24 hours ago we opened up our November giveaway with one simple question. What’s the #1 reason you would like to come to Whitestone?

Almost immediately we were surprised by the response and touched by the stories people were sharing.

Here are just 21 of the 390 stories received so far. We’ve removed the names and any identifying information to protect privacy but these are all real comments. Read all 21 below.

The November giveaway continues through November 30. Enter here if you haven’t already!

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“I would love to come back to Whitestone again to enjoy some much needed alone time with my sweet husband. He has recently become a pastor at a new church and works so hard and I would love to surprise him with a couple days of rest to recharge. We came to Whitestone several years ago and I still carry the white stone in my purse as reminder of the special time we shared there!”

 

“When my son, Tyson, was 17 he suffered a stroke. He had brain surgery, ended up in a level 1 coma, spent 3 years in rehabs trying to recoup the balance and co ordination he lost in the stroke. He is now 42 years old and very rarely gets to get away for some much needed vacation time. I don’t get to spend a lot of time with him as he is in Murray, KY going to school right now. I have been to Whitestone twice before. I love the beauty of nature there as well as the Christian atmosphere. Tyson is a very strong Christian man and it would be a true blessing to be able to share some time with him there at Whitestone.”

 

“Some of the finest (and funnest) getaways we’ve ever had were at Whitestone. I am now 81 years of age and my wife is 79. She is suffering from Alzheimer’s and I don’t know how much longer she will be both physically and mentally able to enjoy all that Whitestone has to offer.”

 

“I want to rest.

The Goldfinch is the single most peaceful place I can think of. I’ve spent two nights there total. One evening with my spouse before he shipped off to the Navy, and the other in response to a “discount deal” you ran last winter, when a ladies group pulled out of a reservation in response to the snow.

I’ll have you know that in the face of impending separation from my husband, and in opposition of that beautiful (though inconvenient) heavy snow last winter- nothing can penetrate the peace and solitude of “The Goldfinch”.”

 

“Years pass, time is slipping but at the same time the closeness and spark that was once there slips too. We were at Whitestone earlier this year for the first time. We never felt as close to each other, other than our wedding and first years together as we did at Whitestone. The atmosphere, the meals, and the beauty brought back romance. We want to keep the romance going at Whitestone. We hope to return again. We both found new found love and contentment there. No children, grandchildren, no pets, no work to bother us… just us.”

 

“Whitestone is beautiful and so very relaxing…..but most of all I want to visit Whitestone again because of the wonderful memories that were made here. Our daughter, Heather Lynn (Jones) Kinge was married in the chapel March, 2008. The visits prior to and following that time have been awesome. Last Thanksgiving our family gathered to give thanks and enjoy a meal together. At that time Heather was undergoing chemo and radiation for Hodgkins lymphoma, so I suggested we all go to a “happy place” to give her a lift during her battle with cancer. Awesome! Again, in the spring we enjoyed Easter Sunday worshiping the Lord in the chapel and dinner with Heather, her husband and their three year old. To me, Whitestone is my “happy place”!”

 

“I have been to weddings at the Whitestone but unfortunately never been able to stay in one of the rooms. I constantly look at the pictures on Facebook and I’m amazed at all the beauty. It’s mine and my husband anniversary this month. Would love to be able to go and say that I have finally stayed at the Whitestone.”

 

“The wife and I could use a night away from the craziness of three small children. Sometimes it is hard to carve out time for each other and just to remember we are a team in life.”

 

“Whitestone is a respite of a getaway. My wife and I visited for our anniversary one year, I re-proposed and we also renewed our vows in the chapel. It was a wonderful experience in a beautiful setting. To visit here is to rekindle romance, reconnect with a sometimes kid-lost spouse, and all of this in a God-centered atmosphere.”

 

“I know the standard answers are to Relax…Restore….Reflect…Recharge–and those are all perfect answers–but they are overused as the 4 “R’s”! I would add excitement to it! No place I have ever been feels me with as much excitement and anticipation as coming to The Whitestone does! Because you can unwind and truly kick back, Whitestone Country Inn truly is the respite that every stressed soul deserves! Likewise, at departure, I have already begun to look so forward to my next visit and the cycle of anticipation begins again!”

 

“Several years ago I was looking for a romantic getaway for me and my husband, and after asking friends and receiving some whole-hearted recommendations, I booked our weekend at Whitestone. I was able to pull off one of THE most romantic retreats ever, including a horse-drawn carriage ride and a couples’ massage. Nestled in the beautiful rolling hills of East Tennessee, with a tranquil setting and a spectacular view – I couldn’t have asked for anything more. We had an incredible getaway within a short drive from Knoxville.

