Blog
November 25, 2023
Pollinator Gardens Creating a Buzz!
What Buckhorn Inn Is Doing to Protect Pollinators and Their Habitat
By Sharon Mellor
Bees, butterflies, and other pollinators play a key role in moving pollen between flowers. Scientists estimate that one out of every three bites of our food has been created through the help of pollinators. Imagine a world without our favorite fruits, vegetables, coffee, nuts, and
chocolate!
Unfortunately, pollinators are facing many threats. As native plants are being replaced by nonnative
gardens, roads, lawns, and buildings, pollinators lose the food and nesting sites that are necessary for their survival. For migratory pollinators, long distances between prairies and meadows means that many will die during their journey.
While careful use of pesticides and herbicides can reduce invasive non-native species, improper use can harm wildlife, including pollinators. And finally, climate change can cause some species to starve. As temperatures warm, flowers are blooming earlier. If the blooms die before the insects who feed on those blooms arrive, many pollinators will die.
Buckhorn Inn is doing its part to protect pollinators and their habitat.
One of our new projects this fall has been to plant milkweed in several patches. Milkweed is essential for the survival of monarch butterflies. The butterflies only lay eggs on milkweed plants and the hatched caterpillars feed exclusively on the leaves of milkweed. We planted common and showy milkweed and butterfly weed this fall so that the cold temperatures and moisture will encourage spring germination. The milkweeds will grow from 2 to 5 feet tall. the star-shaped flowers will attract many pollinators with their yellow, green, purple, pink, and orange flowers. We expect to see native bees, honey bees, hummingbirds, and many types of butterflies. In the fall, the large seed pods will split open and efficiently self-sow.
We also have been experimenting to find a “low mow” schedule that works well for us. By allowing our grass to grow a bit longer and letting weed flowers like dandelions bloom, our
lawns will provide nectar and pollen to help pollinators thrive.
Hand-in-hand with these efforts, we are examining our use of pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides. In particular, widely-used neonicotinoids are absorbed by plants and can be present in pollen and nectar, making them highly toxic to bees. We will never use common brands like Sevin, Orthene, and Raid in an area where bees might feed. When we find we do need to use pesticides, we will follow recommended practice and spray them carefully on still days very early or late in the day to give them time to dry before the bees come to feed.
We also expanded our plots of native wildflowers over the summer. Our wildflower plots include black-eyed susan, blood root, beebalm, fire pink, iron weed, joe pye weed, cone flower, thistle, wild geranium, and other wildflowers native to eastern Tennessee. Our honeybee hives love them! Mariupol’s hive did produce some honey this year. Unfortunately, we had some rainy days during the prime nectar flow, so the workers hung around inside instead of foraging. We harvested about seven partial frames which resulted in about a gallon of amber goodness. We did not harvest any honey from Milan’s hive this year, but the bees appear strong going into the winter. We are planning to insulate the hives and provide them winter feed consisting of sugar and pollen patties.
Please visit us next summer and check out our bee-utiful gardens!
August 29, 2023
Listen Like the Locals! Live Music Abounds
Guests often ask me for recommendations on what the locals do for fun in Gatlinburg. One of the things that Jack and I enjoy is listening to live music. Some of the large venues downtown, like Ole Red and Jason Aldean’s, have live country music. But we, and many locals, prefer the wide range of performers at local haunts like Three Jimmy’s Good Time Eatery and Split Rail Eats. Let me introduce to three of our favorites.
Mark Meyer
If you attended the Buckhorn Inn’s Riverboat-themed New Years Eve party a few years ago, that was Mark at the piano entertaining us with ragtime and jazz. Mark studied music at Maryville College and the University of Tennessee. He plays classic rock, country classics, and original tunes in jazz fusion, rock and other styles. I especially love Mark’s repertoire of turn of the century ragtime—Scott Joplin, Eubie Blake, Joseph Lamb, and others. His jazz catalog includes standards by Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis, and more!
