The most important vacation is yours...

he cabin was a vacation in itself! It was very remote and enjoyable. The white water rafting and tubing down Deep Creek were some great highlights of the trip! The pool table, hot tub, and campfire were also a few of the many great amentities the cabin has. Thank you so much for everything! -- The Lynch, Wilcox & Ross Family

The house is beautiful. The beds are comfortable and privacy very welcomed. For anyone visiting you must do the white water rafting with Adventurous Fast Rivers Rafting. Also, for horse lovers, Smokemont Stables near Cherokee was good. The kids loved the hot tub and pool table. -- Gary, Carrie, Ben, Amanda & Laura - Naples, FL

Beautiful!! Simply BEAUTIFUL! Our stay was short but our memories will last us a lifetime! My name is Karen and back in October I had the idea to gather as much of my family together and check out the Polar Express for Christmas. Well, that search led to the idea to rent a cabin...and just a few short clicks later and I was on the Sophie's Choice home page. I researched for a few weeks and kept coming back to Sophie's Choice...I am SO GLAD I did! My grandmother (82), my father (62) and my mother (62) drove in from Wilson, NC and my husband (44), daughter (7) and myself (38) drove in from Matthews, NC. I have to say that a good time was had by all! No matter age! We were so pleased with this cabin, it's location and most important...the Welcome Wagon trio of Charcoal, Sadi & Bella. These 3 pups are the cherry on top! How loving and protective!! The train ride was TOPS, the hot tub a huge hit and the fire pit plus (at least) a gazzillion stars were amazing! The pool table too! I did not get the chance to meet Steven or Sue in person...I regret that but have every intention to stay again this summer and try out the RIVER! My grandmother, father and mother got the chance to meet Steven...they said you could not have been any nicer and friendly...thank you for making them feel welcome. We are now packing up and heading in our separate directions, but our hearts are filled with the spirit of Christmas and the comfort of this beautiful cabin. I am so glad I chose Sophie's Choice...it's my choice now too! God Bless, Karen Dixon

Very beautiful Cabin! Practically everything was brand new and this place can easily sleep 8-10 people. There was a bonfire pit near the side of the cabin, which was a lot of fun at night. The pool table, the big screen hdtv, and hot tub were great bonuses. The views from the deck are amazing as well. We will definitely call again to reserve. Thanks for having us!! -- Kashif/Salman

We enjoyed this beautiful cabin for our Christmas get-away. It has been very tastefully furnished, and has everything that we needed. Steven and Sue are so nice, and just a phone call away if we had a question. Also, take some dog treats for the "welcoming committee."

Thank you so much for letting us stay at your cabin. We have really enjoyed ourselves and are depressed about leaving. We hope to be back here again real soon! We have enjoyed having "the dogs" around, they add all the more character to this beautiful cabin. Thank you so much for your kindness and hospitality. -- The Mason & Knight Families

What a wonderful cabin! We had a wonderful time in your beautiful house. We could not have found a better place to stay. We have been to North Carolina a number of times but Sophie's Choice tied all of the amenities in. The dogs at the bottom of the hill are very loving and do make great guard dogs...Bear tracks up the hill after some barking by the camp fire...You can call them anything and they will listen as long as you have treats. My family and I had a great time and are making plans to do it again next year. Thanks for a great time. -- The Putnam Family

Very nice place...does need a rug upstairs above master bedroom because when walking at night makes for very loud down in bedroom at night. Could use a couple of small rugs next to beds for feet. Pool table great, lots of fun. TV could use HBO or Showtime...etc. Otherwise very nice. Place very roomy...never got in anybody's way...Hot Tub Excellent!! Overall, enjoyed it very much. -- Sergio Dilorenzo

Wow! What a nice cabin! Thank you for your hospitality and generosity in sharing your house. The two dogs were as sweet as could be and we really enjoyed them. The pool table was a VERY nice touch and many times we fought over who would get to play. We all slept very well and enjoyed a nice bonfire one night (with smores!) The white water rafting was cold and amazing, and after freezing for 3 hours, we got in the hot tub where our body temperature came back to normal again. Thank you so much. We hope that everyone who stays here in the future will enjoy their trip as much as we did. -- Madeline, Brooke & Karoline

