WHITESTONE INN

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Earlier this month I had the privilege of leading a conference at First Baptist Church of Kingston, Tennessee.  This is such a loving and welcoming church.  If you are ever in the area on a Sunday, I highly recommend you pay them a visit.  Their generosity overwhelmed Mary and me.  They had arranged for Mary and me to stay at the Whitestone Country Bed and Breakfast during our stay.

It is OK to leave the RV behind once in a while.  Just like you might leave your sticks and bricks to take a trip you can also do so without your RV.  We chose to do just that for this trip and we are extremely glad we did.

Paul and Jean Cowell bought the property that would become Whitestone in the early ’90s.  They had been to a retreat center for a marriage retreat and committed that one day they would build a beautiful retreat for others to experience what they had.  Whitestone opened during the mid ‘90s. The first building was the “Farm House.” There are several other cottages and lodges around the property today.

Whitestone Country Bed and Breakfast, also known as Whitestone Inn, is located about 25 minutes from Kingston on the shores of Watts Bar Lake and provides a peaceful country pace. Horses graze in sloping pastures and Herons wing across water to reach small islands. Wildlife and waterfowl sanctuaries surround the meadows and woods. The birds inhabit Paint Rock Wildlife Refuge, a protected area that borders the Inn’s property.  It sits on 600 acres of some of the most beautiful hills and valleys in Tennessee. They call themselves a “Sanctuary for your soul.”  It is also a popular wedding venue. 

Mary and I stayed in the Farm House.  When you enter you come into a central living room which has a huge fireplace comfortable seating. Straight ahead is the dining area where breakfast was served every morning.  Dinner could also be arranged if you desired.  If you would like they would even prepare a picnic lunch for you to enjoy as you explore the property or ventured further to experience east Tennessee. To the right off the living area was the kitchen. There were always snacks left on a counter for you to enjoy. There were always a number of baked goods prepared by the chef right on site.  There were hallways going right and left off the main room where overnight suites were located.  Take the stairway to the second floor and you enter a large reading room with books galore and comfortable seating.  Off this room were more suites.

We stayed in the Cardinal Suite on the second floor of the Farm House. It was huge! We had a king size bed, walk-in closet, a small dining area, a fireplace, a balcony with a view of a hillside pasture where horses grazed and Watts Bar Lake. There were three additional bedrooms connected to our suite and a bathroom with more square footage than our entire RV.  It was all beautiful.

Our first morning we began to here beautiful music playing in our room. It was the Inn’s way of letting us know that breakfast would soon be ready.  Each morning there were fresh baked pastries and fresh fruit waiting for us at our table.  As soon as we were seated our server would be ready to offer us coffee or tea and juice if we liked. She would then tell us what was available for our “hot plate.”  The selection was plentiful and we could have as much as we liked. Every table in the dining area is located by a window and has fantastic views. During our first breakfast we were joined by a beautiful Blue Bird which was perched just outside our window.

All of the staff were terrific.  Every day the Inn Keeper would stop by our table to see if everything was good.  He was never in a hurry and was more than happy to talk with you. The servers were great.  Everyone we dealt with were absolutely interested in our having the best experience possible.

If you are looking for a special place for a get away look no further.  This is indeed a special place and is in fact a “Sanctuary for your soul.”  Don’t forget it really is OK to leave the RV behind some times.