High Hill Farm: A nearby vacation

Published 8:00 am Thursday, March 18, 2021

The sun shined brilliantly against a bluebird sky as I navigated along a two-lane highway toward High Hill Farm, tucked away in the Piney Woods off County Road 217. The GPS chirped to life, instructing me to take a left and then announcing that I had arrived at my destination.

Once inside, I was greeted warmly by Sharon Romano. She and her husband, Jason Romano, are the proprietors and visionaries of the property. My tour began with a brief history of High Hill Farm as I followed Sharon down a hall with walls that are filled with the work of local artists, offering pops of color against the understated color scheme and polished concrete floors.

“My daughter competed in dressage, and the first time we came to East Texas, I fell in love,” Sharon said.

Dressage is a horse riding competition. The couple lived in Dallas at that time.

“I just love it out here, the hills, the pines — it’s so green,” Sharon said.

The couple began searching for land and bought the property in 2012, not certain at first what they would do with it.

“We thought about it and started thinking about travel and things we liked to do to escape. We had younger kids at the time and didn’t have a quick escape,” Sharon said.

Avid travelers, the pair drew inspiration from places they had visited, specifically the California wine country and the Florida panhandle. Sharon remembered, “We just started talking to friends and thought, we could do that.”

Our tour stopped at Napoleon Bar, a nod to Jason’s hometown, New Orleans, and one of the couple’s favorite watering holes. Next door sits Côte, the 48-seat restaurant where chef Ryan Dove creates delectable dishes such as Seared Seabass with a Passion Fruit Gastrique and Coconut Rice and Seared Magret Duck Breast with Cabernet Demi-Glace. Locally sourced goods are used when available — some of the produce comes from the on-site garden.

The pool is set in the manicured lawn overlooking the vineyard. Chaise lounges beg for a good book and a fluffy towel to while away an afternoon. Every inch of the property is understated elegance. I can easily see myself sipping a glass of wine and catching a sunset in front of a crackling fire in the stone fireplace under a lovely wooden pergola.

High Hill Farm has several accommodation options. The sherbet-colored bungalows, each named for something significant in the Romanos’ lives, offer luxurious linens, enormous walk-in showers, sumptuous robes and slippers, and, my favorite, a private outdoor patio. The larger four-bedroom unit, Gatsby, comes complete with a fire pit.

While the focus of High Hill Farm is relaxation and rejuvenation, there is plenty to do.

“We’re not really activity-driven. We offer skeet shooting, and, of course, we have the pool. There are trails all over the property to explore, bocce ball, and lawn games. You can always book a massage.” Sharon noted. “We’re about escape and relaxation, laid-back luxury. You can do as much as you want to, or as little as you want to.”

High Hill Farm is the perfect getaway for East Texans right in their own backyard. Luxurious hotel beds round out a day of relaxation, with a continental breakfast and perhaps a pitcher of mimosa to start the morning.

“A shorter drive means when you get here, you’re already on vacation as you come through the gate — not tired out from a long trip,” Sharon said. “You feel like you’ve totally gotten away even while remaining close to home.”

High Hill Farm is located at 12626 CR 217 in Arp. For information, visit highhillfarm.com.