While considering options for my first One Tank Trip for the Raleigh Downtowner, I consulted with longtime friend Wit Tuttell at the NC Department of Commerce. Wit is the Public Relations Director for the Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development.
I told Wit that the column would be published on or around December 1, just about the time residents of downtown Raleigh would be decorating their trendy condos and lofts for the holidays, and he suggested a trip to Mistletoe Farms in Ashe County for a behind the scenes look at the Christmas tree that was presented to First Lady Bush for the White House on November 26, the ninth time, incidentally, that a North Carolina tree has been chosen to grace the White House.
North Carolina’s Christmas tree industry ranks second in the nation behind Oregon. There are over 1,600 tree growers in the state with over 50 million Fraser fir’s growing on over 25,000 acres. Last year, tree sales exceeded $100 million.
I liked Wit’s idea. It made perfect sense to head west to the Blue Ridge Mountains for a tree, but I wanted to scout out a unique, high-end destination for our discerning readers. I selected The Lodges at Eagle’s Nest in Banner Elk as my site for finding a tree. I decided to stay at the nearby historic Mast Farm Inn in Valle Crucis. According to the navigation system, Banner Elk was 205 miles from downtown Raleigh. Since my Expedition claims a range of 465 miles, I determined it would make a great weekend destination for a One Tank Trip, with 35 miles to spare!
I visited the North Carolina High Country several times over the past year, where it’s easy to meet new friends and try outdoor adventures. The cool temperatures over the summer made for a welcome weekend retreat from the Capital City heat, and the mountains, in full autumn bloom, were a pleasant contrast to my view on Fayetteville Street of towering cranes and concrete.
I departed Raleigh at 9 am on Saturday morning and picked up my 13-year old daughter, Nicolette on the way, who would serve as my navigator, photographer and buddy. Shortly after a rolling lunch we arrived at The Mast Farm Inn, nestled in a secluded mountain valley. We stretched our legs and checked out the restored outbuildings, noting the Innkeeper’s unusual fleet of silver Porsche 911s and Cayennes on stand-by for use by guests at the Inn. We ducked inside to warm by the lobby fire, then unpacked. We stayed in the Joe Mast Room, a popular 2nd floor suite with an abundance of natural light and an antique iron queen and twin bed. An anteroom between the bedroom and bath offered extra space for storage and dressing. A fireplace with gas logs, a claw-foot tub/shower, fresh flowers and mint soap made the room warm and welcoming.
The Inn’s restaurant has been celebrated for years, serving fresh, organic contemporary regional cuisine and carefully selected fine wines. The service is exceptionally friendly and attentive. There is one set menu each day, so there’s no a-la-carte dining. It’s quite simply a “farmhouse country gourmet meal.” Dinner is served three evenings a week, (Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays) with seatings from 6to 8 pm. We selected the 8 p.m. dinner and enjoyed a private table in front of the fireplace, and feasted on tender flank steak, marinated overnight in red wine and rolled together with goat cheese, spinach, pine nuts and some other secret ingredients. A bottle of Cabernet from the nearby Banner Elk Winery was a perfect compliment, and for dessert, we indulged by sharing a small serving of crème brulee and a cup of hot cocoa. A coffee and cocoa basket was discreetly delivered to our door at daybreak, and the four course breakfast was impressive, featuring a French toast requiring a prep process beginning at 4 am.
Of the 20,000 or so B&Bs, Inns, and Boutique Hotels in America, only 408 qualify and meet rigorous quality inspection requirements for designation as a Select Registry Inn. The Mast Farm Inn is one of those, and is also on the National Register of Historic Places.
Down the road from The Mast Farm Inn is the original Mast General Store, which has been around since 1883. The unique store offers everything from mercantile goods, casual clothing and mountain gear, to handmade crafts. Mornings find locals gathering for a 5-cent cup of coffee around a pot-bellied stove that warms the store and adds to its charm.
At noon, Nicolette and I took a short but steep drive up Beech Mountain to meet with John Turchin, the developer and builder of The Lodges at Eagle’s Nest. This year, for the first time, Eagle’s Nest is opening its 1,400-acre property to the public and cutting some of their trees to raise money to help families in need for the holidays. They have worked with local merchants to develop an incredible Christmas promotion through December 16 which includes 3 days and 2 nights at a Banner Elk Bed and Breakfast, $50 towards dinner for two at the 4-star Blackboard Restaurant, a mountainside barbecue lunch next to a roaring outdoor fireplace, a 30- minute couples massage in an authentic Indian tipi, and best of all, a look inside the gates of Eagle’s Nest. For an additional $35, you can select a tree to take home with a portion of the proceeds going to buy Christmas dinner and gifts for needy families.
A myriad of challenging activities await the young and young at heart at Eagle’s Nest, so wear some clothes for adventure, and when you make your reservations, make sure you tell recreation director Adam Cranford what you like to do. You can find hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, fly fishing, motocross, skiing, snowmobiling and archery, relax at the spa or read a novel in the mountaintop library.
Since Nicolette and I arrived at Eagle’s Nest before Thanksgiving, and the Christmas trees had not yet been cut and placed on display for selection, we ventured into the wilderness on one of Eagles Nest’s all-terrain vehicles in search of the perfect tree. We followed the trail across Beech Mountain and drove down the backside into the pine forest. Once we selected the tree, Nicolette pointed out an oversight. I forgot to bring a saw! There was no turning back, so I decided to take matters into my own hands and literally uprooted the 7 year old, 7 ft-tree from the stubborn earth. After a 10-minute battle, we successfully hauled the tree back to the ATV, tied it to the roof, and headed home. I arrived back in downtown Raleigh at 9 pm with a sense of accomplishment and a feeling of serenity one experiences when in the powerful presence of the North Carolina mountains.
The end goal of the trip was to find a way to transplant the tree from Beech Mountain to our own Nash Square in downtown Raleigh. Prior to the trip, we had done some research and discovered there is an organization of devoted arborists that volunteer their time and shovels to plant trees for the beautification of downtown Raleigh. We contacted Judy Harmon of Trees Across Raleigh, but she informed us that with the recent drought, the city had decided not to plant any new trees on public property. We looked for a good location on private property, but after talking about it with a local arborist, we learned that these trees only grow at elevations between 3,000 and 6,500 feet. Our plans to relocate the tree just weren’t going to work, but we wanted to think of another way to use the tree in a positive manner. So, the tree will be on display at The Raleigh Downtowner office (617 West Jones Street) and we’ll be decorating it with donated ornaments available for $5, with all proceeds going to the local Boys and Girls Club and Wake County SPCA. You can purchase an ornament at the Downtowner Office and they’re also available online at www.raleighdowntowner.com/thegivingtree/ The ornaments were generously donated by Raleigh-based PR Firm French/West/Vaughan.
For more information or to make reservations please call:
Mast Farm Inn: Sandra Deschamps Siano – 828.963.58572543 Broadstone Road, Valle Crucis, NC 28691
http://www.mastfarminn.com/
Rates: 8 guest rooms $145-$250; 7 private cabins restored from original farm buildings $225-$450
Eagle’s Nest: Jennifer Byland or Jeannie Beaton - 828.898.8645NC 194, Banner Elk, NC
http://www.eaglesnestbe.com/
For a list of choose-and-cut Christmas tree growers, go online to http://www.ncchristmastrees.com/
About the writer: Jack Glasure is Chief Marketing Officer at French/West/Vaughan and can be contacted at jglasure@fwv-us.com
