Ellis Cottage

Welcome to Ellis Cottage, a vacation getaway in Wilmington, North Carolina. Originally built in 1891 by a photographer and his wife, my story caught up with the purple cottage by the Cape Fear river more than a hundred years later.

It was love at first sight. From the start there was some cosmic pull to this town, this neighborhood and especially, this house. I lived in it for many years and thought I had finally found a place to plant some roots until my own "life plan" went disasterously off-course. This cottage sheltered me from the storm in every way imaginable.

I started over-- really started over. I packed up my two faithful pups and embarked on a new life in another country. But I wasn't ready to say goodbye to the cottage, by now a trusted friend. So I decided to share my sacred spot with others in the hopes they would fill it with happiness and good memories of their own while I am away.

When I am not enjoying the respite of Ellis Cottage myself, I am happily living my new "plan-less" life in Vienna, Austria. Believe me, I fully appreciate what an incredibly lucky, spoiled brat I am to be able to call both Wilmington and Vienna "home." How it really all came to pass is quite a story... but let's just say the corny cliches about following your heart and believing in yourself actually proved true, despite my propensity for cynicism. Or perhaps there is wisdom in the old addage that you will let yourself do anything if you have nothing to lose. Either way, I am thankful beyond measure that things have turned out the way they have.

In my absence, I invite you to visit the quiet refuge that is Ellis Cottage. Say hello for me, and treat yourself to the easy pace and relaxed vibe of Historic Downtown Wilmington. Surrounded by music, fantastic food, and beautiful coastal landscapes, it is hard not to fall in love with the area. Stay for a weekend. Stay for a week. But beware: once the magic of Wilmington casts its spell, you might just forego your own life plan and stay forever!