Red Leaf River Inn: September 2014

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Gatlinburg, TN

Located a scenic hour and a half drive from Waynesville, Gatlinburg, TN is one of two small Tennessee towns that make up the "Myrtle Beach of the mountains." While nearby Pigeon Forge's claim to fame mainly stems from Dollywood and a carnival like collection of arcades and go kart tracks that line the main street, Gatlinburg is the more grownup getaway. Like Pigeon Forge, the attractions at Gatlinburg are anchored by one franchise - in this case, Ripley's Believe It or Not. The small town contains several Ripley's attractions, one of the best being a large aquarium featuring a shark tank, underwater tunnel, sting ray touch tank and a kid's section with small tanks and an activity center. Other activities include numerous mini golf courses, a ski lift that operates year round for those that wish to see Gatlinburg from above, and moonshine breweries on every corner. Public parking is both hard to find and expensive, but fortunately nearly everything in Gatlinburg is within walking distance and for those few attractions that are not, there is an extensive trolley system that runs from Gatlinburg to Pigeon Forge.

Strolling around Gatlinburg, you will notice two things immediately (well, besides the moonshine). One is a love of all things bears - carved bears grace benches, store fronts, stream beds, or just hang out on the sidewalk. The other is an eclectic mix of architecture. Although Gatlinburg is in Tennessee, some of the buildings look as though they would be more at home in Austria.

Gatlinburg is also dominated by the Pigeon River which runs through the town. Outdoor sports such as white water rafting are popular during the summer and nearly every hotel in town features river front balconies.

Although River Road may seem one of the most crowded and commercial spots in the Smoky Mountains with its abundance of arcades, haunted houses and souvenir shops, Gatlinburg also borders the Smoky Mountain National Park. Even downtown Gatlinburg is prone to black bear sightings (real bears, that is, not just the carved ones).

So whether your pleasure is bar hopping downtown, playing round of mini golf with the family, or simply relaxing to the sound of the river, Gatlinburg has something for everyone. Even the bears.

We anticipate reopening the Red Leaf River Inn in the Spring of 2015 and hope you will follow along as we renovate and restore this beautiful property in Waynesville, NC. Find us on Facebook and Google+, follow us on Twitter @RedLeafRiverInn, or visit us at our website.

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Pretty in Violet

This week, bathroom renovations are in the works. Victor hand built a new vanity for the Chestnut Suite bathroom a few days ago and today we base painted it "livid violet" and then whitewashed over top for a cottage feel to go with the wood paneled suite. As soon as our new vessel style sink arrives, we will be able to replace the dated wall mounted sink that is currently in place. Leaving our only question to be...why was the paint so very angry?

Monday, September 22, 2014

WNC Nature Center

The WNC Nature Center is tucked away in the heart of Asheville, NC. Just minutes from the Asheville Mall and Tunnel Road, a main thoroughfare in Asheville, the Nature Center is a unique sort of zoo. The 40 acre park is run by the City of Asheville's Parks and Recreation, and, while it is accredited by the Association of Zoo's and Aquariums, you won't find the typical zoo animals here. Instead, you will be immersed in a little slice of native Appalachia.

The Nature Center features a small petting zoo with goats and sheep for the kids, and long walk ways through exhibits featuring the natives of Appalachia such as black bears, red tailed hawks, and cougars as well as engangered species such as the red wolf. Interspersed with the exhibits are fun treats for the kids, such as the otter slide next to the otter exhibit where kids can slide just like the otters do or the giant rope climbing web in the arachnid exhibit.

There are also picnic areas within the park and guests are welcome to bring their own food and drinks in. Most of the park is accessed through wide wood boardwalks and paved roads, although you can also take a short hike down the Trillium Trail. Just 3/4 of a mile long, the Trillium Trail is a great way to experience the native flora of Appalachia.

At just $8 for adults and $4 for children, the WNC Nature preserve is a great way to spend a day or just a few hours exploring the wilder side of WNC.

