"Have you ever been to a bed and breakfast?" Les Gordon’s sister asked. Les and his wife Marilyn had to say no – in fact, they didn’t even know what a B & B was.

That was about 20 years ago. The couple went out and purchased a B & B guidebook, selected one in Maine, and arranged for a stay. They loved it. They loved it so much that from that point on, they tried to stay in B & B’s whenever they traveled. Soon they had their own "checklist" of what they liked in an inn. That came in handy when they decided to purchase one of their own.

Finding the Candlelite was just "dumb luck" Les said. The couple was in the area to look at another establishment when a Realtor called to tell them about the Candlelite.

"It was everything we wanted," Marilyn said."Except for the work!"

"And we’re till working on it," Les added.

"She’s the picker-outer and I’m the putter-upper!"

Driving up to the Candlelite, my husband and I were delighted by Victorian structure and the gazebo porch. The inside was just as inviting, decorated in an appealing country style.



We stayed in the Rose Room. As attractive as the photos on the website are, they didn’t do this room justice. Yellow and rose wallpaper adorned the walls and handsome wooden furniture graced the room. The thoughtful attention to detail was evident - from the basket of sample toiletries in the bathroom to the chocolate candies in the room. I loved the pair of baby shoes that hung over the dresser. And the window in this room looks out over the backyard where there’s a scenic pond.





The next morning, we came down to bright and sunny dining room. Our breakfast was awesome – oatmeal apple waffles with cider apple syrup, sour cream muffins, fresh orange-tangerine juice plus coffee and fresh fruit. There was even dessert! Nearly everything here is homemade, including many of the jams, jellies and sauces. All I know is, the food was delicious, and after eating breakfast at the Candlelite, there was no need for lunch.

If the weather had been better, we would have loved to sit outside on the gazebo porch. But it was warm and cozy as we sat in the lovely parlor and chatted with Les and Marilyn. Rows of books lined the bookcases and a photo album filled with photos of the inn awaited on the bookcase.

Les and Marilyn strive to live up to their motto of "Elegant...yet warm and friendly" - and I can attest to the fact that they’ve succeeded.


The Candlelite is the first inn to be included in the Congressional Record. The inn also was a 2006 Editor’s Pick from Yankee Travel, and the first New Hampshire Inn to earn an Inn of the Year Award from the readers of Pamela Lanier's travel guide, The Complete Guide to Bed & Breakfasts, Inns & Guesthouses.



The Candlelite Inn is located in Bradford, NH, in the Lake Sunapee Region. For more information, visit Candlelite or call: (888) 812-5571. The Gordons enthusiastically support local tourism and can recommend activities and attractions to suit nearly any interest.