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Tour homes are simply inspiring |
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The Tour of Homes offers a unique opportunity to support the community
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| Bille Ann and Ken Rice have been permanent residents in Big Canoe since the early 1970s. (Photo by Sandi Smalley) |
By Lynn Brazen and Jean Lomax
Choosing homes to be featured on the Big Canoe Chapel Women’s Guild Annual Tour of Homes involves the right combination of location, traffic flow, available parking, timing and the ever-important willingness of homeowners. This year’s Tour of Homes Selection Committee, comprised of Anne Pennington, Jane Wyeth, Amanda Woerheide and Judy Lacey, worked closely with the Tour co-chairs and the transportation committee chairs to choose four simply inspiring homes that exemplify the diversity and beauty of Big Canoe.
The homeowners of three of the homes on this year’s tour are part-time residents, while homeowners Billie Ann and Ken Rice have been permanent residents since the early 1970s. Their property on Hyacinth Hill is the fifth house they have built in Big Canoe. Billie Ann says she has watched the Tour of Homes grow from its simple beginnings to what it is today. “I am so pleased and honored that the Tour would want to include my home and am glad to do something to contribute to such a worthwhile program,” she says. Billie Ann will proudly display items owned by her grandmother and great-grandmother and for football fans, memorabilia from Ken’s days playing for Auburn and in the NFL.
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| Debbie and Jay Goldman's home |
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| Wendy Woodall's home |
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| Lane and Clark Howard's home |
Debbie and Jay Goldman live in Atlanta but found the perfect weekend home when they purchased in Choctaw Village. They love being close to the clubhouse and amenities, and that their property has a pretty wooded landscape with a winter view of the golf course and beyond. Debbie is a designer and is responsible for all the interiors, which she has fashioned in an inviting, rustic style.
Wendy Woodall divides her time between Big Canoe and Florida. Building her new home on Cherokee Trail presented an interesting challenge: “I bought an English Pub Bar and then built the house around it!” Wendy explains. The builder had to employ a crane to put it in position, before the house could be closed in completely.
For Lane and Clark Howard the 65 minute drive from their home in Atlanta to on McElroy Mountain Drive is a quick and easy getaway. Lane says, “We both fell in love with the view from the house, and Clark was thrilled with the price (‘What a deal!’ were his words), but it is the unspoiled beauty of Big Canoe that makes every hour we spend here so amazing.” Even their four-year-old son, Grant says, "Mommy, when can we go back to the Big Ginooo house?" Lane and Clark had wanted to raise money for Pickens and Dawson County charities and, although usually fairly private in terms of their home environment, felt the Tour of Homes offered a unique opportunity to support the community.
Having a home on the Tour is always a unique experience for home owners. Families who have opened their homes in the past have their own stories to tell. Nancy and Bob Ayres’ home was on the tour in 2008. At the time, Nancy and Bob were transitioning from part-time to full-time residents and had not met many people in Big Canoe. They now count many of the hostesses and their spouses as good friends. As Nancy explains, “You cannot experience the Tour as a homeowner and not feel the generosity and community teamwork of Big Canoe residents.”
Syl and Gordon Harnesberger moved into their house on Summit Drive just two months before it was featured on the 2007 Tour. Despite the rush to get everything ready, Syl describes the tour weekend as “wonderful.” She enjoyed talking to people about the decisions and choices she had made throughout the building process, and Gordon was delighted to demonstrate the velocity of his media room sound system. “It's a lot of fun having folks come through your home, appreciating what you've done and (knowing) that you're helping the local charities,” says Syl.
In 2001 Beth and Rob Hampel’s home was on the Tour. It was the year after their move from Iowa. The Tour was held on Memorial Day weekend that year, and the Hampels always honor the Vets with flags. That year Beth had a dear friend make a USA quilt to sit on her new front porch for the weekend. It now hangs in a place of honor. “We found that a house is a house, but the people of Big Canoe are friends,” says Beth. “I'm still meeting people that say, ‘Oh, I know you, you were on the Tour!’"
Everyone associated with the Tour appreciates that the homeowners will be very busy between now and the end of April. Their commitment to the Tour and the programs it supports is evident, and we hope “simply inspiring” to all those who will visit. To see additional photos of the tour homes and for further information about the tour, visit www.bigcanoetour.org.
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