Bruce grew up in New Hampshire and says that Tennessee feels like a kinder, gentler New Hampshire - similar mountains, rivers, lakes and foliage, yet less snow and less cold! Paula grew up in upstate New York (Albany area) and spent much of her childhood in the Adirondack Mountains. Bruce was a pastor for many years and also owned a financial planning business. He got his start working in corporate finance with the General Electric Company for ten years. Paula worked as a business administrator as well as a special education instructor for many years.

They've carried a dream of opening a lodge since hiking the entire Appalachian Trail (AT) in 2012. It took them five months to complete the 2,184 mile hike!

It was a life-transforming experience.

"We experienced true joy and peace in the midst of the simplicity and difficulty of the trail. There was a fresh horizon each day, a new section trod, the beauty of the birds, the trials of the weather, the joy of friendships gained. The trail beckons us still! Completing the hike was the most arduous, yet enjoyable experience we've ever had. So, when we learned that The South Holston Cabins was for sale in November 2019, we knew when we first saw it that it was the right place to fulfill our dream."

"We love the outdoors and experience a great sense of peace, tranquility and a quiet joy when outside. We want to share that experience with others. We encourage couples to come to re-connect, build on their relationship, and leave strengthened. Our lives are so busy today, pulled in so many directions, always expected to be plugged in, seldom having opportunity to rest, so they want folks to come here to unplug, to unwind, and to experience peace, whether through casting your line in the water, scuffing the dirt of a trail, or poking down the road on a bicycle. They believe that this new venture allows us to use our talents, skills, gifts, and experiences for God's glory."

Our lodgers ask us all the time, "How DID you find this unique piece of property?"
Well, a few years ago, we were fly fishing on the South Holston River; standing in the crystal-clear river, trout swimming around us with the ridgeline of the Cherokee National Forest in the background. It felt like a little piece of heaven on earth. Within days we were looking online for property that was for sale in this area and found this property as a new listing! We're so grateful to Sarah, the prior owner, for selling her place to us, and we seek to carry forward her dream and that of her mother Bettina. We renamed it Tailwaters Lodge and our goal is to offer experiences for fly fisherman, hikers, couples’ getaways, bird watchers, family vacations and more. We have five cabins at our primary location each one uniquely different - large to small, old to new, and we manage two additional properties downstream from us.