By Sadie Fowler
When Bob and Cindy Whittaker reached a point where they were ready for a “second home,” a place where they could escape from the stressors of the daily grind, they didn’t have to look to terribly far to find their perfect haven of retreat.
“Instead of a beach house we opted to find a place we could call home and get to fairly quickly, but that would still take us away from work and everyday stresses,” said Cindy Whittaker, explaining the family’s primary residence is in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
“After looking extensively around Barren River Lake we discovered this quaint lake home, which comes with a neat story.”
Indeed, its story is unique. The home originally was located on 31-E, within sight of where it is today on Stony Point Circle.
“The original owners wanted to build their retirement home and relocate here from Wisconsin so they decided to sell their little cabin to their builder and he purchased the lot, put in a basement, removed the porches and fireplace, and moved the little log house to this location,” Cindy said. The builder, Kyle Kirby, then added to the cabin, first a master bath followed by building new porches, a new fireplace, new plumbing, wiring and HVAC. It was in prime condition when the Whittaker family was looking to buy, and soon enough the cabin had new
owners.
“The little log cabin is now very versatile and can be used year-round, and has great views,” Cindy said. “We often comment that we feel we are in the Smokey Mountains in a cabin as opposed to being in Barren County.”
Yes, it has the feel of the mountains — with the added benefit of the lake!
Both Bob and Cindy have enjoyed going to the Barren River Lake their entire lives. Fortunately, they have a good amount of time to enjoy it, during all seasons of the year. Cindy retired from Bowing Green Municipal Utilities 16 years ago. Bob continues to enjoy his career of 34 years with Sensus, a Xylem Company where he serves as the director of sales for the southern region.
The Whittakers have two grown children and one granddaughter; their son lives in Indiana and their daughter and granddaughter in Tennessee. The cabin serves as a popular getaway for the entire family and their many friends.
Bob and Cindy had been taking the family to the lake for many years prior to purchasing the cabin. “We enjoyed boating and found it to be a good way to spend family time as the kids were growing up,” Whittaker said. “We purchased a run about (boat) about 15 years ago and a Seadoo to pacify the teen years. We outgrew the run about and decided on a pontoon, where speed wasn’t a need, when our son left for college.”
Today, even though their children are grown, Bob and Cindy still enjoy any time they have on the lake, as it’s the perfect backdrop for relaxing and spending time outdoors. “We enjoy going out with other friends and tying up with them and floating around,” Whittaker said. “It’s a
great way to spend an afternoon.”
The neighborhood in which the Whittaker cabin resides is one that’s pretty, quaint, and friendly. They have year-round as well as part-time neighbors and have enjoyed getting to know them all.
“We do spend a lot of time helping each other and get together for special holidays when we all have large groups,” she said. When the need for quiet time arises, Bob and Cindy enjoy downtime inside their cabin as well. Cindy has made it the perfect retreat that’s reflective of her and the family’s style.
Cindy, who loves to shop, has an eye for decorating and knows what she likes. With her great decisions on decorating, she is often asked for assistance on other projects by friends and family.
"Our lake home has a rustic cabin charm, but is very livable," she said. With the assistance of Emily at Bowling Green Home Furnishings, they pulled pieces together to make it warm, cozy and functional.
Since the square footage is relatively small at the cabin, the Whittakers have tried to utilize as much of the square footage as possible. They also live by the concept of “the more the merrier.”
One of their fondest memories they have shared as a family is when they had 21 people, adults and kids, spend an entire long weekend at the cabin. They laughed as they said everyone adapted and got very cozy quickly!
“We have spent the last five years enjoying our little slice of paradise,” they said. “We enjoy watching the Bald Eagles, fish spawning in the spring, looking for Indian money (crinoids), taking walks, shooting down mistletoe for Christmas decorating, setting out by the fire pit at night to watch the stars.” Whether alone or in a group, the cabin is simply a nice place to be.
“We are comfortable when it is just the two of us going out for lazy boat rides, going to Lake Church on Sunday mornings, or having that large group of family and friends and spending time making more memories.”