42 acres med Dramatic Mtn. Udsigt ... Tæt på Appalachian Trail

I haven’t had a guest spend a month since Covid! After a couple of weeks, this wonderful couple from Texas seemed like family. Each week, I’d surprise them with bakery items from local bakeries, vegetables from local gardens, or other sweets like honey from a beekeeper neighbor. They visited Boone, Banner Elk, Blowing Rock, Gatlinburg, Asheville and Johnson City and Jonesborough. Took in roan mountain as well. But as they said, nothing beats the peace and satisfy of taking in the sound of the creek and beauty of the mountains while enjoying a morning cup of joe (or an afternoon glass of wine) while taking in the peace and beauty of the mountains in the red rockers on the front porch!

One of the real pleasures of having a rental home is meeting some exceptional people. God blessed me this week with this wonderful Godly family. Albeit facing extremely difficult medical challenges, his spirit and his heart were soaring, appreciating every breath of every hour and day and grateful for God's comfort and peace. Inspiring.

This couple from Florida were special guests who took advantage of treasures the area offered - from Blue Ridge Parkway to Boone and Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, local galleries spawned over the years because of the infamous nearby Penland School. Appalachian Trail - 3 different entries close by. Used fun firepit and built fire for S’Mores. Appreciated the “home” as contrasted to most rentals which are bare-bones houses with few basic kitchen items - where the “home” looks like someone is living there and simply stepped out to go shopping.

These guests were exceptional. Enjoyed and appreciated the house, the outside, the area, and especially what folks come for - peace, quiet, trout stream, mountain views. And enjoying the front porch red rockers while facing a dramatic Mountain View with coffee in morning or a beer or glass of wine in the evening while you listen to the distance church carillon bells that ring every hour. I've had this home on the rental market for 12 years. When I first listed it on VRBO and Airbnb, there were very few rentals. Today there are almost 100 within 20-25 minutes so competition is keen. I've not raised my price per night since listing, albeit my costs have doubled in some areas. But competition mandates I keep the price at this level so guests really are getting a bargain. While I stopped allowing large weddings (with tents, etc.) some years ago, I still allow a small, intimate one with only a few family present. Today, there is a wedding at the RRF and the family is really a wonderful one. Last week a nice family came because a member had terminal cancer and wanted a peace and quiet place for reflection and prayer. If the house could talk, it would say lots of special memories are created here. I remember an 8 year old boy catching his first fish - his first trout in the stream and it was a 18 inch brown trout. Ask me about his memory! Children love to play in the creek.

Very cool to have two graduates of Miami of Ohio be guests..... I spent ten wonderful years as Dean of the Farmer School of Business there ... and these two graduated while I was there, but I never knew them - one from engineering and spouse from Liberal Arts. But we sure had lots of "love and honor" stories to tell. Great guests in every way and enjoyed visiting Asheville and the hiking on Appalachian Trail

My housekeeper prides herself on keeping the house pristine and clean so that when someone walks in, they feel like they are in someone's home who has just left to run an errand. Over the 10 years I have been renting this home, the housekeeping is what people seem to notice most ..... and of course sitting on the front porch in the red rockers looking at the dramatic view of the mountains and into the face of the Roan Mountain.

Thank you to one of the nicest families I've met in a long, long time! A joy to have these guests. But greater joy is knowing they bought property to build a retirement home only less than one-half a mile so I will have this wonderful family as a neighbor! Hurrah!

These guests were four senior ladies from 60-80, who were relatives! They were so with it, so young, so vibrant.... I. called them the swinging singles. Terrific guests I enjoyed so much. Left house as they found it. Hope to see whose faces again soon.

This group of six guests were very difficult. Very.

So happy the Farmhouse met the "rest, peace, recovery" needs of this beautiful family from Florida who have been through a tough, tough year. Over the years, there have been several marriages on property to one extreme, and on the other end, families who have needed a place for a quiet period for mourning the loss of a family member or seriously ill family member. Some come to hike the Appalachian Trail (3 entrance spots closely), some come to attend Bristol Speedway events (hour away); some come to ski (Beech and Sugar Mountain in Boone/Blowing Rock an hour away) some come to trout fish (incredible stream within feet of home, and others come to enjoy the extraordinary natural beauty. I treat each guest as if they were a member of my family.

