Cherokee Lodge (Tennessee) Report

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Cherokee Lodge, Crossville (Tennessee)

May 14, 2005

This past Saturday, May 14th, my wife and I made a trip to the Cherokee Lodge & Resort in Crossville, Tennessee to check out this 'social nudism' thing that I had been so fascinated with for over 25 years! Both of us having grown up in a very conservative home where nudity was not discussed much less shown (no pun intended), it was going to be a learning experience that, I figured, we would never forget. Both of us have been, and still are, involved with rather eclectic groups where nudity (and sometimes sex) can be casual issues, based upon the circumstances, therefore, actually being nude for nudity sake would be a totally different issue. Although discussing other subjects on the drive over, we both were very nervous about such issues as body image and the sexual conduct of others during our visit.

We started out with the idea to tour both Timberline Lodge (see other report) and Cherokee Lodge & Resort, then decide which one to stay at for the day. Upon arriving at the entrance to Cherokee, we 'buzzed' the front speaker and were let into what appeared to be a very low-key atmosphere. Our first encounter with any of the staff was meeting a female maintenance worker, as we walked up the steps to the office who we later discovered, is the daughter of Danny Davis, the owner (and a fantastic dancer, but more about that later). Her enthusiastic greeting set the tone for the entire day and provided the beginning of what was to be a truly enjoyable experience! We then entered the office, filled out the paperwork in the presence of a totally nude woman (go figure, duh!), were invited to stay for supper by her and the female maintenance worker, and then headed towards the pool.

While driving to the parking area for the pool, we both noticed that there didn't seem to be anyone around the area but figured that, in time, there would be throngs of people...were we ever right! I was just as nervous as my wife, being the 'body image conscious woman' that she is, but for different reasons. What if I get an erection? What if someone makes a 'pass' at my wife? What if she refuses to disrobe at the pool and we're asked to leave? What I later found out was that all of our fears were totally disfounded and we would have such a time that discussions of when we could return would begin far prior to actually leaving that night!

We parked our car, collected our belongings, and headed towards the pool. En route, we encountered one individual, totally nude, standing on the deck in front of his trailer. His enthusiastic welcome and ensuing conversation went a long way in putting us as ease. After that, we continued on towards the pool. When we got there, the 'throngs of people' consisted of an older couple on 'our side' of the pool as well as a younger 'Barbie and Ken' couple on the other side. My wife surprised us BOTH by calmly disrobing as if she were getting ready for bed (we both sleep nude) or preparing for a shower. We then began to settle ourselves, lather with sunscreen (she), read our books, and enjoy the afternoon. A few minutes later, the owner of the resort, Danny Davis, spoke to us and then drifted back to work. So far, so good...

As we were enjoying the afternoon, and the scenery, an announcement came over the loudspeaker that there was a serious weather condition and that it would be advisable to go to the lodge. Ironically, this turned out to be the best turn of circumstances in that we got to interact with several folks who are members (and weekend residents) of Cherokee, as well as some other visitors. While some sat indoors, drank beer, and 'shot the breeze'; several of us ventured outdoors to watch the rain and chat. While I sat totally nude and my wife wore her sarong, others ventured in and out in various states of dress and undress. I could not help but see the irony in this and commented as such to my wife, however, these states of 'dress and undress' are what makes nudism so interesting.

After a while, the storm abated and we made our way toward the hot tub. After first showering outdoors, we then walked into the hot tub area and visited with several of the other visitors who had also headed that way. The afternoon, and our conversations, drifted along in various modes and guises, with topics ranging from children/grandchildren to nipple piercings with no obvious discomfort on anyone's part. There were no "Ken and Barbies" in this crowd, just a bunch of folks that enjoy good conversation, hottubbing, and nudism.

