6 minute read
‘A JOYFUL PLACE TO BE’
By Bob Fitch
Privacy + nature + spacious, comfortable surroundings = a beautiful hideaway in the woods on the western edge of Lyon County.
“The Sanctuary” is a vacation-rental-by-owner (VRBO) situated above the Big Sioux River valley off 140th Street west of Larchwood and near Spring Creek Country Club. The 100 acres is largely forested by old oak trees dropping down a slope from the Iowa prairie to the river.
The owners of The Sanctuary are Kevin and Garneth Kuiper, who live and work in Sioux Falls. Garn grew up on a farm in the Rock Valley area and Kevin grew up in Sioux Center. Kevin is the owner and a real estate broker at Bridges Real Estate & Consulting and Garn is a psychiatric nurse practitioner at Avera Behavioral Health Center.
They bought the 100 acres more than 20 years ago. Initially, the couple thought they might someday sub-divide and develop the land for homes. For 10 years, their family took advantage of the largely untouched land for personal recreation, creating hiking trails through the woods with their four wheelers, and enjoying fireworks on the banks of the river.
In the late ‘00s, instead of subdividing the property, they decided to build a getaway for their own family. “The intention was to build it for ourselves,” said Kevin. However, as the idea progressed, they chose to make it large enough to rent out as a VRBO. “We thought we’d rent it out a few months of the year and a few weekends to help pay the taxes. But since we finished it in 2012, its popularity is beyond our expectations. It’s usually booked almost every day during the spring, summer, fall, and in December.”
“It's a really joyful place, because most of our guests are a big family or classmates celebrating a holiday or a milestone, or simply celebrating being together,” he said. The sunsets are “huge, beautiful and gorgeous.” There is abundant wildlife, including birds, deer, turkey and bald eagles. Coyotes can be heard howling at night.
Families, Weddings, and Retreats
Their guests are often families from various parts of the country who use the Sioux Falls area as a mid-point. Parents and siblings and cousins gather in one spot to spend time together, using The Sanctuary as their private bungalow. The schedule in November and December is full of families gathering for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s.
The Sanctuary serves as an ideal location for intimate weddings. “We've had some beautiful weddings out here. We try to limit it to less than 100 people, because this is a house and there isn’t parking for more than that,” Kevin said. A large tent can be set up for the wedding and reception with the home serving the bridal party. There’s plenty of room outside for a band and dancing. Some families who have a wedding in Sioux Falls use The Sanctuary as headquarters for the groom’s family and the groom’s dinner.
Frequently, local high school and college classmates hold reunions at the site. Church leadership groups or corporate executive planning sessions regularly use The Sanctuary as a retreat site.
“Online reviews have been overwhelmingly positive and we have a lot of repeat customers, which is very nice,” Kevin said. Garn added that they donate the use of the site or donate to many charitable silent auctions for groups such Mission Haiti, Sioux Falls Christian School, churches and McCrossan Boys Ranch.
Outfitted For Comfort And Fun
Built in 2012, the home is outfitted with appliances, beds, furniture, gas grill and linens. It has an open floor plan with a 25-foot ceiling in the great room, which includes a 17-foot high fireplace, living/gathering space, and full kitchen. A large deck adjacent to the great room overlooks the forested valley.
The home includes five total beds. The open balcony above the great room has two bedrooms and a full bathroom. The balcony also has a small loft, a great spot for youngsters to play or sleep. The main floor master bedroom has a king-sized bed. The two basement bedrooms each have a queen-sized bed.
The walkout basement level is finished and has three couches, a pool table, a foosball table and television. The walk-out patio has a hot tub. According to Garn, “As a rule, people take really good care of it, and they're polite. They leave it clean when they check out.”
Kuiper Family Time
The Kuiper’s two daughters, their husbands and six grandchildren live just a few minutes away. The Kuiper’s adult son lives with them in Sioux Falls. “Normally we spend time together doing campfires, riding four-wheelers, hiking and hanging out by the river,” said Garn. (Insurance considerations do not allow paying guests to use four-wheelers on the property.) “We didn’t get out here this summer as much as we usually do. We didn't even do fireworks this summer, which we always do. Our oldest grandson just got engaged and our other grandkids are busy with sports and activities.”
She continued, “We have Sunday gatherings with our extended family a few times a year. When our whole family is here, we ride four-wheelers or sometimes they bring horses.”
Lieuwen Construction built the home and Mike Ostby built the fireplace with stone quarried in the Black Hills. The interior design was inspired by Penny Klinedinst of Simply Perfect in Sioux Falls. Marva Haak of Rock Valley does seasonal decorating in the spring and for holidays. Google “The Sanctuary, Larchwood, Iowa” to find the home’s listing on www.vrbo.com.
