One visit and you can't help but share their enthusiasm. Built in 1989, this sturdy pine log lodge sits snugly in a mountainside cove, commanding the finest pastoral views any breakfast guest could wish for. We saw the view from a bright and airy guest lounge, edged by picture windows and a cheery stone fireplace fronted by a unique birchbark canoe coffee table. Conversation with the Mancinis is rich with exotic travel adventures, family anecdotes and good humor. Each guest room has a queen-size bed and a private bathroom.
Guest rooms boast unique decorating motifs.
Being Europeans with cooler blood, we opted for the Alaska Room with its massive hickory log bed, antique snowshoes on the wall, throw rugs and quilts more suited to a Klondike winter than North Carolina's mild version. Each room has an outdoor patio overlooking the valley, where an occasional chipmunk, rabbit or squirrel drops by to keep you company. There' s also spacious two-story suites in Windsong's Pond House, ideal for family escapes, complete with a refrigerator and stove. Famous for innovative breakfasts, the Mancinis are as imaginative as any chef hailing from an Orient Express hotel. A light and tasty Mexican frittata garnished with salsa, sour cream, paprika, chopped onions and heavenly corn kernel muffins.