Later on, everyone drifted to various locales around the resort with my wife and I heading back towards the outdoor showers. Throughout the entire time, I kept feeling as if the entire experience was a dream, with me being the ONLY nude person there, but all the while seeing other nude folks as well. Countless times I would enter an area, the lodge for example, and think "I need to get clothing on as there are other men and women present". However, those 'other men and women' were also as nude as I, or as near as possible. After we took our shower, we toured the grounds and visited the chapel in the woods. It was really nice and I felt God's presence the entire time I was there. Again, I thought "This is God's house...what am I doing nude inside of it?" At that point the thought "naked we came into this world and naked we leave it" came to mind and I, in retrospect, recall what one of our newly-met fellow nudist friends stated when he said that "if God didn't want us to be nude, He would not have had us enter the world that way!" (AMEN to that one!) While touring the grounds, we met some really FANTASTIC folks who were also in various states of 'dress an undress'. Again, conversations ensued with them telling us about the resort, their experiences camping/RVing here, and their attitudes about nudism while we shared our experiences and attitudes about the same. At NO TIME did my wife feel put upon or pressured to take off her sarong, nor did I feel any discomfort or embarrassment while talking to any of the female members ( i.e., no erection).

After conversing with our newly-met nudist friends, we then headed towards the lodge and supper. Here I was surprised as almost everyone in some state of dress (or undress), except myself - or so I thought. After inquiring of Donna, Danny's wife and co-owner, as to whether I needed to be dressed or not, it was explained that folks came to supper however they felt most comfortable and that being totally nude in the dining room was not a problem. Again, we were encouraged to go through the buffet line as many times as we wanted. The food was cooked to perfection, the portions plentiful, and, with the addition of some wedding cake that a member had brought, totally satisfying. During the meal, others in the dining room consistently engaged us in conversation and included us in theirs. At one point, the nude man we met at our arrival came by our table and spoke with us at length as to how much he appreciated seeing us there, how much we were welcome back, and when would we be returning. At supper's conclusion, although not at the same table, we were included in the conversation of several couples, one of whom had recently married off a child and their experiences throughout the process. They enjoyed the experiences of our wedding and remarked as to their envy that our reception did not cost a dime but rather, resulted in our meal being 'comped' (we had it at a local restaurant which had seen both my classmates and I countless times throughout our two-year sojourn in Graduate School which had recently ended). Throughout the meal, we were consistently asked if we were staying for the dance, were we staying the night, and when would we be returning. While there were 2-3 women in the dining room who might have been considered 'Barbie dolls' by some, the overwhelming majority of them were full-figured, and VERY confident in their attitude, bearing, and femininity, including the 2-3 mentioned above. (Madison Avenue, TAKE NOTE!)

After that, the music wafting through the doorway reminded everyone that the dance was starting and so we drifted into the bar area. The lodge has a bar that I was truly impressed with, not only due to its coziness, but also due to its cleanliness. Danny and Donna take extra care to see that EVERYTHING is done to the 'peak of perfection' and it truly shows! The music, dancing, and drinking ensued and everyone got down to the business of having a good time. The 'music request book' was passed around, selections made and passed to the DJ, and the dancing began. At NO TIME did anyone do ANYTHING that appeared inappropriate and everyone was very respectful and trusting of each other's spouse, girlfriend, or boyfriend while dancing or partying. It was very interesting to see a nude man dancing with a nude woman who was NOT his/her spouse and the trust, respect, and friendship between them. The evening passed with more partying and dancing and ended with a 'family circle', i.e. the song "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" being played and everyone dancing with everyone before everyone went their separate ways.

My wife and I found the experience to be very interesting and enjoyable and plan to return when time and life allows. There were several items of note that truly impressed me and which ANYONE should consider when attending a nudist resort for the first time:

1. No one made a big deal, one way or the other, as to whether they were dressed or not...it depended upon the practicality of the situation. The young lady we met said that she was dressed only because of working around the grounds and one of our newly-met nudist friends stated that, due to cool weather, he "was a nudist but he was also NOT STUPID!"

2. While alcohol was consumed thorughout the day and into the evening, no one appeared to be 'out of control' and EVERYONE was very respectful of everyone else, regardless of their state of 'dress or undress'.

3. While everyone there, including my wife and I, have a sexual side; at no time was any overt sexual behavior exhibited throughout our visit there and any behavior that might have been noted was no different than that normally exhibited in public ( i.e., patting the rear-end or squeezing the thigh of one's spouse/partner).

In conclusion, we're glad we went and are trying to figure out when we can return, given when time and life circumstances will permit.

Bill & Ginger

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