Springtime near Black Mountain, NC

Posted on May 25, 2013 by Inn on Mill Creek

Our favorite rose bush at the Inn in bloom

Spring is always beautiful in the North Carolina mountains, but this year, we’ve seen the mountains gradually wake up to Spring, which is different from the past two years when Spring sprung right out of the gate in mid-March and quickly headed into summer by May. Since springtime has been more normal this year, guests of the Inn on Mill Creek Bed & Breakfast have been thoroughly enjoying the weeks of vibrant green leaves on the trees and gradual blooms as springtime makes its way from our neck of the woods around Asheville and Black Mountain to higher elevations along the Blue Ridge Parkway nearby, just in time for the Parkway’s official opening this weekend.

Recipe: Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Inn on Mill Creek

Every once in a while, we get in the zone with baking and make a lot of one kind of thing. Lately, we’ve been on a muffin kick, and now it’s cookies. We’ve landed on a pretty awesome chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe, which is a variation of one from Pillsbury. Not a bad idea to double this recipe, because these go fast!

North Carolina Mountain Birds: Indigo Bunting

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Inn on Mill Creek

If you look up in the trees near the Lake House at the Inn on Mill Creek in the spring or summertime and see a blue-colored bird perched at the very top, and he’s singing, and singing, and singing some more, and you go out for an afternoon of sightseeing and come back and there he is, still singing, then you’ve met the Indigo Bunting. [Photo below of two Indigo Buntings by our guest, Sharon Hurst]

Southern Steam 630 Excursion Train

Posted on May 5, 2013 by Inn on Mill Creek

The beautifully restored Southern Railway Steam 630 locomotive made a visit to our neck of the woods during the weekend of April 20-21, 2013. The excursion train, owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM), is part of Norfolk Southern 21st Century Steam Program. [Photo below of the 630 near the Inn on Mill Creek taken by Bob Elliott]

Kiva Loan #45

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Inn on Mill Creek

This Spring, we’re hoping to fund two or three more microloans to small business owners in developing nations through Kiva (www.kiva.org). It’s our way of combining efforts with others on a small scale in order to make a large impact, in this case, to help in the fight against global poverty.

More Biltmore in April…Tulips and Azaleas

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Inn on Mill Creek

This year at Biltmore Estate in Asheville, the tulips and azaleas are battling it out for everyone’s attention! We have never been to Biltmore — located 20 minutes from the Inn on Mill Creek — when the azaleas and tulips were in full bloom at the same time. Just, wow.

North Carolina Mountain Birds: American Goldfinch

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Inn on Mill Creek

Its cheery song is smile-inducing, the return of its golden feathers in April adds to Spring’s color palette, and its frequency and acrobatic skills at the feeders make it a constant joy to watch. What’s not to love about the American Goldfinch? The second most-photographed bird at the Inn on Mill Creek (after our unofficial mascot, the ever-entertaining Tufted Titmouse), the American Goldfinch is also one of our most asked-about birds. So let’s give the goldfinch its due as the featured bird in the month of April in this year’s12 Months of Birding at the Inn series on our blog.

April 2013 at Biltmore Estate

Posted on April 20, 2013 by Inn on Mill Creek

April is a great time to visit Biltmore Estate in Asheville if you love flowering trees and shrubs. As promised to our Facebook fans, here are some photos we took on April 12, just before the 80,000 tulips stole the show…enjoy!

Three Events in Old Fort on April 27

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Inn on Mill Creek

Old Fort, North Carolina is a small town where big things happen: On Saturday April 27, 2013, three very different events will be taking place, but all connect history to the present…perfect for Old Fort.

Rock the Taste and Blue to Black Art Weekend takes place May 2-5, 2013

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Inn on Mill Creek

This year, our area of Western North Carolina is the place to be in early May if you love food and local art!

Main menu