Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Chimney Rock in Early Spring -- A Must See!



A few questions that need to be answered this week...

Does Spring make you want to climb mountains and cross raging rivers on a raft?  

Do you want to have that feeling of adventure without hurting yourself or feeling absolutely exhausted?

When are you too old to do something stupid, fun, exciting, or out of your comfort zone?

We made our initial pilgrimage for the year to Chimney Rock Park this week.  It is a twenty mile drive through beautiful Western North Carolina to the park.  It is a new and improved state park now.  The trillium and peach trees at the park are in full bloom and we found the bloodroot and star chickweed.  We had help but we now know that there is a chickweed that blooms and is pretty.  Not like that stuff that is trying to take over in the yard!?!  And that is how early spring at Chimney Rock should be; A nice walk, a little education and spectacular scenery to start off the month.  

The Skyline Trail is open and you can walk to the highest point in the Park, Exclamation Point, at 2,480 feet. It does not sound high but it is.  It also has incredible views from the Opera Box and Devil’s Head which is on your way to the top.  

Have you ever hiked the Four Seasons Trail?  It connects the Meadows to the Hickory Nut Falls trail.  Last year they had a naturalist that gave complimentary and extremely informative guided hikes.  We are hoping that they will do that again.

Have you ever wanted to learn how to rock climb?  Fox Mountain Guides has new owners and lots of energy.  They are also one of the Southeast’s leaders in rock climbing education.   Vista Rock is a great place for beginning your rock climbing adventures.  It is also great for learning how to rappel.  If you are a dare devil that has been rock climbing since you were a little tyke then you can test your skills on the two difficult routes up the chimney. 
 
Birdwatching, hiking, wildflower hunting, photography, rock climbing…the list keeps getting longer. 
Come by 1898 Waverly Inn and get your tickets to a really fun day!

How old should you be when you say “I am too old to learn how to rock climb?”  Come on…join us!



We hope we've given you yet another reason to visit the 1898 Waverly Inn in Hendersonville, NC very soon!

John, Diane, Darla & Debbie
1898 Waverly Inn
Bed and Breakfast Hendersonville NC
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Sunday, March 3, 2013

"American Picking" in Hendersonville Thrift, Resale and Antique Shops

Our guest blogger this month is Allen Olmstead from Atlanta Georgia.  Enjoy!


Hi, I’m Diane & Darla’s brother, Allen.  I’m giving Diane the week off from the blog.  I came up from Atlanta to visit, and ran across a quandary.  It was beautiful outside the window today but when I stepped outside the door it was still too chilly for the things that I love so much in Western North Carolina.    I’ve already visited Tempo Music, the musical instrument dealer on Main Street, and any purchase there will be disastrous to my marriage.  There was no need to visit the grocery store, the mall or run errands.  I was not in the mood for a quiet corner and a book.  And...it was not time to find a restaurant.   Maybe a bubble bath?  Later.  We decided to spend the afternoon visiting the consignment, second-hand, and antique stores that Hendersonville has so many of.

Our first stop was Next to New Shop on Church Street.  I’ve been in antique and junk shops before, but the scale of this place is astounding.  There are a couple warehouse-size rooms and half a dozen or more smaller rooms all stuffed to the gills with items. 


Part of the fun is in imagining where we could place objects in our houses.  Another joy is discovering relics from our own past: glasses and ashtrays from our parents’ mismatched cabinets, stereo turntables from rock ‘n’ roll’s golden age (there are also singles and LP’s – vinyl is back, you know!), and furniture we remember.  Our more “eccentric” friends and relatives are mentioned and times shared are laughed about.  

I saw quite a few things that I could have incorporated into my house but Diane has the inside track on me.  1898 Waverly Inn has fifteen guest rooms, each uniquely decorated and accessorized.  They are constantly being updated, so she has no limits.  I was limited by what I could get into a Nissan for the trip home.  We went through four shops and there were twenty more waiting for me on the next trip.

I ended up spending $30 for the afternoon and walked away with a really cool “fiesta” condiment holder for those incredible dips that my wife makes, two record albums and a pair of golf clubs.  We found bargains, we were warm, and there’s still time for the book and a nap before dinner at Umi or Mona Lisa.  Happy Day!!!




We hope we've given you yet another reason to visit the 1898 Waverly Inn in Hendersonville, NC very soon!

John, Diane, Darla & Debbie
1898 Waverly Inn
Bed and Breakfast Hendersonville NC
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Thursday, February 21, 2013

Itinerary Ideas, Directions and Henderson County NC

We have been hard at work researching where you want to go, how to get there and writing it all down so that you can take it with you for your day trip.

There are eight itineraries so far.  Antique stores and winery tour information are the last two that Debbie put together.  Did you know that there are three wineries in Hendersonville?

One of our itineraries gives you wonderful tips about hiking in Dupont State Forest and Fawn Lake.  At the end of the itinerary it tells you to go back to the inn for your massage.  I started thinking about how I would feel at the end of that day.  Relaxed, all of those rubber bands in my head gone, and feeling better now than I have in months.  Yes, I believe I would be feeling on top of the world.

