Our family
[KARA, KATE & WALKER]
Kara likes to wear many hats: animal rescuer, renovator/designer, painter, llama/alpaca/bunny/chicken farmer, writer, traveler, chicken-healer, tennis player, antique hunter, and humorist. She laughs inappropriately and loudly, gives a mean llama/alpaca treehouse tour, and is an impatient as a kitten. She’s also proud of her Fuzz Krew of rescued llamas and alpacas and the treehouse and the profound moments that come from people connecting.
Kate is the backbone of the treehouse, excelling in thoughtful touches, fine linens, and logical management. She gets her expertise with guest experience from her Disney and Universal Studios days. She also loves tennis, antiquing, travel, and can mine a diamond from every thrift store.
Our daughter, Walker, has a passion for acting, debate, hanging with the alpacas and llamas, and the arts. She’s now in college but sometimes still hosts our Alpaca Llama Experience.
“To say that Kara and Kate made my stay wonderful is simply an understatement.”
Rescue Animals, Rescued House Parts & Sustainability:
How the Farm Began
Kara always wanted chickens, for feathery pets and to show her daughter where healthy food came from (eggs). The goal was to get four hens, but that morphed into a lot more: what folks call “chicken math” because “what’s one more.” Not wanting to just be someone with a chicken problem, Kara began rescuing chickens and raising critically endangered breeds—basically raising chickens for a purpose or greater good.
A love of gardening led her to plant a diverse orchard: apple, peach, lime, fig, pomegranate, paw-paw, banana trees, as well as blueberries, kiwi, vintage Italian grapes. She also planted an herb garden, flower garden, veggie garden, and loves her tropical banana trees and flowering shrubs.
Chickens were a “gateway livestock" and Kara felt a passion stirring. Goats seemed a logical choice but after rescuing THREE herds of wandering goats (one named “Satan” by a Mennonite minister,) Kara realized the Universe didn’t want her to have goats. A Google search led her to alpacas and she was intrigued and then smitten. She found the wonderful organization, Southeastern Llama Rescue. Then erected a barn from reclaimed cedar, stained glass, and 1800s porch posts, and soon a herd of four suri rescue alpacas arrived from Southern Maryland. Adorable, naughty, intelligent, curious, and fuzzy, the alpacas were the gateway to llama mamas: rescued from neglect and abuse, from an auction. At this writing, the llama count is 6 llamas.
Our Alpaca Treehouse…
The moment Kara stepped into the bamboo forest, she uttered the words, “This is pure magic—there needs to be a treehouse in here.” As a little girl, she had a treehouse, built by her Pop-Pop (grandfather) and her Daddy. A childhood treehouse truly takes root in the psyche, stays in the blood, and then can blossom into reality. Kara built the treehouse as a place to sip vino with her friends, like “Cheryl’s She-Shed.” Later, someone pointed out that vet bills, feed bills, and more rescues could happen if the treehouse went on Airbnb. And so we started to share the space in July of 2016.
Something shifts when guests enter the magic embrace of the giant bamboo forest. The treehouse looms, as if sprouted in the jungle - assembled of reclaimed trees, vintage siding, 1890s stained glass, 1900s heart of pine floors, 120 year old colorful, salvaged beaded board, and century-old French doors and windows. A wrap-around balcony provides the perfect vista of the bamboo forest floor and the magical llamas that roam throughout. And Kara just thought this would be the perfect place to enjoy some vino with her friends—that was the plan. Who knew the crazy fun to come?
Book your stay at the Atlanta Alpaca Treehouse here!
