After many moves in her lifetime which took her from Georgia to Florida and Indiana to Texas, Chevin Woodruff, finally found her forever home. Nestled in the Blue Ridge mountains in Rabun County is Tiger, Georgia. On the side of a mountain, surrounded by 75 acres of woods and breathtaking scenery, she developed Splendor Mountain.
It all started when she was looking for a place to be surrounded by God’s beautiful creation and enough property where she could walk and let her dogs run unleashed. She certainly found that in Tiger. Naming her retreat “Splendor” came naturally.
“In the Bible, splendor means glory. I believe this was God’s providence for me to be here and to share His gift with others,” Chevin explained.
She initially built a home for herself and her furbabies. It sits high above a creek. Other cabins were added so that friends and family would have a place to stay during visits. Her home eventually developed into a business.
“Within a year of completing the six buildings, and swimming lake, I found myself hosting a cousin’s wedding here. The cabins served as great weekend wedding accommodations for the groom and bride to house their wedding party. So the wedding business was born.”
Chevin attended International Bible College and has officiated some of the weddings held at Providence Garden on Splendor Mountain and attended most of them. She loves hearing the blessings spoken over couples as they become man and wife.
Splendor Mountain has branched out to host corporate retreats, fundraising events, family reunions, and two of the cabins are reserved as Airbnb’s.
“Nature has always been my happy place, my healing place. Friends have been baptized in our lake. Families and co-workers come to drink in the fresh mountain air and explore the trails filled with native foliage and flowers. I am blessed to be able to share all of that with all of them.”
As with many businesses in the past year, Splendor Mountain has experienced cancellations and reschedulings but Chevin is still thankful and knows that our times are in God’s hands.
New opportunities may be on the horizon. A teaching gardener from Atlanta contacted her recently and would like to host a class to forage for oyster mushrooms. While they’re grown commercially in many countries, most in the United State are cultivated in greenhouses, unless you are at Splendor Mountain. Apparently, these delicacies can be found in many areas within the 75-acre woods.
“I’m thankful for everything and business will pick up because God is a constant and I feel that He will send people here.”
When you are ready to say “I do” or just need an escape to serenity, Chevin and her pups will be there to greet you with a warm welcome.
For more information on Splendor Mountain, visit https://splendormountain.com/ or email Chevin at [email protected].
Photos submitted by Splendor Mountain
