"What A (Re)Treat This Weekend Was!"

Over a month ago a friend told me about this neat bed and breakfast retreat they go to regularly, way up in northern Ashe County (NC) near the VA border. On Sunday late afternoons, they had been having a "Summer Salon" series where a musician (or persons of entertainment note) give a concert performance from 4-6pm, with an intermission of gourmet hors d'oeuvres and cocktails...followed by one hifalutin' 4-course meal of superior culinary presentation. My friends suggested it would be perfect for me and my flutes, and they put me in touch with the appropriate people.

And so began the introductory emails and, long-story short, I was signed up to give the concert this past Sunday, October 14. I'd worked in Ashe County many moons ago for the North Carolina Nature Conservancy and fallen in love with that county, which is simply very different in appearance than virtually all other NC mountain counties. Of my many fond memories were those of stuffing my belly at Shatley Springs on Highway 16 north of Jefferson, NC...family-style cooking, seating, and eating all the way, the Cadillac of down-home cookin' joints. Lo and behold, this B&B was only a mile or two north of there:

River House Country Inn and Restaurant
(click link to find out more).

Nestled on the New River, this former country doctor's estate has been transformed into one of the most well-run, luxurious, and romantic get-aways I've seen in a long, long time...below is a view from the hilltop looking down on their spread (note: the large red chicken coop is NOT a part of the luxurious accomodations!)...

Needless to say, the weather was simply glorious...a tad warm in the sunny afternoon sunshine, and deliciously nippy at the crack of dawn with lows in the upper 30s with light fog, typical of river valley living in the mountains...

I ended up playing to the right of the lawn furniture pictured above, with folks spread across the ample porch in rocking chairs, sitting on padded benches, and scattered here an yon in the yard and garden area...

Beyond the gravel road passing in front of the property was a lush grassy field leading up to the banks of the north fork of the New River...and perhaps the most famous of landmarks there, a giant, stately Sycamore tree around which were appropriately placed chaises for languishing in the peaceful setting...

This section of the New is catch-and-release-only, with mostly Rainbow and a few Brown trout mixed in with hard-fighting Red-Eyes and Suckers (the later being an unglorious fish that comes with the territory!)...you simply go right into the water in front of the estate and start drowning flies and lures to your heart's content. With our drought concerns, the river was running 12-15" below it's normal levels, which has stressed the trout this summer due to lowered oxygen levels and hotter water temperatures.

One of the neatest things the owner has done is to convert all the older outbuildings into cozy, warm, luxurious suites, with a fireplace and a room-centered jacuzzi in each one. The larger buildings had multiple suites each with their own private entrance...

The deal they give performers like me is free lodging and meals, and I could sell my CDs and DVDs and flutes, as well. It was an experience like no other, to say the least, and I was way overdue for a little R&R away from my work schedule. Below is the Carriage House they had readied for my arrival...

...and when I opened the door...well, I'll let the pictures paint a thousand words...!


I was overwhelmed by the graciousness of Sherman, the host, and equally overwhelmed with the epicurean delights and presentation thereof, something you'd see in New York or Chicago. There was a healthy eclectic crowd in attendance, and had it not been for the meal awaiting all of us, I think we'd have continued well into the night. It was perfect beyond my wildest expectations, this late-weekend escape to the River House...if you are looking for some place out of the ordinary, may I highly recommend this place. No TVs or phones in the rooms...just fireplaces, jacuzzis, libraries, and some of the warmest and most complete hospitality services you will find ANYwhere.

When I look at the above picture, I can just hear the Mills Brothers singing "Up A Lazy River"...maybe you can, too. And as if all of the above weren't perfect enough, I stopped to put gas in the car once I got down out of the mountains...38.2 miles per gallon. Good ol' buggy of mine...

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I did get some other pictures from the region that I'll post in this Thursday's "Travelogue" blog. The color was not yet impressive, typical of droughts delaying the color change...for those leaves that stay on the trees until then. Still, beauty was found, as is always the case. Stay tuned, Saddle Pals!