The location of the King's Lodge is ideal for a multi-generational family retreat. The yard surrounding the house is flat, so both the elderly and the babies can walk with fewer accidents. The environment is peaceful with the Smoky mountains looming above the valley and the quiet neighborhood. Blairs Valley Ranch operates across the road from the lodge, and all the children in our family loved seeing the chickens roam freely and hearing an occasional rooster crow. We fed watermelon to the chickens and carrots to the horses.
Our family does not gather in vacation venues often, and my experience in reserving lodging facilities is limited. This was my first time using the VRBO listing service. I used a phone number that I found online to communicate with the owner, and I discovered too late that I should have used the VRBO chat platform.
We found the space at the lodge to be perfect for our group of 19 ( 3 of our intended group of 22 had conflicts). Though the space was great, we also found the cleanliness in two rooms to be inadequate. The kitchen countertops had not been cleaned, and the carpet in the bunk/game room had not been vacuumed. Roaches scattered every time we opened the left cabinet doors. I reported the roaches, and the owner was surprised, as no other tenant had ever mentioned them.
We did have fun reconnecting, but two of us contacted poison ivy from the gazebo. So, be alert.