Hilltop Bed and Breakfast: Leave Your Worries at the Door

by | Mar 2022

ONCE UPON a time, there was a cozy cottage on a hill. Isn’t that how all the best stories begin? The story of Shelbyville local Vicky Black and her whimsical Hilltop Bed and Breakfast is no different. In 2012, Black bought the property that now holds her adorable cottage. In its original condition, the purchased property was not an inviting space to rest. There were two buildings on the property. One of the buildings was an old farmhouse. That farmhouse is now home to a lovely family, and the other building was a coal shed. The previous owner converted the coal shed into a pool house and then a studio apartment years later. When Black acquired the property, she slowly remodeled the simple apartment into a dreamy guest house straight out of a fairytale.

If you arrive at the cottage in the daytime, the first thing you will see are gorgeous fields of flowers and vibrant garden beds. There’s a classic white picket fence that wraps around the picturesque building. Then, off to the side of the cottage stands a towering row of Leyland cypress trees offering privacy to guests. If you adventure down the little brick road, your quest will lead you to a treasure. Shimmering below your feet, your heart races in anticipation. What could it be? You find a pool of water with the most brilliant and bright orange koi fish splashing underneath the water’s surface. With the koi pond in front of you and the world behind you, sit down on the old stone bench and allow your mind to escape you. Listen to the water trickling down from the fountain, remembering what it feels like to be a child without a care in the world. You’re safe here. You can relax. So breathe in deep and take as long as you need.

On occasion you might hear a busy bee working nearby as Black works in her glass shack next door. Inside the craft shack, she creates beautiful stained glass art. Feel free to pop in to say hello, but don’t stay too long! Breakfast is waiting inside!

Open the front door to find fresh fruit, muffins, hot and cold cereal, coffee, and hot tea. Grab a mug out of the cupboard, fill it up to the brim, and head back to a guest-favorite spot: the sunroom. Sit quietly, sipping your warm coffee, and enjoy the morning show as hummingbirds and cardinals zip around to their respective feeders. On occasion, a yellow finch will flutter by for a visit.

Wherever you find yourself resting on the property, Black desires that you make yourself at home. You will know this to be true the moment Black meets you with the key. The warmth of her demeanor, her knack for hospitality, and the thoughtfulness of her actions will help you leave your worries at the door. Whether you are a local and need a change of scenery or have family members coming to visit that need a place to stay, Hilltop Bed and Breakfast Cottage is the perfect getaway. Here you can unwind and let go of the tensions of the day. –GN

More Good News

Hands & Hearts for the Homeless

Hands & Hearts for the Homeless

SUMMER’S HEAT presses down on the long line forming at the food truck. Nearby, others wait their turn at cooling stations of plastic wading pools and misting fans. It’s not a summer music festival,...

read more
Never-ending stories

Never-ending stories

Like our lives, stories travel. Walk with Kyle Thomas on the worn path of a writer, but don’t dilly dally around, or he’ll run off and leave you. Envision the classic scene of a writer at an old...

read more
It’s what I do.

It’s what I do.

OPEN THE door of the Habitat Thrift Store just off Shelbyville’s square and expect to leave with a lighter heart and a smile on your face. Drop whatever is wearing on you outside their door; it’ll...

read more
Feed them, and they will come

Feed them, and they will come

ONE LOOK at bewildered faces in the grocery store as we shop reflects the struggle to afford groceries and life’s necessities. The roller coaster of unprecedented events of the past few years...

read more
Transported

Transported

Staring into the storefront windows; you’re a child again. Whether transported to your earliest Christmas mornings or into make-believe stories of days gone by, Phillips General Store in Bell Buckle...

read more
Celebrating a Sweet Recovery

Celebrating a Sweet Recovery

“THE SWEETS baking wasn’t my passion to start,” local baker Cole Krieg said. He was passionate about livestock and farming – a family trait he acquired from his great-grandmother. He had gone to...

read more
It’s a Wonderful Life

It’s a Wonderful Life

DR. EDWARD Perryman is a nature lover and devout Christian with a humble spirit, and his story inspires many to pursue their dreams and live their lives to the fullest. Good News story writer Tina...

read more
Come in and Sit a Spell

Come in and Sit a Spell

COFFEE SHOPS are a growing industry worldwide. Sitting down at a coffee shop is the most efficient way to catch up with friends and family, enjoy a nice cup of tea or coffee, get some work done...

read more
Always with her, no matter what.

Always with her, no matter what.

FAITH AND art have filled Marie Lane Madeiros’ heart for as long as she can remember, inseparable like muscle and marrow. Not one season of her life is without them. Her earliest art memories trace...

read more
Hope captured

Hope captured

IMAGINE A life with no hope for your child – no hope for education, to learn to read or write; no hope for growing into their dreams; no hope for what we would call a normal life. Imagine that...

read more
Where everybody knows your name

Where everybody knows your name

JENNIFER COOK’S family began investing early in her teaching career. It wasn’t the type of investment overseen by financial advisors, but it added up over the years and paid off for Cook and her...

read more
Needing Room from the Boom

Needing Room from the Boom

THE SKY’S the limit for future pilots, and Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) and the Shelbyville Municipal Airport will play a vital role in the takeoff of their careers. Statista.com...

read more
Cleaning up the duck

Cleaning up the duck

Did you know that right in our backyard is one of the most biologically diverse rivers in North America? Over 50 species of freshwater mussels, and 151 fish species reside in this precious water...

read more
Portrait of a Champion

Portrait of a Champion

LAST DECEMBER, the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ & Exhibitors’ Association (TWHBEA) Awards Banquet highlighted the unveiling of Justified Honors’ official portrait by photographer Shane...

read more
Bedford County lights up with shining stars.

Juneteenth

“FREEDOM” enters the chatroom, and immediately it’s all, barbecued meat and who’s got the biggest bang of a firework show. While Independence Day is our nation’s designated time to pause and...

read more
Finding family

Finding family

HER HANDS were full, and her life was overwhelming. Jane Wagnar Feist and her four young children carried on as best they could while her husband, Herbert Feist, served in the United States Marine...

read more
Treat Yourself to Wellness

Treat Yourself to Wellness

You're invited to a day, two if you choose, of indulgence. Escape life's stresses and treat yourself to rest and renewal. Bell Buckle's Kingdom Acres is holding your spot. What ails you? Joints and...

read more
Kay Bartley

Kay Bartley

A VOLUNTEER IN all of life’s seasons, Shelbyville’s Kay Bartley has lived a life of service. From her early days of marriage to the present, Bartley has covered a lot of ground. She has sown many...

read more
Honey & Haley

Honey & Haley

HONEY AND Haley were ready on the starting line at a horse race in Kentucky. She was surrounded on her left and right by racers in her young adult age bracket. One racer after the other looked...

read more