RT Lodge, Maryville
In Maryville, just south of Knoxville, exists a true oasis in every sense of the word, RT Lodge. In 1931, a rich widow by the name of Susan Wiley Walker moved close to Maryville College and fell in love with the natural surroundings. She arranged with the university’s trust to build a home in the Maryville College Woods, which, upon her death, would be left to the institution. The 26-room home became known as Morningside, the 80-year-old Ms. Walker supervising both its construction and its landscaping. With her meticulous eye for natural beauty, she helped preserve much of the wooded area that surrounds the building today.
Eventually, Ruby Tuesday (a chain based in Maryville) arranged with the college to run the home and grounds as an event center, focusing on idyllic, outdoor weddings. The corporation built two lodges next to the home — now the restaurant — with porches, rocking chairs, and views of the lush grounds. All around, groomed trails wind through the woods and adjacent campus of Maryville College, allowing for plenty of wandering on bike or foot.
As for the farm-to-table food, it’s as good and comforting as the natural surroundings. The dishes are completely seasonal, from the stir-fried okra with peanuts to the mushroom risotto (hearty, with big chunks of foraged ’shrooms), to the tomato tart. Even the ramp salt, hot sauce, fermented butter, and breads are all homemade. In the melon salads (both watermelon and cantaloupe), they first compress the melons by vacuum packing them, making the chunks of fruit almost translucent while remaining extraordinarily flavorful. The fried chicken is not to be missed, nor is the berry pavlova for dessert. Best of all, after a couple glasses of wine, your comfortable room is just footsteps away, well within waddling distance.
Whether you’re visiting your student at UTK (a mere 20 minutes from the lodge), or spending time in the neighboring Great Smoky Mountains, RT Lodge is a respite from the busy world. At only a 2 1/2-hour drive from Nashville, it gets one of our top votes for best dreamy staycation.
RT LODGE
1406 WILKINSON PIKE
MARYVILLE, TENNESSEE 37803
(865) 981-9800
rtlodge.com
@rtlodge.com