Migis Lodge

Some Time at the Lake, Some Time on the Sea

A quintessential Maine experience! Stay at our lakeside lodge for two nights and then travel to the ocean for two additional nights in our luxury oceanfront Inn.

Spend two nights at Migis Lodge, our lakeside resort, and enjoy three gourmet meals each day. Set on Sebago Lake, Migis includes amenities such as sailboats, waterskiing, island picnics, wood-burning fieldstone fireplaces, tennis and nearby golf.

Travel then to the coast to enjoy two nights with breakfast and dinner at The Inn at Ocean's Edge. Dine each night at The Edge and enjoy a lobster lunch aboard the sailing schooner Heron, which leaves out of nearby Rockport Harbor and a gourmet boxed lunch on your second day.

Out price of $2425 includes four nights lodging, two nights at Migis Lodge and the Inn at Ocean's Edge with three meals each day.

Rates are based on double occupancy and exclude beverage and gratuity.

Available from July 6th through July 19th, 2008.

A Place Built For Sharing

We thought you might enjoy reading this article which was published in Yankee Magazine (September/October 2007):

A Famous Maine Resort Remakes the House Next Door by Polly Bannister

Sebago anchors Maine's Lakes Region. The state's second-largest lake (after Moosehead), its shoreline is dotted with summer camps and cabins where children swim and canoe while grown-ups fish and hike. Migis Lodge, tucked into the northeast edge of Sebago Lake, is a resort known for rustic refinement. Here generations of outdoor enthusiasts have been nurtured.

But few are more passionate about this quiet corner of Maine than owners Tim and Joan Porta. They met at Migis Lodge (Joan was a guest, and Tim's parents owned the property).

They married and raised five children here, after buying the property from Grace and Gene Porta in 1983. Joan and Tim have lived for nearly 30 years at Migis, and thier work has been to celebrate and share a lakeside life.

Now there's a new "cottage" to rent through Migis (now known as Tall Pines), complete with three master suites, a great room with two fieldstone fireplaces, and an open dining area off the great room. A price tag of $8,400 a week may sound hefty (I admit to a silent gasp), but the property, near the lodge can easily accommodate large families or groups of friends who want to vacation together.

The large working kitchen includes granite counter, Jenn-Air appliances, and a wide golden bar created from the wood of giant pines that came down at Migis. Balconies and porches overlook the Dingley Islands and offer endless views of the lake. Guests have access to the lodge by way of a path and many opt for amenities such as housekeeping services, firewood stocking, dining, picnicking, waterskiing, and biking. But at the new "mini Migis", guests also enjoy the privacy of their own beach and may ope for cooking in.

The property was discovered by avid Migis guests, who from the water spotted a "House For Sale" sign tacked on a pine tree. They feared that the nondescript building they found there could turn into a "tear it down and build a McMansion" situation. So they decided to buy the place to protect Migis Lodge, Waldron Point, and the quiet coves hereabouts. Having collaborated with Tim and Joan on the design of the new house, they incorporated their favorite elements of the cottages that dot the shoreline of Migis's winding woodland acres. The architecture is Adirondack style, with a sloping roofline and long overhangs that keep the house grounded. This 1- 1/2 story building features shed dormers and rafter details that create an understated profile, nicely fitting a landscape that stretches gently down to the water. The only reminder of the previous home is a lichen-covered stone foundation, which helps create a transition from the grassy knoll on which the house sits down to the soft sand of the nearby beach.

The exterior siding is board-and-batten stained moss green with darker green trim - colors that echo the surrounding pines. The builders were instructed to wrap the trunks of the trees near the construction so that the site could remain as natural as possible. (Not one of the property's towering white pines was cut.) Windows sport a splash of red accent, inviting your eye inside. Each bedroom features an enclosed balcony - a place where you can enjoy your morning coffee outdoors even if it's raining. Porch railings are made of shaggy cedar with copper balusters.

Sebago is beautiful anytime of the year, but autumn brings quiet. Cool breezes whistle in the trees, yet the water is still warm enough for swimming. In the late fall, pine needles make a soft ground cushion and dust the rooftops. Their golden hues against green shingles are like the last warm rays of sunshine on Sebago.

Joan and Tim Porta have literally made a career of interior decorating. They travel to several gift shows a year to purchase items for three shops they run in conjunction with Migis. Much of the ambience they create in their guest room originates on these buying trips. Joan's specialty is the lodge look. Her advice for achieving this style is simple: "Allow the natural and seasonal elements from the outdoors to be reflected inside."

