We were in search of a few days relief from the all-encompassing heat and humidity that comes hand in hand with living in central North Carolina. A quick trip was what we were after. We considered the coast: after all, Ocracoke, Kiawah, Bald Head Island and many more are within an easy drive and offer beautiful beaches. But no, the thought of the searing sand and relentless sun made us cringe.
The answer was to head for the mountains. And, lucky for us, the Blue Ridge Mountains are only about a three hour drive from our house, due west.
Are you familiar with the Blue Ridge Parkway? I had never driven on it. I assumed (WRONG!) it would be similar to our old stomping grounds, the Taconic Parkway in New York State. While the Taconic is lovely and offers a true view of the real Hudson Valley and beyond, the Blue Ridge is just plain dramatic.
For one who is “height challenged” I actually did quite well! The drop offs are buffered, somewhat, by stone walls.
This is a view of Bass Lake taken from the Moses Cone Mansion in Blowing Rock.
The best part of our getaway was staying at
The Mast Farm Inn
Yes, this is a first-class, lovely, understated, peaceful, no-request-is-too-much kind of place. Take a look at their site and see what I mean.
This was the view from our room:
The upper left house, The Loom House, was built @1810 as the original building on the farm. It is now the oldest inhabitable log cabin in North Carolina. Yes, you can stay in it!
Look at all the moss and textures on these roofs. It was a wonderful sight to see!
Lovely blue toile fabric everywhere, including a comfortable sofa, two armchairs and a rocking chair. Every day a personal note would appear like the one above. The king size bed was very comfortable. There were plenty of
standing and table lamps. The bathroom worked perfectly. It was quiet.
And…ta da…. there are NO televisions in any of the rooms. My kind of place!
Each morning, at 8 AM, a basket was delivered to our door with pre-breakfast tea or coffee.
You know I am picky about my tea and can smell and taste a once upon a time used for coffee container….not so here. The thermos had only the freshest, pure water for my tea!
Breakfast was served every morning between 8:30-9:30. While I did not take any pictures of it, please believe me that is was lovely. One of the best things about their breakfast is having your own table. No, no communal tables here. That is probably one of our pet peeves about most B&B’s and small hotels. I do NOT want to converse with my fellow travelers at breakfast!
And then we have the gardens. The Inn grows (almost) all the vegetables and fruits used in the restaurant.
The garden is just across the road, in front of the barn, and can be thoroughly enjoyed by sitting on the front porch of the Inn in a rocking chair. Sounds good, no?
Early morning tea looking over at the gardens…
Do you have a favorite place to escape to? Have you ever been to this area? We would all love to know!
