Hartstone Inn

Location. The Hartstone Inn is located in Camden, Maine, one-quarter mile from Camden Harbor, where windjammers are available to provide tours of the Maine coastline. Camden Hills State Park, located less than two miles from the inn, provides extensive hiking trails with panoramic views atop Mount Battie, overlooking Camden, Penobscot Bay and the surrounding islands.

Features. Built in 1835, this Mansard-style Victorian inn features a collection of 400 live orchids in the inn's common areas and an English garden. Complimentary gourmet, seasonal breakfasts are served each morning on the dining room porch. Among the inn's many signature dishes are lobster and asparagus quiche and blueberry and almond pancakes. The inn also offers five-course dinners, open to the public as well as to inn guests, served on fine china and crystal and accompanied by a varied wine list. Wine and cheese are served in the late afternoons. Weekend cooking classes are available for a fee.

Guestrooms. The Hartstone Inn offers 21 guestrooms and suites decorated with original artwork. All accommodations feature featherbeds, down quilts and down pillows. Rooms are complemented with romantic extras including chocolate truffles, candles and fresh flowers. All units offer private bathrooms stocked with complimentary special soaps. Bathrobes are provided. Complimentary wireless Internet access and cable television are included. Select rooms feature jetted tubs, private entrances, lace canopy beds and fireplaces underneath high cathedral ceilings.

Expert Tip. In addition to the traditional cooking classes offered at the bed and breakfast, the resident chef of the Hartstone Inn offers one-on-one cooking experiences. Guests assist in preparing the evening's dinner, and receive an apron, complimentary copy of the chef's cookbook and four hours of expert instruction on the menu of the day.