Wow. This was an incredible place to stay. I might even say the best I've had the pleasure of vacationing at, but it's possible it's just made me forget for the moment what anywhere else was like.
As we came up the long driveway from the road the first night and each time we returned from a day away -- about two miles from Rte 701 to the plantation buildings -- we developed the habit of rolling the windows down, no matter that it was 90 degrees out, and listening to whatever natural sounds surrounded us. And to nothing else. We'd spot deer, hawks, and possums as we drove up the gravel road, flanked at times by brickwork we learned was installed in the 1930s. The final stretch toward the main house runs between rows of live oaks strewn with Spanish moss.
When you prepare to make reservations, tour the rooms on the website first -- Kathryn, who does seemingly EVERYTHING there, will be asking you for your preferences when you speak to her. They differ in number and size of beds, as well as accessibility. Also, one of them has a tub but no shower (the Parker room, if I'm not mistaken). All are between $150 and $200 per night.
My girlfriend and I stayed in the Izard room, which had a tall, four-poster queen-size bed and a step stool to reach it. The coffeepot worked a charm for heating up water for tea, and the bathroom came stocked with not only the usual toiletries but also a spray can of bug repellent. And it is likely you'll need it if you'll be outside frequently. It's wet and marshy nearby, and although the frogs and lizards will do their best, they can't catch all the mosquitos.
Kathryn's breakfasts were simply amazing. She is VERY conscientious of food allergies and other dietary needs, including my unusual (land animal-free but seafood-eating) requests. Each breakfast began with a fruit dish, always different, such as fruit salad, parfait, or stewed peaches. The main courses included pancakes (she made separate ones for me with no animal products), stuffed French toast, quiches and souffles, sausages, tomato slices garnished with herbs from the backyard garden, and doubtlessly other things I'm not thinking of at the moment.
The breakfast highlight for me was the Lea-friendly shrimp and grits. Traditional shrimp and grits is normally made with bacon or sausage and a lot of cheese. Kathryn omitted the pork and used a wine sauce instead of the dairy. It was phenomenal, and I got to feel like I'd eaten a traditional southern dish during my visit.
The grounds are simply beautiful in day or night. We wiled away after-breakfast hours on the hammocks and swings overlooking the pond (it's a man-made pond/lake/thingy, though a tributary of the Pee Dee River lies on the other side of the treeline across the way). There are bicycles all over you can take out to ride around the roads, though we didn't have the time. If you look up at night, you can see an incredible number of stars.
We were there for four nights, taking day trips to Myrtle Beach, Charleston, and Pawleys Island in between. Although you'll be driving up to an hour and a half to the farthest of these (Charleston), it was absolutely worth it to come "home" to this gorgeous, peaceful spot.
It's hard to find any faults with Mansfield at all. The worst I can say is more of a caution/disclaimer than a complaint. You are in the south, and you are in nature, so there will be bugs -- including in your room. We had a couple of what my girlfriend identified as palmetto bugs. These are the size and shape of cockroaches, but they fly. They won't bite, but they're rather annoying if they get in your hair. She was the brave one and captured them under cups to remove out the door. I'd have suffered their presence if I didn't have her to take care of them. But as a northerner, I also would have thought they were roaches, which they're not -- and their presence doesn't indicate a lack of cleanliness. They're as likely to sneak in with you as a mosquito, but they're a lot larger. And they won't suck your blood, so bonus.
I think there's also a wariness that some, particularly northerners, might have about staying at a plantation that did, of course, thrive on slave labor prior to 150 years ago. The history is there, and it must be acknowledged. The slave cabins are still up and are in a stage of refurbishment, though none were currently open to the public during our stay (Kathryn lives in one). Apparently, descendants of Mansfield laborers were still residing in the cabins up until the mid-1980s (I hope I understood that right when she told us) and continue to visit their ancestors at the slave graveyard on the property today. While there, I never felt like my visit was a tacit acceptance of the past but was an appreciation of the grounds and the people who both built them and worked them, and of those who maintain them today in their beauty, warmth, and southern comfort. read more