Set on 4,200 acres at the foot of the Smoky Mountains, this award-winning resort has been getting guests back to nature in luxurious style since its opening. Guests here can choose from a variety of accommodations, from the main house’s historic rooms which hark back to the Farm’s beginnings as a country inn, to cottages, suites and five-bedroom homes.
Its iconic restaurant, The Barn, was an early leader in the farm-to-table movement and has now been joined by two less-formal restaurants, the Dogwood and the Main House. All meals are included in the room rates.
Blackberry Farm is, in fact, a farm and its restaurants feature ingredients from its own bakery, butchery, creamery and garden, as well as beers from its brewery. A forager contributes wild mushrooms, berries and other finds from the surrounding woods. Farmstead tasting tours and cooking demonstrations allow guests to explore the roots of the Farm’s celebrated foothills cuisine, which relies on sustainably-harvested ingredients. Meanwhile, the Farm boasts a 160,000-bottle wine cellar and an impressive collection of whiskies, and guests may schedule a tasting.
To counteract overindulgence, guests can avail themselves of the many choices at the Wellhouse, a spectacular spa which also offers yoga, massage, personal training and activities including guided hikes on the property’s scenic trails.
Other outdoor options include Orvis-endorsed fly fishing on Hesse Creek, mountain biking, paddle boarding, golf, tennis, and carriage rides.
Holidays at Blackberry Farm offer a range of special events including, at Halloween, pumpkin carving and fireside storytelling. Thanksgiving (which is sold out this year; there’s a waiting list) features a special Holiday Dining Experience and a 5k Turkey Trot. Christmas brings Candlelight Caroling, a Holiday Baking Tradition with cookie and gingerbread house decorating, and a visit with Santa including a reading of Twas the Night Before Christmas.
Blackberry Farm is located in Walland, Tennessee. The closest airport is in Knoxville. For more information see the website at www.blackberryfarm.com or telephone 1-800-557-8864.
Photos courtesy of Blackberry Farm
