Late last week I attended a legal conference.
Legal conferences are not usually a serene, enchanting, pleasant affair.
But this one surely was. It wasn’t the conference that was serene, it was the venue where it was held. And my trip back home.
It was in Asheville, North Carolina at the Grove Park Inn.
Autumn was in the air.
Leaves were beginning to turn from green to red, yellow, orange.
Pumpkin Spice coffee.
Gingerbread.
Apples.
Life is tough, I tell you.
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is a certified farmgirl at heart. She’s happily married to her beach bum Yankee husband of 20 years. She went from career gal to being a creative homeschooling mom for two of her biggest blessings and hasn’t looked back since. Debbie left her lifelong home in the high desert of Northern Nevada 10 years ago and washed up on the shore of America’s hometown, Plymouth, MA, where she and her family are now firmly planted. They spend part of each summer in a tiny, off–grid beach cottage named “The Sea Horse.”
“I found a piece of my farmgirl heart when I discovered MaryJanesFarm. Suddenly, everything I loved just made more sense! I enjoy unwinding at the beach, writing, gardening, and turning yard-sale furniture into ‘Painted Ladies’ I’m passionate about living a creative life and encouraging others to ‘make each day their masterpiece.’”
is a “MaryJane Farmgirl” who lives in a large metropolitan area. She is a lawyer who has worked in both criminal defense and prosecution. She has been a judge, a business woman and a stay-at-home mom. In addition to her law degree, she has a Masters of Theological Studies.
“Mustering up the courage to do the things you dream about,” she says, “is the essence of being a MaryJane Farmgirl.” Learning to live more organically and closer to nature is Rebekah’s current pursuit. She finds strength and encouragement through MaryJane’s writings, life, and products. And MaryJane’s Farmgirl Connection provides her a wealth of knowledge from true-blue farmgirls.
an old-fashioned farmgirl with a pioneer spirit, lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. As a “lifelong learner” in the “Live-Free-or-Die” state, she fiercely values self-reliance, independence, freedom, and fresh mountain air. Married to her childhood sweetheart of 40+ years (a few of them “uphill climbs”), she’s had plenty of time to reinvent herself. From museum curator, restaurant owner, homeschool mom/conference speaker, to post-and-beam house builder and entrepreneur, she’s also a multi-media artist, with an obsession for off-grid living and alternative housing. Cathi owns and operates a 32-room mountain lodge. Her specialty has evolved to include “hermit hospitality” at her rustic cabin in the mountains, where she offers weekend workshops of special interest to women.
“Mountains speak to my soul, and farming is an important part of my heritage. I want to pass on my love of these things to others through my writing. Living in the mountains has its own particular challenges, but I delight in turning them into opportunities from which we can all learn and grow.”
Dori Troutman is the daughter of second generation cattle ranchers in New Mexico. She grew up working and playing on the ranch that her grandparents homesteaded in 1928. That ranch, with the old adobe home, is still in the family today. Dori and her husband always yearned for a ranch of their own. That dream came true when they retired to the beautiful green rolling hills of Tennessee. Truly a cattleman’s paradise!
Dori loves all things farmgirl and actually has known no other life but that. She loves to cook, craft, garden, and help with any and all things on their cattle farm.
describes herself as a goat charmer, chicken whisperer, bee maven, and farmers’ market baker renovating an 1864 farmhouse on an Ohio farm. With a degree in Design, Mary says small-town auctions and country road barn sales "always make my heart skip a beat thinking about what I could create or design out of what I’ve seen.”
Rooted in the countryside, she likes simple things and old ways … gardening, preserving the harvest, cooking, baking, and all things home. While you might find her selling baked goods from the farm’s milkhouse, teaching herself to play the fiddle, or sprucing up a vintage camper named Maizy, you will always find her in an apron!
Mary says, “I’m happiest with the simple country pleasures … an old farmhouse, too many animals, a crackling fire, books to read, and the sound of laughter … these make life just perfect.”
is a budding rural farmgirl living in Palmer, the agricultural seat of Alaska. Alex is a graduate student at Alaska Pacific University pursuing an M.S. in Outdoor and Environmental Education. She lives and works on the university’s 700 acre environmental education center, Spring Creek Farm. When Alex has time outside of school, she loves to rock climb, repurpose found objects, cross-country ski on the hay fields, travel, practice yoga, and cook with new-fangled ingredients.
Alex grew up near the Twin Cities and went to college in Madison, Wisconsin—both places where perfectly painted barns and rolling green farmland are just a short drive away. After college, she taught at a rural middle school in South Korea where she biked past verdant rice paddies and old women selling home-grown produce from sidewalk stoops. She was introduced to MaryJanesFarm after returning, and found in it what she’d been searching for—a group of incredible women living their lives in ways that benefit their families, their communities, and the greater environment. What an amazing group of farmgirls to be a part of!
Suburban Farmgirl Nicole Christensen calls herself a “vintage enthusiast”. Born and raised in Texas, she has lived most of her life in the picturesque New England suburbs of Connecticut, just a stone’s throw from New York State. An Advanced Master Gardener, she has gardened since childhood, in several states and across numerous planting zones. In addition, she teaches knitting classes, loves to preserve, and raises backyard chickens.
Married over thirty years to her Danish-born sweetheart, Nicole has worked in various fields, been a world-traveler, an entrepreneur and a homemaker, but considers being mom to her now-adult daughter her greatest accomplishment. Loving all things creative, Nicole considers her life’s motto to be “Bloom where you are planted”.
Becka,You are a very lucky girl! carol
beautiful looking hotel! loved the pictures and watched the video, all very pretty. are there lots of drop offs, is the road close to the edge? I’m sort of a afraid of driving on roads like that so that’s why I’m wondering!