Back in March a buddy of mine asked if I wanted to join an adult kickball league. This simple question spawned to date 4 months of good times, the latest of which being this trip. The distinguished members of the "Natural Born Kickers" and "We've Got the Runs" have truly enjoyed every moment we can remember and most of the ones we can't. For anyone reading this, the two dogs who come up to visit are as sweet as can be. The smaller short haired one is "Ralph" and the shappy haired one is "Wiggum". I think they may be part mountain goat. They were great guard dogs when the zombie bear tried to get us. The rafting was great, we only lost 4 people overboard and 1 boat was skilled enough to go through every rapid backwards or sideways. This weekend we have established that the middle of the woods is a great place for 15 people to bond over cold beer and a hot fire...and that Peter really really likes pancakes. He wrote a song about it, search for it on itunes in a week or so. And Charlie says he likes pancakes too. In all seriousness, thank you for allowing us to stay here. The cabin is beautiful and the rafting was an absolute blast! We hope to find another time to come back for Rafting Trip Part 2. Sue and Steven, YOU ROCK! True Story. -- Sincerely, Andrew Foard & The Natural Born Kickers

The entire group would like to thank you for allowing us to have a great weekend. Your cabin is beautiful and although we had such a large number we never once felt crowded. The consensus of the group is that the trip could not have gone any better. We have a lot of pictures & memories of us enjoying the house. -- Professional Kick Ball Team, Georgia

Our stay at the cabin was wonderful! It was very relaxing and peaceful. Thank you for allowing us to stay! -- The Morris' and Bennetts

We really enjoyed the use of Sophie’s Choice Cabin; we found it very comfortable and the setting was great. Also enjoyed our rafting trip (Adventurous Fast Rivers Rafting) and the opportunity to meet you and your beautiful children. We wish you continued happiness and success. We won’t hesitate to recommend your services and will definitely make use of them with our next visit. It is great in this day and age to experience such a high level of service. Best wishes! Gary & Carrie Dumas

We thoroughly enjoyed your cabin and the white water rafting with your company. The kids loved "the dogs"! We had hoped to see some "other" wildlife but we assumed the dogs probably keep them away. Nice amenities, comfortable furniture. The only recommendations would be to have housekeeping clean the floors better, add a disposal, and some area rugs would be great to cut down on the "walking" noise. We had a great time, enjoyed your beautiful cabin!! Thank you for your hospitality!! Take care and God Bless. -- The Scotts and The Amodios

We had a great time on our Smoky Mountain vacation! The cabin is spacious and comfortable and met all our needs. We spent many hours playing pool and enjoying the view. Our boys loved the horseshoes and roasting marshmallows. Our youngest is a bit too small for rafting so we'll have to try that next time. The train ride along the Nantahala was fun, as were the waterfall hikes at Deep Creek. We hope to come back! -- The Mittens

Thank you for sharing your wonderful home with us. Everything was great and we enjoyed a much needed family weekend filled with peace and happiness. A wonderful surprise was the friendly guardians, greeters and playmates who live down the street. No better way to share smiles and laughter than through the unconditional love of dogs! Thank you again -- Sophie, Sam, Benjamin, Diane & Glen

We enjoyed staying at Sophie's Choice! This is a beautiful cabin, a great deck and gorgeous view. Had fun playing pool, hot-tubbing & sitting around the firepit at night. Tell John (down the hill) we are sorry we didn't have time to come and play cards...we had a lot of motorcycling to do. Fall is the best time to be here! Thanks! -- Angela & Richard

Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful cabin. We had a wonderful time, enjoying God's beautiful creation. Every we met was so friendly and helpful - especially John & Jay! And we so enjoyed the beautiful dogs - they were great! Hope to return again soon for another wonderful stay in your cabin! -- Vernon & Debbie Ward, TX

Thank you for such a wonderful cabin. We enjoyed it very much. The views are spectacular and the beds comfortable. The fireplace warms up the whole house...and we loved the firepit. I read a few comments from others and have nothing to add, except maybe some window coverings in the bedrooms for privacy and to block out the light. Thanks again - We loved Sophie's Choice and will be back. -- Randy & Sally

We have had such a great time visiting here at Sophie's Choice. Fall definitely is the best time of the year to be here and the trees look like God splatter painted with orange, red, rust, yellow & gold! The views are absolutely gorgeous!! It's way too cool right now to go white water rafting, but we've enjoyed a train ride on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad through the Nantahala Gorge, hiking up to Mingo Falls and taking some great pictures and gem mining in Cherokee. We've had some nice walks in the woods around here, found some neat rocks, and had a ball roasting marshmallows to make smores. Our daughter loves the hot tub and the pool table and kept very busy. Everything is so neat and clean and the prints on the walls in the house are gorgeous! -- Robert, Jeannie, Reina, Bobby & Patti

