Leesburg

The rooftop pool at secret B&B.

There are plenty of places to stay in Huntsville, but I drove about two hours from Huntsville to the Secret Bed and Breakfast (yes, with a lower case "s"). This B&B is tucked away from the road on the top of Lookout Mountain and overlooks the Tennessee Valley and Weiss Lake. At night the town of Centre sparkles in the distance.

There are four rooms in the main house, with names like Tranquility and Serenity, and a few quirky cabins-a tree house, a jail cell, a "chapel" and a condo. I stayed in a room in the main house but I peeked in the cabins-the jail theme cabin had handcuffs and iron bars, and the tree house was perched in a tree. Seemed like an excellent place for local honeymooners and other romantically inclined people.

I went in April, where the bad weather followed me from New York, so it was too cold to enjoy the rooftop swimming pool with a view. Instead, I curled up with a video from the in-house library and relaxed in my room. In the morning, I woke up early to take a walk and enjoy the quiet, and watch shy miniature deer hide while a peacock strutted around arrogantly in the pen outside the main lodge.

Pisgah

The Satterfield Room at the Lodge at Gorham's Bluff.

The next day I headed to the Lodge at Gorham's Bluff. This elegant inn is the highlight of this community-to-be. Gorham's Bluff is a traditional neighborhood in the making. Another famous traditional neighborhood is Seaside, Florida, where The Truman Show was filmed. Instead of the ocean being the highlight, here the focus is on the sweeping view of the bluff that overlooks the Tennessee River and surrounding valley. Houses are being built and bought here, with plenty of room for artists. The arts are a vital part of this community, with the Gorham's Bluff Institute presenting ballet, storytelling, chamber music and other festivals throughout the year.

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