Notes from the host
Rustic Mountain Joy Near Robert Lake Park
An historic old cottage built in 1914 is perfect for small groups (including youth groups) or families that want to be close to Lake Susan and the Montreat Conference Center. We continually try to make improvements while keeping the character of a 100 year old home. For example in 2015 we installed new floors in the kitchen and both baths that eliminate previous flaws and are easier to clean. In 2016 we enlarged the main bed with a new Queen size mattress and box spring and totally rewired to bring the electrical up modern specs and expectations.
The comfortable family room has a lovely wood burning stone fireplace and a dining table that easily seats 8. ( Please note that we do not provide sheets and towels.) The spacious covered porch extends across the front of the house and is the space most enjoyed by all. Listen to the night noises of a screech owl or cicada as you relax in the swing, glider or one of the rocking chairs.
Downstairs there is one bedroom with a queen bed and one with a single. The bathroom has a lovely old claw foot tub (no shower). The upstairs has two bedrooms – both pretty open with only curtains for doors. Two twin beds in each room. The upstairs bath is a full bath (shower only).
Wireless broadband internet provides connection to the outside world (if you desire it). Or relax playing old fashioned board or card games.
While we have the modern convenience of a high speed wireless internet connection, the cottage is rustic meaning, there is no AC, no heat, no washer, no dryer, no dishwasher and no TV. Most visitors take time to enjoy the beautiful mountains and eat many meals at the conference center or the many restaurants in Black Mountain only minutes away. Or head to Asheville and be there in around 20 minutes.
Kids enjoy foosball, hiking, rock hopping in the streams, playing basketball, tennis, softball or the Montreat clubs for kids. During the summer, enjoy throwing a pot on a potter's wheel at the Currie Craft Center/Sally Jones Pottery or take a paddle boat or canoe ride on Lake Susan. Montreat Conference Center hosts a variety of conferences for all ages sponsored by the Presbyterian Church (USA). Hear a sermon at Anderson Auditorium (0.76 mi) by one of America's finest preachers. Enjoy the beautiful small children’s play area with a slow moving stream in the middle (0.67 mi) between us and Lake Susan. Take wonderful hikes on the more than 20 clearly blazed trails lasting from 45 minutes to all day.
Black Mountain is a charming town, with mountain craft stores and restaurants only 2 miles from the Montreat gate.
The Baptist Retreat Center at Ridgecrest (only 4.5 miles) and many other camps and retreat centers are up and down the nearby Swannanoa Valley.
Asheville—a delightful mountain city with shopping and restaurants—is only 20 minutes away. There you can find America’s largest mansion, the magnificent Biltmore House Estate and vineyards and the Grove Park Inn and Resort (The President and his family spent a weekend vacation there over Memorial Day 2010 before visiting Billy Graham at the other end of Mississippi Road.) See live Shakespeare performed at the Asheville Center Stage or spend a lovely evening at their minor league baseball park.
Lake Lure is only 1 hour. Enjoy white water on either the French Broad or the Nanahala River. The entrance to the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway is 13 miles west and the highest peak east of the Mississippi River, Mt. Mitchell, is an hour’s drive or a day’s hike.
It is only 1.5 hours to the Historic Cherokee Village & Casino.
Bring your own linens including sheets, pillow cases, kitchen and bath towells. We provide plenty of regular blankets for cool evenings.
More detail:
General Description: Rustic family home built in 1914. Spring, Summer & Fall rentals only, great front porch with rocking chairs, good off street parking in two gravel driveways. NO SMOKING and NO PETS inside. Sleeps 7 adults comfortably. It is 0.4 miles from the gate; and 0.8 miles from Lake Susan. No clothes washer, no clothes dryer, no dishwasher, no TV, no air conditioning and no central heat. It does have wi-fi and a telephone.
Location: Our cottage is 2.5 miles or a 7-minute drive north of I-40 (the Black Mountain, State Route 9 exit) and a 0.8 or a 17-minute walk from Lake Susan and .4 miles from the Montreat Gate.
Directions: From I-40 take exit 64 for Black Mountain. If eastbound on I-40 turn left at the end of the exit ramp, going north on state route 9/Broadway Street. As you continue north, cross State Street/US 70, where Route 9 changes name to Montreat Road. (this intersection has Tyson's Furniture, Town Hardware and a small park.) If westbound the exit merges into State Street/US 70. Continue to a traffic light with a small park on your right and Tyson's Furniture and Towne Hardware on two of the other corners. Turn right onto State Route 9/Montreat Road. Continue on until you see the stone Montreat gate.
