Meriwether’s Retreat, an Exceptional Bed & Breakfast.

Meriwether’s Retreat Bed & Breakfast is an exceptional stay!

One might be misled by the seemingly sleepy little town of Hohenwald Tn. but if you peel back the cozy, comfortable blanket of rural life, you’re going to get the surprise of your life, as I did! Meriwether’s Retreat Bed & Breakfast could not be more adorable.

I am an artist, living just outside of a stress chamber called, Atlanta, Georgia. A place where the traffic is ridiculously terrifying, people are indifferent or just downright mean. It’s hustle meets bustle and takes a bully beating on one’s soul. After a super busy holiday season and a house remodel, I needed to decompress big time. A friend of mine told me about MERIWETHER’S RETREAT and I decided to go check it out for a long weekend.

I was prepared to check out from the world, curl up on a sofa and read a good book in a quiet little town and be content on being background material. Meriwether’s Retreat, Bed & Breakfast  is so comfy, cozy and quiet, I suppose I could have done just that but alas, many great finds awaited an adventurous me.

Things like the Amish store,

Yoder’s Market, where I bought incredible sandwiches and baked goods. So many amazing and inspiring

cooking goods (I write a food blog too, COOKING ON THE FLY WITH BA) to peruse. It was overload. I wished I could of spent a day, nay a week, cooking with these ladies. It was heaven and I could have spent hours shopping in this tiny, well kept and laid out shop. OHHHH the YUMMY!!!

Mr. Billy Parks “SpoonMan”

I went on to meet a local legend and artist, Mr.Billy Parks “Spoon Man” -my nickname. His, OMG, 1890’s Queen Anne house and incredibly kept pastures, would be enough to make one want to stop and greet this 88 year old, dapper bachelor, who is always decked out in his favorite overalls. When I went into his house I was blown over by his creative genius. He, no lie, has hand carved over 800 wooden spoons. I said, EIGHT HUNDRED! Spoons that are so insanely intricate

and unbelievable, you would think Merlin or Gandalf would be visiting in the midnight hours to help him out. That’s just his spoons! He’s carved flowers, animals, human figures, reliefs and more. He boggles my mind! I understand why people come from across the country to meet him!! I could write a book on this gentleman, his home and his art. Otherworldly, his home is a serious vortex sitting in the middle of beautiful pastures!

Live Show in Hickman County

I’m telling you, to expect the unexpected. On Saturday night, I landed at the Hickman County AG Pavilion. First of all, I thought, I can’t be at the right place. In the middle of nowhere, underneath a water tower, is a cinder block room…. where they play music! Really? It is crazy. What have I gotten myself into? People, I saaaaw a trio band, fronted by Shannon Wickline, of the Charlie Daniels band and they killed it. They blew the roof and all the walls off that place. I’m not sure there are adjectives or verbs to even describe what went down this night. Hands were being raised, people were singing along and much dancing was to be had. All I can say is, the music was SENSATIONAL!! LINK TO THE FULL SHOW

I live in a place where the population is over 6 million and you might get 8 people, to a no cover show, with stellar music. Sadly, these 8 people are probably there to drink and watch a game on one of the 15 tv’s hanging on the walls. Here, in the middle of nowhere, underneath a water tower with a population of… let’s be generous and say 30,000, folks paid a ticket price, to come to the fairgrounds and listen to a trio they have never heard of. IT WAS PACKED!!! The music was amazebombs but I would like to take a second to talk about this community.

A Community

In this room, there were all ages and races. In this room, there was a community. A real live bonafide, community. Supporting. Loving. Cherishing. Considerate. Compassionate. Enjoying… CELEBRATING group of people. I was hugging people by the end of the evening. You don’t get that in Atlanta. (Well, you might if the room is three sheets to the wind.) These folks were stone cold sober and it was just WOW!!!

David Dansby is putting together one heck of a deal here and it is spirit lifting to see his community backing and supporting him. He is a man who will literally sit in every chair he sets up, to make sure every seat is a good seat to view the band. To ensure his parton’s and the band will be warm, he comes in the day before the show and starts heating his cinderblock room. (It’s February ya’all, that means dang, dog, diggty cold!!)) What an adorable man, filled with the spirit of joy. You instantly love him and recognize his commitment and the pride he takes in what he is doing. I found myself feeling this way toward a large percentage of the room. Such a welcoming group of people. The music was superb and the love was real. It was, in one word, marvelous!!!

Meriwether’s Retreat Bed & Breakfast, Supporting Local Artists

Speaking of the arts, seems that little Hohenwald is a hotbed for artists! Meriwether’s Retreat Bed & Breakfast supports their local artist. That’s important to me and speaks volumes. I like that the proprietor is supporting

their community and giving a voice to local artists. I had artisanal foods for breakfast; quiche, blueberry muffins and bagels. I’m not talking, they pulled these out of bags and placed them on a fancy doilies. Hand made from scratch. Have you ever had a hand made bagel? Soooo good! At night there were hand made nibblies by my bedside. I am not gonna lie, the chocolate covered cherries were hands down my favorite! There’s even a little section of the house dedicated as a gift shop, with local goods to purchase. What a brilliant idea!!!

About The Property

The Meriwether’s Retreat Bed & Breakfast is well laid out. Built in the 1950’s, it has all of the charm of being a historical home but none of the issues. (My visit was in winter and there were no chilly drafts in this place, amazing.) Everything is new, up to date and in mighty fine working order. The open floor plan feels roomy and spacious. I love, love, love the huge picture windows, (natural lighting is everything to me) The wood floors and the proprietor’s attention to historically inspired decor is aces and the bedding/ bath towels are top notch!!

Most importantly to me, quiet. You will wake of your own accord at Meriwether’s Retreat Bed & Breakfast. Not due to traffic, or loud neighbors on the other side of the walls, or inconsiderate people in a parking lots. This lovely little place will wake “with” you, it won’t wake you!!! I LOVE THAT. Like in spades, I love that!!

Spacious Kitchen VS Junkyard Dog

The kitchen at Meriwether’s Retreat, Bed & Breakfast is fully up to date on amenities. It’s incredibly spacious, even to prepare the biggest of meals. Buuuut, do you really want to cook on vacation? Not me! I did go out to check the local restaurant scene and found my way to the Junkyard Dog. Oh my gosh…. soooo good! Incredibly, everyone, knows everybody here. As I sat at my table enjoying my salad, with the secret, house made blue cheese dressing; I witnessed entering patrons would come in and hug dining patrons. Waitresses were smiling, hugging patrons. It kinda had that medieval pub energy. On second thought, maybe a “Cheers” analogy would be better. It was super clean and the food was so freaking delicious and you are not going to beat the friendly atmosphere.

In closing, I would be remiss if I didn’t say something about the proprietor of Meriwether’s Retreat Bed & Breakfast. I have traveled the world and have stayed in many places. In my opinion, accommodations are only as incredible as the owners. Any chef will tell you, a well prepared 5 star Michelin course starts with superb ingredients. These people, are without a doubt, superb and this retreat is worthy of 5 stars, plus! Their attention to quality, detail and amazing customer service, took this weekend stay well beyond 5 stars. I did not want to leave and felt there were many more adventures to be had. I will be booking for spring and fall for sure.

Thank you for a most marvelous and unexpected stay at the Meriwether’s Retreat Bed & Breakfast. It was most certainly the break from reality that I needed and I sincerely loved every single second of my visit!