Write a 200-Word Essay, Win the New England Inn of Your Dreams

by Elizabeth Vogt

If you’ve always wanted to own an idyllic Maine inn and can churn out a 200-word essay like it’s a lengthy Twitter rant, then entering this contest should be at the top of your to-do list. After twenty-two years, the current owner — and former winner — of the Center Lovell Inn in the “Lake District” of southwest Maine has decided to retire and is opening the contest back up to “fulfill someone else’s dream.”

The rules? Simply pay a $125 entry fee and write 200 words on “why you would like to own and operate a country inn.” The grand prize is the warranty deeds to the Center Lovell Inn and abutting property, but if the contest receives 7,500 entrants, the winner also gets a check for $20,000. The postmark deadline is May 7th, so you have plenty of time to decide if you want to quit your day job and hide away in the mountains for the next few decades.