Let’s Rock

One of the best ways to relax is to grab a rocking chair on the porch of a historic inn and just sit there all morning reading a book. And so I did. Day after day.

Off US 23 / 74 between Sylva and Waynesville, NC, tiny Balsam, NC has welcomed guests to enjoy cool mountain breezes since the early 1900s, when the railroad dropped off folks for a stay at the Balsam Mountain Inn. It’s an eclectic place, three stories tall and all wood, with wide hallways that make you feel like you are outdoors, even on the top floor. Each is decorated rather colorfully, and not all the doorframes or windowframes are quite square anymore, and there aren’t any phones, alarm clocks, or air conditioners. It’s a cheerful place, with dining fit for a gourmand, but my favorite part … was the rocking chair. Four magazines and two books later, I’m feeling more relaxed than I have been in months!