The Stone Hearth B&B was built in the 1920's as a country inn. It sits on the open shoreline of Lake Superior 65 miles north of Duluth, amid other homes. Yet it still maintains its country feel with the trees in the spacious yard and the sound of the crashing waves just feet away from the front porch.
There are four traditional guestrooms upstairs, and four more modernized units with whirlpool tubs and gas fireplaces outside in the boathouse. Inside the home the rooms are fairly small, including the guestrooms and downstairs common room.
Our room had a lone rocking chair and a four-poster bed. There was a graduation party hosted by the owners going on downstairs, so we spent the evening in our little room, giggling and reading the guest book for entertainment while we sat on the bed. It was far too cold to sit outside even though it was May 31st!
We did have a view of Lake Superior from our room, and enjoyed listening to the waves at night through the open window. Slept soundly.
In the morning, breakfast was served in the sunny dining room overlooking the lake. Although the brochure promised regional fare including turkey sausage and wild rice pancakes with blueberry syrup, we were served pork sausage and a fluffy sweet bread. Bummer. Especially when your spouse doesn't eat pork or fruit! The hostess was friendly and joined us for coffee, visiting for an hour.
All in all, it was a nice place. Just seemed a little outdated (paint peeling in the guestrooms) and cramped. There was nothing to do once we arrived. We were pretty much restricted to a stark room without a television or radio–not that we wanted either one, but it just seemed weird to feel so confined. And there was no place to go. There are no restaurants in the vicinity. Area shops such as Antilla's Gallery of Norwegian handicrafts and expensive sweaters close by 5pm. The closest movie theater is in Duluth 65 miles away.
But most people want a quiet retreat from the city when they escape to the North Shore. And quiet is what you will get here. Lots of it. Guess we were just ready to get back to the busy world of our one year old daughter after two weeks without her in the northwoods...
Check out their website at www.stonehearthinn.com. To get here take Highway 61 north of Duluth to Little Marais. Look for Lakeside Estates Road on the right hand side of the highway.