Explore the Property
Topside Inn is situated on more than four acres of land, with the Main House fronting McKown Street as it winds tightly up the hill from the center of town. The front lawn, anchored with a row of classic white Adirondack chairs, slopes gently toward views of the outer harbor. The lawn and buildings are bordered by a variety of gardens that are a colorful, continual work in progress. Rooms in the two guesthouses include direct access to covered porch space for taking in the views, and the sweeping front porch on the Main House offers seating for all to enjoy. On summer afternoons a spirited game of croquet or bocce may erupt on the front lawn.
Welcome to the Taj Ma-hen
The Chicken Coop
With the nickname “Taj Mahen,” our beautiful coop is clean and quiet, with less than a dozen hens. Guests are encouraged to visit either on their own or as part of an impromptu tour. The only rooster is our brass weathervane, so feel free to sleep in.
In addition to views of the harbor, if you’d like a room with the best view of the orchard and new chicken coop, you can’t go wrong with the Leeward Guest House. Our Harbor View King rooms on the lower level with the expanded deck area and Premium Harbor View rooms on the upper level are all great places to relax and catch a glimpse of nature’s bounty.
The Gardens
The scenery here isn’t limited to our views of the harbor. Topside Inn is also home to a wide variety of seaside perennial gardens and an orchard with apple, peach, plum, pear and cherry trees, greeting guests as they walk throughout the property. The flowers, herbs, and vegetables in our gardens all play an important role in the Topside Inn experience. You’re likely to enjoy them throughout your stay with us, perhaps in more ways than you think! When you arrive at the inn, you might be greeted by a freshly cut flower arrangement at the front desk from our garden. Our flowers also accent the breakfast tables and common areas as well as provide edible garnishes to dishes. Visit us in July, August, and September to see the gardens in full bloom.
The gardens are more than beautiful to look at. They also offer fresh, delicious ingredients for our breakfasts, like the tomatoes for our fried green tomato eggs Benedict. Our extensive herb garden provides our savory breakfasts with the fresh taste of parsley, chives, sage, cilantro, thyme, and dill; lettuce, baby spinach, or Shishito peppers are a delicious and healthy complement to our main dishes. If you have a taste for spice, you’ll love our hot sauce made with our fresh habanero peppers!
Our Ocean View Orchard
You can find a total of 32 new fruit trees on our property, about half of which are on the western-facing hillside. Most of the trees were planted in 2018 and each spring the branches offer a colorful show of apple, peach, pear, cherry, and plum blossoms. Now a few years old, we expect to get even more fruit from the trees during the summer and into fall. Beginning in late August we add our fresh grown fruit to our homemade breakfasts and often have enough fruit to leave a bowl of apples on the desk for guests to enjoy.
Original Artwork
Outside a piece by William Royall, is part of the Boothbay Region Sculpture Trail. In the common spaces, peruse and appreciate the “petite art museum” featuring local woodcuts and original 'prints' by Villard Studios and functional coastal-inspired ceramics by Ae Home. Your private room will feature paintings by Allen Bunker or Roger Milinowski.
