When Jim and Sue Alexander built their log home at Crescent Lake in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, 10 years ago, the couple had a few key objectives in mind. For starters, they wanted a beautiful, waterfront retirement home that would allow them to enjoy 626-acre Crescent Lake and all of its surroundings. They also wanted a home that would serve as the perfect gathering place for their three grown, married daughters and their own families. Finally, the Alexanders wanted to tear down an existing cabin and repla…

Nestled between two rivers at the base of the Uwharrie Mountains, the town of Norwood, North Carolina, seems like just another small town along a highway that is dotted with small towns. But this town includes a sanctuary of sorts, a place to find solace and surround oneself with nature’s beauty. Lucky Clays Farm began as a place to relax on the weekends and maybe shoot a few rounds of clay targets, a favorite pastime of the farm’s owner, Judith Carpenter, who won the North Carolina women’s state champi…

With more than 2,600 miles of streams winding their way through Yellowstone National Park, the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River  is but one waterway that creates the perfect conditions for some of the best fly fishing in the world. A fly fishing aficionado would easily jump at the chance to visit such a place, but one man took it a step farther. He created his own little piece of fly-fishing heaven, along the Henry’s Fork, thereby ensuring he can be streamside within minutes.   “…

Timber frame homes represent stunning structure and form. They showcase individuality through their details and craftsmanship, inviting everyone who arrives to explore all the nooks and crannies inside. Brian and Cindi Crowe’s home in Huntington County, Pennsylvania, is no different. The details and the craftsmanship are evident upon first glance, encouraging further exploration. “The craftsmanship in this home is amazing and has drawn a lot of people here,” says Brian. “A lot of time and care went into…

When the Jodie Thompson family wanted a weekend getaway from the hustle and bustle of their Dallas, Texas-based business operations, they chose the nearby town of Edom and began to consider a spacious log home with plenty of room for entertaining, hosting extended family, and offering the look of a bygone era along with modern conveniences. With more than 2,000 acres in picturesque East Texas, the Thompsons fulfilled their vision of a 6,450-square-foot main dwelling that captures the look and feel of th…

Don and Carrie Mann are in love with life, and it’s a good life indeed. Their menagerie of dogs, ducks, and horses keeps them happily occupied on the home front.  A rewarding veterinary practice, airplane for spontaneous getaways, and log home on 12 acres of bucolic central Ohio countryside don’t leave much to want for. “Then there’s Carrie’s goat,” jokes Don, “which tempers the goodness of it all with a little bit of an evil element.”  It’s about a 10-minute drive from the center of Moun…