Rustic Cabin Escape in the Mountains of North Carolina.

As much as we enjoy traveling to fascinating places with overflowing itineraries and a ‘see everything’ attitude, we also love to get away from it all.  That’s why once a year, on our anniversary, we intentionally travel to a place where we can leave everything behind and reconnect with each other.

For our third anniversary we chose a rustic cabin in the mountains of North Carolina for our escape, and it was exactly what we needed.

 

 

Disclosure: This post is not sponsored in any way; I just genuinely loved the cabin and wanted to share it! There is, however, an affiliate link for the AirBnB listing at the end of the post.

 

This one bedroom cabin, called “The Hemlock Hide-Away”, is nestled in a valley in Robbinsville, NC.  We drove there from our home near Charlotte and enjoyed the decreasing traffic on our journey as cars exited towards more popular destinations such as Asheville, Knoxville, and Bryson City.  There were hardly any other vehicles around by the time we started driving up steep mountain roads.

We arrived at dusk after carefully following the directions from our host, as the GPS couldn’t accurately navigate the various dirt roads.  Weary from our travel and the fast pace of life we’ve experienced since moving back to the USA, we were ready to turn off our phones and relax in the countryside.

 

 

After unloading and unpacking the plentiful food stuff we brought (so that we wouldn’t have to make the 20 minute journey into town if we didn’t want to), we accepted the gracious invitation from our hosts to their Christmas party down the road.  We were warmly welcomed to the area by Rob, his wife, and their friends, which further solidified our sense that this was the right place for a restful vacation.

While we really enjoyed the party, we were soon eager to return to the privacy and seclusion of our cabin.  We had three full days to unplug and soak up the peaceful surroundings.  Even though the first two days were rainy and cloudy, we still savored the crisp mountain air – stepping outside periodically to appreciate the creek and copious amounts of mountain laurel.

Temperatures dropped below freezing during our stay but we managed to stay warm, even without central heating, thanks to the electric heaters, gas fireplace, and our dips in the hot tub.

 

 

Our pet bird, Koopa, had no problems finding the various sources of heat.

 

 

I enjoyed so many aspects of our stay in the historical cabin, including the door handles crafted from tree limbs and the glass mason jars that I filled with amazingly cold, refreshing mountain water.  I appreciated the homey decorations and the cast iron bathtub (circa 1948).  I even liked the way the cold air trickled in from gaps in the old door jambs.  The cabin wasn’t just rustic; it was full of character and charm.

 

   

  

 

But there’s no contest as to which feature was my favorite – it was the roaring creek located just a few feet from the door.

 

  

 

We could hear the water rushing from inside the bedroom and main room and we could look out over the creek from the porches.  The proximity to the creek, which would never be allowed under modern building constraints, allows for a majestic view and pleasant soundtrack.

The rustic cabin originally served as home for the caretaker of the old trout farm, which is located in front of the cabin.  It was one of several farms in the area shut down after being suspected of causing water quality problems in the nearby lake.

 

 

This is an idyllic spot for any nature lover who wants to spend time outdoors.  If we had experienced slightly warmer (and drier) weather then we definitely would have enjoyed a morning coffee at the picnic table, an afternoon nap in the hammock, or an evening making s’mores in the fire pit.

 

  

 

We only ventured out once during our trip, in order to cross off a bucket list item for Mr. Meena.  He wanted to drive the Tail of the Dragon, a section of US 129 with 318 curves in 11 miles.  It’s considered America’s number one motorcycle and sports car road and is unique because there are no intersecting roads, driveways, or businesses to interrupt your drive (or allow people to pull out in front of you).

 

 

We were fortunate to have very little traffic on our drive and that the weather wasn’t too cold (or icy) for us to drive it this late in the year.  It took us around an hour to drive the full route both ways and it’s not an experience I would recommend for anyone who gets carsick or motion sick.

There’s not much elevation change throughout the route and many of the curves are tight and banked like a race track.  The name comes from portions of the road resembling a curling tail of a dragon.

 

 

There are so many wonderful outdoor activities available near the rustic cabin, but the only other place we had the time and energy to visit was the Santeetlah Lake.

 

 

Other area attractions include the Nantahala National Forest, the Cherohala Skyway, and The Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

According to the cabins’ reviews, we weren’t the only ones who considered it to be a romantic experience (and a great place to celebrate your anniversary).  However, keep in mind the words of caution from the host,

“If you’re used to a 5 star Marriott or plush surroundings and malls, this may not be for you… Your neighbors will be all 4 legged.”

 

Do you think you’ll love this cabin as much as we did?  View the cabins’ listing on Airbnb.

If you’re new to Airbnb you can sign up using my referral link here and get $35 off your first trip.

Want more info?  See the The Hemlock Hide Away website.

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