Our family moved to Townsend from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, where I was born and raised, married, and had my son. My husband Reid and I both had roots in the printing and newspaper publishing business. Shortly after marrying, we began our own promotion company and became caterers, party planners, and decorators, handling turn-key events for up to 20,000 guests. However, when Jeff was born, we realized that was not the business to be in while trying to raise our child. So we sold our business, pulled up stakes, and moved our horses, dog, cat, rabbits, goats, and geese to Townsend, where we purchased the lower 40 acres of our existing property.

We built a cabin rental business to be "stay-at-home" parents while raising our son, who was in the 4th grade. We talked my parents, sister, and brother into moving to the Townsend/Knoxville area shortly after that.

We operated our lodging and guest farm business, Pioneer Cabins and Guest Farm, for about 15 years until our upper property (where the Country Manor Inn now sits) came for sale. To stop developers from building 100 condominiums on this gorgeous property, we made an offer and quickly became the new owners of the 72 acres. It turned out to be more work and commitment than we could handle, so we sold our home, 12 acres, and 6 cabins - and our name of Pioneer Cabins and Guest Farm to a lovely couple who still operate the cabins under the same name even to this day.

After selling our cabins and home, we found ourselves without a place to live, so we moved into our Hayloft Sky Cabin until we could complete our Country Manor Inn. The Inn is now my home and operates as a small bed and breakfast. I no longer cook, but we put kitchens and kitchenettes in each suite, so we now call it a "bed and kitchen."

We started our current wedding business to help balance the estate of this gorgeous property. After my husband died in 2009, my stubborn will would not permit me to sell out, so I kept the company going as best I could for a year or so until my son, Jeff, moved back home from Nashville. Jeff had moved to Nashville and pursued a very successful music career for several years but moved back home and reorganized to help me keep the wedding business and farm intact.

"The protege has outdone the master," and Jeff has since become a full partner with me in the wedding and lodging business. His music career was successful enough to give him a good local name and reputation, and he was able to use that as a stepping stone; where he is now a Blount County Commissioner, and strives to keep our "Peaceful Side of the Smokies" motto a reality and is fighting against the increase of over-development that is constantly trying to come into our area. Jeff's Wife, Nicole, is a horse trainer, and she is keeping my dream of horses on this property alive and well with the addition of our new horse riding stables, riding ring, and horse boarding facilities.

Jeff and Nicole now have two children, Perry and Reid, and their dream is to be able to leave this property to their children as I have done with mine. For our 32 years in Townsend and our lodging experience, we have discovered that our guests may have been brought here yearly by parents while celebrating their family reunions. Now as adults, those same children have returned to hold their weddings here, and some have returned, even after that, as they begin their own families and family reunion traditions.

What a pleasure to see three generations of guests who have enjoyed the Smoky Mountains' beauty, Townsend's peace and tranquility, and the rural family farm life of our property. Nothing warms my heart more than to see a father and son fishing at the pond, a couple holding hands while walking our many rural or wooded trails, or a family roasting marshmallows at our picnic area under the stars. We love sharing our story, and we especially love to hear your stories as well.