The Local Tourist
Mary Beard Grodsky
I like to joke with my clients when they ask me about marrying a New Yorker that I have to go overboard to make sure he’s happy. Because I had to travel all the way from Iuka to New York City to meet my husband, I guess there a sense of trying to surpass expectations when he travels down to my hometown. Everyone laughs, but it is true.
When my now husband did propose, we quickly decided we would elope. We thought it was silly to put an absurd amount of money towards a day that really is just a show for everyone else. Several people gasp when I told them we weren’t having a wedding, but then my future mother-in-law sobbed profusely. After a long discussion, we decided we would wed in my hometown. Why wouldn’t my home church of Iuka United Methodist not be the perfect place with all its historical beauty (and, also, free for members)? Panic quickly set in as I realized that while the church would be fine, accommodations for all our New York friends and family would be more problematic to find.
At the time, Pickwick Pines was a new place to stay and purchase property close to the lake. I decided that would be the perfect getaway for our travelers to experience the local amenities, lake, and general hospitality of the town. I called the resort and managed to convince 10 homeowners to rent their places to our friends and family. I carefully coordinated the homes and decor to fit each group of people staying. Truly, this was harder than planning the wedding itself.
As the day approached, I checked all the details at the front desk of Pickwick Pines and discovered, that ironically, all my husband’s family members were on the Mountain View side of the road, which is subdivided by highway 350. As people arrived and they figured this out, they dubbed this road as the Mason-Dixon line.
My husband’s uncle, being recently retired, decided to drive down to the wedding and take in all the sights along the way. As he arrived after traveling many days at his leisurely, retired driving pace, he asked for the room service list and could they get his accommodations ready with chilled wine. The person at the front desk explained there was no room service. In fact, Tishomingo County at the time was a dry county so alcohol wasn’t even an option. The uncle and his wife sulked away questioning what his of “resort” was this. Certainly, it’s nothing close to the Waldorf Astoria. As he drove off in his luxury sports car, he stalled out on the manual stick shift. As he finally got moving again, the maintenance guy said “we may not be fancy and have room service, but we do know how to drive a stick shift without stalling out.”
Every time we meet up with our New York friends and family, they talk about what an amazing weekend that was, even 15 years later. I recently listed a home in Pickwick Pines Resort for sale and tagged all of our New York friends, bridesmaids, and groomsmen on social media for a fun reminder of staying there. The social thread quickly erupted into the 8 of them going in together to purchase it, because at what the purchase price was for that place, it’s a steal of a deal compared to New York real estate prices.
And while “resort” has a different meaning anywhere you go, this community has activities for residents and guests along with the amenities of the 3 neighborhood pools, tennis courts, and workout facilities making it a resort getaway within minutes of the lake (even for those city folks).
Click here to learn more about me and how I can help you with your real estate needs. Whether Memphis or Pickwick, primary home or investment, I’m happy to offer my services. Contact me at 901-468-7030 or Marygrodskyrealtor@gmail.com
Mary Grodsky, Crye-Leike Realtors
E: Marygrodskyrealtor@gmail.com
C: 901-468-7030
O: 901-756-8900
