Written April 1, 2026, by Jesse Moskel

When I met Geri Martin Transue, I had just been through a difficult divorce and wasn‘t  looking for a relationship, much less an entirely new career…

To complicate matters, within a few weeks of meeting Geri, my Dad (John Moskel) suddenly died. He’d been healthy, hell, the day he died we had walked five miles on one of the Riverwalk extensions, in West Columbia.

Things began to hold significance when my dad’s third wife booked his funeral, entirely on her own at a funeral home two counties away, in Saluda. This odd footnote caused me to learn that my future Father-in-law, Aven Martin was, then working as a mortician and would be the very one to prepare my father John for his open casket. 

Sadly, it was the only time Aven and John would meet. 

Two Months later Geri and I spent our first Christmas together with her parents and an ultrasound of our first daughter

 might be the two people I most wish could have met in life.

John LOVED nature. He could name virtually any tree species he found. He came from a woodworking family, 

And Aven? Well, this photo below says it all:

Early in or operation of this land, we found ourselves at a crossroads... 

Expecting our second child, we realized our marketing should no longer try to be all things to all travelers. 

We came to the realization we wanted a place where family was paramount, and our visitors felt like they were at home. 

We’ve done everything possible to create a welcome environment.  

We do this because it’s the right thing to do, and because it honors our own parents. 

We think the results so far speak for themselves: