Smokey Vista Lodge

Our primary purpose was to have a mountain Christmas for our whole family. To that end, the view is breathtaking and offered nonstop awe inspiring sights although the highway sounds from below are a little intrusive (not the owners fault obviously but if you're looking for complete peace and quiet be aware). The fenced in yard was a fantastic plus for the littles and a dog. There were "extras" outside like a giant Connect 4, Cornhole game, and table and chairs for the kids that kept them entertained. Although older and leaning to rustic (in a good way) the house was large and well appointed with most details thought out and so appreciated (like the seperate and generous supply of spa towels). The extra space the guest house provided was a huge plus. The kitchen was surprisingly well equipped which was a huge bonus for our group of 9. The contact person(s) for the rental were very complete and informative as we asked random questions over the 2 months prior to our arrival, and even after even providing suggestions for nearby activities and places of interest.

Because a couple members of our group have back issues there was a general observation from them that several of the beds were hard and not comfortable. After trying 3 different beds and bringing a bed topper over from the guest house, one person slept sitting up the rest of the week because of this. We acknowledge a renter's back issues are not the owner's fault but if you're planning a multi generational visit this is worth considering. A suggestion: have a recliner in the main home. This next part is lengthy but the thing I would have appreciated the most before arriving was a heads up or at least an awareness of this "unusual" situation (for December) before our arrival since it wasn't an unknown condition for the area and the weather. There was only one really irritating part of this stay and it was the stink bug invasion. On the first night we attributed it to having had the doors open as we unloaded our 3 cars and took it in stride thinking we'd just get rid of them as we saw them. Their presence in extreme numbers may not be within the owner's control as they stated they have a pest control service, and apparently the extreme numbers of them was due to the unseasonably warm weather (70s all week). However, if the conditions are such that this should be what you'll encounter, especially with young children who freak out with bugs crawling all over the place, know that you have to have a very high tolerance for having these nasty bugs fly in your face constantly, and get used to having hardly any lights on (which attracts them) AND be willing to catch them and throw them outside constantly AND/OR set up a trap as we eventually did consisting of a pan of dishsoap water underneath a powerful lamp. We literally killed hundreds (not an exaggeration - the kids did like counting dead ones!!!) over the course of a week.