Sophie's Choice...what a great place to stay. It is November and very chilly, the fireplace keeps things toasty. I work for an insurance company and we had our team morning meetings up here. Most stayed at the Sleep Inn while my Regional Manager and her husband stayed here with me and my daughter from South Dakota. We fixed dinner for the team at night before they retired to their hotel. Even though it was for business purposes it was very comfortable. The second night here their was a horrible boom. I thought I had encountered my boss' first fart. The next story will tell all. Lovely Place. Thanks. -- Lynn

Ahh! What a beautiful cabin & serene surroundings. Very relaxing. It snowed a little during our stay, which was very pretty although where I come from I'm used to it. The leaves have all fallen but the mountains are still very majestic. So back to the night I'm sure y'all (picked that up while I was here) are wondering about. "The Explosion". I had just gone to bed, when suddenly it sounded as though someone had fallen and the house shook. I hopped out of bed to meet my mother in the hallway. Now we are all standing downstairs, everyone is accounted for and okay. With barely a curtain in the joint we are all now telling our own version of what happened. We decide that as a group - men first of course - we need to look outside. Turns out a tree had fallen & hit the corner of the roof & deck. What a relief for us, but not the homeowners. With all that said we had a good laugh and went back to our comfy beds. (Better than my bed at home by the way.) Thanks again for allowing us to stay in your beautiful home. -- Brooke, South Dakota

We came to Bryson City to meet up with our grandsons and their parents, Dave & Lori (our son and daughter-in-law). Also, Lori's brother, his wife & their children. We all took the Polar Express train ride, munched chocolate santas and enjoyed every last sip of hot chocolate. The end result was four very lively kids and six very contented but exhausted adults. We returned to this lovely cabin for pizza and conversation. This charming hide-a-way is so tastefully decorated and beautifully designed. It will soon be time to return home but will surely cherish the memory. -- Cindy & Jerry Larson; Glassy Mountain, South Carolina

What a great cabin! We visited Bryson City to take our two boys, 6 & 3, on the Polar Express. Their favorite part of our cabin stay were the two dogs which our 3 year old referred to as "our dogs". They hiked with us, slept on the deck and were great watch dogs. We enjoyed the hot tub and pool table. We hiked Ringo Falls and tried to hike to Clingman's Dome - however, the road was closed due to snow which was ok because the boys had their first snowball fight for we don't get much snow at the beach in Wilmington. We enjoyed our Thanksgiving here, the first Turkey Day for the cabin! -- Amy, Curt, Kyle & Rhyen

We enjoyed Thanksgiving in the mountains with our Grandsons. They loved everything. I always wanted a log house and yours gave us some great ideas. What a perfect place to relax and enjoy the scenery! -- Jill & Barry Batman

Thank you for extending a warm and true mountain top hospitality for our families. We stayed here during our trip to ride the Polar Express. Everything was idyllic and peaceful. We'll always have wonderful memories of our children playing throughout the house. Fondly, The Ports & Allens

What a wonderful time we had while we stayed at your cabin. It was nice and open for the 3 adults & 3 children we had. I must say that the 2 dogs were really the highlight of the cabin for our kids. We had to keep them from wanting to invite them in to curl up by the fire with us. They really did add a nice warm touch to the whole thing. I enjoyed sitting on the deck with my coffee and the dogs. It's almost as if they think their job is to protect you. They are so sweet! The 1st night we had the pleasure of meeting Steven (the owner of the cabin) and adorable Sophie herself. They were so welcoming and we definitely would like to come back for some family fun of whitewater rafting. Tonight we go on the Polar Express, this will be our 3rd year and it seems like every year we luck out with a better place to stay. Last year we stayed at the Watershed Cabins which was very nice but very expensive. I didn't think we would be able to find anything as nice but this cabin has certainly surpassed our expectations. The friendly, family atmosphere, beautiful views, cozy fire, did I mention the dogs. It really felt like a home away from home. I love the fact that there is somewhat of a yard for the kids to run and play. Everything was perfect and we are looking forward to returning sooner than later. -- The Mason Family, Raleigh NC

Greetings from Miami!!! This was our third trip in all and second to Smokey Mountains. This was the nicest cabin with great amenities, like interior design & beautiful views. The thought put by the owners in the cabin decor put a warm & homey touch and we enjoyed our entire stay here. Thanks to the guard dogs who made us feel secure and part of the family during our stay here. The only glitch during our stay was the muddy ramp where our car got stuck. But the road has been completely regrated to avoid this from happening in the future. Thanks to Steven & Sue for letting us use their cabin. -- Party of Seven

