Applewood Inn & Llama Trekking

This was the second time we've stayed here and it was wonderful, as always. Our hosts were gracious and welcoming, but conscious of our need for privacy and peace (since we finally got respite from our two rambunctious children ). The fireplace came in handy as did the hottub since we were there in early January. It was, however, warm enough for a llama trek one morning, which was fun! Believe it or not, "Spunky" the llama was pretty easy-going! My wife and I love it here and hope to return soon.

Great setting, relaxing stay, and outstanding welcome! Thanks!

My husband and I stayed a whole weekend at the "Applewood Inn & Llama Trekking" B&B and we loved it. The environment was cozy, nice and peaceful. The house is really beautiful with big glass windows that allow you enjoy the view. Our room has a hot tub (it was called the European Room). The breakfasts were delicious and the hosts were really nice people. It's close enough to Lexington VA where you have several choices to eat out. I recommend it!!

the owners went out of their way to insure our stay at the Inn was an experience to remember. It was my wife's birthday and I request that they place flower and candy in our room to surprise her and they did so even though it was not a part of their usual service. The room were well maintained and the food was excellent. The Inn Keepers were friendly and helpful. I would recommend the Applewood to anyone. Clyde Morris

We were looking for a dog-friendly B&B and found much more.....a perfect room, incredible hospitality, beautiful grounds and surrounding property, and new friends in Chris and Linda. We had the honor of staying longer than any previous guest (9 nights) as this was a long-awaited vacation away from the stress and constant running around that has become our life. That length of time allowed us to become very familiar with the house, property, the innkeepers, and their dogs Sammy and Max. Our dogs became fast friends with Sammy, the official 'greeter', and were facinated by the llamas. Breakfast was different and delicious for each of the nine days. The view from the top of the hill behind the house was incredible no matter when you were there...early morning sunrises, mid-afternoon, sunsets, and the vastness of the night sky. We are planning to return next summer to enjoy the pool and the company of of the Best family. The Applewood Inn was just what we needed and were looking for....the perfect mountian vacation.

We stayed in the Quilter Room and it was very nice. Even though the 2 other rooms had dogs staying with them and the owner's have dogs it was still very quiet and it allowed us to relax after some strenuous hikes. It is located about 10 miles out of downtown Lexington and the road off the highway to the Inn is not the best it is quite navigable. We already had plans for the days so we did not do the llama trek but got to get close to them. Very well behaved. Would stay there again.

Linda and Chris made every effort to ensure that my wife and I felt at ease during our visit. We enjoyed the Quilters Room, but have every intention to request the European Room for our next visit. We also intend to go on the llama trek the next time we visit.

Down a long dirt road. Nice and quiet. Not real flexible on breakfast times- told breakfast was served at 8:30- in other B and B's we are usually asked what time we want breakfast. Had a room with pull out couch which we had planned on using (it was advertised as part of the room)- they were upset we had not told them ahead of time that we planned on using it. Breakfast very, very healthy- not good if you are not into that.

Innkeeper Response
When we check people in we say, "Breakfast is at 8:30, if that is OK." If we get no response to the contrary, we assume 8:30 is fine. I believe the other couple that morning asked for breakfast at 8:15, which we gladly accommodated. A sheet in the room explains that we will be glad to do full breakfast up to a half hour earlier or later, or continental up to 11 am. One just needs to let us know in advance. The issue with the pull-out sofa is that it is mostly used as a sofa, not a bed, and is more comfortable as a sofa if it is not made up as a bed and then folded up. Thus we do not make it up unless requested. We thought that was clear on our website, however I have added that info on another page of the site in an effort to make it clear to everyone. We were not "upset" but apologetic that we did not make it up in advance, but would have, had we only known. We make no apologies for our healthy breakfasts; that is what we are known for and what we advertise. That said, we try to accommodate personal requests and special diets as much as possible. Again, we just need to be told in advance.

- Linda Best (innkeeper)

Beautiful location, great views and scenery from the property, and gracious hosts. We really appreciated the peaceful and quiet respite away from almost everything. As animal lovers, we also thoroughly enjoyed the llamas and trekking as well. Breakfasts were delicious and we also enjoyed the time spent with our hosts, Linda and Chris.

