Nestled among the natural beauty and frontier history of Kentucky’s Estill County, innkeeper Barbara Napier has created a cozy, eco-friendly retreat at Snug Hollow Farm.
Trundling down the country road, the whirl of your motor and the crunch of gravel break the silence. You’re driving away from your world and into a cocoon of soothing relaxation. No phones, no TV’s, no emails. Innkeeper Barbara Napier has created a retreat for travelers – a place to meditate and reconnect with nature. Her eco-friendly B&B, Snug Hollow Farm, sits within 300 acres of natural beauty at the foothills of the Appalachians and stresses peace and rejuvenation.
Thirty-two years ago, Napier created a home inside a 175-year-old log cabin. That building now serves as a guesthouse for up to nine people.
A later project was the construction of the farmhouse. She wanted a shelter that would celebrate nature and the joys of a simple life. She succeeded. Windowed walls bring in stunning views of the forest and fields of wildflowers. Sounds of songbirds sail through the porches on mountain breezes. Plus two cozy bedrooms welcome guests with feather beds and handmade quilts.
“I’m from Appalachia,” says Napier. “I offer a true experience of country living. At Snug Hollow Farm you get a big dose of true ‘holler’ hospitality.”
And “holler” hospitality features delicious food. Her cookbook, “Hot Food and Warm Memories,” is one of the top-10 sellers in Kentucky. Guests get to sample some of her recipes. A typical breakfast may consist of oatmeal pancakes with gingered bananas, real maple syrup, crumb-encrusted poached eggs and fruit smoothies. The cuisine is vegetarian but it’s yummy “down-home eatin’s.”
Later, fish in the pond, walk the trails, read a good book – or just rock on the porch.
When You Go
Snug Hollow Farm
790 McSwain Branch
Irvine, Ky.
606-723-4786, snughollow.com
Rates: $139-$195; reservations required; open year-round.
No smoking indoors; no pets; cabin reserved for families.
