One of the log home events we went to was a “log raising” hosted by Honest Abe Log Homes at their Moss, TN headquarters.

While we were there, we overheard someone mention something about Honest Abe building log homes out on Dale Hollow Lake. So we asked Tonya (our sales rep from Honest Abe) about it, and she said that the Grand Opening Event for the lake properties at Swan Ridge Lake Resort was taking place on this same day.

She encouraged us to drive out there & check it out. So we did.

Love At First Sight

We were pretty much convinced that this was the perfect location to build our dream home the minute we crested the hill and got our first view of the lake. There are truly no words to describe it.

It didn’t hurt that it was a blue-sky day… 70-something degrees…. and eagles were flying overhead. Everything just said “perfect”.

So we picked out a lot (there were only a few that we could afford), and spent the next 3 weeks trying to convince ourselves that we’d done the right thing.

Okay, well Jim didn’t, but I had buyer’s remorse like never before. I mean, this was a decision that we’d have to live with — day in & day out — for the rest of our lives (or as long as we decide to stay in this “dream home” we were about to build).

After a number of return visits to Dale Hollow Lake and Swan Ridge, I was easily convinced that we had, in fact, done the right thing.

Lake Living At Swan Ridge

The truth is… we have gotten nothing but positive vibes every time we’ve gone there!

From the people behind the development (including Doug Smith, his wife Janie, and daughter April; oh, and the most dedicated office manager in Tennessee: Gretchen), to the handful of people we met who are also planning to build there (Frank & Jo from Florida, Dave & Shirley – also from Franklin, TN), and everyone we’ve met & talked to in the towns of Livingston, TN and Cookeville, TN (our soon-to-be “neighbors”).

Without a doubt, we are both overjoyed with our decision to build there, and it’s so exciting to think of our future:
…Enjoying the home of our dreams — a log home — at Swan Ridge Lake Resort on Dale Hollow Lake!

A Bittersweet Move

We will certainly miss living in Franklin, Tennessee. But, Nashville will only be a couple hours’ drive away from us, so we’ll probably be visiting friends & our favorite hotspots more than we realize.

My guess is, we’ll never again take for granted all that we’ve been blessed to enjoy in Music City USA and Franklin, Tennessee. There are few words to describe all that we have seen, heard, and experienced during our 5 years here.

Heck, what am I thinking? By the time we get done building, it will have been 6 years that we’ve lived here! And you can bet we’ll be spending our last year here enjoying all that there is to see & do in the Nashville area. We want to do everything in our power to experience all that makes Franklin & Nashville so unique.

For us, this will probably mean attending a lot more songwriter nights, as well as participating in more local events than usual.

I like to help people find unique ways to do things in order to save time & money — so I write about “outside the box” ideas that most wouldn’t think of. As a lifelong dog owner, I often share my best tips for living with and training dogs. I worked in Higher Ed over 10 years before switching gears to pursue activities that I’m truly passionate about. I’ve worked at a vet, in a photo lab, and at a zoo — to name a few. I enjoy the outdoors via bicycle, motorcycle, Jeep, or RV. You can always find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites).

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