We had our first visit to Blackberry Farm just before Thanksgiving week and it was truly beautiful with world-class hospitality. Nestled on roughly 4,200 acres of rolling meadows and forest just outside Walland, Tennessee, this Relais & Châteaux–affiliated property feels like the ultimate grown-up summer camp — but with five-star service and gourmet food.
As you can see in the photos, we did miss the color changes in the leaves and they had all fallen by the time we got there (I think October is the time to see the leaves change); but it was still magnificent.
What a gorgeous place….
We had only two nights to enjoy this place and we knew we wanted to take full advantage of it. We stayed in the most charming Holley Glade Cottage that was just a short walk to a lot, but we were also provided a golf cart to utilize for our stay. Our cottage was spacious with our own fireplace and all first class amenities.
We started our only full day at the farm on a scheduled field and stream horseback ride. We had two guides guide us on a 2.5 hour ride through the woods and we did have a to cross a couple of shallow streams! This was plenty of horseback riding for me for one day as I got off my horse and could barely walk. haha! Honestly, I had not rode a horse in like 20 years or maybe more. I can not remember the last time I rode a horse. I am so glad we did it though and it was a great experience. I liked our pace and was happy to slowly stroll with our horses but my SIL was like ready to trot with these boys!!
One of my favorite things about the ride was actually talking to our guide along the way about the history of Blackberry Farm and hearing about the family. She was so informative and I was so intrigued by the family business. She told me that the Wife/Mother that co-founded Blackberry Farm wrote a book that I could buy in the bookstore, so of course I did before we left!!
After our horseback riding, we had enough time to run and grab a quick bite to eat before we were headed to our private wine tasting in the underground wine cellar. Even the simple, quick bites to eat our so exceptional. I could have lived off of all their soups. They were decadent.
The wine tasting was in a beautiful cellar with a pretty table set up just for us. They had a variety of wines for us to taste and all very high end. They had some really amazing and unique cheeses to taste with each wine as well. We were able to get a tour through the entire cellar which was really neat as they have built a cave connecting the barn to another building that they throw events and host weddings.
Did you know that Blackberry Farm has the second largest wine cellar in the country behind Berns steakhouse? We love Berns in Tampa and had no idea that Blackberry Farm was just behind them.
We spent our last morning at the Farm in their Spa. All four of us had the 80 minute massage and all of us came out saying how amazing our massages were! They had this peaceful and calming room to relax in before and after your treatment and there was a nice steam room in each of the locker rooms. They do have a nice gym set up if you wish to work out during your stay and a pretty pool and hot tub just off the spa building. The pool was heated I guess, but we didn’t hop in it; but we did pop into the hot tub for a few minutes after the spa.
The food is absolutely incredible and they are widely known for their farm-to-table cuisine celebrating locally sourced ingredients in refined dishes. Plan to come here and enjoy all the flavors and not worry too much about the calories!
There are so many activity choices at the Farm, most they we never experienced. They have fly fishing, skeet shooting, paddle boarding, hiking, kayaking, farm tours tennis and more. And during the Summertime, I think they have even more options.
Before we headed out, we did stop to see the famous truffle dogs on property. I am not sure if you can really go hunting with them if you schedule it, but we just got a photo with them 🙂
The vibe here is relaxed yet refined — picture cashmere throws by the fireplace, a signature pimento-cheese welcome treat, and casual daytime attire that evolves into elegant evenings at dinner. You can be as adventurous or relaxed as your little heart desires.
Blackberry Farm Recap
:: Where We Stayed ::
The Holly Glade Cottage
:: Where We Ate ::
The Dogwood
The Barn
:: What We Did ::
Horseback Riding
Private Wine Tasting
The Spa
Truffle Dog Visit
Pickleball
This was the book that I picked up at the book store. I absolutely loved reading it and learned so much about the family and the story of Blackberry Farm. They now have two more resorts to explore in the US. They have Blackberry Mountain which was just up the Mountain from Blackberry Farm and also High Hampton resort in Cashiers which is on my list to visit soon.
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