Author: Brittany Hoffmann

Rhonda and Chris’ Treeland

Written by Brittany Hoffmann on November 12, 2020. Posted in Attractions.

Nestled near Watertown, Tennessee, on 90 acres in a beautiful valley bordered by two streams, the TreeLand is a tradition for many families. Click here for directions to the TreeLand.

Enjoy free hot chocolate, hot apple cider, cookies, marshmallows you roast on the campfire. Explore the natural beauty of the property and the wildlife who call this home. Well-behaved pets are welcome! No chainsaws or firearms, please.

The TreeLand is open from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. on three weekends in 2020.
November 26-29 | December 5-6 | December 12-13

Other days are self-service. Please call Rhonda at 615.237.9304 before you come.

Height	Price
Up to 6 Feet	$40
6 to 7 Feet	$45
7 to 8 Feet	$50
8 to 9 Feet	$60
9 to 10 Feet	$65
10 to 16 Feet	$70

We accept checks, major credit cards, and cash.

Real Christmas trees are environmentally friendly. Ours produce daily oxygen for about fifty people as well as prevent erosion and provide habitat for wildlife.

Virginia Pines grow well here, have sturdy branches that support heavy ornaments and fill your home with the fragrance of Christmas. With proper care, our trees stay fresh and fragrant throughout the holidays.

A friendly TreeLander will give you a hand saw and a “tree wheeler” to haul your tree. Strong young men will shake and bag your tree then help you tie it on top of your vehicle.

Choose from more than 1,000 Virginia Pine Christmas trees.

For a list of what you can do in Watertown after finding that perfect tree, follow these links!

Restaurants

Shopping

THANK YOU to our Veterans

Written by Brittany Hoffmann on July 2, 2020. Posted in Blog.

Yesterday I had the honor as the CVB Director and a member of the Wilson County Murals Committee, to be part of the unveiling of our newest mural in our #PaintWilco murals project. With the perfect location donated by Lisa and Darryl Noble and the brilliant artistry of Brad VanHook, the Veterans Mural now looks over the Veterans Plaza (Wilson County Veteran’s Service Office) as a symbol of our ever-grateful hearts to our Veterans.

Yesterday I had a much bigger honor than unveiling the mural. Yesterday I had the honor of meeting and talking with so many of Wilson County’s Veterans. Men and women that have sacrificed so much for our country. My wife and twin boys were there, and I gentleman who actually thanked us for bringing them. This man that probably went through things I cannot imagine was thanking US!?! Selfless hearts are a thing many of us are guilty of being short on, but this was not the case for the men and women I spoke with yesterday.

So again, I say to our Veterans, Thank You. Thank you for being the inspiration for this mural. Thank you for being an inspiration through your acts. Thank you for being the life blood that made the Veterans Museum happen and continue to happen. Thank you from my boys that thought the helicopter in the museum was the coolest thing they’ve ever seen. Personally, thank you for the reminder. We get caught up in ourselves and sometimes just see “the old guy in the Veterans cap” or give no more than a passing thought to a Field of Flags, but we all need to be reminded that each cap tells a story. Each flag in that field tells a story. We need to take the time to hear those stories and appreciate them.

Last night at dinner, as we talked about the people we met, my wife, Kristy, said “Today was good for the soul.” I could not have put any better words together.

Statement from: Jason Johnson, Wilson County Director of Tourism

Photo Credits: Wilson County Mayor’s Office, Lebanon Police Department, and Visit WilCo

Virtual Reality is the new Reality??

Written by Brittany Hoffmann on May 1, 2020. Posted in In the Meantime, Uncategorized.

Zoom, Teams, Skype, FaceTime. The NFL Draft, American Idol, zoos, and museums. For the last 7 weeks, we’ve worked our jobs, visited our friends and family, attended school, and watched life happen, virtually. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been pretty amazing to see the drive and ingenuity in people to ensure our world keeps turning, but for many of us, the “virtual” aspect of all of this can be stifling.

My two boys have watched countless nature and zoo virtual experiences, but their faces yesterday when they found a caterpillar in backyard said it all. They have filled books and refrigerator doors up with paintings and crayon drawings, but to take them out to Charlie Daniels Park to actually see the colors jump off of the caboose mural said it all.

