Wife and i would like a weekend away for our 40th.Like a hotel on lake,with kayaking et al,nearby good food--dont need golf.Somewhere W/SW of Asheville--thanks as usual

Let me begin by saying that the first place that comes to mind is not located on a lake, but it does offer free canoe & kayaking options nearby, an onsite restaurant with marvelous dining options, and it's located approximately 100 miles SW of Asheville. For further info, look under the HOTELS tab for Snowbird Mountain Lodge or go to the following website: http://www.snowbirdlodge.com/

thanks--the place looks great--how far is it to the lake,is that where the kayaks are,or do they need to be transported

You have me at a disadvantage as I never used any watercraft during the three nights I spent at Snowbird during the summer of 2004. From what I observed, however, it would be my guess that you would need to transport the kayak or canoe a couple of miles down Route 143 (east) to a location where you could put it into a tributary of Lake Santeetlah. As my information is dated, however, why not contact the lodge and ask them.

Several changes have taken place since 2004 that I am aware of including air conditioning all of the rooms in the Main Lodge and the addition of the Fireside Bar. Back in the 'bad old days' one could listen to the night sounds as a large ceiling fan drew in the cool mountain air and as Graham County was "dry" you had to BYOB & store your wine in a college sized fridge strickly on the honor system...

Yes, I loved the place and plan to return someday soon..... perhaps next August for our own 40th.

We will be at Snowbird next weekend. Lake nearby is Santeeth . We have reserved a canoe so will update you about that.
It sounds like a wonderul, relaxing place--about 2 hours from Asheville.

thanks so much--good idea about reserving a canoe/kayak--im trying to get them down a bit on their price--with 2 weeks to go,theyre still not flexible and have 8 rooms starting at 240/night.let me know what you think after your stay if you can--ill wait to last minute to make reserv--bob

Take a look @ Lake Lure or Lake Junaluska (sp?).

We recently stayed at the Arbor House in Black Mountain and really loved it.

My husband and I thought that the rates were a bit pricey too, until we experienced dinner there our first evening..... amazing! Breakfast choices the next morning did not disappoint, all part of the package price as well as a daily picnic lunch with several options in a loaner basket or backpack if you'd prefer. A sack lunch to go was a pleasant surprise on the day we checked out, so you're actually getting 3 meals per person per day for that charge including all non-alcholic drinks. Not pushing you in any way, just want to make sure that you're aware of everything that's included in the pricing.

thanks all again--i checked out the latest suggestions,and thanks Retired Teacher for the reminder on the meals--bob

tycho--how was your weekend at snowbird??