are one of the most gratifying parts of this. They come from all over the country and the world. People from the DMV area especially just want to step away and be in nature— surprised by deer on the driveway, spotting fox on the trails, sitting in the hot tub watching fireflies at dusk.
When I see families around a campfire roasting marshmallows, or couples in both suites getting along and leaving that privacy screen retracted, it makes my heart happy. I’ ve made genuine friends with repeat guests, and people have met each other here and stayed in touch. I’ m also noticing a steady increase in direct return bookings, which started in earnest when I launched the dog park in March 2024.
I’ m a private person myself, so I’ m very respectful of guests’ space. In the check-in notes I mention that they’ re welcome to let me know if they’ d prefer not to be greeted in person. But when people invite me to join them—“ Hey, we’ ve got wine, come sit with us”— those conversations can go remarkably deep.
There’ s something about the contained time, the beauty of the place, a little wine, and the remove from ordinary life that opens people up. I’ ve had guests tell me a parent just died, or a spouse, and they needed somewhere to come and breathe. I wouldn’ t hear stories like that any other way. I know how to read people. I get an immediate sense of their energy and proceed accordingly, dropping a small thread and seeing where it leads.