Welcome to Hearth and Homestead Cabins!
Where do I begin? How did two people, raised in the flatlands of South Florida, come to reside in the mountains of Georgia? And why?
Without doubt, the dream began before Paul and I ever knew each other. As children, almost all of our summer vacations were to the mountains. I can remember the anticipation of getting out of the Florida heat and in to the cool mountain air. Paul’s family spent their summers in the mountains as well.
After we had children of our own, our vacations were mostly spent somewhere in this region. Fishing, train rides, biking were all part of the agenda. As empty-nesters, the mountains became our stress reliever; a spiritual experience found nowhere else. And there the dream began.
We spent much time in a little cabin by a noisy creek, Year after year we would return. Knowing what this environment could do for us, we began talking about what it could do for others. After almost a decade in the hospitality business, we began forming our dream: a small cluster of cabins, designed for solitude and stress-relief. A place where the harried and tired could come to find themselves again.
In 2016 we began our search for land. In my mind, this was going to be an easy task. We wanted mountains and a creek. Ten acres would do nicely. We contacted the real estate firm from whom we had rented cabins and began a relationship there that continues to this day. On our days off we would come to search. We looked at so many properties, and were disappointed so often that the thrill of the hunt had worn off for me. After a year of searching, of coming close but never finding the ‘perfect’ place, I took a day off from searching and took a rug-making class while Paul and our agent went out again. As a couple with almost 40 years of marriage behind us, we prided ourselves on making major decisions together. We must both be in agreement, or it was a no-go. So when I returned from my class to see Paul beaming, to hear him say that he had put down an offer, I thought he was joking. He quickly assured me that time was of the essence and that I would love it. As only God can do, it was 15 acres of everything we wanted, plus more! Watson Creek ran down our border. It had mountains, it had a meadow full of hardwoods, and it had a bright, sunny farm area, and a pond. To say that the rest was easy would not be the truth, but we trusted God to do the work if this was the place. And in November, 2016 we owned what we would forever call, The Homestead.
What Now?
Since then, much has happened. We have two cabins, accessed by an automatic entry gate system. Our vegetable garden is in it's second productive season, with guests able to pick fresh veggies to add to their meals. Paul has built a utility building, which serves as facility storage as well as his workshop.
We have not yet begun another cabin, as the timing just doesn't seem right at this point. The plans have been drawn, and the site has been chosen, so we're ready to go once we feel led to begin.
Our guests remain as our top goal. We never stop looking for new ways to make our guest's experience exceed their expectations.