by Rachel L. Miller

Our cottage - "The Outrigger" - at Spring House Farm. Photo: Rachel L. Miller

As a tried-and-true urban dweller, my idea of solitude is measured in city blocks. Open space to me is the three-block-wide park five minutes down the street, or at the most, a nearby Metropark that offers a predictable manmade lake and a few hiking trails.

Of course, I'm not entirely delusional. I knew that when traveling in the Western North Carolina mountains, I'd encounter real wilderness - forests, streams, towering evergreens, the whole nine yards. And when I made a reservation for a night at the Spring House Farm - a luxury B&B located 20 minutes from Chimney Rock and Lake Lure - I was well aware that I was apparently going to be spending the night in the forested mountains.

And perhaps it has to do with my city roots, but I've always automatically associated luxury with vast resorts and glistening glass tower hotels. So how could a series of cottages - located in the middle of the mountains, miles from the nearest town - be luxurious? A truly secluded - and virtually untouched -- mountain setting is one only accessed by die-hard campers who like to rough it, right?

Tell that to Zee Ann and Arthur Campbell, the owners of Spring House Farm. Their vision began when they happened across the 175-year-old Albertus Ledbetter House and decided to lovingly restore it. With the house came over 90 acres of unspoiled beauty - streams, rolling hills and valleys - throughout which the couple carefully built five cottages that they now rent out to solitude-seeking guests.

But these cottages aren't run-of-the-mill by any means. First of all, they were built in an eco-friendly manner, (for example, using trees felled on the premises for construction lumber) making Spring House Farm North Carolina's first genuine eco-retreat according to ECOCLUB.com - International Ecotourism Club. And in addition to that proud achievement, the cottages are truly spectacular, giving guests every amenity they're accustomed to enjoying in any luxury hotel…and then some.

Our cottage - "The Outrigger" - boasted not only a two-person shower in its spacious bathroom, but also a rare antique "mini" queen claw foot bath tub. And then there was the bidet, which neither my guest or I dared to try. The full kitchen was stocked with fresh farm eggs, a plethora of snacks and Zee Ann's delicious homemade bread. A wood-burning fireplace was in view of a king-sized bed (handcrafted from cherry and walnut); nearby was a comfortable leather couch, a Weber gas grill and our favorite - the soft terrycloth robes. (CONTINUE...)