Retiring to an Outdoor Mountain Paradise

Mitch (70) and Nila Clark (69) recently celebrated their 47th wedding anniversary. According to Mitch, “After we were first married, Nila and I visited Chattanooga for a long weekend. As we were walking around Point Park battlefield, I told her when we get old and gray, if we end up at the top of Lookout Mountain, I’d be okay with that. Well, we’re not on top of the mountain, but we can see the mountain every day from our window.”

“It’s got to be the most interesting time to build a house,” Mitch says. But that’s just what the Clarks are doing. They are building a 4,000-sq.-ft. home in Black Creek, only 15 minutes from downtown Chattanooga, TN. Their new home will be on a sloped homesite with a waterfall and a running creek on their property. They want to spend as much time outdoors as possible, so they are building a large screened porch.

The Chattanooga area drew the Clarks from Indiana, as it’s a nice-sized city that offers something for anyone, no matter their interests. Mitch says, “If you’re a foodie, there’s something here for you. If you like history or outdoor activities, it’s all here, and it’s very affordable. It’s an outdoor paradise. They’ve done a tremendous job developing the riverfront.” Every Friday in downtown, you can find bands playing music and food trucks. There are often music festivals, and they even host outdoor movies.

The Clarks were fortunate enough to rent a home at Black Creek while watching the construction of their new home. There are miles of hiking trails in Black Creek along with a fitness center and a beautiful infinity pool overlooking the mountains. Mitch loves golfing and trout fishing, and he says, “Some people would pay a lot of money to go on vacation to a place like this, but we actually live here.”