The Spartan Village - A Retro Trailercoach Park

05/23/2026

May 23, 2026

Something new is unfolding at Spartan Village… 🌿🐻

Over the past few years, Spartan Village has been growing into something much deeper than simply a place to stay. What began as a love for vintage Spartan trailers and hospitality is evolving into a peaceful retreat and gathering space centered around connection, restoration, creativity, and meaningful experiences.
While we will continue offering our unique retro lodging accommodations, we are excited to begin expanding into:

🌿 Wellness retreats
🇺🇸 Women veteran retreats
🤝 Small-group gatherings
✨ Creative workshops
📚 Book clubs & intentional gatherings
🐇 Private events and hosted experiences at The Rabbit Tail Lounge

At the heart of Spartan Village is the belief that people need spaces where they can slow down, reconnect, reflect, create, gather, and simply breathe again.

Located on Bear Lane in beautiful Tellico Plains, Tennessee, Spartan Village is becoming a place where strength meets stillness — a place to rest, reflect, rebuild, and create meaningful memories together.

We are incredibly excited for what’s ahead and look forward to sharing more as this next chapter unfolds. 💛

🌿 Spartan Village Retreats
A Place to Rest. Reflect. Rebuild.

04/26/2026

An Update from The Spartan Village
It has been a while since I last posted, and that is because life has brought many changes.

Some of you may not know that over the past few years I have been dealing with a frivolous lawsuit. For a time, I allowed that situation to steal my joy and distract me from the dream that inspired The Spartan Village – A Retro Trailer Coach Park.

But I’m happy to share that the lawsuit has now been dismissed. Perseverance paid off.

At one point, I even placed The Spartan Village up for auction. But when it did not sell for what I knew it was worth, I took that as a sign to pause, regroup, and go back to the drawing board.

And in that process, something important happened: I realized I would not allow someone else’s actions to take away my dream.
Instead, I began to reimagine what The Spartan Village could become—and how it could better serve the community.

I’m also excited to share that my son, Eric, has joined the management of The Spartan Village. His background in sales and marketing brings fresh energy, new ideas, and added vision for the future.

In addition, we have welcomed another beautiful vintage coach to the property: a 1953 Spartan Royal Mansion that has been completely remodeled from the frame up. It is a stunning addition, and I know guests will love the experience it offers.

I have also been rethinking the overall mission of The Spartan Village. While we will continue to offer Airbnb stays, my heart is leading me toward something bigger: creating a space for retreats, renewal, connection, and meaningful gatherings.

This next chapter is about more than lodging—it is about purpose, resilience, family, and staying true to the vision.

Thank you to everyone who has supported, encouraged, and believed in this dream. The best is still ahead.

– Julie

01/31/2026

January 31, 2026
Well, the end of January 2026 is ending with a bang! She is not going out quietly into the night. We have about 4” of snow at The Spartan Village today and it is continuing to snow. The snow came in during the cover of darkness, and I woke up to a blanket of snow covering every open area. It is very pretty; however, I will be happy to see her exit ASAP.

Just a few updates on The Spartan Village. I have recently changed out all the RV heating/air units in the travel coaches with split heating and air units which make for better efficiency and allows me to be open all year instead of shutting down during the winter season. It has been slow especially over the holidays when I found out that VRBO had blocked all my calendars for my Travel Coaches on Airbnb. I had stopped advertising on VRBO but forgot to disconnect the calendar sharing feature and somehow VRBO did something at their end and blocked my calendar. It always seems to be something. I do have some bookings over Valentine’s weekend and there are Travel Coaches still available so make your reservation now. Julie

01/11/2026

January 11, 2026
Wow, a year has almost passed since I posted something on my FB page. My apologies. This last year has been a challenge both in my personal and business life. However, my focus of this post is The Spartan Village and the plans I am making for her legacy. Let’s look back at some of the stumbling blocks I encountered during the development and running of The Spartan Village over the last few years and her status:

1) the contractor who abandoned the job while working on the clubhouse has been resolved. I received a court order instructing the individual to pay what he owes me, and I am happy to say he has been very accommodating, and most importantly, the clubhouse has been completed and permitted.

