Snug Hollow Bed & Breakfast

With Meric taking most of the week off for my birthday we figured it would be the perfect time to take a little vacation. We looked up several places and decided to give Snug Hollow Bed and Breakfast in Irvine, KY a visit. Something about it seemed so relaxed and peaceful. It was a bed and breakfast located on 300 acres. Also in researching the place I couldn't find a single negative review which made me even more curious.

View of the back porches

The main house

We started out Tuesday afternoon and put the address into our GPS. Oh the places that GPS will take us! We wound through every little town along the way. Very scenic and nice but we both figured it was not the most direct route. When we reached the road Snug hollow was on we were definitely far into the country. The road was a one lane dirt road that wound back one mile to the bed and breakfast.

One of the two cabins

The main cabin/house was very pretty and rustic. There was no "main" entrance that we could see so we went in through the screened porch and into a cute little kitchen.

A staff member was showing another couple around so she had Meric and I sit on the porch until she was done. With several rocking chairs and a porch swing to choose from we were quite comfortable while we waited. When it was our turn to "check-in" we were given a tour of the main house and shown to our room.

View from the porch

Our room was on the second floor and had two rooms and a bathroom. One of the rooms had two twin beds and then the main room had a queen bed. The room opened on to a sitting room full of books, magazines and games. Across a little walk way was another bedroom that opened onto a private porch. Since no one had booked the other room, Meric and I had the entire upstairs and porch to ourselves.

After checking in Meric and I took advantage of the sitting and looked through different books and magazines until dinner time. At Snug Hollow breakfast is definitely included but they also give you the option to eat dinner there as well. Some of the reviews mentioned that all of the cooking is vegetarian but they also raved about how good everything was. I figured it wouldn't be a bad idea to try it for ourselves.

A fruit tart they gave us for an afternoon snack

At dinner we were joined by the other couple that had checked in before us and another couple that had just come for dinner. The first dish brought out had a bowl of white bean soup, a piece of corn bread and a salad on it. Everything looked delicious and was such large portions I thought that was it but she soon brought out another plate. This plate had cheese grits topped with kale and a tomato. I am not a fan of grits but I think these people could make anything taste good. Dinner was wonderful! Everything had such good flavor and was so fresh. For dessert we had ice cream with peaches and homemade shortbread. I was very glad we had decided to do dinner there.

I haven't seen this many butterflies since I went to a butterfly exhibit

 After dinner we sat on the porch until it got dark and then turned in for the night. It was the perfect summer night to open windows and listen to all the nature sounds while we slept. In the morning we enjoyed a delicious breakfast of pancakes and eggs. We then decided to explore the 300 acre property. One of the first things you see as you start along the path is the garden.

Snug Hollow's owner, Barbara, has a beautiful organic garden. Continuing along the path you head toward some hiking trails. It was a beautiful, sometimes difficult, hike that eventually wound back toward the house and stopped at a lake.

Lakeside there was a hammock that Meric and I relaxed in for a while. It was so quiet and peaceful we didn't want to leave.

Eventually our stomachs prompted us to head into Irvine for lunch. After lunch we decided to Take the advice of Barbara and check out a local pottery shop called Tater Knob Pottery and Farm. Personally I wasn't too excited to go look at pottery. I like it but usually it is a little expensive and really I don't have room for too much "stuff".  When we got to the shop one of the potters came out to greet us. She said she would let us look around a bit but then she would give us a demonstration and answer any questions we had. The demonstration was really neat. She made four bowls, put a handle on a pitcher, and painted a couple of items. She also showed us the kiln and discussed the process and all the stages of making a pot. I really learned a lot and I also understand a little better why this kind of pottery is a little more expensive. Meric and I ended up buying some homemade jam, a clay spoon rest and a citronella candle. The candle was really cool and the item we didn't realize we really needed. It wick is fiberglass and last forever and is held in a clay ball.

Then all we needed to do was fill it with citronella oil and we have a beautiful table decoration that will help keep the bugs away while sitting outside. Visiting the pottery shop really added to our trip.

We then headed back to Snug Hollow for dinner. This time it was just Meric and I. They served us a large salad with melon, summer squash topped with spaghetti and fresh made bread. It was to die for! I felt bad about not being able to finish dinner because it was so good but they gave us so much. It was also hard to stop eating when I got super full because dinner was so delicious.

For dessert we had a blackberry tart. After dinner we took our over stuffed bellies out to the porch and enjoyed relaxing until it got dark. Then we played a game in the sitting room before heading to bed.

In the morning we enjoyed a breakfast of oatmeal, eggs and potatoes, fresh melon and a biscuit. It is a good thing the owner made a cookbook because everything was so good I wanted the recipes. After breakfast we got ready to leave Snug Hollow. It was hard to want to leave the peaceful feeling. Everything was so laid back and comfortable. There was no cell phone service or wifi. It was great to be "unplugged".

Meric and I really enjoyed our first bed and breakfast experience. We really felt like we were just visiting a grandma or great aunt. Everyone was so warm and friendly. We loved it and plan to try and go back sometime. Snug Hollow Bed and Breakfast definitely earns their good reviews.

*If you want to check out the websites here are the links:
www.snughollow.com
www.taterknob.com