Happy New Year! Great Friends. Beer Pong. Ship, Captain, Crew. Hot Tub. Great Food. Trick Pool Shots. Tons of Spirits, Football and 2009!!! A definite-do-over to ring in 2010. -- The Bunch of Us

We came to your cabin to share some special moments with our beloved friends from home - Knoxville. What we found surpassed our wildest dreams. Your cabin was warm and inviting, and it offered us a refuge from the world and it's woes. We laughed, loved, shared tales of days gone by and truly rekindled the spirit of true friendship. Meeting Steven and a few of the neighbors was an added bonus. We also enjoyed Bella, Sadie & Charcoal, and I must admit we spent time outside enjoying their company. Please know that we will leave here filled with the knowledge that nothing compares to the love shared by friends and the bond that grows stronger with every passing day. Thank you for sharing "Sophie's Choice" and know that we will return in the late Spring. -- The Erikksons, Wilsons & Kelly's

We had a great time! Beautiful cabin, beautiful view, wonderful time by all. -- Jason & the crew

What a lovely cabin and what a relaxing stay! We loved the quietness and thoroughly enjoyed the hot tub. The kids also had a great time improving their game of pool. We had a wonderful time! Sincerely -- James, Missy, Lincoln, Landon & Katelyn Wallis

Our stay here was more than unforgettable. Staying here for our senior trip was fantabulous! We loved the dog Shep (Charcoal). He was so sweet! White-water rafting was so much fun! We enjoyed building our first fire and the wonderful hot tub. The cabin is gorgeous. We loved meeting Steven & Sue...everyone in this town is so nice and friendly. We have established that a church van is not the way up this driveway. But it can be done by our great and mighty youth minister/chef/maid/driver/monster-keeper-awayer. We've had so much fun playing pool and cards. And teaching 38 years olds how to text is interesting. We have made great memories here and can't wait to come back soon! Much love -- Shirley, Kristen, Rhianna, Cloe, Leigh Anne & Daryl

We really enjoyed our stay. The cabin was terrific. We had 2 families with kids ranging from 3 to 11 and they had fun just hanging out at the cabin. The fire pit was great. The pool table was fun. Make sure you go to Deep Creek for tubing. We also had great hikes. We would recommend this cabin to anyone. Thanks for the great vacation. Sincerely -- Dave & Jeannine from Wisconsin and Mike & Dorris from Florida.

I'm Olaia and I've been here for a week. I live in the north of Spain and I have to say that this cabin has been an experience for me! I stayed here with my American family from Ohio...And it's the greatest thing I've done with them...Because I had time to know more about them. The cabins in Spain aren't like this!! This cabin has got everything!! I didn't imagine that it would be so great. Thank you for all...Being here is going to be one of the best things I've ever done. Thank you -- Olaia

My Family and I had a blast at your cabin. We love the mountains so it was great to get out of the flat lands of Ohio and come up here. Thank you so much for letting us rent this house. Thanks -- The Lantz Family

We had a great time. My family came from Korea. We went to the Grand Father Mountain! It was a great view. I think I like rafting the best! Thank you -- Romi

We truly enjoyed the "get away from it all" atmosphere and the beautiful cabin you have here! It was wonderful sleeping, great fun around the pool table, and lovely evenings roasting marshmallows and talking at the campfire. A restful place to come home to after a thrilling day whitewater rafting! We'll recommend this place to our friends! -- The Wilsons & Penleys from Cumming, GA

This was our 2nd stay in this beautiful cabin. It was just as memorable as the first stay last year. Within our trip we were graced with sightings of 8 bears, elk, deer, turkey, a fox, crawfish, a salamander, an otter, beaver, pileated woodpeckers, trout, rabbits, ducks, and geese. If you're looking for the most bang for your buck...no pun intended...go to Cades Cove. Most of them were sighted there. Clingmans Dome at sunset had an exciting bear encounter on the drive to it. John (one of the neighbors) was nice enough to bring some vine ripe tomatoes and beautiful roses. Charcoal and Bella were the welcome wagon daily. Great watch dogs and fire side companions. We love it here and are planning the next trip back. -- The Putnams: Mike, Cindy, Brittney, Donna, Don, Danielle & Devin

