A Blackberry Mountain Birthday

Before visiting Blackberry Mountain, I read Kris Beall's memoir, The Great Blue Hills of God. It was nice to know the family's story and compare the version of the property I had built in my imagination to reality. The trip itself was a surprise birthday gift, and as someone who had spent plenty of time admiring Blackberry Mountain from afar, it was hard to imagine a better way to celebrate turning 29. I knew it involved a spa, great food, robes and slippers, mountain views, hiking, and fitness classes. In other words, my dream vacation. Somehow, Blackberry Mountain still managed to exceed every expectation and, perhaps unfairly, set the bar extremely high for turning 30.

Perched high above the Smokies, Blackberry Mountain feels both luxurious and deeply comfortable. The views are stunning, but what impressed me most was the staff. Every interaction reflected a level of care and attention to detail that felt genuine rather than rehearsed. We were lucky enough to visit during perfect spring weather, but even if it had rained the entire time, there would have been no shortage of things to do in this quiet corner of Tennessee.

Treehouse

blackberry mountain

While there are certainly elegant dinners and elevated experiences, the overall atmosphere is surprisingly casual. The property feels like a mountain cabin and a five star hotel had a very successful child. It's small enough that you begin recognizing familiar faces: groups of women on reunion trips, honeymooners, young families, and couples seeking a little adventure. Spend enough time people watching, and with a bit of imagination, you can create your own season of White Lotus.

Leo the Enlightened

Mountain Flowers

Leo the Enlightened

Quick stop at Blackberry Farms

Spring Flowers

Chess at Blackberry Mountain

Pottery Class

One of the best parts of Blackberry Mountain is the sheer variety of activities available. During our stay, we went horseback riding, took a wheel thrown pottery class, attended a sound bath, enjoyed a couples massage, and squeezed in a few HIIT classes. At one point, we were randomly playing a game of "horse" at the indoor basketball court. We also set off on our own hiking adventures and stumbled across a beautiful waterfall and one of the property's most memorable surprises: Leo the Enlightened.

Leo the Enlightened & Sally

Created by Danish recycling artist Thomas Dambo, Leo is a towering wooden troll standing more than twenty feet tall overlooking the Smokies. His purpose is simple: to encourage visitors to slow down and appreciate the mountains, the wildlife, and the beauty surrounding them. It sounds a bit whimsical, and it is, but it works. Not to mention, Leo was the kindest of trolls - he did not require us to pay a toll or demand that we solve a riddle.

Now, the food deserves its own section. Every meal was exceptional, and the culinary team was incredibly accommodating when it came to dietary restrictions. While I generally avoid gluten, I made a notable exception for a few bites of Blackberry Mountain's famous Saturday cinnamon rolls. No regrets. Even more impressive was the gluten free sourdough, which somehow managed to be every bit as satisfying as the traditional version. My main piece of advice to any future Blackberry guest is to never miss a meal (duh), but absolutely never miss dessert!!

breakfast at blackberry mountain

BBM cookie

BBM breakfast

saturday cinnamon rolls

Three sisters

Three sisters bread

Firetower Dinner

Pool Burger

Wheel thrown pottery is something I had always wanted to try. I envisioned a future of making my own bowls, mugs, vases. In our private pottery session, we created a few pieces that will be fired and shipped to us in the coming weeks. The experience was entertaining, although after an hour of hunching over a pottery wheel, I concluded that pottery would not be my next hobby. My posture and spine thanked me for making that decision.

wheel thrown pottery class

If there was one activity everyone seemed to rave about, it was the sound bath. Staff members and fellow guests described it as a meditative experience designed to guide participants into a deeply relaxed state by using vibrations from a gong or singing bowl. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but it ended up being unlike anything I'd ever experienced. Rather than the post-nap groggy feeling, I emerged from what can only be described as a 75 minute zen blackout feeling energized, clear headed, and completely refreshed.

sound bath

The quieter moments were just as memorable. We spent afternoons reading with a mountain view, lounging by the pool, playing chess, and taking golf cart rides through the valley. Blackberry Mountain is the kind of place that encourages you to do more, but also reminds you that doing less can be equally worthwhile.

