This getaway is a special place for kids

By Lori Johnston

For the AJC

Courtney and Shari White searched about a year for a vacation home with activities for their four children and a community atmosphere. Courtney White, principal and consulting actuary with the Atlanta office of actuarial and consulting firm Milliman, chatted about the spot they chose in northwest Georgia’s Cloudland Station.

Why Cloudland Station: The family looked at second homes east and west of Atlanta, in addition to North Georgia, with the goal of finding a place within two hours of their primary residence. “We were looking for some place that we could get out of the city, and it would be a safe place for [the kids] to roam,” he said. The family didn’t want an individual cabin in a remote location but a vacation home that was part of a community. They appreciated the plans to develop Cloudland Station that way, with about 80 percent of the land kept as green space. “The best pieces of the property are really preserved for the community,” Courtney said.

Their place: Their log cabin has two master bedrooms and two kids’ rooms, and it also has a bonus room and a loft that can sleep additional guests. The home has fireplaces in the family room and a 15-by-20-foot screened porch. Rustic features include wood floors, walls, stairways and beamed ceilings, and they can view the scenery from decks and porches.

How far from home: About 115 miles from Smyrna.

How often they’re there: About once a month.

What they do when they’re there: Swim in the pool and play on the rope swing and treehouse, all of which are community amenities. “The pool is probably one of the most beautiful and most unique I’ve ever seen,” Courtney said. “It’s an infinity edge. You see the mountains in the background.” There are also hiking trails, paddleboats and canoes for residents. Sometimes they’ll hop into the van or one of the all-terrain vehicles available for homeowners and drive to a fire pit to grill or make s’mores. “It’s almost like ... we own a house in a 400-acre state park, and we have free access to everything and anything,” he said.

What they love about it: The family has enjoyed neighborhood events for homeowners and buyers during holidays such as Halloween and Christmas. “You can come as a family and create memories,” he said.

At a glance

Courtney and Shari White’s home has four bedrooms, four baths and about 3,200 square feet of living space. It was completed in July.

Community overview

Cloudland Station is a gated community on 450 acres on Lookout Mountain in northwest Georgia. It is in Walker County, about 15 minutes from Chattanooga. About 70 of the 250 lots, which average $115,000 depending on size and elevation, have sold. Fractional ownership in a cabin also is an option. The cottages have architecture in the styles of the late 1700s to 1900s, with floor plans designed by Atlanta’s Durham Crout Architecture.

Developer Firefly Communities is creating a town concept with elements including a downtown, treehouse, covered bridge, a 1850s barn, town theater, general store, cafe and town hall. Amenities include an infinity-edge pool, four lakes, trails, and volleyball and bocce courts.

Info

Cloudland Station

www.fireflycommunities.com

Walker County

www.walkerga.us

Getting there

Take I-75 north to Exit 350 (Ga. 2/Battlefield Parkway) and turn left onto Ga. 2. Continue on Ga. 2 (take the left fork as it splits) until reaching Ga. 193 at the foot of Lookout Mountain. Turn left onto Ga. 193. Travel about 6 miles and you will see Old Lookout Cemetery Road. The entrance to Cloudland Station will be a gate set between two large cedar posts just past this road. The address is 9862 Highway 193, Chickamauga.

Recent sales

All sales are of lots.

$109,000: 85 Valley Rim Road, Chickamauga 30707. A one-third acre ridge lot

$109,000: 19 Maple Hill Lane, Chickamauga 30707. A one-tenth acre town lot.