Mountain Grove Bed and Breakfast
By Kathie Farnell

Cloudland, Georgia, about two hours northwest of Atlanta, is home to the new Mountain Grove bed and breakfast and retreat center. Mountain Grove, which opened its doors on Valentine's Day, 2001, is the brainchild of Susan Cherones and Ellen Thompson, who have lovingly converted a circa-1922 home into a luxurious, rustic retreat.

The two-story house was originally built for the Stearns family of Miami, whose name is still carved in the stone doorstep. The Stearns were part of a trend-wealthy Northerners who wintered in Florida and purchased second homes in the mountains of Georgia and Alabama to escape the Florida summers. The Stearns were the exception in that they loved the mountain area so much they made it their year-round home. The present site of Mountain Grove is located within the boundaries of what was once the Cloudland Park Club, an ill-fated resort project which sought to make the Cloudland area into a grand development with a hotel, clubhouse and hunting trails; the Depression and the invention of air conditioning put an end to the ambitious plans. Today, Mountain Grove sits on its own three wooded acres, surrounded by flower gardens, blueberry bushes and cherry trees. The house's renovation, which took more than a year, uncovered heart-pine floors throughout the house. Bathrooms were added for the guest bedrooms, and spacious decks and balconies serve both the downstairs and upstairs. Resident Innkeeper Carrie Walls shows the visitor a book of before and after photos documenting the renovation and confirming that the elegant hardwood floors once suffered under an inundation of shag carpet.

Each of Mountain Grove's four guest rooms is named for one of the types of trees which ring the grounds. The Spruce, my headquarters, is painted a sumptuous purple. Its private bathroom is tiled in marble, and a private balcony allows the guest a view over the woods and terrace.

Breakfast at Mountain Grove is served on the downstairs deck, weather permitting. During my stay, we were treated to fresh fruit, omelets with area-grown vegetables, and pancakes made from the garden's blueberries, as well as homemade cherry preserves from Mountain Grove's trees. The blueberry bushes and cherry trees line the drive, allowing the passing guest to lean out of the car and experience what Susan refers to as a "drive-by fruiting." Breakfast is included in the room rate, and other meal plans are possible in connection with special packages. Mountain Grove gets fruits and vegetables, as well as flowers, from a nearby organic farm. We accompanied Susan to the farm one morning to see what was ripe. Heirloom tomatoes, including the bulbously delicious Brandywine, cucumbers, squash and herbs all found their way from farm to kitchen. Workshops at Mountain Grove on herbs and jam and pickle making give guests a chance to check out the area's bounty for themselves.

ExperienceWorks Inc., the company founded by Ellen and Susan to provide learning adventures in the Lookout Mountain area for businesses and other groups, conducts a variety of corporate retreats based at Mountain Grove to promote teamwork among co-workers. Activities include rock climbing, caving and experiencing the "challenge courses" offered at nearby summer camp facilities.

ExperienceWorks also offers one to five-day school field trips in fall and spring, working with classroom teachers to tailor experiential education activities for the students.  This summer, Mountain Grove is hosting Conversational Spanish classes twice a week, and a Wellness Weekend, with a physical therapist and massage therapist, is set for September 14-16.

Room rates at Mountain Grove start at $85/night; special rates apply to the customized retreats and workshops. For more information call 1-800-226-5585 or visit the website at www.experienceworks.com

From Mountain Grove, it's a short drive to the Mentone, Alabama, area which is home to a number of good restaurants. Dessie's Kountry Chef on Highway 117 in Mentone has recently celebrated ten years of authentic country cooking, and Dessie Newberry herself was recently named one of Alabama's Unforgettable Faces by the State of Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel. Dessie's unforgettable dishes include terrific catfish strips, chicken with dressing, fried green tomatoes, and for dessert, buttermilk coconut pie from a family recipe.

Little River Café, on the other side of DeSoto State Park from Dessie's, occupies a cabin built by a descendant of one of the area's original German settlers. The menu includes barbecue, home style pinto beans and cornbread, and daily specials.

Music Mountain, right next door, is the brainchild of Tony Goggans, offering live music outside, weather permitting, and inside the former mountain store in case of rain. Friday nights, Music Mountain presents a non-electric jam, with a variety of music including bluegrass, folk, old-time mountain, gospel and acoustical. Saturday nights feature oldies by groups including Tony's own family groups the Malibous and the Tony Creek Girls. The audience is invited to bring lawn chairs; admission is $7 with a discount for seniors and groups. For more information about activities in the DeKalb County area, visit the DeKalb County Tourist Association's website at www.tourdekalb.com

Getting There: Mountain Grove Bed and Breakfast is located in Cloudland, Georgia, just off Georgia Highway 48. From Atlanta, take highway 41 North to highway 411 and follow it to Rome, Georgia. In Rome, go west on Highway 48; the community of Cloudland is just west of Summerville.