Live music at Split Rail on September 8 will feature Mark and Friends!
Mark has been invited to do ragtime and jazz presentations for the Knoxville Jazz Society and the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra League.
He sometimes appears with Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter Taylor Brooks, sometimes as part of the Brews Brothers, and sometimes with Kirk Fleta (see below).
Kirk Fleta
Kirk is a singer, songwriter and guitarist. We were drawn to him because of his catalog of James Taylor and Neil Young. But we stayed because of his original songs, like “Bare Bones.” He sings with palpable passion — and endears himself to the crowd with his boyish charm. He plays “energetic acoustic rock with delta slide and flamenco overtones” according to his artist biography. Whatever—we like it! He comes by his musical talents honestly. We recently learned his grandfather was a world-famous Spanish tenor and his mother toured the world with her pop music.
Neesee Hurst
If you have read “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”, you are familiar with the pianist Emma Kelly, the “Lady of 6,000 Songs”. Well, if Ms. Kelly knows 6,000 songs, Neesee Hurst knows at least 24,000! And she plays by ear!
Originally from South Carolina, Neesee is beloved by the local community. Not only for her wide selection of music, but for her warm and lovely spirit. She plays from 3:00 pm on Wednesday through Sunday at Three Jimmy’s. In the mood for Petula Clark? Steely Dan? Johnny Cash? Crash Test Dummies? Guns and Roses?Neesee plays it all and loves to take requests. If you are in the mood for a giggle, ask her to play “You Can’t Hide Those Thunder Thighs.”
We hope to see you enjoying local music with us!
June 19, 2023
Buckhorn Inn Uses AI for this Post
As the proud holder of a degree in journalism, I have been particularly interested in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to compose articles, essays, poems, etc. So, I used Bing’s creative writing AI as an experiment. I asked it to write a 300-word blog post promoting a stay at the Buckhorn Inn in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The following copy is presented exactly as it was generated.
AI Blog Post
# Why You Should Stay at the Buckhorn Inn in Gatlinburg Tennessee
If you are looking for a cozy and charming place to stay in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, you should consider the Buckhorn Inn. This bed and breakfast has been a favorite destination for visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains since 1938. Here are some reasons why you should book your next getaway at the Buckhorn Inn.
## Stunning Views
The Buckhorn Inn offers the grandest Smoky Mountain views of any Gatlinburg bed and breakfast. You can enjoy the ever-changing scenery of the mountains and meadows from your private balcony, patio, or window. The inn is situated less than a mile from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, so you can easily access the hiking trails, wildlife, and natural wonders of the area.
## Elegant Rooms
The Buckhorn Inn has a range of accommodations to suit your preferences and budget. You can choose from traditional inn rooms, private cottages, or full guesthouses. All of them are elegantly furnished and decorated with period charm and modern amenities. You can expect to find comfortable beds, air conditioning, flat-screen TVs, kitchenettes, and complimentary toiletries in your room. Some rooms also feature fireplaces, whirlpool tubs, or jacuzzis for extra relaxation.
## Delicious Food
One of the highlights of staying at the Buckhorn Inn is the delicious food. The inn serves a complimentary breakfast every morning, featuring fresh fruit, homemade pastries, eggs, bacon, and more. You can also enjoy a four-course dinner every evening, prepared by the inn’s chef using local ingredients. The menu changes daily and offers a variety of dishes, such as roasted duck, grilled salmon, beef tenderloin, and vegetarian options. You can dine in the elegant dining room or on the terrace overlooking the mountains.
## Friendly Service
The Buckhorn Inn is known for its friendly and attentive service. The innkeepers and staff are always ready to help you with anything you need, from booking tours and activities to providing recommendations and tips. They will make you feel welcome and pampered during your stay. The inn also has a library, a meeting room, a gift shop, and free Wi-Fi for your convenience.
