Sunday, January 18, 2009

North Carolina - 10/2008 - Day 6

We depart Highlands and head to Atlanta to drop me off for my Standing Judicial Commission meeting.

Along the way, we plan a stop at the Dillard House.

Welcome to The Dillard House Restaurant and Resort. It is located in Dillard, GA at the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. They are home to a multi-year award winning restaurant and over 90 beautiful hotel rooms, 4 cottages and 25 fully equipped mountain chalets.

Carrie and Arthur Dillard initially established the present-day Dillard House in 1917, when their first guest was a circuit-riding minister named Rev. Henry Byrd. Carrie Dillard was a woman of high values, strong work ethic and keen business sense. She was a wonderful cook, gifted gardener and very accommodating hostess. Every guest was treated like family, and Carrie taught that practice of hospitality to her children and grandchildren, alike. Since that time, hundreds of thousands of guests have enjoyed wonderfully prepared Southern style home-cooked meals at the Dillard House in the same family tradition as when Carrie first put up her jams and relishes. Now in its 87th year, The Dillard House Inn and Restaurant have become famous throughout the area for its traditional home-style meals and authentic Southern hospitality - the unique result of our 200-year heritage.

Nestled on a plateau in the picturesque Little Tennessee River Valley of North Georgia, The Dillard House boasts a breathtaking view of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains. Known as the oldest mountains in North America, Blue Ridge gets its name from the enchanting blue-gray fog that wisps through the hills, sometimes obscuring the sun. Guests of The Dillard House can enjoy this natural spectacle from the front porch and, depending on the season and available light, will witness colors of blue, gray, purple or silver. No matter the time of year, it truly is a memorable vision.

Once a simple and modest mountain home of just 6 rooms, The Dillard House has grown into a modern hotel than can accommodate hundreds of guests at a time. With 70 guest rooms and suites, more than 25 cottages and chalets, a modern business center and all the standard amenities, we can provide comfortable and beautiful surroundings as well as exquisite hospitality and service for every guest we receive. In our history, we've enjoyed the company of famous folks, such as Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Harvey Firestone and Walt Disney. Arnold Palmer and Larry Bird Johnson once took a break from their game to stay with us. Even politicians such as President Jimmy Carter, Senator Max Cleland, Mayor Maynard Jackson and Ambassador Andrew Young have all honored us with their visit here at The Dillard House. No matter who the patron may be, every visitor to The Dillard House is more than a guest - they're part of our extended family.

At The Dillard House you'll not only enjoy true Southern hospitality, great cooking and accommodating service - you'll be surrounded by a beautiful landscape with the breathtaking Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop. The grounds of The Dillard House are both serene and exciting. Whether you want to take a morning walk through our lovely gardens, enjoy a poolside lunch, to spending the afternoon fishing for that trophy trout, we can promise that your stay with us will make it hard to leave.

The Dillard House prides itself on family style Southern dining. Sitting down at the table is more than just a meal for us - it's a culinary event. We serve breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday, year-round. Our menus consist of generous proportions of delectable Southern dishes from recipes handed down to us from generations of Dillard House chefs.

Our vegetables are farm fresh and grown mostly in the surrounding area and our main dishes are prepared exactly to your specifications รข€” with our own twist of Southern charm. Satisfaction and hospitality are our main concern at the dinner table. We prepare every plate to the utmost detail and leave no guest hungry. As long as you keep asking for more, we'll keep it coming. Take a look at some of our sample menu selections. If you don't see something that excites your pallet, we'll go to extremes to find something that does.

Full as ticks, we head on toward Atlanta.

We make it to the PCA Office Building, where my meeting will be.

The folks drop me off and visit our former pastor, Roy Taylor,

who is now the PCA's Stated Clerk and the Coordinator of the Administrative Committee.

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