Things To Do on Cloud 9 Farm

You can stay all day on the farm…

Just step out your door, pets in tow (or is it peeps in tow of pets?) With 200 acres there are plenty of unique areas to explore: the Blueberry Patch, Turkey Trot Trail, Rhododendron Run, Beer Can Gulch, the Pine Tree Place, Peterson Pond and Buzzard’s Roost to name a few. Wooded, marked hiking trails with maps will lead you to these destinations.

This family stayed on the farm the first 3 days of their week long vacation without leaving (except to get groceries). They rented two facilities, the cabin and the home. They said they wanted to avoid the “herding cats” events of going off the farm and instead opted to just enjoy each other. Of course, the kids were the center of attention and the Peterson pond got plenty of use.

Hiking

Our favorite hike takes you through twists and turns of trail (1 mile) up the mountain to 2500′ elevation which we have named “Buzzard’s Roost.” At a leisurely pace, plan on 1 1/2 hrs up and back. Bring a picnic lunch and field glasses. Sitting Rocks will relax you as you look at the panoramic view. Oh, and don’t forget to read and sign the journal in the mailbox at the top.

No chance of getting lost because this trail is really a tractor road that we keep open as a fire lane. Plus, it follows the old logging road from way back. Guide markings on the trees keep you going in the right direction.

Watching Over the Farm

Cloud 9 Relaxation Home is located on a working family farm in the valley. But that means WE work and YOU relax. It’s a curious part of our human personality; watching people work. It gives one a certain satisfaction… that can be yours!

Or maybe you want to join in on the work? You are welcome to tag along with the farm chores. That may sound strange but picking lettuce, stacking firewood, or drilling holes in logs for Shitake mushroom spores CAN be fun!

You might even witness a calf being born. And, if you are vacationing here when a calf is born, you will get to name it! Wef lease out the pastures and have a small herd of 4 breeder cows and one bull. Each year, hopefully in the early spring, each cow has a calf. The warming sun of extending daylight means the fields green up in April and happy mama cows eat the green, luscious grass while their babies frolic, not too far away.

Picking Blueberries or Raspberries

We have U-Pick blueberries and raspberries (in season) so be sure to book for June, July through August. Renters pick for free and wouldn’t blueberry pancakes sound good for an eat-on-the-deck breakfast?

Hanging Out at Peterson Pond

You could spend the whole afternoon at Peterson Pond, reading a good book, having a picnic under the shelter, fishing or swimming.

This is a private pond so you don’t need any special license to fish. We have fishing poles and some lures here or you can bring your own.

Peterson Pond is stocked with brim and striped bass. We provide the fishing pole, tackle and earth worms in the compost pile for the digging. Catch and Release, please

We also keep plenty of sand toys; scoops and shovels, pails and sand sifters. Bring a life jacket for kids that can’t swim to use the paddle boat. Around the pond are horseshoe pits, not to regulation but just right for fun scoring. Bocci ball and a Crochet court here, too. When was the last time you played outside games with your family?

This is also the place you’ll want to catch fireflies as they hover over the fields in the summer right at dusk. Bring a jar!

Exploring the Farm

Meeting the “Neighbors”

If you want to make fast friends with cows, here’s a clue… don’t feed them carrots… go for quarters of apple, old bread or ear of corn in your hand.

The chickens will love you lots, if you simply recycle your peelings and table scraps their way. Nothing goes to waste on the farm.

A flock of turkeys are regular visitors to Cloud 9 as they make their rounds on the farm. Mating season is in March and the males dance is quite a show!

Discovering the Oddities of the Farm

Upon arriving, you will notice stone edifices that highlight points of interest…monoliths, siting rocks, and rock walls.

You can make use of the mountain bikes to explore the farm valley. You could enjoy the farm for days without any other excursions and your hosts are always available nearby to “jaw” about the history of the area or life experiences, if you so desire.

Related Pages

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Asheville Breweries
Things To Do on Cloud 9 Farm