In this heartfelt episode of For The Love of Gatlinburg, Tom and Phoebe Goodwin sit down with longtime Gatlinburg vacation rental owner and Chalet Village board member, Paula Elliott, to trace a three‑generation love story with the Smokies. Paula shares how her grandparents honeymooned in Gatlinburg in 1935 and returned for 50 straight years, planting seeds that eventually led her to become a third‑generation visitor and, later, a homeowner. She recalls simple childhood trips in a packed station wagon, car games, donuts, and the feeling that Gatlinburg was her family's "undiscovered" special place.​

Paula opens up about introducing her late husband John to the area, their journey to purchasing and pouring "blood, sweat, and tears" into Goldilocks Haven, and what it really takes to own and operate a short‑term rental with a heart for hospitality rather than profit alone. She talks candidly about faith, risk, and resilience through recessions, wildfires, COVID, and Holine, and why the Chalet Village community embodies "Mountain Tough, Mountain Strong." Listeners will hear why she believes the National Park, the crafter community, and Gatlinburg's locals make this place unlike anywhere else—and what she hopes every first‑time visitor says on the drive home