We hope we've given you yet another reason to visit the 1898 Waverly Inn in Hendersonville, NC very soon!

John, Diane, Darla and Debbie
1898 Waverly Inn
Bed and Breakfast Hendersonville NC
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Saturday, January 26, 2013

Flat Rock Playhouse and more...

I cannot believe that it is almost February!

February is the month of romance for a lot of our guests.  With that in mind I will attempt to tantalize you with lots of happenings in the area for friends and lovers.

Theater News!
 

Flat Rock Playhouse Downtown will be open in February.  Our little summer theater has really grown the last few years and we are very proud to have them on Main Street for some of their performances.  They are producing a Tribute Concert to Dolly Parton on February 6-9 and 13-16 at 8pm. Walk to a quiet dinner, a concert and an after dinner coffee or drink with dessert at one of our restaurants that stay open late.





Hendersonville Little Theatre will be performing Romeo & Juliet on Thursday - Sunday, February 8-24.  This timeless classic is one of Shakespeare's most endearing plays.  Their new downtown location is two blocks off of Main Street and also a short walk from the inn.   There is dessert at the
inn also.



 


 Asheville Community Theatre is presenting Bark! starting on February 15th.  This long running show from Los Angeles is life from the dog's perspective.  Music, dance and fun!  Only 25 minutes from our front door.
   
We have lots of special packages including a Valentines package.  Check us out at www.waverlyinn.com.  Come see us at the 1898 Waverly Inn in Hendersonville, NC.

John, Diane, Darla & Debbie


1898 Waverly Inn
Bed and Breakfast Hendersonville NC

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Monday, December 10, 2012

Hot Flash! Changes, More Changes...And Dan



I am looking back over 2012 trying to figure out where it has gone.  This has been a huge transition year at 1898 Waverly Inn.  Everything that we do, say and look at has been scrutinized and rethought.   If I had known all of the flaws, knicks, scrapes and problems that we had at the inn two years ago I am not sure if I could have picked a place to start changing.  As it was I took a lot of direction from other innkeepers, writers, friends and family, as well as our staff at the inn.  The people that work at this inn have proven to be the most invaluable of my teachers.  As I stretch back over the year to see where I have been and where I am going, I look at the people who work here and smile with pride.  And I laugh at the memories of some of the crazy things that we have done together.

Last winter I trapped a man from Massachusetts in the inn.  He had a ten foot ladder.  And I had never seen one.  It turned out to be an amazing ladder and he turned out to be an amazing friend.  His name is Dan.  He told me that in Massachusetts his name has one syllable.  It has three in North Carolina.  Dan spent days and weeks and months helping redo ceilings, painting the intricate woodwork on the stairwell and being my very own cheering section.  When I accidentally cut a wire that was not expected to be there he called me "Sparky" for weeks. Dan did go back to Massachusetts in the spring.  The culture shock down here was almost too much for him.  His sojourn with us was short, but he is a permanent loving memory.


  • We painted nine bedrooms, nine bathrooms and three lobbies during the cold months this year.  
  • We had two photographers here to take pictures.  
  • A local Canadian with a great sense of humor to paint the outside of the inn.
  • A gentle quiet Western North Carolinian is redoing the many metal roofs that extend out from the main structure of the inn. 
  • The "jolly British man" replaced the floor in our front kitchen. 


And during all of this, our very own "Interior Designer" (with a degree to prove it,) Bridget, made sure that the colors were good, the linen was bought and the details were there.
 
 By the time I finished the last bedroom this year, I knew that I had to take a bit of time off from the decorating.  Why you ask?  I painted the outside of one of these incredible claw footed tubs three times.  I did not like the first two colors.  Seriously?

"Le Petit Spa" has been created.  AND we hired a Spa Services Coordinator to arrange all of the spa services for the inn.  Her name is Sandi Saba and she has been a superb addition to our ranks.  She has an incredible knack for finding the perfect massage therapist.

John and Darla continue to create in the kitchen.  Last winter they added apple pancakes, and this fall they created an apple cider syrup made with local cider.  The apple pancakes and apple cider syrup are a match made in heaven.  

Our professionalism is being “fine- tuned” along with the rooms.  All of the staff got new uniforms and you can now find out who each of us is just by looking at our shiny new badges. 

Our concierge skills are being sharpened also. Debbie has created new itineraries for the local area and she has worked hard at making the website a lot more user friendly. We also have the ability to make reservations, get tickets for events, entrance fees and suggest ideas if you do not know what you want.  We have made it our mission to help you create your perfect vacation. 

2013 promises to be a wonderful year for all of us at 1898 Waverly Inn.  We have a lot of exciting new amenities, plans, and dreams for our future.  Happy Holidays.  We hope to see you soon!

We hope we've given you yet another reason to visit the 1898 Waverly Inn in Hendersonville, NC very soon!

John, Diane, Darla & Debbie
1898 Waverly Inn
Bed and Breakfast Hendersonville NC
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