As I said, we cannot deny all the incredible things done virtually over the last couple of months, but now we can start this transition from “virtual” to “reality.” The reality of things is this: Wilson County is a pretty great place to visit and a pretty great place to be! So start searching our website and start virtually planning the reality of a visit to WilCo!

Jason Johnson, Tourism Director

Split Bean Roasting Company

Written by Brittany Hoffmann on April 24, 2020. Posted in In the Meantime.

Kaitlyn here to hijack Ashley’s “In the Meantime” blog! Something you should know about me is that coffee actually runs through my veins. So, it’s no surprise, one of my favorite places to frequent in the county is Split Bean Roasting Company located at 110A East Main St, right off the Lebanon square. It is a veteran owned coffee shop that has been a WilCo staple for many coffee addicts since 2018. Owner, Chris Cox roasts the coffee on site. What started off as a hobby roasting coffee beans, turned into opening the shop in January 2018. Along with fresh coffee, they have specialty espresso drinks. I have been hooked on the iced mocha since the moment they opened their doors. And if you’re not a coffee fan, they have an assortment of loose-leaf tea, iced tea, fruit smoothies and limeades. They offer breakfast and lunch options, along with baked goods all day (just saying the “Big Ham ‘N Cheese” croissant is worth getting there early!).

However, with COVID-19, we are watching how businesses are coping with the restrictions and still be able to provide services to general public.

Split Bean will continue to provide fresh roasted coffee even though the shop is currently closed to the public. Simply order online here. Place your order by midnight on a Thursday for it to be ready for pickup at the shop on Fridays from 3-6pm, or you can choose to have it shipped to your house!

So now that we bought our coffee beans, how can we bring that freshly roasted coffeehouse taste to our home? Thankfully, Chris is willing to let us in on some secrets on getting that perfect brew.

The Final Stretch

Written by Brittany Hoffmann on April 21, 2020. Posted in In the Meantime.

Tennessee is in its final stretches of “stay-at-home” orders. While group activities are a little further down the road, the economy will soon be getting a needed boost with the phasing in of non-essential businesses. Today’s “In the Meantime” is all about how you can make the most of this “home stretch” of quarantine.

Getting that Virtual Diploma

Written by Brittany Hoffmann on April 17, 2020. Posted in In the Meantime, Uncategorized.

How do you fit all the milestones teachers and students lost during the COVID-19 pandemic into an approximately 350-word blog post? It isn’t easy. There aren’t words for how these students and teachers are feeling right now. There aren’t emotions for the milestones they are missing out on- last days, proms, commencement ceremonies, senior nights, end of school parties. Yet here I am, trying to put the lack of words and emotions into words.

Demeter’s Common

Written by Brittany Hoffmann on April 14, 2020. Posted in In the Meantime.

We got to stay home, but we need to get essential items and we still want to support locally. How on earth do we do that anyway?

Finding My Place in the Crazy

Written by Brittany Hoffmann on April 9, 2020. Posted in Blog.

“When you’re curious, you find lots of interesting things to do” -Walt Disney

Not All Superheroes Wear Capes

Written by Brittany Hoffmann on April 3, 2020. Posted in In the Meantime.

I know that Ashley is usually the author and architect of these blogs, but today’s is getting hijacked by me, Jason. Twice a week, Ashley does a great job of highlighting some amazing places in Wilson County. Those “doing great things with the cards they’ve been dealt”, those “finding a way to make it work”, those “glass half-full” people. We hope you continue to appreciate and support these businesses as much as we do! We truly have some amazing people in Wilson County trying hard to bring some happiness and normalcy (or new normalcy) in these times. Please keep an eye out for more featured businesses ahead.

Breeden’s Orchard

Written by Brittany Hoffmann on March 31, 2020. Posted in Blog, In the Meantime.

Maintaining a sense of normalcy in a time that is so full of uncertainty can be hard. Breeden’s Orchard in Mt. Juliet is trying to keep as much “normal” in the world as they can. Starting March 31, 2020, they will be open Tuesdays 9-1, Thursdays noon-4, and Saturdays 9-1 to offer locally grown and sourced produce and products.