The Buckhorn Inn is more than just a place to sleep. It is a place to experience the beauty, history, and hospitality of Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains. Book your stay today and see for yourself why the Buckhorn Inn is one of the best bed and breakfasts in Tennessee.
So, what do you think? I noted a few things I would not have written: we don’t regularly serve roasted duck, we do not offer dining on the terrace, and jacuzzis are brand-name whirlpool tubs. But by and large, I think this is a serviceable blog post. I did note that it did not score well on readability. The article contained more passive voice than recommended and we considered difficult to read. I intend to continue writing the blogs personally, but perhaps AI could be a good tool for research, or for brainstorming blog ideas.
June 12, 2023
Summer Wildflowers in the GSMNP
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) has more kinds of flowering plants than any other North American National Park. In fact, the GSMNP boasts more than 1,500 varieties of flowers!
Perhaps the most well-known are the spring ephemerals—so called because they appear in late winter, flower, fruit, and die back within two months. They emerge beginning in February and are usually gone by the end of June. Spring wildflower walkers can see lady slippers, fire pinks, columbine, bleeding heart, jack-in-the-pulpit, little brown jugs, violets and many others.
Summer Wildflowers Are Magnificent
But that doesn’t mean that spring is the only season to view wildflowers. The display continues with cardinal flowers, pink turtleheads, Turk’s cap lily, small purple-fringed orchids, bee-balm, butterfly weed, black-eyed Susan’s, and jewel weed, among others.
Black-eyed susans bloom during the summer months. Photo by Julie Blake Edison.
Rosebay rhododendron blooms during July in the mid elevations. In the summer sourwood trees produce their small, bell-shaped white blossoms. Sourwood honey is prized for its light amber color and flavor of anise and spice. This tree is only grows in the Eastern mountains. To connoisseurs, it has a richer and more concentrated flavor than the more common clover or wildflower honey. Some local eastern Tennessee businesses have sourwood honey for sale. http://Applebarncidermill.com
Summer wildflower seekers can find beautiful blooms later in the season, well into fall. Look for goldenrod, sunflowers, iron weed, mountain gentian, monk’s hood, coneflowers, and asters. Purple Joe-Pye-weed can reach heights of ten feet! From October through January you can find the yellow blooms of witch-hazel. The late summer/early fall weather is nice for hiking, and the trails are less crowded after the children have returned to school.
We look forward to seeing you this summer! And don’t forget that we offer hearty and delicious packed lunches for $12 to fuel you on your wildflower tramp.
April 24, 2023
Spring into Spring with Classic Cream of Asparagus Soup
This classic soup is simple, can be made ahead, and is a great way to celebrate fresh, inseason asparagus. The silky, rich, green soup is beautiful as well as delicious. Just add some
warm sourdough bread and a green salad and you have a beautiful, light supper! Asparagus is
notoriously difficult to pair with wine—it can make the wine taste very vegetal or grassy. The
addition of cream in this recipe makes the soup more wine-friendly. Crisp, sparkling wines like
Champagne, Cava, or Prosecco will pair very nicely with this soup. Other options might be a
refreshing Sauvignon Blanc or an unoaked Chardonnay, like the Mer Soleil Silver we offer as an
Innkeeper’s Special at the Inn.
2 pounds green asparagus
1 large, sweet onion, chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice.
Cut the tips from 12 asparagus spears and reserve. Cut all remaining asparagus into 1/2 inch
pieces. Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter over low heat, stirring, until soft. Add cut
asparagus and salt and pepper to taste. Cook and stir for 5 minutes. Add the stock and
simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. The asparagus should be tender. Add the heavy cream. Use an immersion blender,
or a regular blender, to purée soup. Add the reserved asparagus tips and bring to a boil. Taste
and add salt or pepper if necessary. Once the asparagus tips are tender, whisk in one
tablespoon of butter. Add lemon juice and serve. If making ahead, do not add last tablespoon
of butter and lemon juice until after the soup is reheated. Makes four servings
March 27, 2023
Bubble Has a New Pal . . .Meet Butty!