Organic materials - wood and woven rugs - and stone and metals define Joan's decorating. A fieldstone chimney flanks the stairway, whose wrought-iron railing curls like a vine. In the master bedroom of our featured home, Joan highlights nature's palette with a green cotton coverlet complemented by a mushroom colored wool throw. A wrought-iron bedside lamp with gently curving stem and leaves looks like a flower. Knotty pine walls remind us that the trees are just beyond. In other rooms, Joan selects local creatures to grace walls and shelves: a wooden loon, a bronze bear with round belly (suggesting the landlocked salmon that thrive in Sebago Lake), bold moose designs on hooked rugs, and in the bath a simple fir tree motif bordering ivory tiles. A small hobo-style table with twig legs looks as though it might have been plucked from beneath a tree. Favorite accessories include stoneware pottery, wooden bowls of seasonal fruits and vegetables, wildflower-laden pitchers, soaps shaped like frogs and fish, wroght-iron lamps and candlesticks, duck decoys, and cotton throws decorated with herons, owls, and other wildlife.

Most of the accessories mentioned here may be found at Cry of the Loon, The Nest, and The Bard, the Porta's three shops on Route 302.

For more information about Tall Pines or any of our cottages, please give us a call!

Food at Five Fifty-Five

Who doesn't love delicious dinners in the Migis dining room with Chef John's satisfying menu and Dennis's amazing deserts. The food, along with the great views of the sun setting over Sebago Lake, make it a memorable dining experience. But those of us working at Migis like to try new places as well. Much to my surprise on a recent flight on Continental Airlines, I was reading their in-flight magazine (Continental, May 2008) and was so pleased to see one of my favorite Portland eateries get a two page spread! Congratulations to Chef Steve Corry and his wife Michelle for this great profile and review. According to the article, "Steven Corry is one of the most acclaimed chefs in Portland, Maine. And the praise heaped upon him recently (including a nod from Food & Wine magazine as one of the top new chefs of 2007) suggests he may be on his way to becoming one of the premier chefs in the United States. But neither Corry nor Five Fifty-Five (555 Congress Street; fivefifty-five.com), the restaurant he co-owns with his wife, aims to be fancy. 'It's comfort food with bells and whistles', Corry says. 'There's definitely a foundation in things that I remember eating growing up - yes, they're dishes you remember - but the way we do them, they taste nothing like you remember.' After you try them though, you won't soon forget!" Check out the whole article at www.continental.com/magazine (it's under the go eat tab). They also give a shout to to other Portland favorites - Fore Street, Becky's Diner, Back Bay Grill, Bruno's, Duckfat, Bibo's Mad Apple Cafe, Great Lost Bear, Roma Cafe, and Walter's Cafe. If you are in Portland I encourage you to try some of our city's unique eateries!

Rake Week

A big thanks to the local kids from Lake Region High School who spent their spring vacation working with us as part of our annual rake week. We had about a dozen rakers who started on one end of the property and and raked and picked up winter debris and worked their way past all of the cottages, along the lake and up the Migis road to the Cry of the Loon. It is amazing how much better the property looks! It was a beautiful week too - temperatures reaching into the 60's and 70's, sunshine and blue skies. We even saw the ice finally go out and some buds appear on the branches. Willow was here and started to work on the flower beds and soon Migis will be decked out in green leaves and colorful flowers. The Housekeeping staff is back on property too. They are busy doing thorough spring cleaning of the cabins. It will only be 10 days before our first wedding guests arrive!

Migis Lodge Spring Tonic, Part 1

Greetings from Maine!

What a winter it has been here at Migis Lodge! We have received well over 100 inches of snow and more is on the way. The lake has frozen beautifully and Sebago is dotted with ice fishing shacks and intrepid fishermen watching for a bite. It won't be long before the ice will transform into crystal blue water and the shacks and anglers will be replaced by boats and waterskiers.

Last year was wonderful at Migis and, as always, we are glad to have had so many of you with us a guests and friends of Migis. We are so lucky to have a great year round staff, including Robyn, Scott, Amy, Phil, Jed, Colby, John, Mary and Adam, whose sole focus is Migis Lodge and maintaining the "Migis Magic" for you. Thier friendly faces will be here throughout the 2008 season to welcome old friends and new acquantances. We have had a busy year ourselves and are enjoying the quiet of winter to help us focus on the upcoming season. Thank you to those of you who have already confirmed a stay for 2008. For those who have not, there is still room, especially in early July and throughout the beautiful fall season. We also welcome your inquiries about corporate functions, weddings and family reunions during our shoulder seasons. We look forward to seeing you all at Migis again -- whether at cookout, in the office, at the Shops or just around the property -- we can't wait to say "welcome back!" This is a special year for the Porta Family -- 40 years at Migis Lodge! Grace and Gene Porta bought the Lodge in 1968, and it's great that three generations of Portas have been involved in carrying our our family business. Best to you and all your families!

