Sugar Hollow, A Natural Mountain Retreat: Part 1

All photos and illustrations by Pat Johns ©2007
All Rights Reserved
See links to article references at the end of the article.

Click to see more Sugar Hollow Retreat photos

July, 2007

Sugar Hollow Retreat is the ultimate place for a group vacation or retreat. With a 10-room lodge, 4 new or beautifully restored guest cottages, a conference center, an amphitheater, 9 miles of hiking trails on 300 rustic but accessible acres.

Book some rooms in the lodge, book ALL of the lodge or book the lodge AND all of the 4 guest cottages for your wedding, family reunion, corporate or church retreat. It is hard to imagine a more memorable setting for your special events.

The relaxed, rustic facilities are quite comfortable and offer most modern conveniences. The Lodge is centrally-heated and air-conditioned. The modern kitchen and coffee bar are for your use and satellite TV and Internet Access are also included.

Each cottage is unique. The Hemlock cottage is a recently-built spacious cottage with a fireplace, cathedral ceilings and sleeps up to 10 people. The 1929 restored Chestnut FarmHouse has 5 guest rooms and sleeps up to 12 people. The cozy Cherokee House sleeps up to 8 people and has plenty of rocking chairs on its front porch. Finally, the Sequoia Cottage with its beautiful wood interior and exterior even has a hot tub on the private back deck.

(at left: Innkeeper Jim Gresch (on right) and the facility's talented carpenter Arthur Smith and his son Anthony)

The Retreat was developed by Surry Roberts, M.D who lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. As their website reports :

"Surry first envisioned Sugar Hollow as a camping facility for youth leadership development, focusing on conservation and environmental protection. The development of the retreat from there has gone far beyond his wildest predictions and shows no signs of slowing. Sugar Hollow remains a great interest and a challenge for Surry, affording rich rewards."
    ~ www.SugarHollowRetreat.com (see link below)

The 300-acre facility offers such a rich variety of opportunities for exploring that a group can be easily occupied for a weekend or a week.

The prices for a stay at the Sugar Hollow Retreat are quite reasonable, particularly for a group event. The staff can provide breakfast or lunch for up to 30 in the Lodge, but all other food, meals and beverages in the Lodge and cottages are provided by the guests. The kitchens in the facilities are for use of the guests. Bring your groceries with you and eat what and when you like. This adds to the personal and private nature of your stay and can reduce the cost for budget-minded groups.

Innkeeper Jim Gresch has considerable experience in the resort hospitality business and can help you plan your visit to fit the needs of your group. Innkeeper Marty Plummer is from the area and has a wealth of knowledge about Sugar Hollow, Watauga lake and the Johnson and Carter County areas.

The Sugar Hollow website offers comments from past customers such as the following:

"Nothing our friends told us about Sugar Hollow Retreat prepared us for what a WONDERFUL GET-AWAY PLACE has been created. From the Lodge to the houses to the conference center, every detail has been thought of. It is an AMAZING spot!"
~ Placide & Andy Barada Durham, NC

Click to see more Sugar Hollow Retreat photos

• Interesting links related to this article:
  
  
• Click to visit the Sugar Hollow Retreat website
  
  
• Appalachian Treks Blogspot