The Blue Hill Inn

The Blue Hill Inn, an intimate B&B, with air conditioned rooms and serving a full breakfast, is located in the sea coast village of Blue Hill, Maine. A Maine bed and breakfast accommodating guests since 1840, we are close to Castine, Brooklin, Sedgwick, and Deer Isle, and 45 minutes from Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor.

"Blue Hill is the kind of coastal village - scenic and secluded, yet with fine cuisine and culture to spare - that travelers dream of finding when they come to Maine. And the Blue Hill Inn is the kind of classic New England hostelry they hope to discover once they arrive..." Downeast Magazine

Blue Hill, Maine, a place to relax, a place to vacation. Visit a quiet & scenic place on the coast where you can sail, cruise or kayak past the lighthouses of Penobscot Bay, shop for antiques, sample food & cooking from local farmer's & fishermen, attend a chamber music concert & then return to a bed & breakfast of distinction called the Blue Hill Inn, where hors d'oeuvres & wine (Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence) are served by the fireplace & whose priority is individualized guest attention.

Located on an acre of land near the center of the village of Blue Hill and a block from the head of Blue Hill Bay, the Inn is one of 76 structures registered on the National Register of Historic Places. Mature trees, a perennials garden, and a small grove of apple trees enhance the grounds.

A federally styled building, The Blue Hill Inn has eleven guest rooms, a dining room and two parlors. It retains many of its original features, including clapboards, brick ends, five chimneys, nine over six windows, soft wide pumpkin pine floor boards and six fireplaces. ...adjacent to the Inn is the recently developed "Cape House," a luxury suite.

Various accommodations are available in the Inn including single and double rooms and two suites. Rooms may have twin, double, queen or king size beds, all rooms have a private bath. There are three rooms with working fireplaces.

Enjoy the special luxury of our Cape House suite, a private setting for a romantic honeymoon.

"One of the most spacious, comfortable rooms with every amenity thought of..." Potomac, MD

Breakfast is served each morning between 8 and 9:30 AM. fresh fruit, juice and sweet breads baked daily accompany a choice from several entrees. Blueberry pancakes, Belgian Waffles, spinach and feta omelets and amaretto french toast are among the favorites.

Well known for it's dining, The Inn hosts three wine dinners each year. These multi-course dinners offer presentations of 4-5 carefully selected wines. The dinners feature fresh organically raised produce and hers, locally raised meats or fowl, or fresh Maine seafood provided by a network of local farmers and fishermen.

In 1998 the Inn and its dining was featured across the country on the PBS award winning series, Country Inn Cooking with Gail Greco. For three consecutive years the Inn has received the Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence for "... one of the world's outstanding restaurant wine lists."

Individualized guest attention is our priority. Custom packages for sailing, kayaking, chamber music concerts, and jazz concerts, as well as, the preparation of special menus to accommodate individual food allergies, preferences, or restrictions may be arranged. Hors d'oeuvre hour, turn down services, and fresh towels twice a day are a few of the special touches offered. Adding to the attentive atmosphere, innkeepers Don and Mary Hartley personally oversee the details of each guest's stay.

We think you will love it here!

Don and Mary met each other (blind date!) at the University of Delaware where he was a graduate student in the Department of Psychology and she an undergraduate psychology major.

The relationship progressed into marriage as each earned advanced degrees and Don accepted an appointment at Bucknell University. In the 1970's the family, which then included two little daughters, bought a farm in Pennsylvania and with lots of help from Amish and "English" neighbors raised Angus mix beef cattle and Cheviot - mix sheep and lambs. This was a hobby on the side of course.

Subsequent career changes occurred as Mary and Don became involved with teaching classes for parents of children and adults with mental retardation. After a number of years each ended up in the field of public administration directing and supervising programs and services for persons with mental illness and/or mental retardation. It was only a short step (about 15 years later) from administration into innkeeping!

Wine Dinner Weekends - June 10 & 1 1, September 16 & 17, and October 20 & 21 Enjoy a leisurely weekend of food and wine. Each weekend includes two nights lodging with breakfast, afternoon tea, evening hors d’oeuvres both days and the wine dinner on the second evening. Prepare for a sumptuous six course dinner five, carefully selected wines, and an evening of good conversation and fun. The Inn was featured in the Wine Spectator magazine last July and is a three time recipient of the magazine’s Award of Excellence. We enjoy good wine and think you will too.

Day Cruises on the Beautiful Waters of the Penobscot Bay - You haven't seen Maine until you have seen it from the water with its miles of coastline, thousands of islands and picturesque villages. See it in luxury from the flying bridge of a privately owned cruiser that carries a maximum of six passengers. No matter what the destination, the Captain and his wife provide you with an informative and relaxing tour of the waters surrounding the beautiful Blue Hill area. Packages include three nights of lodging at the Inn with breakfast, afternoon tea, an evening hors d’oeuvres each day, a five hour cruise on the second day, and lunch while on board. Reserve early. Custom cruises to meet your vacation schedule are also available. Obviously, cruises may be cancelled by the Captain because of weather or conditions.

Lighthouse Cruise - June 21, 22, 23, July 9, 10, 1 1, August 3, 4, 5, September 3, 4, 5. If you love lighthouses this is for you. Cruise the beautiful waters, enjoy the beautiful scenery of the rugged Maine coastline and islands, and view five lighthouses ranging in type from the spark plug of Goose Rock to the house and light at Heron Neck. Enjoy lunch on board with the most fabulous water views around.

Deer Isle and Bucks Harbor Cruise - September 13, 14, 15. Cruise around Deer Isle and into Bucks Harbor for a lunch in the village.

Foliage Cruise - September 26, 27, 28. Boat to Mount Desert Island and Acadia National Park and cruise the area for spectacular views of the crimson, yellow and green panorama of the island’s seven mountains and the crystal blue waters of the bays.

Sea Kayaking - We will arrange throughout the summer by advance reservation. Kayaking gives you a seal’s eye view of the water and landscape. Half-day, full day, and overnight island camping trips are provided by Granite Island Guide Service and availability varies with the type of trip. Groups are small, with a maximum of eight people, and led by a Registered Maine Guide. Beginners instruction is offered. Call us for more information.

Kneisel Chamber Music - Weekends July through the middle of August. Kneisel School of Chamber Music is internationally known with students from around the world. The faculty, all accomplished musicians from across the United States, perform twice weekly concerts in a small hall nestled in an idyllic wooded setting. Weekend concert packages include either the Friday or Sunday concert and two nights lodging, breakfasts, afternoon tea, and hors d’oeuvres.

Academy Antiques Show - Maine's oldest antiques show. August 2, 3, and 4, 2000. A show for the discriminating collector, (formerly known as the Ellsworth Antiques Show) with its second season in Blue Hill. Three days at the Inn and admission to the show all three days.

Hiking with Don - Available by advance reservation only. Don will accompany you on his favorite trails at Acadia national Park.

Antiquing with Mary - Available throughout the season by advance reservations only. Mary will introduce you to her favorite shops and dealers.