Historic 7 Bedroom, 2 House Family Compound On Hatch's Cove

13 adults, 7 children (ages 4-14) and our Bernese Mountain dogs spent a marvelous week at Beech Hill. The house is welcoming and brimming with character, old New England with enough modern conveniences for everyone. The swings hanging from wonderful ancients trees were a gathering place for the children and the field is ideal for soccer, baseball, and croquet. Children and grown ups made themselves comfortable in the game room in the evening, playing "Spy Fail." The kayaks and bikes were put to use and the beach is so close as is Acadia National Park. The porches are wonderful for the view of Hatch Cove and for meals and visiting. The houses are clean and well-equipped. The Combs are very helpful, responsive and generous in sharing what they enjoy with their guests. If we were to suggest any improvements, it would be to the comfort of the beds, which was not to everyone's liking. There was a malfunction of a bed in Beechwood, which would not keep us from returning by any means!

This is the perfect place to holiday with a large family. The houses are attractive and practical (though the washing machine facilities could be bettered in two of them). They are well equipped with cooking facilities and utensils, and absolutely stacked with toys and games for children.

The gardens are wonderful, large and exciting for children; to have the canoes actually on the property was a great boon. Wadsworth Cove is a marvellous swimming place, and so close. We enjoyed exploring Castine, and found the local shops supplied almost all our wants.

The owner fixed a hornet problem very quickly. The property was clean. Finding it was a little difficult - Beech Hill misled some, so emphasising 165 Castine Road might be better. We liked the bakery and the corner restaurant much better than Dennett's; and had a gourmet supper at Pantagoet. We enjoyed the forts, museum and cemetery, and forest walks; and whale-watching at Bar Harbour.

This was one of our Best vacations! The grandchildren had a blast! Who know that a few simple swings under a beech tree would make them happy! All 7 of them were on those swings!! The family loved sitting on the deck eating most of our meals there. There is a Beautiful view of the cove from the deck! One night we took all of the chairs down on the hill to watch the meteor shower! It was Fantastic!!!

It was a hike into Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park but well worth the trips that we made! Party boat fishing, whale watching, shopping, climbing up to Bubble Mountain! The lobster dinners were great! The list goes on and on!!

This is a Great location for a family vacation!!

The main house is in need of some repairs but was still very livable and the homeowners made us aware of that before we arrived. The homes were clean and there were plenty of linens and cooking supplies provided.

The town of Castine was quaint and very friendly! We loved this one local restaurant that the owner was the chef and the baker. The blueberry pie, muffins and scones were to die for!! We all stopped there on our way out the next morning for coffee, tea and muffins to go!

This property is a wonderful place. The large house is a grand, comfy and full of charm.

The property was perfect for our needs.

We had a large group and everyone was comfortable with plenty of space to stretch out, read the many books on Castine and just relax.

The back deck was such a gathering place and looking over the rolling hill that goes down to the water caused many AHHHH moments.

The property has beautiful trees to swing under, build a fairy house or just to admire. The gardens were also such a bonus. The back field was filled with baseball games, Frisbee and kite flying. By the way, a surf casting rod works great for kite flying.

Make sure you visit Castine, you can walk to town or go by kayak or canoe but remember to watch the tide… Also short drives away – Bar Harbor, Stonington, Blue Hills and Bucksport with the Fort Knox bridge. Visit the many 2nd hand stores and flea markets in the area – I couldn’t pass by any of them.

The owners, Eli and Erin, were above accommodating – answering questions, giving advice and even waiting for us to arrive to show us around. Much appreciated.

The general consensus at the end of our week was that we all wished we stayed for 2 weeks.

The kind of house that makes you want to quit your job, move to the coast of Maine, and slow down time. As romantic a family spot as you can imagine... dreamy swings hanging from majestic copper beaches, gardens and wildflowers, fields and ocean views... this is what they mean when they say the way life should be. The houses are comfortable, oozing with history and charm, but beautifully appointed and decorated with amazing sense of style. Castine itself is an adorable town with delicious bakeries and places for a top notch lobster roll, but the whole section of the coast is dotted with gems. Blue Hill, Brooklin, Belfast, Ellsworth-- so many towns to discover. But while we were there, we explored the nearby beach, played badminton in the secret side garden, walked down to the water in a gorgeous field, hung out on the back porch watching fireflies, ate lobster, did a puzzle on the one rainy day and listened to the great local public radio station. I can't wait to go back there and make this part of my family's summer tradition.