Last week, Mike and I stayed at Blackberry Farm in Tennessee. It's been on my list for a couple of years, but we've had a hard time finding the right time to go. The weather in the midwest is the best in the Fall and the Spring, so I usually don't like to travel during those months. In the summer, I really prefer going to locations that are cooler than home to get a relief from the heat. I wasn't sure if winter was the ideal time to retreat to Tennessee, after all, the weather is pretty similar to what we have at home. However, the more I looked at photos of the property and imagined us cozied up in a cottage with a wood fire roaring, putting our boots on and exploring the grounds in their dormant state and treating ourselves to special dinners each night, I decided that maybe the winter was just the perfect time for us to go.
To our delight, the weather was a gorgeous 65 degrees for the three days and two nights we were there - a peak of spring. There were crocus and ferns pushing up from the ground and buds on the shrubbery - about a month from where we are at home.
We walked, we explored, we went fly fishing, we drank, we ate, and we relaxed. It was a wonderful escape from the real world in a place that felt very much like home.
The property is spread out with features at far corners, so you have to venture out to various spots during the day. This is The Barn where dinner is served and the white farmhouse is a guest house.
The cornerstone of the entire experience is the hospitality. Every single staff member was so gracious and warm. There were little touches all over the property that made it so special - like a fresh pile of lavender buds and sea salt by the bath each night, a black towel in your golf cart (how you get around at night!) to dry the seat and/or your boots, boxed lunches packed for you to take on picnics or activities, a fire built for you while you are at dinner so you come back to a cozy cottage with a roaring fire. All of these things left us feeling completely pampered and spoiled at the end of our stay.
This boat house was one of our favorite spots. We decided that while the Smokey Mountains were an excellent backdrop, we could create our own version of this at home on a farm - near our future farmhouse (of our dreams).
Fresh seasonal florals everywhere - even outside in the winter. The attention to detail was apparent in every nook of the property.
On the other side of the property there were a cluster of cottages that served as check-in (the Main Inn House was under renovation), a spot for coffee and wine and guest cottages.
I took lots of photos just for my own memory of many of the details. This carriage house was a favorite.
I gathered inspiration from everywhere, like this simple winter arrangement. I think it is gorgeous. Rhododendron greens (I think?) as the base with some blooming Quince. I have an oblong basket in which I'd like to make something similar.
Guest Cottages
This barn is The Wellhouse where the Spa and Fitness facilities are.
Taking notes of pea gravel, granite curbs and big boxwoods. Also the stone foundations everywhere. Love.
This was our cottage, a Singing Brook Cottage.
Our room was so elegant and comfortably appointed.
The TV was behind those botanical panels - two folding panels that folded open when you wanted the TV. Genius.
If you go to look at reservations, you might be shocked by the prices (as many of you messaged me on Instagram). It is expensive. However, the meals are all included - fine dining each night (wine is additional), breakfast and lunch. We've been holding back on the splurge for a couple of years, but decided to do 2 nights (instead of 3 like we would at another destination), and with an inexpensive flight from KC, we made it fit within our budget.
It was so worth it for me to just set eyes on the place. I got so much inspiration for the store, for our home and our future dream farm.
We went fly fishing on morning after breakfast. I loved it. It was much more interesting and active than 'normal' fishing. It was so nice to just be standing in the moving water and watching the ripples and the current. I loved looking down at the rocks below.
I loved getting out of our daily routine and experiencing everything. But, since we do spend a lot of time in the country, we felt at home, too. It gave me so many ideas of activities we can incorporate into our time at the School House and my family's farms.
To be 100% honest, catching the actual fish wasn't my favorite part. I loved being out in the stream with the water flowing and the casting is quite fun, but I didn't really love the game part of the fishing. Next time I'll let Mike do most of the fishing and I'll just walk around and wade through the water.
Signs of spring.
Each night we went to The Barn for dinner.
It is a fine dining experience with multiple courses, all locally sourced. It was such a treat every night to be pampered like this after a day spent outside exploring.
When we woke up each morning, we tried to get outside early enough to catch the blue smoke hovering over the mountains. It was ethereal.
Another lovely winter arrangement out of simple flowers. I think my grocery store carries all of these - but how nice do they look arranged this way together.
This was one of my favorite buildings - no surprise, an old school house originally.
Thank you for the wonderful weekend, Blackberry Farm, we won't soon forget our time there.
