Its cache is surely aided by the the array of activities, some of them, like trap shooting or the slightly overpriced falconry classes, not found at the average resort. The Greenbrier is increasingly popular as a meeting point for far-flung families at holiday time, which was indeed what we did, electing to let someone else do the Thanksgiving cooking. It is also very popular for conferences, and the ever-creative management offers special cigar aficionado weekends, cooking classes, golf packages and Big Band weekends as well. The spa is splendid and includes a full array of mud wraps, tranquil baths and pulsating showers. There is also a diagnostic clinic where you can get checked out by doctors to assess your health.
Dinners tend to be a bit of an event, spent in one of three ballroom-sized dining rooms.
Afterward, there are musical performances in front of roaring fireplaces amid decor still reminiscent of New York designer Dorothy Draper, who gave the Greenbrier its trademark floral prints, lush carpeting and antique furniture. But there I go again, falling for that retro-nostalgia thing, wanting to be carried off to another era. Maybe that's why I found the history of the Greenbrier, including the Cold War bunker, such a rich addition to the experience. Yet the history component was spurred by an intellecual impulse as well. You go so the body and spirit can recuperate, but darned if your mind doesn't get a little exercise as well.