Good Morning! Your post made me remember how lucky I am to live in the foothills of the Bue Ridge Mountains! The Blue Ridge Parkway is just a short drive from my home here in Virginia. And oh, the Grove Park Inn! My husband and I spent a weekend there before my daughter was born, it will always be a special place for me, and I would love to go back! Thanks for taking us " the long way home!
Take the long way home……really hits home with me! I do this all of the time and sometimes have my camera and sometimes not but it is always worth it. Today I have the day off and a lot of cleaning to do but also it is shaping up to be a beautiful fall day so I might clean a little and go explore at a new waterfall that I have never been to. My sister loved that song "Take the Long Way Home" so that caught my eye.
Hi Rebecca,
You’re so right to "take the long way Home". Several weeks ago my husband and I did that on the way back from Estes Park, CO. We took the back roads home and it’s a good thing we did. We can savor the memories of a landscape that has forever been changed by the recent floods we’ve had. Many of buildings and turn-outs are no longer there. It will certainly be a different view when the roads are reopened (whenever that will be!). It’s funny how life and landscapes can remain the same for years and then be changed in an instant. What is amazing is that a diversion dam designed almost a century ago held, saving countless lives and destruction. Kudos to the designers and craftsmen of long ago! I certainly want to visit that hotel and area of your blog. The Smokies are on my bucket list. Beautiful!
Rebekah: One year hubby and I drove the entire Parkway and camped along the way. It is so beautiful. I remember a snowy night visiting the Grove Park Inn. It seemed magical.I can never get enough of mountain views and country roads. Thanks for sharing you trip.
I forgot to say I loved your photos and the ride through the Blue Ridge Pkwy. Thanks for sharing!
Rebekah, we were crossing paths this weekend. I, to Jonesborough for the 41st International Storytelling Festival, and you to Asheville. The drive up I-26 just takes my breath away. I thought about you and wanted to take the circuitous route and view your neck of the woods, but had to get along home. Someday, yes, someday, I too, am going to take the long road home .
Oh my Oh my heart is JUMPING!!!! I was so privileged to drive from Springfield, TN, to Ashville and back. Your pictures have brought back all the wonderful scenery and the smell of the Blue Ridge Mnts. I like our Rockies but oh them thare Mnts. are home to me. The fog, foliage, Biltmore, Grove Park Inn, the town of Ashville – all the history – oh my so glad you got to do the Gateway. And let me tell ya those are some boots you have there!!! Thanks for the fun trip. God Bless
No pictures of their underground SPA. Is it not there? I have always wanted to go to it.
Love the Inn when they decorated for Christmas and have those 6 ft logs blazing. Along with the gingerbread house competition.
They also have ghost hauntings!!!
I think that once I reached a 50-something age in life, I really did start taking the long way home, or as I like to call it, ‘the scenic route’. We must take time to unwind, wander, and enjoy! Just yesterday I took the scenic route to my weekly workout class. I found a lovely new walking trail, just minutes from my house and since I just discovered the sport of Nordic walking, I will definitely pop over there…
Lucky you to have stayed in such a wonderful hotel. I am also a lover of anything stone!
Happy trails!
As a former full-time RVer, I tried to always take the long way home, the road less traveled (a la Blue Highways), and look for the small, little-known-except-to-locals places. Aren’t they wonderful gifts to treasure in photos?
I don’t get too many perks at my job but The Grove Park Inn is one of them! My bosses gift my husband and I with a Spa Package / long weekend at The Grove Park every year for Christmas. We love it! So awesome.
We just took the long way home from Statesville, NC to Kansas. Took us 3 days across N.C., S.C., TN, & MO to get home and like you said the leaves are just starting to turn. The countryside changes back on the slower roads. You get to see how the local folks live and the crops of cotton, soybeans, corn, etc. Plus all the scenry of "trees". Living in KS and NE most of my life it is amazing the miles and miles of trees you all have back East. Tunnels of trees down the roads as you drive compared to open spaces of miles and miles of view in the Western states. But great to see other places in USA. However did get a little upset when even the "trailheads" were blocked off by the government. Maybe next time we will have time to stop and see the Historical sites.
Well have to check out that historic Grove Park Inn. Looks like it ranks up there with the Yellowstone Park Inn for historical Inns.
Before we moved to our farm we lived only a couple of blocks from the Grovepark. Sometimes when walking our dog, a giant Newfoundland, we would end up there and ‘park’ him with the valet guys then go sit by the fireplace and drink coffee. Definitely the long way home! Don’t know if they’d let us do that now,lol.
If you didn’t get a chance to visit the spa this round, coming back is a must! A bargain really for one of the top spas in the country, because for the price of a simple manicure you can go early, stay ALL day and enjoy the different pools and saunas, drink tea, and read a book in the ‘quiet room’. It’s a fun mother/daughter day and super relaxing.
We have driven the entire length of the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway many times and hope to do so many more. It’s beautiful at all times of the year, but autumn is truly the best. If you ever get the chance, take a few days to drive and visit all the overlooks, trails, places like Mabry Mill, Natural Bridge, Linville Falls, Peaks of Otter, and visit the delightful little towns along the way. It is so worth the time.
Absolutely love the Grove Park Inn and traveling the Blue
Ridge. Have mad that trip many times. Staying in Asheville is one of my husband’s and my favorite things to do. I know how blessed you felt to make that journey.
I LOVE that Parkway. Lucky you live near it. I had to go turn on Rodney Atkins "take a back road" ‘put a little gravel in your travel’ ‘I need a curvy, windy, twisty road to nowhere’ ‘get lost and get right with my soul’ Thanks for the pictures of a place close to my heart, but now far from where I live.