it was - then each got to nibble off one of "Blinky's" legs and then he was gone. Thank you for your patience.

Mussel Festival Weekend – March 5, 6 & 7 on Whidbey Island

Next weekend is one of Coupeville’s most Coupeville of festivals – the Penn Cove Mussel Festival. Coupeville is located on the shores of Penn Cove. Mussels grow all over the place in the cove. Mussels are “farmed” in Penn Cove about a mile from the heart of downtown Coupeville. I’ve found myself saying to our guests, “you can’t get a bad mussel in Coupeville.” Honestly, I’ve never had a bad mussel here - mainly because they incredibly fresh – they are harvested daily and delivered to the restaurants daily. Toby’s Tavern probably sells 25 lbs a day on slow days – I can’t imagine in the summer.

I’m not a big mussel guy (or muscle guy), but after living in Coupeville for 12 years and having these fresh ones – I do enjoy them and I suggest you try them if you aren’t sure if you’d like them. For a video story about the mussel fest and Penn Cove Mussels-click here.

So, next weekend is the Mussel Festival – fresh mussels cooked in wondrous ways; mussel chowder competition, mussel art, Mussel Hussel (a scavenger hunt), Mussel Mania antique sale at the Masonic Lodge, live music during the day and music, dancing and more mussels in the beer garden set up by Penn Cove Shellfish. This is really a fun event!

The Lovejoy Inn is in the heart of Mussel Festival. Sit on the front porch and listen to the band in the beer garden. Walk 150 yards to Mussel Headquarters.
We have availability next weekend. Call or email us or make a reservation online and mention “Mussels” and we’ll take 10% of your rate.

Last year, our 7 year old daughter competed in the Mussel Eating Contest – I think she placed 4th and was the crowd favorite. See the video below of this firece little competitor. She’s getting ready for next weekend and plans to go for the gold!

(top photo - mussels on pilings at Coupeville Wharf; photo before mussel eating; our daughter at the end of the table-sizing up the competition, and last pic after eating a pound)

Christmas in Coupeville! Coupeville Greening Parade and Tree lighting!

We live in a very charming small town. Last Saturday was our Christmas Parade – fire trucks, tractors, vintage cars, our little high school marching band, scouts, church groups the Lions club – perfect to start the season. All the historic waterfront merchants stayed open – all decorated with evergreens and lights. The Lovejoy Inn is 60 yards from the parade route. Location, location, location.

Highlight of the parade – councilman Bob Clay on his riding mower lit with Christmas lights. His wife Marilyn, an excellent local realtor, is so proud!

After the parade, the crowds gather in front of the park on Main St., drink hot cider, sing carols and then the countdown to lighting the tree. Our guests from Yachats, OR expected just the tallest evergreen to be lit – they were wowed when the entire park lit up. It is beautiful and fun to have lit each evening during December.

Blogging takes persistence - and not being distracted

whoa - it's foggy this morning....what was I saying...

Hi - I've been bad. Months since my last blog. I make a resolution every few months to really get in there and blog. Here I go again - there will be more posts - fun, interesting, special offers, local finds, local Whidbey Island recommendations, and observations - plus the goings on at the Lovejoy Inn.

School started so we got a little distracted. 3 girls, 2 schools, 3 music lessons, 1 sport, 2 clubs, homework, reading, etc. I know we are in the minority of innkeepers - having children who are still in school. What's great about it is that our girls get to see us at work. And, they are learning about work and will be starting to help around the inn.

We live on "our side." The Lovejoy Inn is the "guest side" of the house. It works out nice - our guests get privacy and don't feel like the middle of our home, and our kids can be kids and not have to tiptoe when they walk through the house. And, we are right in the middle of this super charming town and can walk to the beach.

Another blog tomorrow! I promise.

(top pic - 1st day of school Fall 2009; bottom pic - our girls and friends walking back after digging at the beach)