Tim and Joan

Migis Lodge Spring Tonic, Part 2

Welcome Home Deets!

Those of you who were at Migis Lodge during June and July of 2007 may remember that Deets, our African Gray Parrot, had flown the coop. Many of us searched and searched, we advertised and contacted animal control and had just about given up hope, when we got a phone call from someone who, in looking for her missing parrot, thought she may have found ours! It turns out that Deets was just on vacation; having flown away over Sebago Lake, she landed about a day later on the shoulder of a young girl. Her family took in Deets and she was well cared for, but we were all happy to be reunited in late July! In 2008 you will all, once again, enjoy being entertained by Deets at the Front Desk!

Migis Lodge Spring Tonic, Part 3

WHAT'S UP AT MIGIS?

Returning guests are always anxious to learn about what we have done at the Lodge in the off season. We are are keeping busy making improvements to help make 2008 another great year. We are working with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection to "green" Migis and become recognized as a Environmental Leader in Hospitality. Look for more information when you are with us this summer! Much work will be accomplished with the purchase of our new 1-ton pick-up and plow truck (which, with over 9 feet of snow this winter, has already gotten quite a work out!). Guests in the Gray Gulls will be pleased with a renovation of the front porches and in Gray Gull 1 a renovation to the "master" bath. Everyone will enjoy time on the front porch of the Maine Lodge a little more with improvements including new railings and ceiling fans to keep you cool while sipping cocktails. Lodge guests will enjoy renovated decking on their balconies. We are adding to our fleet of canoes and kayaks, and will make some improvemetns to the cookout area as well as replacing the fencing around the double tennis courts. And by popular demand, we are planning to add hair dryers and "amenities" to the cottages. Shoppers at the Cry of the Loon will appreciate the renovation to the "Fireplace Room" and all the hard work our retail staff has done to remerchandise the shops. There also will be the usual ongoing maintenance anround the property, the replacement of furniture and accessories, and we will continue to paint several cottages each year. No big projects, but lots and lots of small ones which we hope all of our guests will enjoy.

Migis Lodge Spring Tonic, Part 4

MIGIS LODGE WELLNESS CENTER

For those of you who have already confirmed your stay, why not confirm your massage appointment ahead of time too? Call ahead to enjoy professional therapeutic bodywork under the whispering pines at Migis Lodge. To learn more about the types of massage offered or to reserve your space please call (207) 415-1869 or send an email to guy.mcchesney@gmail.com. Your advanced appointment will be confirmed after you speak to, or receive an email from, a member of the Sebago Lake Massage staff.

More about our wellness center:

Enjoy the peaceful sounds of Sebago Lake while indulging in a wonderful massage among the tall pine trees of Migis Lodge. All therapists at Migis offer Swedish and Deep Tissue massage. Swedish Massage is a technique designed to promote relaxation, improve circulation and promote wellness. Deep Tissue massage works on the deeper muscle layers to assist with postural problems and trigger points (knots) in order to remove tension and muscular pain. We do offer some specialty treatments on a limited basis. Shiatsu is an eastern method that balances energy by working with acupressure points and Chinese meridians. The Tai Journey, also known as Traditional Thai Massage, is fully clothed mat work that combines deep tissue massage with passive stretching. A full 100 minutes is recommended for this session. Nature Spa Treatment - Enjoy the full relaxation of a Salt Scrub, Seaweed, Body Wrap, Foot, Scalp and Facial Massage. All sessions are booked on the hour at the front desk in our self-booking system. Please reserve one or two time slots. Appointments may be charged to your room or cottage. 24-hour Cancelation Policy: We ask that you let the desk know 24 hours in advance for cancellations for the following day. 50% charge for less than 24-hour notice. Full charge for no-shows. Group rates are available for weddings and corporate retreats. All Massage Therapy Services provided by Sebago Massage, LLC. For information, please call Guy McChesney at 207-415-1869 or email: guy.mcchesney@gmail.com.

"The 411 from Fashiontribes.com's newest blogger" by Jennifer Cattaui

Migis Lodge in South Casco - A Ritzy, Rustic, Relaxing Getaway!

