Recently my husband and I took a few days to get away to the mountains in the southwest part of our state, North Carolina. We wanted a quiet and private place to stay, but nothing that was too far away from things.
And being that our state is still operating under COVID-19 guidelines, it was also important to us that we be as “socially distanced” and safe as possible. I really didn’t want to stay in a hotel or bed & breakfast during this time. (Did you know coronavirus can spread through air conditioning?)
In addition to that, because of our dietary preferences my husband and I also really prefer being able to cook our own breakfasts and some of the other meals so that we don’t have to eat out 100% of the time.
I figured that renting a mountain cabin would probably be far out of our budget, and besides we were only staying for a few days on this trip. I thought that there would be a week’s minimum stay and a pricey security deposit. But I’d heard great things from relatives who had rented from Airbnb, so I thought I’d at least go browse their website and see what it would be.
I was so surprised! For about the same price as what a hotel would be, we could rent a place! When I saw this adorable cabin that was in the location we wanted to be — near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway — I was immediately hooked. The nightly fee was reasonable for the dates we were staying, and there wasn’t a long minimum stay or security deposit required (this varies by property, however).
This particular property is managed by a vacation rental company called Carolina Vacations/Mountain Joy Cottages in Maggie Valley, N.C., and they have a staffed office not far from the cabin. We completed our reservation online through Airbnb, and picked up the keys from their office. Checking out was a cinch as well — we just dropped off our keys at the office on our way out of town. I also like the fact that they provide an after-hours number and local staff I could call for service or maintenance issues if it were needed (it wasn’t, everything was great).
We stayed in the cabin called “#11 Antlers” which is a studio with one king bed, jacuzzi, shower, kitchen, and a porch with a lovely view with two ponds. Here’s a photo tour!
See my photo tour of visiting the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Seeing and hearing the elk really added something special and unique to the cabin experience. If we’d stayed at a hotel, we sure wouldn’t have had that or been able to fully experience the beautiful early mornings and evenings on the porch.
If you’re looking for a private getaway to the mountains, beach or anywhere else, I recommend giving Airbnb a try. We had a great experience and I would definitely do it that way again.
Enjoy your getaway!
©2020 Michelle Rogers, Inc.
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