Blackberry Farm

My extended family of 12 headed off to Tennessee for a 4th of July getaway, staying at a 2500-acre property called Blackberry Farm. The defining moment of our stay happened on our first evening - our waiter asked my father what he wanted to drink. My father mentioned a brand of vodka, on the rocks. The waiter said, “I’m sorry sir. We don’t carry that vodka, but let me see what I can do for you.” Ten minutes later, my father had his drink. The waiter had sent someone out to a liquor store to buy the vodka.

Service is key at Blackberry Farm. The staff is represented by friendly, outgoing people. Many of them are young (certainly the summer staff) but well educated and well trained! They are the kind of people that genuinely want to make you happy.

It’s hard to describe the scenery at Blackberry Farm – stunning, perhaps. Miles of white picket fences as far as the eye can see. Rolling hills with the Great Smoky Mountain National Park as a 270-degree backdrop. Grazing horses. The occasional Blackberry Farm logo-ed golf cart quietly zipping along miles of paved path. Tan fieldstone buildings dating from the early 20th century. White Adirondack chairs and white wood rockers line a stone veranda and dot the property at some of the prettiest settings. Wildflowers. And the occasional pond and creek with an old fashioned boathouse for picnicking and tying up canoes.

We stayed in cottage suites (individual cottages, really) just down the hill from the main buildings. Here, we enjoyed feather beds with Frette linens, fabric covered walls, lots of granite, white painted wood and contrasting dark wood, high ceilings, Aveda toiletries and a fridge full of unlimited free snacks – Dove ice cream bars included. For a small fee, we could also enjoy a split of Pommery champagne and half bottles of some of the best wines that California has to offer.

When it was time to eat, we enjoyed the 3+ course breakfasts and 5+ course dinners of Chef John Fleer, who also runs a cooking school on-site with guest lecturers including the likes of Emeril and Bobby Flay. Lunch was a gourmet picnic delivered to a favorite scenic spot of our choosing. Sorry I can’t be more descriptive here – I’m not a foodie.

When it was time for a diversion from eating, we spent quality time in the Farmhouse Spa (one of the best massages I’ve ever had), canoeing, hiking, biking, fly fishing in the property’s nearly two miles of Hesse Creek and fishing for bluegill in the various ponds. We also went on an adventurous half-day horseback ride up to the edges of the National Park. I preferred the Rocky Mountain trail horses to the Percherons that pulled my parent’s fancy black carriage. But the Percherons wore clusters of blackberries on their brow bands, except on the 4th, when they were seen with red, white and blue ribbons instead. Needless to say, the Percherons grew on me. There was also a handsomely outfitted game room with a pool table, chess, puzzles, a piano, etc. with (uggggh) more free food in the fridge. And at the end of the night, all guests were treated to a bonfire (roasting marshmallows and smores kits included) with a retired, and long-winded ranger telling stories from his days working in the surrounding mountains.

Best of all were the 4th of July celebrations. We were invited to the main terrace for a gourmet barbeque lunch and found that beautiful white wood tables, covered in thick and satiny flowered linens, had been spread over the gently sloping lawn. The food was excellent, but the free-flowing glasses of Veuve Clicquot were even better. And in the evening, paths of votive candles and hanging lanterns brought us down to the same spot. This time, small white cocktail tables had been set with hundreds of votives to enjoy the private fireworks display. The adults savored the Blackberry Kir Royals, Blackberry Cosmopolitans and cigars, while the children enjoyed the homemade ice cream sandwiches and creamcicles.

The only bad experience we had, was that a few of the activities we booked before our arrival ended up with small errors. (Dinner went from 7pm to 6:30pm. Two horseback riders became one.) In hindsight, it would have been best to work directly through the concierge staff instead of relying on reservations. Still, all problems were quickly resolved and we hardly noticed them.