The Jarrett House - Dillsboro, North Carolina |
As hidden away as it
feels, Dillsboro is actually at the epicenter of one of Western North
Carolina's most vibrant tourist thoroughfares. Only a scant few mlies
from Bryson City, Cherokee, and Asheville,
Dillsboro offers the convenience of a hub-and-spoke location from
which to sample the surrounding region. And, offering visitors
comfortable lodging and dining since 1884 is the village's crown jewel,
The Jarrett House.
Owned and operated
since 1975 by the Hartbarger family - Jim, Jean, sons Scott and Buzz
and their wives, Mary and Sharon, The Jarrett House is not unlike a
"home away from home." Its wide, welcoming street-level verandah is the
perfect perch for visitors who wait to be seated for lunch and dinner
each day. Operating on an annual schedule that sees the inn opening Good
Friday and operating weekends until the first of May and then closing
for the season after the second weekend in December, this staple of
Dillsboro hospitality is not to be missed.
We
checked into The Jarrett House and checked out our charming quarters,
beautifully furnished with antiques and offering easy access to the
second-story verandah, where oversized rocking chairs invited us to
relax and drink in the crisp, clear mountain air. This also proved an
unexpectedly perfect place to meet and converse with fellow travelers,
one of whom was breaking up a long drive from Ohio to Florida.
Easily
"stroll-able" (the entire town is comprised of just a few blocks), and
delightfully secluded, Dillsboro evokes the feel of a smaller Mayberry.
Townfolks porch-sit on a breezy summer afternoon, watching the tourists
meander in and out of the abundance of shops that dot the two main
streets running through town. Everything from gorgeous housewares to
mountain crafts to gourmet goodies and then some abound!
Just
across the way is the station for the Great Smoky Mountain Railway,
which offers outings to nearby Bryson City as well as other excursions
depending on the season.
Although
Dillsboro seems, in many ways, a village far removed from the modern-day
rat race, don't be deceived because not five minutes down the road
rests the county seat and big town of Sylva,
complete with all the more contemporary (nee' "chain") shopping and
dining amenities, including the requisite Super Wally-World (Walmart)
for any forgotten necessities. A sidenote about Sylva is that their
downtown Main Street is somewhat akin to stepping into a time-warp and
beiing transported back to the day when small-town downtowns reigned
supreme. It was exciting to see a robust mix of locally-owned,
mom-and-pop retail in abundance and seemingly thriving.
Vinegar Pie - A Jarrett House Specialty! |
Just eighteen miles from Bryson City, NC, 15 miles from Cherokee, NC and an easy drive to Helen, GA and the Smoky Mountain towns of Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, TN, Dillsboro is a GREAT stop-over or even better headquarters for hub-and-spoke touring!