Yes, finally something new. Explorer Barb has not been doing much exploreing. At least not geographically. After writing about visiting Antarctica on a French ship, a post on local attractions did not seem very exciting. Or I have just been lazy. You pick.

Anyway… Blackberry Farm, 4,200 acres of sheer bliss, adjoining the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in eastern Tennessee has been on my travel bucket list for decades. Known for fine food, outstanding service, bucolic setting, and immense wine collection it ticks lots of boxes on my personal “wow” meter.  Clearly, I am not the only one, evidenced by numerous James Beard and “best of” awards by travel publications. Even the cheese made on site has won awards. With a price tag that goes beyond sticker shock (price includes meals though), expectations were high, so ya’ll come along and I’ll tell you all about it.

What we know today as Blackberry Farm began when Kreis and Sandy Beall, along with three other families began buying property along the Chilhowee Mountains with a goal of preserving and protecting the land. Kreis and Sandy made it their home, opening it as a six-room country Inn with a goal of providing outstanding food and southern hospitality. Sandy knew a thing or two about business and restaurants having founded the Ruby Tuesday chain while still a student at the University of Tennessee. 25 years later, their son Sam took over management. Trained as a chef, Sam expanded the focus on local cuisine- both by seeking out the best local purveyors and by developing farm, livestock, foraging and preserving operations; farm to table long before that was a thing. And then there is wine, the second largest private collection in the US (Bern’s Steakhouse in Tampa claims #1) and beer, starting a brewery. And cocktails, oh yea, they got that too. Southern hospitality all the way.

Lunch on patio, Yallerhammer pavillion

The available accommodations grew as well, now encompassing 68 rooms, suites, cottages, and houses spread throughout the property. The resort also features a whole catalogue of experiences from spa treatments to horseback riding, hiking, fly fishing, culinary demonstrations. Or you can hang out with a book at one of the almost infinite scenic spots, or head over to the adjoining National Park. To get around the property you can walk, take a golf cart (many cottages come with one) or for longer distances be ferried in one of the Lexus test drive vehicles. This keeps the focus on the natural environment, more sounds and sights or nature, less noise and exhaust.

When Sam Beall died in 2016 in a skiing accident at the age of 39, his widow, Mary Celeste took over as proprietor. Not just over Blackberry Farm but developing the nearby Blackberry Mountain property while raising their five children. She described that journey on a recent Today show interview. Managing two first class resorts, with complex activities, dining operations and 1,200 employees is a feat worth of respect.

Your Blackberry journey begins with a reservation. The website will show what is available and describe the various options. There is a three-night minimum, or you can choose a split stay with two nights at each property. After that you will talk with one of the concierges about scheduling activities, dining reservations and whatever else you want to explore. BF has two restaurants- The Barn, the “fancier” dinner only venue of the two and The Dogwood, in the main house. If you are there three nights, schedule at least two at the Barn.

When you arrive for your stay, the staff will unload your car and whisk it away until you leave the property. After checking you in a staff member will load you and your luggage into a golf cart, give you a brief tour and show you to your room, suite or whatever. We stayed in the guest cottage, next to the main house. You call 0 for anything you need: a ride to the barn for dinner (it is a good distance from the main house) for instance. Our room had a lovely view, a huge bathroom, two very large closets and lovely furnishings (shown below) We took a walk down to the lake and checked out the fly-fishing shack and the Yallarhammer Pavilion. A storm was brewing, but we made it back to our cottage before it hit. Then it was off in a Lexus to the Barn for dinner.

Photos above clockwise: view from our room, entry, bathroom, some furnishings.

The food was excellent, everywhere, every time. At times I think it leans a bit heavily toward the salty side. But You are asked if you have any dietary restrictions and a server will gladly take back and replace anything that needs adjusting. I neglected to take pictures of menus which change daily. But the website will give you an idea.  The beverage menu is 276 pages on an ipad, but one of their “somms” (always that, never sommelier) will gladly interpret. Since we were always ordering very different things, we stuck to their by the glass selections.

Breakfast is delicious- always a griddle cake of some kind, as well as a chef’s selection and about anything else you can imagine. The fresh squeezed orange juice is great by the way. After breakfast we waddled our way down the hill to the fishing cabin for our fly-fishing lesson. That is something we have wanted to try, but it’s a lot more complicated than baiting a look and sticking it in a lake, so this seemed like a good way to give it a go. They provide all the equipment, teach you the basics and provide tips, help and guidance throughout. Including untangling lines from vegetation and helping net any wayward trout who wander onto a hook. I had three do that…. So I had a great time.

After lunch we headed out on the most popular activity- The Farmstead tour. Our guide was one of the farmers, Davis, quite a character who has been there for 13 years, knew Sam well and has loads of stories of all kinds. The wine cellars (well some anyway), wine and spirits tasting rooms, the magnificent event center, the Barn (the dining one), the farm- sheep, gardens, visit to the Logatto dog kennel to see the new puppies. A stop at the preservation building to sample some beer and cheese. The whole enterprise is impressive, especially after a chance to see some of the intricate parts. And you don’t feel as bad leaving food on your plate now that you know leftovers will be composted or fed to livestock. Apparently pigs really like cinnamon buns. Shocker.

The next morning we went hiking, since the trailhead is ¾ mile from out room we put in a good 5 ½ miles on beautiful hilly forest trails. After that, hanging out and relaxing with a book on a beautiful afternoon was just perfect.

The web site motto is “Easy to get to hard to leave”. Though in my opinion it is not the easiest place in the world to get to. Although it’s only 20 minutes from the Knoxville Airport, I heard several guest describing the odd connections that wuld take them home. Not complaining really, more a matter of pride in how far they came to get here. We drove, stopping off in Asheville to take a look at our daughter’s September 30 wedding venue (lovely, but a subject for another day). The direct route back was 9 1/2 hours, not too painful with much of the drive through pretty scenery. But the location is the one detail of this place that you cannot duplicate. Nowhere on the property do you see or sense the outside world, it is a beautiful bubble of as near perfection as a “natural environment” can manage. I wondered if it was not very full, since things never seemed crowded. 94% capacity I was told. They manage the experience extraordinarily well.

Though back to that leaving thing. It’s not THAT hard really. A phone call to the always ready minions who pick up your stuff and load it in your car along with a box lunch and cold water for the trip home. The hardest part is hauling your expanded posterior from wherever it might be to where it needs to go. One piece of advice. When you check out, they will ask you if you want your receipt printed or emailed. Say email, and maybe don’t open it. Yes, the illusion is pricey. But it does not disappoint.