By Erinne Magee<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Before landing in Maine, Lisa Gant and Alex Pelling left the U.K. and traveled the globe by RV, visiting 65 countries in five years in search of a place to call home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBelfast had a vibe that we didn\u2019t know we were looking for,\u201d Gant said. \u201cThe area felt nostalgic to us despite never having been to Maine. We felt the opportunity and encouragement to follow any dreams we may have.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The couple turned that feeling into something tangible \u2014 a portfolio of businesses that invites both visitors and locals to slow down, settle in, and experience Maine from the inside out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gant and Pelling\u2019s sense of adventure is now embedded in the tour boat The Back and Forth, the couple\u2019s on-the-water experience that has become a staple of Belfast\u2019s harbor. Now entering its ninth season, the business continues to evolve in ways that feel both playful and intentional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This year, guests can expect new offerings that expand on the company\u2019s signature blend of connection and curiosity. A photography package allows visitors to capture the coastline from a different perspective, while an \u201cUp and At \u2019Em Morning Cruise\u201d invites locals and visitors alike to start their day surrounded by calm water and a quieter harbor. There\u2019s even a sunset social, where guests can bring their own food and drinks aboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other cruises returning this year include \u201cFamily Treasure Hunter\u201d (guided by a pirate), a day cruise with lobster rolls, and a sunset cruise with lobster rolls. All rides on The Back and Forth have a capacity of six passengers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Back on land, that same attention to creating a one-of-a-kind experience carries through Spofford Lodge, the couple\u2019s thoughtfully designed boutique stay in Bucksport. Locals may have ties to the building, which served as a schoolhouse in the early 1900s and later as a Freemasons lodge in the 1960s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, each suite reflects Gant\u2019s background as an interior designer, with carefully curated details that lean into comfort without sacrificing style. Guests are greeted with spa-like bathrooms featuring soaking tubs and heated floors, plush bedding, and small luxuries such as robes and a \u201cpillow library.\u201d The goal is simple: to create a place where even locals feel transported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe suites are so relaxing that you immediately feel as though you are on vacation, even on your own doorstep,\u201d Gant said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recent additions have only deepened that experience. The London Library, a self-serve, on-site shop, offers wine and snacks for a cozy night in, while EV chargers make it easy for guests to enjoy their stay with vehicles ready for their next destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While running a lodge, boat charters, and an interior design company keep Gant and Pelling busy, their community involvement doesn\u2019t stop there. The couple\u2019s knack for bringing people together is woven into The Three Somms, a wine-focused collective hosting a series of events in Bucksport and beyond. This season, gatherings are planned not only at Spofford Lodge but also at local venues such as the Alamo Theatre and other small businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reinforcing their commitment to the community, Gant and Pelling also run Small Biz Social, a networking group that brings together local businesses each month. The group meets at a different business each month so owners can showcase their spaces, services, and products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt has been a pleasure to meet so many business owners in the area and to see the connections grow between them,\u201d Gant said. She added that she and her husband are still inspired by the same feeling that drew them to the area in the first place, with a goal of continuing to share that hospitality with visitors and neighbors alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For more information or to book an experience, visit spoffordlodge.com<\/a>, thebackandforth.com<\/a>, mcid.me<\/a>, and thethreesomms.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Before landing in Maine, Lisa Gant and Alex Pelling left the U.K. and traveled the globe by RV, visiting 65 countries in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1376,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[49],"class_list":["post-1375","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-experience-maine","tag-featured"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":52,"label":"Experience Maine"}],"post_tag":[{"value":49,"label":"Featured"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/bangormetro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/many-modern-yachts-moored-on-tranquil-rippling-sea-in-nature-beneath-clear-blue-sky-in-twilight-6850274-768x1024.jpg",768,1024,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Amy Allen","author_link":"https:\/\/bangormetro.com\/author\/amy"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":52,"name":"Experience Maine","slug":"experience-maine","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":52,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":47,"count":10,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":52,"category_count":10,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Experience Maine","category_nicename":"experience-maine","category_parent":47}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":49,"name":"Featured","slug":"featured","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":49,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":21,"filter":"raw"}],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/bangormetro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/many-modern-yachts-moored-on-tranquil-rippling-sea-in-nature-beneath-clear-blue-sky-in-twilight-6850274-600x400.jpg","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/bangormetro.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/many-modern-yachts-moored-on-tranquil-rippling-sea-in-nature-beneath-clear-blue-sky-in-twilight-6850274-600x600.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bangormetro.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1375","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bangormetro.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bangormetro.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bangormetro.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bangormetro.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1375"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bangormetro.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1375\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bangormetro.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1376"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bangormetro.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1375"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bangormetro.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1375"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bangormetro.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1375"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}