Our Story
The Original Adventurers!
Ken and Deanie Pittkin have lived such fun and exciting lives, it’s hard to condense it into anything less than a novel, but we’ll give it a try. Both from humble backgrounds, Ken and Deanie met in her hometown of St.Johns, Newfoundland after Ken relocated there from his native city of London, England. At the time, Ken was building a sailboat. Upon its completion, he invited Deanie to join him on what would become an 8 year excursion living on boats, traveling extensively, and making great friends and memories along the way.
Eventually Ken and Deanie got married and after they began having kids, they bought and ran a hotel in England for a few years. It was in this time that Ken began riding horses and fell in love with the animals. When their love of the ocean drew them back to warmer climates in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Ken brought with him his mare, Lucy, her foal, and Trotsky, his Irish Draught gelding who eventually inspired Penmerryl’s breeding program.
The house in Ft.Lauderdale sat on the river and allowed them to continue sailing as the family grew. Harsh Florida summers soon motivated them to seek a summer home further north. Since they had heard nice things about Virginia, they made a plan with a real estate agent to take a week and view a variety of properties all over the state to see if anything spoke to them.
They saw many nice places that week, but as the agent drove them north on Interstate 81 to catch their flight home, both Ken and Deanie agreed that nothing they had seen was quite what they wanted. The agent asked if they were up for a quick detour to see one last property. He knew it wasn’t what they had described they were looking for, but after spending the week with them he had a hunch.
Penmerryl Farm was nothing like what they had been imagining. Both the land and the main house were far bigger than what they needed, not to mention the numerous outbuildings, barns, and additional residences scattered throughout the property. But it was beautiful, and the rolling paddocks and barns had Ken picturing horses while the lake offered them the water they both so dearly loved. The tudor style house and barn were reminiscent of their time in England, and it was easy to imagine their children enjoying the freedom of a farm. They were hooked.
The farm has changed in many ways since that first visit. Ken and Deanie found a vision in the land here, and it wasn’t long before they left Florida behind and relocated to Virginia full time. They had a background in hotel operation, and realized that the simple beauty of the farm would appeal to travellers and vacationers just as it did to them. They built the lodge, then a couple of cabins, and added other bits and pieces along the way.
It’s been almost 30 years since they found Penmerryl, and Ken and Deanie embraced it, expanded it, and raised their family. Now, they are ready to move on to the next adventure. While Penmerryl will continue to be their home, they are ready to pass the torch and free themselves up to travel and visit all the great friends they’ve made over the years. In the times in between, you may be lucky enough to run into them around the farm or at the breakfast table. They have some amazing stories to tell!
The New Talent!
Blair and Laura met in Asheville, NC in 2016, when she relocated there from Austin, TX. They both worked at Eurosport Asheville, a BMW and KTM motorcycle shop, and they shared a love of motorcycles, their dogs, and eating. That was the foundation of a great friendship, which eventually became a romance.
When they heard that Ken and Deanie were hoping to retire (again), Blair and Laura began to talk about the farm and the facilities there, and what they could bring to the table to make it a feasible future for themselves. The answer seemed obvious; bring their love of motorcycles and their love of the farm together into a super motorcycle-friendly destination in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley. They could expand the existing facilities to allow for motorcycle camping and events, and could offer a place for all of their friends in the industry to gather and relax. It was certainly a unique venue, and it meant they could enjoy all of their favorite aspects of the motorcycle industry right at home.
At the same time, they could continue the equestrian traditions of the farm, allowing Laura to get back into her lifelong passion for horses. Between Austin and Asheville, Laura had lived away from Penmerryl for almost six years. Though she found ways to be around horses in that time, she had given up the daily interactions and riding opportunities she had grown up with. The chance to be surrounded by horses again was a huge factor in considering coming home.
Being that she had been a part of both the horse and motorcycle worlds for a long time, Laura knew better than anyone how much overlap there was between the two. The farm had plenty of room for both, and what better way to offer an amazing vacation for the whole family than to embrace a diverse range of activities and interests!
The decision to relocate wasn’t easy, as they were leaving behind friends, family, and security in Asheville to take the chance. After many long conversations and weighing all the factors, they decided the risk was worth it to pursue this new dream they’d begun to imagine. They arrived at Penmerryl in June of 2019, and so the next chapter began.