The inn is a unique 30 +/- year old passive solar house built near the top of a hill, not a converted old mansion. Its unique design provides large porches and windows to view the countryside. A private hot tub was accessible from our room via the small porch with a table and two chairs. The room was spacious, with plenty of electrical outlets, a comfortable bed, modern bath and no TV or radio. The common room on the second floor has a TV (as does the large bedroom), sofa, chairs, and a library. There is a small refrigerator in the kitchen for guest use. Breakfast is in the dining room next to the common and Chris will have coffee ready when you get up so you don’t have to wait until breakfast. He and Linda will ensure everything is perfect without being intrusive. We spent two days walking around the grounds, swimming, sitting in the tub and just relaxing. Sammy, their very friendly black hound escorted us on a couple mile long hike up the ridge, down to the creek and back. The only time we left the property was for dinner in the evening. This was an outstanding place to rest and relax. It is a bit off the beaten track if you go out and want to return to your room several times a day. I was surfing for a place in the mid-Atlantic for R&R, and found the inn. It was my first time in the area and went there specifically because of the inn, not for other attractions. It was perfect for a couple of people that are constantly on the run, to stop and just relax. I will drive the 300 miles to return for another visit.

We thoroughly enjoyed this off the beaten path bed and breakfast. Chris and Linda were great hosts and very knowledgeable about the area. The pool was a welcome delight after a hot day of hiking and the llamas were a treat to watch. We will definitely return in the future.

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our weekend at Linda and Chris' Applewood Inn. The llama trek was a fun attraction, despite the heat! We found the location to be so peaceful and beautiful and took advantage of the pool and quiet places to just read or enjoy a glass of wine. We would happily go back!

The Applewood Inn itself is a unique green building with every modern convenience. Thoughtful consideration anticipates every need and desire for a very comfortable and remote getaway, including a friendly hound and an extensive library. For those who wish to remain in touch with the rest of the world, the wireless network and flatscreen TV were great! We even had a sofa in our room facing the television for good cuddling. The llamas are in a field just across the driveway, and they come to eat at the fence for great photo ops. The property has walking trails, and there is a mountain stream at the end of the road perfect for play and a picnic. The inn is two or three miles down a mostly gravel road off of Highway 11. Your GPS may not locate the street, but use Buffalo Bend Road. Buffalo Bend dead ends on Highway 11. Once you find it, the signs will lead you to the inn. There are several sights within ten miles...Natural Bridge and its caverns...a wild life safari drive through that is great...a well done zoo...and Foamhenge! Do not miss the free opportunity to walk within a foam replica of Britain's Stonehenge atop a Virginia hill. The creative artist makes the trip more than worthwhile with humorous signs giving information and misinformation. The zoo is surprisingly good! It is the first time my wife, a zoo freak, has seen a double-wattled cassowary! The innkeepers are delightful souls who enjoy talking about the rigors of keeping llamas and the creative green features of the inn. Breakfast was perfect...an omelet filled with a great variety of flavors that blended well, fresh fruit, juice, and muffins. No one leaves the table without eating their fill. We did not plan a llama trek this trip, but we will next time!

A haven of quiet, nature and comfort. Spacious bedroom, super comfy bed and spacious bath. Beautiful property with plenty of room to roam and magnificent views. The llamas are a great addition to the outdoor experience. Such intriguing creatures! The inn is also just close enough to Lexington that it's a quick drive to get excellent food and the small historic town experience.

We highly recommend the Applewood Inn. We will definitely go back. It has beautiful views of the mountains. We loved walking on the trails. We stayed in the room with a private porch and hot tub. Awesome!

I love the feeling of the Applewood Inn, it was such a comfortable and relaxing experience. I would definately go back, didn't get to treck with the llamas due to weather but I hope to next time, quite funny creatures they are.

It was a quiet, relaxing weekend in a beautiful setting. Also, it was nice being able to bring our dog with us to this pet friendly B and B. The llamas were an added treat.

We truly enjoyed our recent stay at Applewood Inn. Our hosts were welcoming/ helpful in our advance phone conversations and once we arrived. The accommodations were most comfortable - each night we enjoyed relaxing in the hot tub which came as part of our accommodation in the European room. The natural setting and llama trek made for an idyllic getaway which was still close to the Natural Bridge scenery and downtown Lexington! We hope to come stay again!

My husband and I stayed here for the weekend and we loved the place. I would highly recommend it; the innkeepers were friendly and helpful, the breakfasts were delicious, and the llama trek was a new experience for both of us. We loved the views from the inn and the proximity to both downtown Lexington and the Natural Bridge. We hope to stay there again soon!