Have you noticed that our mute swan, Bubble, now has a young pal? Butty, a nine-month-old male came to us in March all the way from Chicago. Butty still displays some of the dusky brown-gray feathers of youth. When he matures, he will be entirely white.
Why is he called Butty?
As many of you know, Bubble’s brother was Squeak. They were named by Innkeeper John Mellor for the famous British dish, Bubble and Squeak. And also because the noises they make sound like bubbles and squeaks. When we lost Squeak to natural causes, we were anxious to get a companion for Bubble. But what to call him?
A Butty is an informal term for a sandwich in the United Kingdom. Typically, butties have hot, savory fillings. The most common are chips (French fries), bacon, sausage, and egg. Bacon butties were a great favorite of Innkeeper John. He made them for his children when they were small. (His recipe was white bread, bacon, and ketchup!)
The first time Jack to me to England, we went to the theater in London’s West End. We had a light supper afterwards at a nearby restaurant. The post-theater menu was promoted as Bubble and Butty—champagne and bacon sandwiches!
So the name honors John and brings back a wonderful memory of his homeland.
Fun fact: I had assumed the Brits named bacon sandwiches after pork butt. But according to Better Homes and Gardens http://www.bhg.com/chip.butty, the term is actually a shortened form of bread and butter.
The picture below was taken by our own Eddie—a handy guy with a camera as well as other tools! We hope you will stop by soon to greet our swans. Don’t forget to ask for a bag of lettuce in the office to share with them!
Bubble and Butty explore Buckhorn Inn Pond.
February 12, 2023
Some Easy Hikes in the National Park
This relatively 1.9 mile, flat hiking trail starts at the Sugarlands Visitors Center. It runs through forest along the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River. There are beautiful views of the river and the foundations and chimneys of several old homesites. Keep in mind that the Gatlinburg Trail is the only one which allows dogs.
Located in Greenbrier Cove, Porter’s Creek is an easy and-and-out hike from Buckhorn Inn You can experience some of the natural communities in the cove hardwood forest. This hiking trail also contains the remnants of settlers who lived in the area before the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established. There was once a community of about 500 people in Porters Flat and Greenbrier Cove, so keep your eyes peeled for evidence of old homesteads, stone fences, stairs and the Ownby cemetery. This trail is particularly beautiful in the Spring Wildflower Season beginning in late March through early May.
If you love waterfalls, enjoy an easy hike along the Cataract Falls Trail. It is only 3/4 miles roundtrip, making it a perfect destination for families with kids and other family members who have trouble walking long distances! The trail starts off paved but quickly turns to gravel as it travels over Fighting Creek on several well maintained bridges and through a stunning canopy of trees. While the highlight of the Cataract Falls Trail is naturally the 25 foot waterfall, you will also find a unique photo opportunity in an old hollowed out tree!
When you want to combine one of the easy hikes in the Smoky Mountains with one of the most enchanting hikes, be sure to check out the Grotto Falls Trail. While this is an easy hike, note that you should allow up to 3 hours to complete the roundtrip trail that is 2.6 miles in length. Walk through an overgrown forest before experiencing the gorgeous sight of Grotto Falls. This is one of the only waterfalls that you can actually walk behind, offering one of the most amazing views and photo opportunities in the national park.
February 10, 2023
All About our Chickens
We recently had a surprise cold snap. Of course Jack was out of town, so keeping the chickens healthy and happy was my responsibility!
The first frigid morning, the sliding door to their coop was frozen shut. Eddie
kindly came to our rescue and opened the door and broke the ice on the chickens’ drinking
water. However they remained huddled in their little coop, not braving the cold even for a drink
of water. So of course, I served them their breakfast food and beverage “in bed”! The chickens have come to expect pampering, I guess.
Eddie, with assistance from Jonathan, built a fenced in play yard for their free-range time. They free-range in the late afternoon as the conventional local wisdom is that day predators will be sated by then and night predators will not have started hunting yet. We found a place in Cosby, TN, with metal art, so promptly brought home pieces of yard art to decorate their space.
