The Amish country for Valentines

Linda Perney

7:03 PM EST, January 24, 2008

A guest room at the Cameron Estate Inn (handout)

Back roads meander past old-fashioned barns, covered bridges, well-tended farms, and quiet pastures. If you're looking to de-stress, you can't do better than a weekend in the Amish countryside of Pennsylvania.

WHERE TO STAY: The Cameron Estate Inn offers a warm welcome. The house itself is a grand mansion, built in 1805, which now includes 18 rooms and suites. Long before it became a country inn, it had a connection to American history: Owned by the Cameron family -- one of whom served as Abraham Lincoln's secretary of war -- it was built by the great-grandfather of President William McKinley.

Today's inn is furnished with antiques; many of the rooms have fireplaces and four-poster or canopied beds. Surrounding the house are 15 acres of gardens and woods laced with meandering streams. Breakfast is served in a cheerful sun porch, and the public rooms offer comfortable spots where you can settle in with a book. (Valentine's Day rate: $159-$259 per night; 1855 Mansion Lane, Mount Joy, Pa; 717-492-0111)

WHERE TO EAT: The inn itself offers upscale diing with a New American menu; the kitchen is sensitive to the seasons and to the bounty of local farms. (For Valentines, there will be a spesial menu, at $60 per person) If you want to try traditional Amish cooking, The Plain and Fancy is a farm restaurant, with huge platters served family-style. Lancaster County ham or country-style fried chicken are among the favorites. 3121 Old Philadelphia Pike, Bird in Hand; 717-768-4400; $14.95 per person).

WHAT TO DO: Take to the back roads and check out the antique and collectible shops scattered around the area, particularly in Adamstown. Visit the farmers' market in Bird in Hand and the historic village of Lititz, with its shops and galleries.