アッシュビルから西へ30分の、最高級のリバーフロントパットでのんびり

Ricardo and I moved to the mountains of western North Carolina from South Florida in the mid-90s to open a restaurant, Lomo Grill, in downtown Waynesville. We grew many of the fruits and vegetables for our restaurant on the farm. We operated our restaurant for 16 years before turning to other adventures, including producing gourmet tomato sauces, teaching cooking classes, operating culinary tours to Ricardo’s native Argentina, catering private events in the greater Asheville area and as a NC Master gardener cultivating and growing peonies and fig trees for sale to the public. Wildcat Ridge Farm has long served as a gathering place for our family and friends. Building the yurt stemmed from our desire to share this slice of heaven with others. Photo credit: Emily Chapman

We purchased the land that became Wildcat Ridge Farm in the mid-90s. We had operated an Import/Export business in Miami for years and were seeking a change in lifestyle and surroundings. This piece of land--along the Pigeon river, with a creek running through it, ringed by mountains and blessed with southern exposure and all-day sunshine--was exactly what we dreamed we would find. We converted an abandoned tobacco barn into our home and began the process of cultivating the land for the fruits and vegetables we would serve in our restaurant. At one point, we even terraced a section of the hill and planted grape vines, until we realized we barely had time to cut the lettuces, much less make wine! We fell in love with the property and added to it over the years, turning it into a gathering spot for our family and friends. Wildcat Ridge Farm has served as a regular respite for guests from California, to Buenos Aires, to New England. Until now those guests fought over a single guest bedroom and sofa. Now, we can offer them the luxury and adventure of this gorgeous yurt with a more spectacular view that we have from our own deck!

Our biggest question was “what to build?” We explored all sorts of options – from log cabins, to A-frames, to simple cottages, but once we discovered yurts, that was it! Not only is a round building just…cool…it’s very eco-friendly. Pacific Yurts are built using SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) sustainably sourced wood. They can also be removed from a site leaving virtually no trace. Beyond the environmental warm, fuzzy feelings, they are incredibly gorgeous inside and out. Our yurt features all of the comforts of home, including a full kitchen, tiled shower and bath, living room, dining area, breakfast bar, private bedroom and a wraparound deck with a view of the river. There is also a garden area outside with a fire-pit and seating for your star-gazing and storytelling. Bottom line? It’s where we would want to stay if we were traveling to the mountains!