With both of us working full time jobs and having four active teenagers (including one in college), even having a single meal alone together sometimes seems all too rare. My number 1 reason I would like to return to Whitestone – is that I love my husband. And I would be thrilled to remind him of that again by taking the opportunity to slow down and return to the breathtaking and peaceful serenity that inherently restores the enchantment in an otherwise busy world through a Whitestone getaway.”

 

“Whitestone is the most peaceful and one of the most beautiful places we have been. We have wanted to come back so many times and have not been able to. Events happened in our life in May that have forever changed us. I am not a person that cries but I have been the last five months doing so regularly and wondering how my husband and I will get through this. If it wasn’t me crying, it was my husband. School resumed in August and I had to begin teaching again which meant working two jobs again. I have felt like I was going crazy and wondered if this feeling will ever go away. I don’t know when there has a period in my life when I have been on my knees as much or wondered what God’s plan was or how this event could have happened. My husband and I have not been away, alone in years. The ongoing stress has been hard on our relationship. I needed my husband to be strong for me but he was understandably too broken. I can’t think of anything my soul needs more than the peaceful retreat of Whitestone.”

 

“Whitestone is the most relaxing place I have ever been. It’s a place me and my husband can reconnect. Those two things are what we need right now. We had to bury our son a little over a week ago. So we would like to come to reconnect and relax. Since life has been so stressful lately.”

 

‘I come with a group of girls, we do a girls weekend. We love it because it’s a beautiful place, off the beaten trail with a charming atmosphere, welcoming hosts, and great food. What’s not to love! We have found it to be a great place for us to unwind and catch up with each other, we enjoy it so much!”

 

“I don’t. I have had the pleasure of staying at your beautiful inn a few years ago. I would like to win, to send my parents. They have sacrificed and worked hard their lives. They are simple country folks and would never spend the money on them selves to stay at a great hotel, such as yours. They have sent me to the best schools and have helped me with my illness. I owe them the world, because they are my world.”

 

“We came to Whitestone for our 25th Anniversary – that was 5 years ago now. Whitestone was recommended to us by another Bed and Breakfast owner – he said it was the best and most amazing B & B he had ever experienced. We spent 5 days at Whitestone – it was so relaxing. The food was spectacular, the staff made us feel like family, and the whole property is stunning. We just want to come back!”

 

“The past few years have been extremely difficult. We all have hurdles to overcome but ours has seemed more like a mountain. After 38 years of full time ministry and my husband always putting others before himself, we are not serving in a pastorate position right now. I would love to surprise my husband with a night to relax and just enjoy each others company right here in East Tennessee.My husband has always put others and their needs before his and I would enjoy doing this for him.”

 

“I was on personal business in the Knoxville area and Whitestone was recommended to me by a coworker. This was in August and we had just lost our granddaughter. She lived 18 days after she was born, but due to severe heart and lung deformities, she passed away on July 19th. My wife and I thought that Whitestone would be a nice way to get away while still conducting some business. We both felt the presence of the Holy Spirit there and we found much comfort and healing. If we win the free stay, I plan to give it to my daughter and son-in-law so they can have a brief get away and perhaps receive some healing from their loss.”

 

“As we have aged, driving long distances to get away has become more difficult. We discovered Whitestone Inn, almost in our backyard. It’s a Tennessee treasure. The beauty of East Tennessee is enhanced at Whitestone because of the beautiful lake and landscape. The accommodations are deluxe, the food is exquisite, and the atmosphere is like being in another world. We enjoy Whitestone and its amenities as much as any inn we have traveled to, and its oh, so close.”

 

“We are missionaries in Mexico and have been to Whitestone twice. Once before we stated ministering in Mexico and once when we had to leave Mexico due to drug cartel unrest. Both times we visited both my wife and I were refreshed after our weekend there at Whitestone. We are in Mexico right now serving as a missionary pilot for a mission hospital reaching out to the Tarahumara and Tepehuan people groups. In fact, this week I am flying patients who have had caterac surgery back to their remote area in the Sierra Mountains of Mexico. Please pray that their spiritual eyes will be opened. We go back to the States from time to time so if we win we could visit Whitestone then.”

 

“My husband and I celebrated our 25th anniversary there and it was an oasis of peace for us. We wanted to come for our 30rh, but we were not able because I wa diagnosed with cancer in May and because of my chemotherapy we were not able to get away during my. treatments. My treatments are almost over and my sweet husband has been so supportive during my sickness I would love to surprise him with a trip away. God bless you all and all you do for the kingdom of God!”