The Original Adventurers!
Ken and Deanie Pittkin have lived such fun and exciting lives, it’s hard to condense it into anything less than a novel, but we’ll give it a try. Both from humble backgrounds, Ken and Deanie met in her hometown of St.Johns, Newfoundland after Ken relocated there from his native city of London, England. At the time, Ken was building a sailboat. Upon its completion, he invited Deanie to join him on what would become an 8 year excursion living on boats, traveling extensively, and making great friends and memories along the way.
Eventually Ken and Deanie got married and after they began having kids, they bought and ran a hotel in England for a few years. It was in this time that Ken began riding horses and fell in love with the animals. When their love of the ocean drew them back to warmer climates in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Ken brought with him his mare, Lucy, her foal, and Trotsky, his Irish Draught gelding who eventually inspired Penmerryl’s breeding program.
The house in Ft.Lauderdale sat on the river and allowed them to continue sailing as the family grew. Harsh Florida summers soon motivated them to seek a summer home further north. Since they had heard nice things about Virginia, they made a plan with a real estate agent to take a week and view a variety of properties all over the state to see if anything spoke to them.
They saw many nice places that week, but as the agent drove them north on Interstate 81 to catch their flight home, both Ken and Deanie agreed that nothing they had seen was quite what they wanted. The agent asked if they were up for a quick detour to see one last property. He knew it wasn’t what they had described they were looking for, but after spending the week with them he had a hunch.
Penmerryl Farm was nothing like what they had been imagining. Both the land and the main house were far bigger than what they needed, not to mention the numerous outbuildings, barns, and additional residences scattered throughout the property. But it was beautiful, and the rolling paddocks and barns had Ken picturing horses while the lake offered them the water they both so dearly loved. The tudor style house and barn were reminiscent of their time in England, and it was easy to imagine their children enjoying the freedom of a farm. They were hooked.
The farm has changed in many ways since that first visit. Ken and Deanie found a vision in the land here, and it wasn’t long before they left Florida behind and relocated to Virginia full time. They had a background in hotel operation, and realized that the simple beauty of the farm would appeal to travellers and vacationers just as it did to them. They built the lodge, then a couple of cabins, and added other bits and pieces along the way.
It’s been almost 30 years since they found Penmerryl, and Ken and Deanie embraced it, expanded it, and raised their family. Now, they are ready to move on to the next adventure. While Penmerryl will continue to be their home, they are ready to pass the torch and free themselves up to travel and visit all the great friends they’ve made over the years. In the times in between, you may be lucky enough to run into them around the farm or at the breakfast table. They have some amazing stories to tell!
The New Talent!
Blair and Laura met in Asheville, NC in 2016, when she relocated there from Austin, TX. They both worked at Eurosport Asheville, a BMW and KTM motorcycle shop, and they shared a love of motorcycles, their dogs, and eating. That was the foundation of a great friendship, which eventually became a romance.
When they heard that Ken and Deanie were hoping to retire (again), Blair and Laura began to talk about the farm and the facilities there, and what they could bring to the table to make it a feasible future for themselves. The answer seemed obvious; bring their love of motorcycles and their love of the farm together into a super motorcycle-friendly destination in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley. They could expand the existing facilities to allow for motorcycle camping and events, and could offer a place for all of their friends in the industry to gather and relax. It was certainly a unique venue, and it meant they could enjoy all of their favorite aspects of the motorcycle industry right at home.
At the same time, they could continue the equestrian traditions of the farm, allowing Laura to get back into her lifelong passion for horses. Between Austin and Asheville, Laura had lived away from Penmerryl for almost six years. Though she found ways to be around horses in that time, she had given up the daily interactions and riding opportunities she had grown up with. The chance to be surrounded by horses again was a huge factor in considering coming home.
Being that she had been a part of both the horse and motorcycle worlds for a long time, Laura knew better than anyone how much overlap there was between the two. The farm had plenty of room for both, and what better way to offer an amazing vacation for the whole family than to embrace a diverse range of activities and interests!
The decision to relocate wasn’t easy, as they were leaving behind friends, family, and security in Asheville to take the chance. After many long conversations and weighing all the factors, they decided the risk was worth it to pursue this new dream they’d begun to imagine. They arrived at Penmerryl in June of 2019, and so the next chapter began.