Travel

Cabins and Airbnb

June 23, 2020

Typically when we travel, I searching hotel websites to find the perfect hotel with the ideal location close to restaurants, the beach, shopping, and activities the family can enjoy. I even did this before having a family of my own. I wanted to be near excitement when traveling to places. However, when staying in mountain towns, it’s hard-pressed to find a hotel with beautiful mountain views and close to things to do for a family. I went out of my comfort zone and tried something new; I booked a cabin through Airbnb. Am I late to the game with this? Yes. Am I glad I chose to venture out of my hotel loving world? Yes.

Camp fire at Bear Cliff Cabin

Airbnb made searching for a cabin as seamless as possible. I loved how easy their website is to navigate. Since they host many places such as houses, condos, studio apartments, and cabins, it is easy to find a place to fit anyone’s needs and any size travel group. I also love how they are worldwide. You can easily find a place to stay in just about any country you would like to travel to. For me, this is a more significant advantage because when staying in a local spot around a town or village in a different country, you can experience the culture, local way of life, and have a connection with your travel. Also, I have learned locals know all the best spots to visit, which you might not discover is staying in a hotel.

Living room
Master room view

My family and I had a blast staying at Bear Cliff Cabin. Bear Cliff is a two bed two bath cabin located minutes from all adventures in Blue Ridge. It was the perfect location for hiking trails, downtown Blue Ridge, and the views of the mountains were breathtaking. We enjoyed a campfire at night and played board games in the morning. They had a large deck with rocking chairs to enjoy your morning coffee and ample space for the kids to run around. Family dinners were easy to cook in the large kitchen, and we soaked in our talks around the dinner table, learning what the kids loved most about the day.

Trail signs
Waterfall viewing area

We took a hike on a nearby trail, which lead to a beautiful waterfall. The drive up the dirt path had a fantastic view of the fields which seemed to be left untouched in time. The kids loved seeing the different animals from horses, cows, and the different types of barns lined with areas of farmland. Flower fields were blooming, which created a rainbow of colors as we drove up the dirt and gravel road. Once at the parking area, my kids heard the sound of a river flowing nearby, so we made our way to look for fish and frogs and toss small rocks into the water.

Hiking trail

Once we started our hike, the kids took off down the trail running to see what other animals, rocks, and all things nature they could find on the path. For my oldest, however, we make the hike into a treasure hunt. The treasure hunt was a big hit, and he used his imagination as to what was at the end of the path. The “map” to the treasure was looking for diamonds on the tree. It was pretty easy since the trees were marked with different shapes, so hikers were able to find their way back. Eventually found the cascading waterfall at the end of the trail. The view from the newly build viewing perch was terrific.

Since the hiking trail was so close to our cabin, we made our back for an afternoon nap before dinner. My husband and I enjoyed sitting on the deck, which gave a picturesque view of the mountains. The rocking chairs made it easy to relax with a gentle breeze. This cabin felt like a home away from home and made the trip once of the best with making memories, disconnecting from electronics, and just enjoying family.

Blue Ridge River House fire pit

We enjoyed our experience with Airbnb so much, my husband and I decided to book another cabin for our anniversary. This time we stayed at a cabin located on the river in an area called Aska. We stayed at the Blue Ridge River House. This house was big and accommodating. We enjoyed the screened-in porch, the path down to a fireplace overlooking the running river, and during the warmer months, you can enjoy tubing down the river. This cabin is an excellent place for a large family, birthday weekend, or any special occasion. And like the other cabin, it is close to downtown, hiking, restaurants, and outdoor adventures.

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