Waterfall over the turtle exhibit

Sleeping Bobcat

Raised walkway between the black bear exhibit
and the white tailed deer exhibit

Friday, September 12, 2014

KidSenses Children's Museum

About an hour and a half from our little town of Waynesville, NC, there is another small town called Rutherfordton. Centerally located between Charlotte, Asheville, Hickory and Spartanburg/Greenville, this small town is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and makes a great stopping point for families driving their way across WNC. '

The Alphabet Trail is just
for kids 4 and under with slides
and games just right for the
little ones.

Kids can push soft scarves and
balls into this vacuum only to have
them shoot out back into the room

Unique jungle gym that
kids can use to
climb between floors.

One of the best attractions in the small town is KidSenses Children's Museum. Right on Main Street, the museum is the perfect distraction for small kids tired of the car. At just $5 a person, even a quick visit is worth the admission price. Kids of all ages can visit twelve different exhibits within the museum. We took the boys, Alexander (4 years) and Nikolas (2 years) out to see the museum. The giant red fire truck in the window won them over before we even got into the musuem. Once inside, it was hard to decide what they loved best - playing in the science power exhibit, making a meal at the Pueblito cafe, grocery shopping at the Little Family Dollar, or even getting to be inside a giant bubble! There is quiet space inside the Alphabet Trail for reading books and the boys even got to make a Cat in the Hat craft before they left.

The giant red fire truck
comes complete with fire
hats and boots to dress up in

Kids can "cook" or wait
tables at their own
kid-sized cantina

The bubble exhibit lets you be inside a giant
bubble - so easy even a 4 year old could do it!

So the next time you find yourself faced with the prospect of driving your family across WNC, consider making everyone's day a little brighter with a stop at the KidSenses Children's Museum in Rutherfordton, NC.

And, don't forget the milk, okay?

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Tile Redo

With the house painting nearly done, we've begun looking at the (many) other projects that need to be completed inside the inn. One of our top priorities is updating the bathrooms, most of which look like they were last renovated somewhere around 1964. Think salmon pink, if you are having trouble visualizing. Of course, it is not just the tub or shower, but most if not all of the walls are tiled, including the half bath.

Tearing out tile is expensive and, since we haven't won the lotto yet, we have been looking at some cheaper options. Victor stumbled across a product called Spreadstone. In just 5 (relatively easy) steps, you are supposed to be able to transform tile, floors, and counter tops. Hmm...well, we've got all three to fix, so why not? We purchased a tile refinishing kit and got to work. First, the before shot:

Wait, wait, stop screaming! I told you it was last touched in 1964. We figured anything would be better than this, so we started in on the paint.

Step one is a "bond coat," which presumably keep the paint from chipping off the tile. This is the main reason you can't just buy a gallon of your favorite color and go to town. It turns the bathroom a nice, soothing grey. Better already.

Next up is the "base coat," which turn the bathroom a slightly different gray color. This is going somewhere, right?

Bonus Action Shot!

Step three involves the "accent coat," which makes the paint look like authentic stone tile, no artistic talent needed! Er, well, maybe a little. Do authentic stone tiles have streaks of paint in them?

Now, the "highlight coat." I literally stopped when I opened this can up because I thought they had sent the same color for the both the accent and the highlight. Nope, turns out these are two different shades of white. Huh. Maybe if I was more artistic...

Still with me? Great, now we get to make things shiny with the clear top coat. This also presumably keeps the paint from chipping off every time you look at it too harshly. I had to do it twice because I couldn't see all the spots I missed the first time. Apparently applying a clear coat evenly is pretty difficult.

And...all done (except, for the sink, mirror, floor, ceiling, light fixture and window). This is the half bath just off the main dining area, but we have two tiled ensuite bathrooms that need some serious help as well. The project took several days because of drying time, but only a couple of active hours of work. What do you guys think of the new look?