People bring souvenirs back from vacation, usually inconsequential items that get tossed in drawers or stored on shelves in a hutch, soon to be forgotten.
But when agent (and homeowner) Whitney Pannell and her family vacationed in Canada, they brought back an elaborate idea that's now part of the $1.85 million home Pannell has listed for sale just outside Lexington, KY.
The family took a zip line course in the Western Canada wilderness and liked it so much they decided to build their own zip line on their 5-acre, wooded property, Pannell explains. They even added a treehouse. "The kids wanted a treehouse, so it all worked out," she says.
"You get up into the treehouse, and the zip line goes through the big trees and down a hill," Pannell explains. "It took a while to figure out how to orchestrate all this." Most important was putting in a braking mechanism at the end of the line, so users didn't slam into a metal pole at the far end of it.
Her children, now 13 and 10, still use the line, which can accommodate adults weighing up to about 200 pounds, Pannell says. The treehouse, the starting point for the zip line, sits about 15 feet off the ground.
Pannell and her husband were the first to build in their neighborhood, beginning in 2006. They situated the five-bedroom home on what had been a tree farm, and the family moved in in 2007. Pannell got her dream kitchen while her husband got his dream infinity-edge swimming pool.
"The kitchen and the family room are open and lead to the pool," Pannell says. The kitchen features Calacatta golden marble counters, custom cabinets, a La Cornue range, and a massive Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer. Bathrooms feature Carrara marble, a classic look that Pannell says will stand the test of time.
A partly finished lower level includes a partial bath with a cabana and lockers.
The home's recreational possibilities don't end with the pool and zip line. The house also features an indoor baseball batting cage, and horses are permitted on the property.
With all the great features, "it's just a perfect house to entertain in," Pannell says. That's especially true for anyone who loves the outdoors and the adventure of zip lining into a party.