Every morning as I drove by the house, all five guests were sitting on the porch in the red rockers with their coffee taking in the sweeping Mountain View’s and stream. They will be back.

Many of my guests come to take classes at Penland School, the treasure of our community/county. A very pleasant 25 minute drive to Penland School from the house. These ladies left the house for breakfast out, then to Penland for classes, then out to dinner, and finally back home. Forget cooking - although the kitchen is well equipped for the most serious cook! Loved having them.

Happy the weather was picture mountain cool perfect for these most special guests. Look forward to their return

Sometimes a family comes to the mountains just to relax, rest, read, and almost never leave the house! Forget Asheville and the Grove Park Inn and Biltmore; Forget Boone, Blowing Rock, and Grandfather Mountain; forget visiting the oldest (and most quaint) town in Tennessee only 45 minutes away - Jonesboro! Rest, relax, enjoy the peace and solitude of the mountains and prepare all your meals in the extremely well furnished kitchen!

These folks were always on the go from arrival to departure so I didn't manage to meet them, although I did take them down some freshly baked chocolate cookies and a bottle of wine to enjoy while sitting in the red rockers enjoying the evening mountain sunset.

It seems all the Bristol Speedway fans wish they had booked the house for a couple more days as they were so pleasantly surprised at the wonderful views from the red rockers on the front porch, the coziness and quality of the furnishings, and how spartan clean the house is.

Unfortunately, I was away for Christmas and did not get to meet these folks, although I talked to them several times regarding restaurant options, places to visit, etc. They were superb guests who treated the home as if it were their own - my kind of guests! I work hard to make the home does not feel like a rental home at all, rather l like someone is living there has gone on vacation for a week, leaving the home open.

This couple made me smile! They come to the mtns every October and had tried to get the RRFarmhouse but this year bagged it! They left early and returned late, enjoying days in Asheville, Blowing Rock, hiking the AT on the bales on Roan Mtn, and especially enjoyed visiting quaint Jonesborough. the oldest town in Tennessee. More than half my guests are return guests who call and rent directly to save about 20% in fees/taxes, so welcome aboard Colleen.

Sadly, I wasn't able to connect/met with the family while here, although i was able to make sure they got some of the Jenkins infamous homemade double chocolate brownies! My son-in-law's dad was fly fishing on the property and the spontaneous connection the family's son had with him and a few lessons was a memory for both. Anxious to meet this family next visit.

Really enjoyed hosting John and his family. Wonderful folks. I get several guests who attend Bristol Speedway and also several fly fisherman who fish both the Watauga and South Houston Rivers, as did John this time. He enjoyed "practicing" on the Big Rock Creek right in front of the Red Roof Farmhouse. Look forward to adding John to my growing list of return guests who rent directly thru me to save money.

Having folks like Lettie and her guests spend several days enjoying the Red Roof Farmhouse is a joy. Like every other guest, the best part of the visit was enjoying their coffee each morning sitting in the red rockers looking at dramatic mountain views. Hoping Lettie joins my list of 50% of total guests who are return guests each year. and rent directly through me.

Such a beautiful family ........... absolutely impressive parents ...... four children, impeccable manners, happy, confident, adventuresome, respectful. These parents are doing it right. And I couldn't be happier with Peter catching the monster brown .... when they arrived, I saw Peter fishing and realized that he had a passion but not a skilled for trout fishing .... I had my nephew and his son (who is a guide quality fly fisherman) to come down and spend a couple of hours with him to show him the tricks of the trade, and they caught a lot of trout .... but then when he went alone and landed the monster brown that actually broke his pole ......... everyone was in hog heaven. Left with incredible memory! I think everyone enjoyed their trips to the berry patch on the property.... with red and black raspberries and blueberries ..... blackberries weren't quite ripe. Can't wait for this family to return!

Enjoyed having Pam and friends take in the beauty of the mountains and creek, and walk to the blueberry patch to pick their own fresh blueberries! Actually, Mitchell County is not a dry county - there are several restaurants who serve beer/wine etc. And one can easily pick up their beer to bring in as they drive.