Blackberry Mountain manages to create something that feels different than any other getaway I've experienced. It combines luxury with adventure, wellness with indulgence, and thoughtful hospitality with an atmosphere that never feels stuffy. It is the rare destination that lives up to the fantasy you create in your head before arriving. In our case, it somehow managed to surpass it.

Coffee Cake Banana Bread

Whenever I come across a banana bread recipe on Pinterest, I almost always save it. Banana bread is one of those recipes I'm constantly experimenting with. Not because there's anything wrong with a classic loaf, but because it's something I make often, and I enjoy finding new ways to reinvent it.

This version started with a simple idea: what if banana bread and coffee cake had a baby? The result is a soft, cinnamon-spiced loaf with a generous cinnamon crumble on top. It has all the cozy flavors of coffee cake while still delivering everything I love about banana bread.

Like many of the recipes I share, this one is gluten free and made with a few healthier swaps. I use monk fruit sweetener, but don't worry if that's not in your pantry. Maple syrup, coconut sugar, or regular sugar will work just as well. The goal is a delicious loaf you'll actually want to make again and again.

sally rychlak coffee cake banana bread

sally rychlak coffee cake banana bread

Storage Tips

Counter

• Keep tightly wrapped or in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Refrigerator

• Due to the Greek yogurt and high moisture from the bananas, refrigeration is recommended.

• Store in an airtight container for up to 6 to 7 days.

• Place a paper towel above and below the loaf slices to absorb extra moisture.

Freezer

• Slice the loaf once fully cool.

• Wrap each slice in plastic wrap or parchment and place in a freezer bag.

• Freeze for up to 3 months.

• Thaw overnight in the fridge or microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.

This recipe often tastes even better on the second day, as the cinnamon swirl, chocolate, banana, and flax flavors blend together after resting overnight.

My Exercise Journey

I grew up playing a wide variety of sports, with soccer being a main focus, but I always took tumbling lessons. I loved the feeling of flipping, spinning, and even falling. Tumbling later turned into cheerleading, which somehow brought me into the pole vaulting world (track coaches tend to recruit gymnasts since they have core control and are comfortable flying through the air and falling down). When pole vaulting became more serious, I decided to eliminate soccer from my athletic trifecta and focus my time on track and cheerleading. I had hopes to do one or the other at the collegiate level but hadn't yet decided which. I ended up winning State when I was a sophomore in High School. In my senior year, I decided to retire my plexiglass pole and go all-in on cheer, because that seemed like the cooler thing to do in college. In hindsight as an adult, pole vaulting actually sounds so much cooler.

I began teaching Pure Barre when I was in my earliest of twenties, when cheerleading and pole vaulting were no longer an option. Ironically, when my sister Susanna dragged me to my very first Pure Barre class, I hated it.

Not because it was too hard, but because I had absolutely no idea what I was doing.

But something about it stuck with me. Maybe it was the challenge. Maybe it was the fact that I wasn't immediately good at it. Whatever the reason, I went back. Then I went back again and somehow ended up wearing a mic and leading the class.

I fell in love with group fitness classes. I loved creating a challenging workout for a community of (mostly) women who wanted to be stronger. What started as an activity I reluctantly tried became something that shaped a huge part of my twenties.

Now, in my latest of twenties, I am an avid workout class attendee, although I haven't been on a mic in a few years. I would love to pick back up where I left off whenever my work travel slows, but for now I will happily settle for being on the other side of the room.

These days, my workouts look a little different than they did when I was on the track, falling into the pole vault pit, or bouncing around the cheer mat. I am much more interested in consistency than intensity, and I view exercise as something that supports my life rather than something that defines it. Some weeks that means lifting weights. Other weeks it means taking a barre class, going for a walk, or squeezing in a hotel gym workout between meetings and flights.

What has stayed the same throughout every phase is that movement has always given me confidence, structure, and a sense of accomplishment. From soccer fields and cheer mats to the pole vault runway and barre studio, exercise has been a constant thread throughout my life. And while I may never again launch myself ten feet into the air with a fiberglass pole, I am grateful for every version of fitness that has shaped me along the way.

track

track

track

sally rychlak pure barre