FEATURED STAY
WRITTEN BY Winn Elliott
Photo : The Swag during your stay . The Swag abuts the Smoky Mountain National Forest with access to 500,000 acres of trails and vistas , so hiking was number one on our list . We were not disappointed !
Swag 2300 Swag Road , Waynesville 828.926.0430
From the moment you arrive at the
The Swag ’ s Welcome Center , you feel both welcomed and pampered . Leaving your car behind for your stay , you are offered a warm towel and the beverage of your choice to enjoy by a roaring fire . Before whisking you up to the resort , they take a Polaroid of you which will be placed in a yearly photo album to be viewed on future visits .
Once you are settled into your perfectly curated cabin or room in the lodge , a knowledgeable staff member gives you a tour of the property . You learn the history of this charming place and discover the abundant opportunities available
We also played cornhole and croquet on the manicured lawn , and tried our hand at badminton , tucked within the rhododendrons . We wandered around the beautiful gardens , sat on the porch with a cup of coffee watching the hummingbirds , and enjoyed the serene but spectacular views of the North Carolina mountains .
At 6:00 each evening , all guests are invited to mingle over cocktails and hors d ’ oeuvres on the porch . Dinner is served at 7:00 . If you are lucky , you get to sit outside by the fire as the sun goes down on those gorgeous views . If you still have room after the sumptuous farm-fresh dinner , you can grab a s ’ mores kit and wander down to the fire pit .
Our second and final day started with breakfast and a guided hike and ended with a cookout lunch on Gooseberry Knob . As we drove down the mountain to head home , we wondered how many of those photo albums we will find ourselves in over the coming years .