Oh, where to begin. The Red House was great! The owners are friendly and made the booking process easy and delightful. The instructions to the property were impeccable, and we found the house clean, welcoming, well-appointed, and totally ready for us. We slept well, relaxed well, and felt right at home. The peace and seclusion was exactly what we didn't know we needed. There were plenty of games and a few lanterns we found especially useful for nighttime walks with our pup, Beans. He especially loved laying out on the cool wooden floors. We enjoyed every meal on the back porch, whether it was morning coffee or grilling chicken or kebabs for dinner. We loved walking around the property, for morning walks among the trees or nighttime spent on the knob watching the stars. Honestly, spend every evening up there if you can. We saw the entire Milky Way, planets, constellations, and even shooting stars. The location off the Blue Ridge Parkway was perfect - we were close to several overlooks that took our breath away, and close enough to towns and shopping. If you're not used to mountain roads or gravel roads I highly recommend arriving during daylight; the roads are very well-kept and easy to drive, but can be a little nerve-wracking if you're not used to it. I can't say enough nice things about the Red House. If you have the opportunity to stay at Mountain Laurel Retreat, do not pass it by.