The chickens eat a well-balanced organic layer feed. Their daily treat is a mix of protein flakes, dried mango, dried peas, and pumpkin seeds. It looks pretty tasty! I also grow them a variety of sprouts—clover, alfalfa, mung bean, barley, and rye. If I don’t sprinkle out the sprouts fast enough, Benedict leaps up to take them from my hand.
Benedict is not our only athletic chicken. I thought Hazel would be too plump to fly,
but I was wrong. We had a guest arrive in a helicopter this summer and the chickens got quite
excited. When I came that evening to feed them, Hazel surprised me from behind, leapt onto
my shoulder, and proceeded to beat me about the head with her wings. The harder I tried to
brush her off, the more she dug her feet into my shoulder. When I finally pried her off, she looked at me as though she were saying “You need to take better care of us!”
Hmmm, so far two of our chickens can do tricks. If I get Poached, Scrambled, Quiche, and Omelet to follow suit, we could have a vaudeville act!
We have learned that happy chickens reward us with lovely eggs! They c0me in dark chocolate brown, brown spotted, blue, green, and pink. They have brilliant orange yolks and are
delicious. I hope you will have a chance to try some when you are here.
A Bountiful Brunch Recipe
Thinking about our chickens and their eggs brings quiche to mind. Chef Frank Downs is famous for his quiche—he has a knack for tender pastry and creamy filling. But when I am pressed for time, instead of Frank’s recipe I use frozen puff pastry. The following recipe is quick, easy and delicious! We served it during the holidays and rounded out our brunch menu with roasted rosemary potatoes, and Greek yogurt topped with limoncello-marinated berries.
For ingredients and directions, see below.
Goat Cheese Quiche
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 T unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups kale and/or chard
Kosher salt
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
5 ounces goat cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
4 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1/4 t black pepper
Preheat oven to 425 F.
Heat olive oil and butter in large skillet. Add garlic and cook about one minute. Add greens and 1/2 t salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the greens wilt and the
liquid evaporates. This should take 5 to 7 minutes.
Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured board until large enough to fit a 9” pie plate. Ease pastry into pie plate, trim and crimp the edges. Scatter the cheeses in the bottom, then top with the sautéed greens. Whisk the eggs, cream, nutmeg, 1/2 t salt, and 1/2 t pepper together. Pour over the greens.
Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling set. Serves 4.
November 17, 2022
Breast of Chicken with Apricot-Onion Pan Sauce
This chicken dish makes regular appearances at Buckhorn Inn. Guests are always delighted to
see it on the menu. The apricots are the star of the dish. The tart/sweet flavor of the fruit
brings out the sugar in the onion. We usually suggest Meiomi Chardonnay as a good pairing.
The aromas of stone fruit in the wine work well with this dish. To complete your Buckhorn
Evening in our own home, don’t forget to take home our logo stemless wine glasses! You will
find them for $12 in the gift shop.
3 1/2 oz dried apricots
4 skin-on boneless chicken breasts
Salt and Pepper
1 T olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
2 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1/2 c dry white wine
1 1/2 c chicken stock
2 T apricot preserves
1 T unsalted butter
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Rehydrate the apricots by covering them with hot water and letting
then stand for 15 minutes, then drain. Season the chicken and cook in hot oil until the skin is
golden brown. Turn and cook 3 minutes more. Transfer to a baking sheet and roast for 15
minutes. Meanwhile, cook the onion, garlic, thyme and bay leaf in the skillet until the onion is
tender. Add the wine and boil until reduced by half, scraping up the browned bits. Add the
stock, apricots and preserves. Bring to a boil. Cook until the sauce thickens. Remove from
heat and stir in butter. Discard the thyme and bay leaf. Season. Plate the chicken and spoon
the sauce over it. Makes four servings.
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