5 stars. Pretty big deal then right? Absolutely, however it's not because of all of the amenities or fancy facilities. It's for the people that run this place and the fantastic time we had.
Tom and Judy, who own this land, are very lovely people. You are likely to be greeted by either one of them from the front porch or garage of the farm house. Tom has some great stories, and make sure you get a picture holding some his rattlesnakes he's collected (not as dangerous as it sounds, trust me). They were kind enough to let us borrow one of their vehicles to get up and down the driveway to the cabin, as it is very steep and not recommended for cars without 4 wheel drive.
Our cabin (Knob cabin) was lovely, just big enough and it had a fantastic view. We could sit in the jacuzzi and look out over the mountains with no building, lights, or power lines in the way. At night you could see a million stars. We also could build a fire in the fire pit and roast marsh mellows and the like. Cabin is just one bedroom, one bath, with a covered area, picnic table, and uncovered Jacuzzi at the end of the deck. Nice set up.
Tom and Judy have goats, chickens, and some cows nearby. In the morning we would take our scraps from dinner and feed them to the chickens. They also allowed us to pick raspberries in the garden, and they went well with breakfast. Tom also gave us some corn, beans and an onion fresh out of the organic garden for us to cook with. Judy also taught my wife how to milk a goat.
A great additional bonus about staying here, is that is at the bottom of a mountain that has an old fire tower on top. The road is closed from driving up, but with Tom and Judy's permission, you can venture up the mountain. It's a moderate to tough hike for those not used to hiking are who aren't in good shape. It's really worth it though. There are only a few of these towers left (check out the book in the cabin about it) and the view is spectacular. It's also the only place where you can get a cell phone signal, so don't expect to be doing any business if stay on the farm.
Beautiful town of Marshal isn't too far away (they have an awesome farmer's market on Sunday) and Asheville is a surprisingly short drive about 30 minutes away. The country out here is beautiful. This would be a great place for kids (at the Farm House cabin) Thanks Tom and Judy for a great weekend, we'll be back soon. read more