We were definitely relieved when we crossed into Butler, Tennessee and started along the rambling farmlands leading up to the Iron Mountain Inn.  We passed many farms and some gorgeous mountain vistas during this part of the drive.

Earlier this year LivingSocial posted a deal for two nights at the Iron Mountain Inn, with breakfast included both mornings and dinner included one night.  I’d been wanting to take a getaway weekend vacation for a bit and so I jumped on the deal.  I’m not sure Vikki, the innkeeper, was prepared for the onslaught of interest she received from LivingSocial!  It took me a bit to finally track someone down to make a reservation and in May I was told that the weekend in June I’d reserved had been double-booked.  Luckily it wasn’t a huge issue for us to change weekends, and Vikki was kind enough to throw in a free night for our troubles.  The inn had great reviews on TripAdvisor, so I was hoping that the reservation confusion would be the only inconvenience regarding our stay.

Luckily I was right and we had no other issues with the inn.  Vikki runs the whole operation by herself, so it is understandable that there’d be some issues with all the reservations.  If she does another LivingSocial deal in the future she should totally hire someone to help her out.  The Iron Mountain Inn itself, however, was gorgeous and relaxing!

We arrived Thursday evening and got settled into our room, the Family Memories room.  Each of the four bedrooms in the inn has a theme relating to a certain part of Vikki’s life, and our room was filled with furniture and mementos from members of Vikki’s family.  You can learn more about the room and see some pictures here.  The room was extremely comfortable and clean and had a balcony overlooking the garden behind the inn.  It also had a large bathroom with a steam shower and whirlpool tub, complete with a rubber ducky to keep you company while you soaked.  Charming and personal touches like these were present all over the inn.

The log cabin style of the inn fits perfectly with the inn’s rustic and beautiful surroundings.  The downstairs sitting rooms are spacious and homey with big windows, and there is a wraparound porch that offers great views of the mountains.  I loved seeing how the mountains changed during different parts of the day.

There was a cookie jar filled with cookies downstairs as well as bowls filled with candy and crackers in your rooms–just in case you were still hungry after the filling and hearty breakfasts Vikki prepared each morning.  The first morning we were there we were the only guests in the inn, so we had a private breakfast on the patio. We enjoyed fruit and amazing stuffed french toast with bacon and a chocolate covered strawberry.

The second morning’s breakfast was much busier: the Inn and the nearby Creekside Chalet were full and the breakfast area was bustling.  This was a buffet-style breakfast with delicious banana muffins, an egg casserole, sausages and fruit.  The third morning Vikki let two guests who are planning to open a bed and breakfast in Charlottesville, Virginia cook a test-run breakfast.  They did a great job!  They made two kinds of muffin, a sweet peach and a savory corn and sausage, a sausage croissant wrap, bacon and fruit.  You can see their test-run below.  They were a nice couple–she is finishing up her stint in the Army and he was a member of the Scottish military, they met in Afghanistan–and I wish them much luck in their bed and breakfast endeavor!

Our LivingSocial deal also included dinner one night, which we had in the dining room.  We had an excellent tomato soup, a salad, some extremely moist and tasty chicken with noodles and vegetables and simple ice cream for dessert.  The lighting was dark, so my pictures didn’t turn out as well as I would have liked, but you’ll have to trust me when I say that I cleaned my plate.  Dinner also gave us the opportunity to get to know Barbara and Bob, another couple staying at the inn.  They had recently moved to Tennessee from Orlando, Florida, so we reminisced about Florida for a bit.  Their daughter also attended the University of Florida so we had plenty to talk about.  They were celebrating a number of milestones and we were happy to get to know them this weekend!

The back of the inn has a really charming garden with a small koi pond and lovely flowers.  It offered a romantic place to stroll about before dinner.

While we were plenty well-fed at the inn, Vikki had tons of suggestions on places to eat in the area should one get hungry.  I’ll write about a few of those in the upcoming posts.  She also had many suggestions on things to do. Our first night she drove us out to her house on the shores of Watauga Lake so we could take an evening swim.  The water was a perfect 80 degrees, the area was secluded, and we were happy to float about while watching the bats (!!!)  fly above us and reflecting on the mist descending on the mountains.  Perfection!

Needless to say Vikki was a great resource for things to do in the area and we really enjoyed all of her recommendations.  Vikki is also a great conversationalist: she often pulled up a chair and chatted with us, and she has lived all over the country and had numerous experiences.  Now she’s more than happy to welcome guests to her charming inn in the mountains!

We had a really lovely, relaxing time at the Iron Mountain Inn and were glad to make some new friends.  I’d definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a secluded, laid-back weekend in the mountains!