We're the Eckert family of Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. And as a family, we've quickly fallen in love with the stunning beauty and tranquility of the Blue Ridge Mountains in western North Carolina. Quite honestly, there's no place we'd rather be! We decided to invest in our family by purchasing property in the mountains where we could vacation year after year and build priceless memories together- and we'd like to help you and your family do the same.

 

In March 2016, we wrote the first "chapter" in our story by purchasing our first mountain property in Sapphire, NC. We affectionately named it Once Upon a Stream because of its "storybook" English architecture and location on a rushing mountain stream. Many guests comment that it reminds them of Hansel and Gretel's house and we certainly agree. This is the largest of our properties and sleeps 14 guests.

 

After spending 18 months learning the ropes of vacation hospitality, we added the second chapter in our mountain cottage collection and bought, TOP OF THE ROCK. This cottage spoiled out guests with its authentic craftsman post and beam mountain architecture and stunning long-range mountain views. TOP of the Rock sat at 4,100 feet of elevation and sleeps 10 guests. We made the tough decision to sell this beloved property in July of 2023.

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In early 2022, we introduced Chapter 3 and titled it TWICE Upon a Stream- a play on the original because of its location on another beautiful mountain stream. This property screams relaxation- grab a glass of wine and enjoy the sights and sounds of the stream below from the screened upper and lower decks.

 

In our first seven years, we've had the pleasure of hosting nearly 500 families and groups from all over the country. We've enjoyed reading many wonderful stories written in our Guest Books. Stories about families and friends reuniting after many years. They write about how wonderful it is to escape from their hectic lives and just relax. Many share memories with us about the amazing waterfalls and hikes they discover. While others write about simple things like gathering for wonderful family meals cooked in the cottage. Sometimes we tend to forget about the simple things that make life wonderful. Let us help you to remember those things.

 

At The Mountain Cottage, our mission is to help families fall in love with the mountains, one storybook adventure at a time. Our goal is to create an exceptional, concierge-like, mountain vacation experience for your family and friends- not just provide you with a place to stay. We believe that is truly what makes us different. Please allow us to share a bit more about our mountain cottages and what makes them so special.