Horse Stamp Inn  

For Guests Who Enjoy Tranquility, Beauty and Luxury

Photos and article by Leigh Cort

Imagine your cares melting away as you drive along Horse Stamp Church Road ~ making up for lost time in a place where time stands still.

For over a century, families have been coming to the splendidly quiet Georgia coast to escape their hustle-bustle of modern life. Enjoy the rural landscape; recharge and re-connect with one another while relaxing in the timeless beauty of Waverly, Georgia.

You've arrived at Horse Stamp Inn.

Tom and Kris Hutcheson had a vision for their exquisite Horse Stamp Inn, a sanctuary where one can feel at peace. The Inn is tucked away in a quiet little hamlet, located midway between the famous Golden Isles ( Jekyll, St. Simons and Sea Island ) and historic St. Marys.

Nestled on a secluded tree-covered property with expansive green fields, rustic horse barn and artesian fresh water pond, drive through the gate and arrive at one of the most handsome Southern mansions that whispers � relax� . Tom and Kris await your arrival with cold lemonade and a genuine Southern warm welcome.

Kris and Tom begin your day with breakfast prepared from fresh and locally produced ingredients. Dine in your room, on the verandah or in the expansive Inn kitchen. Healthy and delicious, they promise warm baked goodies from their legacy of family recipes.

A sampling includes:

Spend the morning exploring hidden nature trails or walk your horse around the lush manicured lawns. Unwind by the pool in the afternoon and don't forget a dazzling starlit sky sitting by the bonfire with friends and someone you love.

Horse Stamp Inn

Together the Hutcheson's have designed an Inn where simple pleasures mean so much. Moving to the Georgia coast from Denver, their dream was to create an environment that's an oasis of tranquility where guests could visit and leave their cares behind. Kris comments � Our guests will have time to daydream, read a book, pet a horse, gather eggs in the barn and even feed our chickens�.

Kris and Tom Hutcheson

Tom's early impression of the Inn and property were equally appreciated by Kris. � When I first drove up the driveway, I felt that I was home. I knew Kris would love the country around us, the land's natural splendor and the beautiful house � not to mention her country kitchen!�

How easy it is to ascend to the 2 nd floor of the Horse Stamp Inn to your bedroom. The Inn has a convenient and unique European-style elevator to make your arrival easy � or you can climb the grand staircase from Great Room to Balcony.

The Great Room from Balcony

The rooms and suite at the Horse Stamp Inn reflect a style of decor and luxury that pairs perfectly with its famous Horse Namesake. Each accommodation offers their guests a Park Place collection King-sized bed and private luxurious bath. They are all tastefully outfitted in harmonious colors, handsome wall coverings, handcrafted furnishings and thoughtful creature comforts to make each stay a beautiful memory.

Sliding between the luxe 600 count linens, mounds of pillows, duvets, cotton quilts and feather bed tops, a night's sleep at the Inn becomes a dreamy experience that feels like sleeping on a cloud. Bath products are plentiful, especially the fluffy Hotel Collection of luxury towels, while overhead heaters warm you after shower or bath.

Feel pampered in your comfortable sitting area with a country view, oversized closets and dresser, ceiling fan, flat screen TV, hair blower, iron and high-speed wireless internet.

Cleverly, Tom and Kris chose (7) famous horses to represent each room � five guest rooms and suites�and two innkeeper quarters.

HORSE STAMP INN

Horses!

DAWN RUN

It was Dawn Run's victory in the 1986 Cheltenham Gold Cup that really captured the racing public's imagination. Dawn Run was a thoroughbred racehorse who remains the most successful mare in the history of National Hunt Racing as the only horse to have landed the Champion Hurdle/Cheltenham Gold Cup double and, amazingly, the only one to have completed the English, Irish and French Champion Hurdle treble!

SEA BISCUIT

Named �American Horse of the Year' in 1938, Seabiscuit was one of the most remarkable thoroughbred racehorses in history. He was the long shot that captured America's heart during the Depression. An undersized and overlooked race horse, his unexpected successes made him a hugely popular sensation when he won a �match race' against War Admiral (a fearsome stallion). His legacy has been immortalized in books and movies for more than half a century.

CIMARRON

During the Spanish Conquest of the Americas, the Cimarrons made their way into the wild. Any domesticated animal that has escaped is also synonymous with the American Mustang. Symbolizing the freedom of the �Wild West' in North America; the Mustang (originating from the Spanish word mestena ) can be identified as a group of wild horses!

APRIL LOVE

In the middle of a Lexington, Kentucky horse farm, the 1957 American musical �April Love' enchanted audiences with its exquisite images of race horses and country settings. Sulky horse racing was the popular pastime in this beautiful corner of the world for actors Pat Boone and Shirley Jones. He is sent to work on his distant family's farm but before long, he's devoting himself to the task of training a horse to become a winning trotter. Based on an early 1940's novel � Phantom Filly' , who can forget the Academy Award nominated song of 1957 �April Love'.

SUGAR FOOT

Git along little Sugarfoot! This adorable cartoon horse first made its Hollywood appearance in the 1954 cartoon �A Horse's Tale�. He then charmed his way into the hearts of movie fans as a supporting character in The Woody Woodpecker movies. Famed American cartoonist, animator, film producer and director Walter Lantz was Sugarfoot's and Woody Woodpecker's creator. His legacy of animation found his beloved Sugarfoot in dozens of award-winning films.

BUTTERMILK

A beautiful light buckskin Quarter Horse with dark points, cowgirl star Dale Evans fell in love with Buttermilk who appeared in all but six of the Roy Rogers Show TV episodes from 1951-1957. As a colt, �Taffy' was rescued by a cattle farmer who bought him from a horse trader. Trained to be a competition horse, he had a friendly and affectionate disposition. He was noticed in a rodeo in Nebraska and brought to Hollywood where Dale Evans renamed him Buttermilk. He was one of the most recognized celebrity horses of his era.

SADLER'S WELLS

Undoubtedly the best thoroughbred sire that France, Great Britain and Ireland have ever seen, Sadler's Wells left a wonderful legacy of racing horses of the 21 st Century. The son of Northern Dancer, he was bred in Kentucky and sired 323 stakes winners during his long racing career. His offspring won a record (6) Breeders' Cup events. His own successful racing career as a three-year-old in 1984 witnessed Sadler's Wells winning the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial, the Irish 2,000 Guineas, the Eclipse Stakes and the coveted Phoenix Champion Stakes.

Tom feeding fish in the Artesian pond

INN AMENITIES:

HOW TO FIND THE HORSE STAMP INN:

For nearly ten years, the state of Georgia planned to build an exit on I-95 for Horse Stamp Church Road. Its timely opening has coincided with the Horse Stamp Inn's debut. Whether driving north or south on the interstate, it's a short 3.5 mile journey to the HORSE STAMP mailbox and Inn sign.

Although the Horse Stamp Inn is far from reality and a world apart, the Hutcheson's warm welcome will make guests feel like they're coming home.

HORSE STAMP INN

2418 Horse Stamp Church Road

Waverly, Georgia 31565

912

www.HorseStampInn.com

For other great agri_tourism destinations check out Agri Lanes