Awesome place for sure! Must Do's: Deep Creek tubing, Funyaking on the Nantahala River, Zip Line Canopy Tour, watching shooting stars from deck, eat at Fryemont Inn, BBQ Wagon and Filling Station, feeding pups, Chattooga Section IV, look for wildlife, hot tub perfect at whitewater fun! -- The Gallati Family; Charleston, SC

Thank you for letting us stay at your cabin. It was great. The cabin was very nice, very clean and beautiful. The peace and quiet was great. Hot tub was great for relaxing and we really enjoyed the pool table. We also had a great time rafting, water was a little cold at times but a lot of fun. Everything you offer was well worth the money spent. We really look forward to visiting again. Thank you -- Justin, Melissa, Josh, Lindsay

Sophie's Choice -- What a retreat! We couldn't have asked to stay in a nicer place to unwind and celebrate Steve's 40th Birthday this weekend. Sue and Steven are such special friends and have made us feel so welcomed! The cabin has been such a refreshing experience - the view is beautiful and the amenities so enjoyable. Rafting on the Nantahala River truly helped all cares melt away as well as a warm hot tub afterwards! We have had so many laughs and will never forget this mountain experience. What a great place to experience life! Sophie's Choice, A Soul Soother...Steve & Leah Weber; Windermere, Florida and Peter & Amy Bono; Franklin, Michigan

The pool table and hot tub were big hits for the kids. Adventurous Fast Rivers Rafting company is great! We finally met the dogs on the last day. We made a great fire on Sunday night and took some great pictures! We had a fantastic Labor Day Weekend! Jaboobie -- The DeLangers & The Wiley's

Sophie's Choice was the perfect choice for a long weekend getaway with family. The cabin is lovely, spacious, comfortable and has all of the ammenities of a luxury cabin. We loved the peaceful setting of the cabin and enjoyed the companionship of the local "guard dogs" on the deck. They're very sweet and are a nice addition to our relaxing retreat. Many thanks for allowing us to stay in your beautiful cabin. We hope to return soon. -- The Ensley Families from Salisbury & Lenoir, NC

Our weekend trip was awesome. The cabin is very beautiful. We enjoyed hanging out with friends by the fire, in the hot tub, grilling out, etc. We were here (group of 10) celebrating Adam's birthday - and it was a blast. The whitewater rafting trip was so much fun as well as the hiking trip. We have enjoyed ourselves so much. We hope to do this annually! We got to meet the owners, whom are very nice, and we'll definitely stay here again! -- The "Bouk" Gang from Salisbury, NC

The men of the Man Trip loved this cabin. Awesome amenitites all around. We enjoyed 2 great days of mountain biking - no injuries but lots of mud. Aside from the exercise, we managed to eat a bite or two of grilled meats and quenched our thirst with some tasty wine. The pool table, hot tub and sweet deck were icing on the cake. Thanks for a perfect getaway cabin. -- David Oliver, Chris Ervin (Atlanta, GA) and Shawn Wright, Rob Brewer (Birmingham, AL)

Thank you for sharing this beautiful place with us. We will cherish the memories created here. Our daughters (6, 2 & 3 months) had a wonderful time here. -- The Valles Family

Thank you for letting us stay in your wonderful cabin. Everyone had a great time! Very relaxing. Got stuck coming up the mountain but it was fun trying to get out. Great Memories were made. Thanks -- Keith & Jenn, Steve & Lara, Mike & Amy, Bill & Mandy, Chris & Larry

Your cabin was delightful. Beautiful view. We enjoyed the hot tub very much too! Even a little snow to make our Polar Express adventure more special. And all the kids saw their 1st Christmas Parade (in downtown). Thanks again -- Pam & Scott Easter, Zach & Zane Colton and both Grandmothers

A great time was had by all - way too short but we have found a treasure. Would like to camp out here for several days in a blizzard - don't know what that's like. -- Ava, Ainsley, Julie, Greg & Mike from San Diego, CA

From the mouths of babes...We all had a Great Smoky Mountain vacation! -- The Milko's

We had a wonderful time at Sophie's Choice. Perfect place for our 2 families with lots of kiddies. Thank you for making our Polar Express weekend even more magical. -- The Chessons & Duralias from Hickory, NC

We had a great time! The cabin is beautiful. Our family will remember this trip for years to come! Can't wait to visit again. -- The Robinson Family from Charleston, SC

Happy New Year! We had a blast ringing in the New Year at Sophie's Choice. Many memories were made and we can't wait to come back sometime soon! Thanks -- Amanda & Johnny, Cassie & Gary and Matt from Charleston, SC