Linda and Chris have a lovely place and provide a lovely stay in an area that boasts several enjoyable activities. These activities include but are not limited to the Natural Bridge (maybe not worth the price of admission but still pretty cool to visit), the Rockbridge Vineyard (David gives a nice tasting), and waterfall hiking (Crabtree Falls was a fun 1.7 mile paved hike). The personal draw to the Applewood was to find a dog friendly place with a hot tub. The inn was dog friendly, but not without certain rules and warnings which were explained to us upon arrival and prior to entering the inn. The hot tub was nice but was without personal controls--it was set on a timer and the jets were on from 4-10. This means they might not be on when you wanted them or that they might be on when you didn't. This did not seem like a thoughtful arrangement and made for a slight inconvenience both in not being on when we wanted and not being off when we did not want to hear it. The llamas were very sweet and friendly and our limited contact with them was pleasant. The breakfasts were yummy. Overall, I enjoyed my stay at the inn.

Innkeeper Response
We sincerely wish we could allow guests to have personal control over their hot-tub hours, however with this older California Redwood Tub, we have found the heater shuts down if the timer is turned on and off. We were asked to change the hours and did. It could have been changed back had they asked. Unfortunately we have to make the changes ourselves to ensure hot water. While our dog rules, required by insurance, are posted on our website, we can not assume that people read them. Thus we repeat them upon guest arrival.

- Linda (innkeeper)

My (now) fiance and I spent the weekend at Applewood Inn to celebrate an anniversary and Valentine's Day. We wanted a place away from it all and secluded to spend time together and relax. We chose the European room for the hot tub and were more than pleased with the selection. The hot tub was on a timer so there was nothing to worry about or fuss with. There was a gas fireplace in the room that made it very cozy and quaint. The room and bathroom were a good size for what we were looking for and we were very comfortable. We also liked the fact that there was no TV...others may not like this aspect, but it made us communicate and/or find something else to do (like play chess in the common area). The innkeepers and other guests were very friendly and we enjoyed spending time with them during the delicious breakfasts. Our favorite part of our stay was the llama trek. We went on a brisk and drizzly February weekend and were still able to walk the grounds with the innkeepers and llamas and, again, enjoy everyone's company. Overall, we highly recommend this B&B and look forward to the day we get to go back. We're already anticipating trekking with Chaos and Happy again (our llama companions).

If you're searching for a quiet escape, then look no further. Applewood Inn is a beautiful little gem set high in the hills with fantastic views from every side. The layout of the Inn is warm and comfortable, utilizing private and shared spaces, multiple large sun porches, and eco-friendly design. The European room was perfect for a couple looking for a romantic getaway, as it has a private hot tub with double doors that open to a beautiful patio and fountain with stunning views straight to the mountains. A peek into the other rooms proved they were all equally spacious and beautifully decorated. Linda and Chris were friendly and hospitable, as well as knowledgable about the attractions to which the Inn in centrally placed. A short walk behind the building takes you to their llamas, which you can pet, and one of the best mountain views in the area - great for taking photographs. We enjoyed three nights at Applewood Inn and plan to return in the future.

The hot tub in the European room is great--very relaxing. Breakfast was excellent. Would love to come back in the summer when the pool is open. A perfect weekend get away.

Great country location yet still convenient to sights and resturants. Hosts very hospitable with tips and suggestions.

The room was great. The views were fantastic. It was very peaceful and relaxing. Would go back again.

The setting was pretty, peaceful and nice clean rooms. But food was unfulfilling and we were still hungry!

Innkeeper Response
We were caught off guard by the size of some appetites. If we had known in advance that someone could actually eat 10 pancakes, we would have made more. It usually is an all you can eat breakfast and we almost always have leftovers.

- Linda (innkeeper)

Beautiful setting, property and llamas! Great for a getaway. Fantastic views of the surrounding areas. Stayed in the European room.

This was a great weekend stay. We enjoyed everything about it: the accomodations, food, hosts, art, Llamas, setting, etc... - PLUS, it's environmentally friendly!

Very beautiful & relaxing place to stay a couple of nights. The llama trekking was really fun, too. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to friends.

Very nice place with very nice hosts and beautiful grounds.

We stayed the week end for My Husband's Birthday and fell in love with the place. Chris and Linda were right there to great us by name and welcome us. They showed us to our room and we stayed in the European Room. It is very cozy and the decore is really nice. We loved the private hot tub, the in ground pool and the peacefullness. The food was great and loved the fresh fruit. Linda and Chris were very pleasent and kind. We took advantage of watching some moves to settle our full day.We enjoyed our Llama Trek and the Llamas were very sweet and friendly. The view is amazing! There is lots to do around the area too. We went to the Natural Bridge and to down town Lexinton to visit the chocolate shop and other stores. I have never been to a Bed and Breakfast before (My Husband has) but we were very happy with our time there on the week end of July 16, 2010. Thank you for a great get away and we plan to return. We feel we did'nt only find a nice place, but we also found some new friends.