Just inside the Montreat Gate, there are two roads immediately on the left and very close to each other. Take the second one - Virginia Road - and proceed up the hill. At the first intersection turn right onto Mississippi Road. Our cottage is the 4th house on the left (including the one sitting up high on the corner), sitting behind a tall stand of shrubs and trees. The street number is clearly marked on the green bear proof trash container in front. You may use either driveway/parking space - one on each side of the trash container. There is a map on VRBO and our Facebook page. Our location can be found on Yahoo and Google maps.
Parking: There are 2 gravel driveways in which to park. There is also a parking area across the street that the neighbor does not mind our using if they are not there.
Telephone: The 181 Mississippi Road telephone number is (828) 669-9287. If you will be calling long distance or overseas, please use your cell phone.
Internet and cell phone. We have high speed wireless DSL service at the cottage. The access code and the router are in the downstairs queen bed room.
A new cell tower was installed in Montreat in 2010 and provides excellent cell phone service. Cell phone service from any major carrier should not be a problem.
Bring: Sheets, (1 queen bed and 5 single/twin sizes), pillowcases, towels, washcloths, dishtowels, food, alarm clock, flashlight, and electric blanket if desired (in Spring & Fall). There are two small portable electric heaters for your use. Pillows and blankets are furnished. Bring double sheets if anyone will be using the double bed on the screened in porch.
Bedrooms: Upstairs - 2 rooms, each with 2 twin beds (plus full bath, shower only); Downstairs - 2 rooms, one with 1queen bed, one with 1 twin bed (plus full bath, tub only); and a screened porch with a double bed. Remember this is an old, small cottage. We think it is charming, but compared to the new houses being built at Montreat and the typical beach condo, definitely small and old fashioned. The downstairs single bed room and the back bedroom upstairs are especially small. The rooms upstairs only have curtains, no doors. One is private but one is open to the stairwell. (The bathrooms of course have doors.) The screened porch which has a double bed is not particularly private, but many enjoy the openness of a sleep porch. The sides are wood and waist high and 2 of the 3 screened sides have blinds.
Kitchen: The kitchen has a four burner gas stove with full size oven. There is also a microwave, toaster oven, coffee maker, toaster, tea kettle and many pots, pans, dishes and glassware. Silverware, placemats and extra dishes are in the sideboard in the living/dining area beside the door to the kitchen. There is a full size refrigerator on the screen porch. Sometimes tenants are concerned about whether the oven works or not. It does, but seems to come on slowly. The bottom surface lifts out if you want to see the burners or check the pilot.
Garbage, trash and recycling: Household garbage and recyclables are picked up Monday & Friday. Please put out the trash in securely tied plastic bags and put inside the trash inside the approved bear-proof container. Place clean recyclables such as plastic, glass, paper and aluminum in transparent or blue bags outside the bear-proof container. Recyclables do not have to be separated. Garbage & Recycling information is tacked to the kitchen back door.
Fireplace: You are welcome to use the fireplace, if you clean it thoroughly afterwards.
Portable Heater: There are three portable electric heaters available. The Cottage was rewired in 2016 so if the heaters are on separate circuits they should not “blow a fuse” or trip a circuit breaker.
Fans: There are two portable box fans and a round rotating fan to place where they are most helpful to you. There are small exhaust fans that can be placed in the upstairs bathroom and the upstairs bedroom. There is also a small fan in the kitchen over the sink that will need to be plugged in to be used.
Circuit Breaker: The house was completely rewired up to current code requirements in 2016 and every circuit is 20 amps. But if you need access to the circuit breaker, it is on the outside wall of the first bedroom on the right when you enter the front door. The use of multiple heaters, hair dryers etc. should not trip a circuit breaker. But it can if too many heaters and other items are on the same circuit. Before resetting the circuit breaker move one of the items to another circuit.
Fire Safety: Fire safety rules require you to use a power strip rather than an extension cord. Therefore, please don’t plug in anything unless plugged directly into a wall socket or a power strip. Do not use extension cords. There are several power strips plugged in around the cottage. (Power strips are the plugs most of us have for our computers.)