Downtown Inn with Antique Furnishings on Maine Coast

The village of Camden, Maine, is located where Camden Hills State Park's mountains meet the northern Atlantic's tree-lined shores—a classic New England landscape. Elegant mansions and 19th-century buildings dot the coastline and downtown. The 1835-built Curtis Island Lighthouse attracts visitors from the middle of the harbor. Lord Camden Inn contributes to the town's charm and allows guests to soak in its natural surroundings. Framed against the adjacent harbor and Penobscot Bay, the four-story inn's red-brick exterior has private balconies overlooking the ocean.

Formerly a Masonic temple, the Lord Camden Inn balances the old and new, incorporating exposed brick walls alongside marble and granite accents. Many guest rooms have private balconies with ocean views—the best are from the fourth-floor full harbor-view rooms—and some have gas fireplaces for warming up. In the lobby, local artwork decorates the old-fashioned wainscoted walls, and housemade cookies and freshly brewed coffee greet new arrivals. These treats preview the daily continental breakfast, where a spread of make-your-own belgian waffles, homemade granola, fresh-baked bread, bagels, and assorted pastries is served in the second-floor dining room, which doubles as an art gallery.

This deal includes a $25 credit to Fresh, a casual American-Mediterranean eatery on the waterfront. There, chefs redefine New England cuisine with entrees such as Maine lobster ravioli in an open kitchen, often interacting with and delivering fare directly to diners.

Camden, Maine: Seaside Village Surrounded by Ski Mountains

Located on Maine's mid-coast, Camden rewards those who brave the winter weather with a powdery landscape on its stretch of Appalachian Mountains. At the Camden Snow Bowl, intermittent snow through March covers the skiing and snowboarding trails on the 1,300-foot Ragged Mountain. The community-owned ski area's toboggan shoots host the annual US National Toboggan Championships, where costumed sledders race down the mountain. This year's event takes place February 8–10.

The cold weather doesn't stop local fishers from scouring the sea to supply local restaurants with fresh lobster and shrimp. And while you’re here, make sure to try both the state’s official dessert—blueberry pie made with wild Maine blueberries—and the state’s official treat, whoopie pie.