Somewhere in time…
Dearest and I arrived after dark to the Balsam Mountain Inn…the roads were, as mountain roads are, dark and winding. We were thankful to reach the entrance, drive up the hill and to walk into this amazing Inn’s 100 foot front porch to the entrance. Visiting Balsam Mountain Inn began our adventure stepping somewhere in time.
A Magical Place in the Mountains…
I could just imagine over 100 years ago the guests entering this beautifully open, charming Inn. Situated in a gap between two mountains, the Inn was built by the highest passenger rail station in the east. Guests would come to what was then called Balsam Mountain Springs Hotel – a 100 room hotel. The guests mainly arrived by train to visit the mountains, to escape the heat and to take advantage of the several springs nearby.
Drawn by the views…
The guests would also enjoy the beautiful mountains, hiking, riding horse and fishing for the wonderful trout. These guests would also visit the nearby towns…The Inn however was only opened seasonally, having no heat for the winter….the Inn continued to be open for seasonal guests until the 1980’s.
The Inn Restored
Then after some time abandoned to neglect, Merrily Teasley discovered the Inn, and admitted it was a labor of love restoring the Inn historically and to accommodate modern-day guests. There were communal bathrooms in the beginning with 100 guest bedrooms. Now the Inn has 50 guest bedrooms, of various sizes to welcome those wishing to escape to the tranquility of the mountains.
The Long hallways – three floors of them are decorated with craftsmanship pieces as well as historic pieces. These steamer trunks harken back to the era when this Inn was first made popular.
The Third Floor
Was not part of the builder’s original plans…once the structure of the two stories were framed in, they determined that the hotel needed a grander appearance – a third floor was added with an ‘intricate mansard roofline’.
Dining at the Inn
The charming, long sunroom was where we dined, breakfast and once for dinner. I loved the whimsical coloring and the brightly sunlit room.
At the center of the sunroom was an opening to the second floor, the private home of the owner… the draping plants added charm to the room.
Spring Water
All of the water supplied to the Inn is still spring water. The owner had to do a lot in renovating, but did make it possible for the wonderful spring water to once again be used at the Inn. This faucet in the hallway is functional…you can fill your cup or water bottle with the sweet tasting spring water.
Was our experience at the Inn similar to those in days past? Did the Inn charm them as much as it did us? Were they mesmerized by the majesty of the mountains? I wondered.
We loved our magical stay at Balsam Mountain Inn…we enjoyed rocking on the porch…we found that as we went from place to place the people were friendly, we followed what ‘the locals’ loved to do, where they liked to go…and thoroughly enjoyed our visit and hope someday to return.
Balsam Mountain Inn – A Magical Place in the Mountains
You can read more about this fantastic Inn, perhaps schedule a stay…..HERE.
