Blue Waters Mountain Lodge, Robbinsville

Blue Waters Mountain Lodge was everything I could have expected, plus a lot more. It's fashioned after many of the grand lodges of the Adirondacks, built on a scenic piece of Santeetlah Lake, which is about 4 miles north of Robbinsville, North Carolina. The lodge takes you back in time. From the moment you step inside, you find yourself into one of the most perfect mountain lodges in the southeast. Mike and Maury, the innkeepers, found this spectacular piece of lake property and turned it into one of the best bed-and-breakfasts in the Smoky Mountains. Their attention to detail is exhibited in every room and every corner. During the whole stay, I was constantly coming across a new nook or a new corner. The lodge has a fantastic great room with a fireplace, cozy sitting areas and game tables, and all with stunning views of pristine Lake Santeetlah. The public areas are comfy and inviting, the kind of place you want to take a good book and feel your surroundings while a fire crackles in front of you. The guestrooms are on two levels. There are nine rooms in all, and each with a different decor, my favorite, the Room 9 – Rustic Elegance, or others like Room 7 – The Fishing Camp or Room 2 – The Music Room. All of the rooms have private bathrooms. Some of the rooms have views of the gardens. Several of the rooms have wonderful vantages of Lake Santeetlah. These rooms are a wonderful place to sit in the evening and watch this picture-perfect lake and sunset. We had the entire lodge and were able to be a bit messier and spread out in the public areas. However, the lodge is so inviting that, even when filled with strangers, it's the type of place everyone comes together around the fireplace to talk, relax, mingle, and make new friends.

We were lucky a few years back and stayed here during the Miatas at the Gap after they had just opened. The location is peaceful and idyllic. We have a lake view room with a French Country decor. My wife loves it! The inn keepers are very personable and make sure your stay is a pleasant one. Probably the best kept 'secret' is the great meals they serve. The breakfasts are great as well as the lunch and the dinners are excellent. With the lake view, the inn has a front porch with an excellent view as well as the dock and deck across the street. We spend the evenings with our fellow Miata drivers reliving our drives on the Tail of the Dragon as well as enjoying the afterglow of a wonderful meal. This is now our annual honeymoon and we look forward to it all year long.