Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee lies on the border of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited in the national park system. Ridge upon ridge of forest straddles this border between North Carolina and Tennessee.

Last week-end I had the pleasure of spending two nights at this spectacular oasis of southern hospitality at its finest.

Set within 4,200 sprawling acres of working farmland, the Blackberry Farm’s estate rooms, guest suites and cottages are spread across the property and each guest is provided with a golf cart to maneuver their way around the property. The guest cottage where I stayed could best be described as rustic chic, with two fireplaces, lots of linen throw pillows and plenty of books scattered throughout. The pantry was fully stocked with delicious snacks and the refrigerator with juices, soda and water.

The story behind this hidden treasure began in 1976 when Kreis and Sandy Beall (pronounced bell) fell in love with the existing home and property and inspired in them a dream to share this enchanting property with great food and friends. They decided to make Blackberry their home and opened the property to outsiders as a six-room country inn. Over the years Blackberry Farm has expanded to 68 private rooms and today welcomes visitors from all over the world as well as nearby neighbors. Eventually the Beall’s son Sam, who was raised on the luxury lodge and farm, took over ownership and ran the property until he died in a tragic ski accident in February 2016 in Colorado.  Mary Celeste, his 39-year old widow and mother of five, has now taken the helm at Blackberry Farm.

Wellness is emphasized at here and Blackberry offers a plethora of outdoor activities such as fly-fishing, hiking, biking and horseback riding. The Wellhouse spa offers a variety of services including yoga, meditation, fitness classes as well as some unique services like the Cherokee-style massage and apple stem-cell facial. Their Deep Healing Woods program is built around Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku forest therapy, that shows that “forest bathing”, or taking in the forest atmosphere, helps with healing, reduces stress and improves mental clarity. The reason for this is that forest trees are believed to release phytoncides, or organic compounds that increase the body’s immunity to fight off  bad, cancer-causing cells.

Blackberry Farm is regarded as a top gastronomic destination among foodies. The food is what the Beall family calls “foothills cuisine”, meaning farm-grown ingredients such as chickweed, okra, corn and pork prepared with a creatively gourmet twist. Blackberry Farm’s chickens keep up a steady flow of fresh eggs.

Most of the ingredients are sourced locally with some of it grown within steps of the kitchen. It also produces award-winning artisanal meats and cheeses, preserves, honey and chocolates. The aged cheddar and pimento cheese, a traditional southern cheese spread, is to die for.

Since I was only in for two days I knew I couldn’t possibly do everything. I ended up going for a long hike my first day and biking, hiking and massage on my second day. In between the hike and massage I went to the pool near the spa which was surprisingly empty. The boxed lunch that I had delivered while at the pool was delicious. The massage was amazing and I’m still feeling it’s effects:)

Fine dining takes place in the Barn, a James Beard award winner, which also houses a 166,000 bottle wine cellar. More casual but equally mouthwatering fare can be found at the Dogwood. All of the meals had multiple courses and end with a heavenly dessert but the portions are moderately sized and so you don’t feel gluttonous afterwards.

Cocktails served at Blackberry Farm are too good to pass on. I ordered the Blackberry Bumpkin the first night and enjoyed it so much I ordered it again on the second night. It was a delicious mix of blackberry infused vodka, pomegranate liqueur, Cointreau, Roses lime, cranberry juice with a drunken blackberry at the bottom of the glass. Bottoms up indeed:)

Inside the Farmstead Catalogue which lists the items available for shipment through it’s website (http://www.blackberryfarm.com), Sam Beall writes in a Welcome note: “I’ve always felt that hospitality is a fine art. And some are masters at it. We all know these kinds of people: they put extra thought into how they entertain; they never show up at parties empty-handed; they’re the first to know that your glass needs refilling. Because everything they do is genuine and gracious, they make hospitality look effortless…When guests tell me that Blackberry Farm has been that kind of host to them, I feel incredibly proud, but not surprised. Making people feel at home has been at the heart of our vision since my mother opened the doors to Blackberry 40 years ago.”

There is a reason many return to Blackberry Farm year after year and autumn is a wonderful time to visit. The priceless experience of spending time at Blackberry Farm is well worth the hefty price tag if you can afford it. Double rooms start at $745 a night with a two night minimum and include all meals from dinner on day of arrival through lunch on the day of departure, snacks and all nonalcoholic beverages. Many of the activities, such as hiking and biking are free, with a guide if requested; some carry an additional charge.

If you’ll be flying from New York City, Delta, American and United offer connecting service to Knoxville, changing in Atlanta. There are a limited number of direct flights. It’s about a half-hour drive to the farm and car service can be arranged to meet you at the airport if requested.

I was sad to leave this special place with such unique ambiance and very, very good food. If you can’t be happy at a place like Blackberry Farm then you can’t be happy anywhere. I’ll be dreaming of my stay here for quite a while.

Until the next time,