Two years ago my sister Ruthie and her Cuyler began a cross-country journey in a very spacious 40 foot RV to tour the USA. The journey itself was epic, but also had a goal in mind. They were to find their favorite spot for retirement, buy land, and build their dream home. Watching this journey from afar, I really wasn’t convinced that they would settle far from Texas, which had always been home. They proved to all who knew them, dreams can come true. Lake Douglas in Tennessee was love at first sight for them. There is so much to love about Tennessee, I admit, and the people of the area are every bit as friendly and hospitable as in Texas. Once I arrived for my first visit to the “dream come true”, I got it. The yard was a pathway for wild turkey, the next door neighbor tended his vineyard daily, a local herd of deer bedded down on some level ground nearby, and there was plenty of acreage left over for a stable with a few horses for the grandkids. Cuyler finally bought his “dream” tractor to mow the expanse, which will be his retirement project in the summers. Ruthie is just beginning to plan out the landscaping, which will take years to complete. So much land, so little time:)
There is so much to love about the house itself, I don’t know where to begin. The matching arched ceilings into the downstairs and upstairs bedroom areas were beyond anything I had ever thought of. The interior beams matched the arches, and extended to the exterior front porch bringing the outside in. The kitchen accommodates black stainless steel appliances, which I now must have in the next house. Countertops were of soapstone, which provided a less polished finish than the typical granite, but was surprisingly resilient when wiped clean with a little water and soap. This must be fairly new, as I don’t recall seeing it in Architectural Digest yet. A magnificent fireplace/tv wall was the focal point of the living room, and came in handy in the chilly evenings. My favorite, though, was the enormous shower they had built for our Dad’s comfort. It was complete with a comfortable boat-styled chair and wooden shutters to let in the morning light. There was nothing like waking to a rain head shower and plenty of time to soak it all in (no grandbabies at the door:) As I arrived on Ruthie’s birthday, we had to do something special to celebrate. They had been thinking of driving in to Dollywood for the Stampede dinner theater, so off we went.
The show was spectacular, particularly if you love trick horseback riding with a patriotic theme. It certainly was reminiscent of a Dolly Parton inspired show of patriotism, American history, and some extremely talented trick riding. The buffalo roundup was only to be exceeded by the longhorn exhibition. My personal favorite was the trick rider who brought her horse up to, and through, a ring of fire. I can’t even imagine the training required for such a feat. At the end of the show, this inspired Ruthie to begin thinking of “rescuing” some of these beautifully trained horses at the end of their spectacular career. I promised to bring my grandangels for a visit to see this up close and personal. The trip was far too short to do it all, so we agreed on my next visit to take the trail ride tour of the Biltmore grounds by horseback. Can’t wait!
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