Millsap-Baker Estate

My girlfriend and I were driving through Damascus (my favorite hiker-​town, period) and needed a place to stay. As a hiker, I «love» the fun of staying in hostels and small holes in the ground whenever I can — however, as I was here on business we decided to find a more proper place to lay our heads. We had no predetermined destination, so we browsed around online until we stumbled across the Millsap-​Baker — and am I ever-​so-​glad we did! We called roughly an hour in advance and still they accommodated us on the fly. The estate is a little off the beaten path, but trust the directions you’re given and you’ll find it. We were greeted by canons in the yard and a smile on the owner’s faces. After a brief tour of the empty grounds (we somehow managed to arrive on a weekday with no guests), they turned over the run of the house to us… as such, we explored! Situated on a hill overlooking the main drag leading into town, the estate offers a quiet setting surrounded by high mountains and untouched nature. The house itself is grand, well decorated with exceptional antiques passed down through generations of owners, while offering modern amenities. We found ourselves lounging around in the downstairs parlor whilst watching television and munching on the provided snacks. It’s a great place to be lazy and feel rich while not breaking the bank. Breakfast the next morning was great — though the conversation regarding the history of the house and the owner’s themselves was even better. «Downtown» Damascus is a quick hike from the estate — not too close, not too far. A simple drive to be sure, but when in a hiker-​town, you hike! We left out early the next morning after a quick breakfast that was provided and prepared ahead of time for us as we had a tight schedule. All-​in-​all, I highly recommend the Millsap-​Baker if you’re passing through Damascus and aren’t really feeling up to living the «hiker-​trash» lifestyle while you’re visiting… then again, even if you are feeling extra smelly and have discernible dirt-​lines on your legs, they’ll still welcome you!

If it were possible to rate zero stars I would. This was my number one choice for my upcoming wedding in June. After speaking with Connie (the owner) multiple times on October 5^th we along with our families had booked a tour of the estate for October 19^th to discuss their wedding packages. We had already decided just from the pictures this was the place for us so we already had a check in hand, ready to sign a contract the same day. I called on the evening of October 18^th to confirm our appointment and was told by Connie she had no history of our calls or correspondence. My name didn’t even seem to register with her. I was so looking forward to my perfect hometown wedding and just knew this would be the perfect venue. How saddened and disappointed my fiancé and I are that we have wasted two whole weeks without visiting other venues because we felt in our heart of hearts this place was the one. I have screenshots of my call log to prove our multiple phone conversations on October 5^th as well as documentation in my wedding planner. The owner didn’t even apologize on the phone when she realized she «forgot to write down our appointment.» I’ve never done an online review before but felt given the situation this was necessary. I hope this review serves as a true example of how this place does business. So much for my fairytale, hometown wedding.

I stayed here last night and it was such an amazing experience! I was greeted when I came in, even though it was quite late and was offered wine, water, soda, and snacks, all complimentary, and then I was shown my room. It was very cute and very clean. Everything in the house was gorgeous and the location was picturesque. The only downside is that if you have AT&T you get no cell service, but there is wifi. They also had TV and a roku as well as a DVDS player and collection. They had a delicious breakfast prepared for me at 8:30 and the owner was great to chat with! If you are in this area, you have to stay here!