WE’RE OUTTA HERE

a weekend destinationkeeping you on the backroads

INNAT MOUNTAIN LAKE 115 HOTEL CIRCLE, PEMBROKE, VA 24136

540-6267121 • WWW.MTNLAKELODGE.COM

“Nobody puts Baby in a corner…”

I swear if one more person said that to me during our Spring Break last year I’d hit them with a watermelon with my spaghetti arms.

Yes, the Inn at Mountain Lake gained a lot of fame for being the actual location where they lmed the ‘80s hit lm Dirty Dancing.

What, you didn’t see it? Me neither. Still haven’t. And for those of you who have never seen it, this is in a nutshell. Between the dance moves, great ‘80s ‘soundtrack, and forbidden love story, Dirty Dancing is one of the most beloved romantic movies of all time. The lm chronicles the romance between daddy’s girl, Frances “Baby” Houseman, played by Jennifer Grey (before the career-ending rhinoplasty), and bad boy dance instructor, Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze), and the summer they spent at Kellerman’s Family Resort in the Catskills, New York.

But lming in the Catskills was never going to happen, so this stunning resort atop one of just two natural lakes in Virginia would work just ne.

The rest is movie and resort history.

We found the Inn at Mountain Lake by chance a few years back while riding with our friends Helene and Kate. Spying the stunning sandstone Inn we made a quick u-turn and took Sunday brunch before continuing to our next overnight. We made a huge mental note to return and in May of last year, we did just that, with about 80 friends.

But there is a real history of this region and a bit of Mysterious America too. The rst European to lay eyes on the lake was Christopher Gist in 1751 surveying for the Ohio Land Surveying Company and the original name for Mountain Lake was Salt Pond. Settlers used to “salt” their cattle in the basin of the lake, and the mountain is still known as Salt Pond Mountain.

The original Lodge dates back to 1851; by 1857 Salt Pond was operated as a pleasure resort by the new owner, General Herman Haupt of Pennsylvania, who renamed it Mountain Lake. At that time stagecoach travelers were the primary customers of Mountain Lake and the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad built nearby in the 1850’s attracted visitors to Mountain Lake.

During the years following WWI and before the Great Depression, Mountain Lake was known for music, dancing, and entertainment. From 1922 to 1925, an all-female orchestra played in the ballroom. Guests rode up the mountain each season in the “Buzz Wagon”.

Mountain Lake Camp for Girls, operating from 1928 to the late 1930s, offered young women swim lessons, diving, boating, horseback riding, cooking, and crafts.

In 1936, the large, native sandstone Lodge that stands today was built.

As we said, in 1986 Dirty Dancing was lmed at Mountain Lake, where the hotel served as the backdrop for the “Real Kellerman’s Resort.”

But here is where the mystery starts…

In September 2008, as the lake level dropped to unprecedented levels, the remains of Samuel Ira Felder was discovered in the bottom of the lake by guests. The record tells that in 1921 Mr. Felder fell overboard while shing one evening on the lake with friends. His body never resurfaced, creating an unsolved mystery for many decades.

Today, the second of only two natural lakes is more

a puddly swamp than a lake. (The other is Lake Drummond in the Great Dismal Swamp) The famed lake from Dirty Dancing is not really there anymore. This lake is ckle and the lake’s water level rst dropped in 1999 but came back in 2003. In 2006, it dropped again and by 2008, it went completely dry. It has to do with the geology at the bottom. The lake was formed by a landslide thousands of years ago and this occasionally shifts and the waters rise and fall depending on the sediment at the bottom.

When we were there it was a sad sight, but the lodge was magni cent.

Right, we are here to talk about the Inn at Mountain Lake.

The heart and soul of Mountain Lake Lodge is the stately Main Stone Lodge. This is the central gathering place for the resort, and where we’d nd our Backroads Rally alumni gathering each night after exploring the awesome roads that are stitched

through the surrounding mountains.

The bar and bartenders were attentive and quick and the dining room did a stellar job at handling our very large group.

In one room a great stone hearth sits – and it was pointed out that the long crack running down it was caused by a small earthquake – the same one that started the lake to begin draining.

Easy chairs on the enclosed lobby porch had many sitting with adult beverages and catching up with friends they only see at Backroads Rallies and taking sweeping scenic beauty of the mountain and the invisible lake.

The guest rooms in the Main Stone Lodge were very comfortable and offered king, queen, or twin beds and private bathrooms. To ensure a fully unplugged and relaxing experience for every guest in the Main Stone Lodge, these rooms and suites do not have televisions, but they do have wi- . The Chestnut Lodge, newly renovated, features 16 king or double queen beds. There are other cabins surrounding the main lodge, with different bedding con gurations, including Virginia better known as ‘Baby’s Cabin.’ There are two outdoor pools open during the swimming season and many other activities to enjoy should you take a day off the motorcycle to relax.

Around the grounds, you will nd many markers and locations from Dirty Dancing and one touching memorial to Patrick Swayze who died from pancreatic cancer in 2009 at the age of 57.

The Inn at Mountain Lake is a true escape and hideaway.

The paved road leading to it from the south is a rider’s delight. The mountain road coming in from the north is a real SOB – but challenging and will give you bragging rights that night – especially if you do it two-up on a BMW 1200RT. We know some call it brave others foolish. However, you arrive we promise you will love the Inn at Mountain Lake. We sure did and there will certainly be a return rally in the future. ,