"Ah summer; that time of year when you head out to your Hamptons share, hop a boat in St. Barths, or cruise off to the islands of Greece. But you forgot to make plans! Don't worry. Event though the hot weather managed to sneak up on you, there is still time to get your summer groove on... You've been to all the 6 and 7 star spots, donned your best Chanel wardrobe and basically ruined yourself for the hospitality industry. That sucks. Nothing you can do but go back to the basics. Find your inner Afro Love gal. Recalibrate your expectations and hone your sense of adventure and childish fun. You might want to check out MIGIS (my-giss) LODGE in SOUTH CASCO MAINE, about 45 minutes from Portland. OK, I found out this tidbit from a pair of fashionistas and mum was the word until now. Yes, iPod butlers in Mexico and smoothies in Mumbai are something, but this will get you thinking about your roots - those simple summers you spent growing up where you kissed your first boy and told your first ghost story. Call it nostalgia without the Kool Aid goggles. That's right, summer camp without the roughing it part! Leave your Jimmy Choos at home, and sprawl out on a chaise lounge with a mixed drink, looking up at not palm trees, but white pines. A cluster of cabins on the lake, fresh, fresh, air and clear seductive water, it's never been so cool to be so uncomplicated. It's like that simple black dress from Narciso Rodriguez. You know it's the finest quality of materials, however there need not be any bells and whistles to announce its superiority. There is a Cris-Craft ferry that you can hop on to lackadaisically scoot you to a private island where you can unfold a checkered cloth and open your picnic basket, you can get a sauna or a massage, only this time you are met not by canned whisperings and chants from the Buddah Bar's last CD but rather the wind whippping around and nature reminding you that there is life out of the city. There's golf nearby and tennis right on site (looking out onto the lake), pancake breakfasts at the water's edge, and excurisions where you can fish for salmon. They also offer an Autumn Adventure Special where you can enjoy the facilities in all of their New England glory, watch the leaves change, sail a lobster boat and enjoy private wine tastings. Great food, great quality sheets, great beverages and great company. Take a breath then take a ride up North!"

Migis Lodge in National Geographic Travlers Must Stay List

National Geographic Travler's magazine named Migis Lodge to its first-ever "Must Stay List".  The list, launched in thier April 2008 issue, will become an annual feature of the presitgious magazine.  The list features 150 properties which best represent an authentic "sense of place" in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.  The designation is considered an honor; National Geographic Traveler is the world's most widely read travel magazine, reaching nearly eight million readers.  Migis Lodge is owned and operated by Tim and Joan Porta; the couple partners with Neil Porta and Jesse Henry in True North Hospitality, which operates the Black Point Inn on the ocean in Scarborough, Maine.  The Black Point Inn was also recognized on the "Must Stay List". 

"We are all excited that more and more people are learning about the hospitable and beautiful guest properties available in Maine", said Neil Porta.  "It's gratifying to see that the character of our inns, combined with our committment to seamless service and top-notch dining experiences, all more than meet customer expectations". 

Named "Maine's Best Kept Secret" by Bon Appetit magazine, Migis Lodge was singled out by Traveler stating: "36 pretty cottages and a lodge dot 140 acres of stately pine forest along Sebago Lake".  Migis Lodge is "cozy (fieldstone fireplaces, handmade quilts) and lounge-inspiring (lake-view porches)" according to the feature.  This seasonal property holds the distinction of being one of the oldest resorts in the Pine Tree State, and is well-known for catering as graciously to honeymooning couples as to extended families with young children.  Guests at the Lodge enjoy a wide variety of outdoor activities, including waterskiing, swimming in pristine Sebago Lake, canoeing, sailing, and tennis.  The savory meals also are offered daily, both in the rustic dining room and at daily lakeside cookouts. 

"In our 29 years at Migis Lodge, we've tapped into something speacial when it comes to our guests wanting to return year after year, " Tim Porta, who with his wife Joan, heads the South Casco Property, stated.  "Guests' every need is anticipated and met, while guests are also able to enjoy a genuine 'escape' from their everyday worreis and obligations.  We're proud or our surrounding views, our gracious meal service, our attention to detail and the variety of outdoor activities.  But most of all, we're proud of the track record we've earned at Migis.  Nothing is more valuable than guests' repeated annual visits and their confidence in our resort experience.  Word continues to spread about our inns, throughout the U.S. and overseas.  With vacation season just around the corner, we are looking forward to welcoming back our long-standing loyal guests, and to the opportunity of welcoming for the first time many new ones!"