Our second stay at the Inn was as pleasant as the first. We choose to spend our 1st and 6th anniversary here. Chris and Linda are very welcoming as well as their dog Sammy. We stayed in the European room because we love the hot tub attached to the room. Beautiful Inn on top of a mountain. My wife and I enjoyed our hike up the mountain behind the Inn. Saw many wandering deer. The lamas were an extra added touch. Truly beautiful animals. We enjoyed the Palms in downtown Lexington and also traveled to nearby Peaks of Otter for hiking. Kayaking is also nearby. Overall a great stay. We will definately be back.

Certainly did not meet the standards I expect from a B&B Association member. Unkept grounds, treacherous walkways and stairways, substandard meals, and rules, rules, rules made my stay at the Applewood completely unsatisfying. The owners misrepresented themselves in their advertising, and I found them to be critical and condescending to their guests in the "upper", less expensive rooms. "Lower cost" guests, apparently, do not have access to all available amenities, while guests in the ground level rooms are favored. The owners should also make clear in their advertising that their facility is NOT smoker-friendly.

Innkeeper Response
We accept that we cannot please everyone, but we do our best. Our website applewoodbb.com clearly states our smoking policy, our heart healthy breakfast offerings and the fact that the hot tub is private for the European Room. Since a majority of our guests are not smokers, it is incumbent upon us to ensure an odor free environment. We are sorry if these efforts have offended anyone. There is absolutely no difference in service between higher and lower rate rooms other than the fact, only a difference in a few amenities. The room prices reflect the amenities that they have. If a given directory site does not accurately reflect our inn, we would appreciate knowing about it so the problem can be fixed. We have never intentionally misrepresented ourselves but are most times limited by the number of words allowed. I have already tweaked words on one site to clarify the hot tub situation, but it would have helped immensely if these unhappy guests had confronted us directly in order to prevent misunderstandings in the furture. We really want all our guests to have a great time but need feed back at the time of the visit so we can address issues before they become problems.

- Linda Best (innkeeper)

Ours was a bittersweet stay. First, it is an interesting location, well-secluded and the llamas a real curiosity. Our room was cozy, clean and well-appointed. However, we did not care for the food. It was meager and void of taste. There were also too many rules-don't do this, and that, couldn't even pet the dog! Frankly, we never quite felt welcome. If looking for Southern hospitality, I'd look elsewhere.

Beautiful sunrises and sunsets. All rooms decorated comfortably and tastefully, with many of Linda's fine watercolors and paintings; original quilts and comforters. Quiet and privacy especially satisfying. Delicious healthy breakfasts, often shared with charming fellow guests. Lovely trekking with the sweet, gentle llamas through Blue Ridge paths and scenery. Chris and Linda are the best hosts. The gardens, and dogs and cat, make us feel at home. And love that hot tub!

This has been my favorite BB. It is beautiful inside and out. Beautiful country setting in VA. Rooms are comfortable, quiet, great views. The llama trek was an added bonus. Near nice attractions like the caverns. Pool is refreshing. This is the kind of inn where you just sink down into the bedding and don't want to come out.... Sherry Smith

Thank you to Chris and Linda for providing us with a wonderful weekend getaway. The B&B is adorable, the rooms are comfortable, and the landscaping is done thoughtfully and beautifully. The views from around the inn are breathtaking. The pool is perfect for relaxing after a hike or trek with the calm, easy-going llamas. Food was wonderful! Who can complain about home-made bread and pancakes?? No complaints here-- wonderful inn, highly recommended!

Grounds were impressive, our stay was very peaceful and the views were breath taking. Hospitality was great and the breakfasts were tasty and innovative.

This was a great experience for my wife and myself. The Applewood Inn is top quality and highly recommended.

lovely rooms and grounds. llama track was fun and interesting. food was excellent- dinner by the pool was delightful. hosts are friendly and well informed

Fantastic! Beautiful location, yummy breakfast. Chris and Linda were wonderful.

We spent a good portion of the trip wandering the extensive property with lovely views.

Wonderful secluded location, beautiful vistas Quiet, comfortable homey lodging. Enjoyed the dogs and llamas, spotlessly clean, In room gas stove for heat added charm & warmth on a cool morning. Would certainly return.

This property was outstanding