The Greenbrier has never been on my bucket list, but it does have a very impressive history in our relatively young nation that makes a visit worthwhile.
Hubby had booked our room in January; however, the only place that was available when we arrived after our jaunt down I-64 from Charlottesville was a cabin further out on the grounds.
The cabins are privately owned, and ours had a “for sale” sign on the fireplace mantel. The cabin looked like it had been well loved and was tired and ready for a reno! We had trouble staying warm that night in what felt like Grandma’s house from the early eighties.
The view from the porch, though, was spectacular!
We dined at Slammin’ Sammy’s, a casual eatery overlooking the golf course. As the sun burned a trail down below the crest of the Allegheny Mountains, we sat mesmerized and leisurely consumed a steaming bowl of soup and a burger with fries.
The next day, Hubby began his conference and his appeal to the hotel staff for a room within the walls of the main building!
The hotel is a showcase for the designs of Dorothy Draper. Each space is unique, except for 11 guest rooms that were an attempt to modernize and unify the aesthetic a few years ago. Guests gave negative feedback, so they discontinued the transformation. The hotel is a time capsule from the late 1940s.
On my own for a while, I walked the grounds and visited the free Presidents’ Cottage Museum perched at the top of a ridge on the property. If you’re interested in the history, click this link.
We were at The Greenbrier for several days, and our favorite part of the stay was the Bunker Tour. It’s a tour that is open to the public, but tickets sell out quickly and must be purchased in advance. Our tour guide was a long-time employee who had filled many roles at The Greenbrier. He was also a natural comedian.
On our last day at The Greenbrier, I took a free walking tour of the grounds. The beautiful church is a recent addition that the owner of The Greenbrier constructed for his granddaughter’s wedding.
When Hubby was released from the conference, we got our steps in by walking through the golf course and then the Raven Rock Trail.
We got a little lost and somewhat stressed. By this point, though, we’d re-connected with our trail, and HE was happy again. 🙂
That evening (after putting about 5 miles on our feet), Hubby and I were honored to be included in the final supper of the conference. It was held across the highway from The Greenbrier at Kate’s Mountain Lodge, where we watched the sun go down, listened to live music, and dined on an Appalachian homestyle buffet.