2) being reported anonymously to the health department because I was not “permitted.” Although I had gone to the city and county asking for guidance, non was forthcoming. However, once I got past my indignation, I have worked with the health inspector over the last few years, and I am proud to report that The Spartan Village received a 100% for both the Village and the Kitchen in the clubhouse! Mrs. Johnson at the Monroe County Health Department is my new go-to-person for guidance, she is very knowledgeable. So, if you are thinking of developing your own camping site, I recommend getting with Mrs. Johnson (Monroe County, TN) or whoever your Health Department is involved at its conception. It will make life much better for you if you get them involved from the ground up.

3) Most of you may not know that my neighbor filed a lawsuit against me about two years ago which has caused me a great deal of emotional stress and contributed to my decision to sell the Spartan Village. Last year I put the Village up for auction; however, I did not get the bid I was expecting and withdrew my listing. I also decided not to sell The Spartan Village. I decided not to allow my neighbor or anyone else to steal my joy. I have put a lot of blood and sweat into the development of The Spartan Village and decided I was not going to surrender my joy by letting others’ negativity, opinions, or actions dictate my emotional state and choices. I am currently working with my neighbor to arrive at a mutual understanding and to clear up our misunderstanding.

So, why am I sharing all the “good, bad, and ugly” with you? Because I want to be transparent. I want The Spartan Village to serve a higher good and I am not sure what that is. I want people to understand the history behind the Spartan Travel Coaches and not just rewrite it. The Spartan Village is part of our history, and I want to tell her story. Each of the Spartan Travel Coaches have a story, of when and where they were created and their journey to Tellico Plains, TN. So, help me share her story by making a reservation on Airbnb for either an individual or group visit. Yes, you can now rent the whole Village for an event which includes for now four travel coaches, the Rabbit Tail Clubhouse with a permitted kitchen, which means we can now cater events. The Village can accommodate up to 12 in the travel coaches and at the tables in the clubhouse. Thank you for all your support and allowing me to ramble on. I am planning to have an open house in March 2026. I have attached some updated photos of the clubhouse. So, go to Airbnb and schedule your visit or event soon. Julie

03/30/2025

March 29, 2025
We are now open for the season! The Rabbit Tail Lounge is completed; the only thing I am waiting on is the custom window treatments, and those will be installed next week. I also have some great news, the Monroe County Health Department was out last week to conduct their annual inspection, and The Spartan Village received a perfect score of 100 for The Spartan Village and a 99 for the kitchen in the clubhouse and that was only because I did not have a food thermometer; however, that has been corrected. I am so excited to have the kitchen in the clubhouse permitted; that now means that people can cook in there and serve food. I will be hosting a health and wellness dinner at least monthly, and people can RSVP for those. If you like, you can also reserve one of the travel coaches for your stay. We are trying to transition into group and event rentals only.

The Spartan Village will be able to be rented for small private events and group activities such as motorcycle clubs, car clubs, biking and hiking groups, board games, scavenger hunts, sightseeing, girls or guys night out, river rafting or Tubing, and fishing outings, Paint and Sip, Art Classes, Murder Mystery Games, Crafting Session, Cooking Classes, Team-Building Exercises, Book Club, Karaoke, Photo Shoot, Old-School Sleep Over’s or whatever else you can think of that brings people together a group. The Spartan Village can sleep around 15 overnight guests. Each of the Travel Coaches has a full-size bed, a couch that converts to a full-size bed, except for one of them that can only sleep 3. Each of the Trailer Coaches is fully equipped with its own kitchen, refrigerator, microwave, living room, and shower/tub bathroom. All are equipped with small appliances, and there are additional appliances to meet any of your needs. In addition, all the travel coaches have their own outside table and sitting area. The Spartan Village also has common sitting areas, a grill area, and yard games, as well as an assortment of board games. Wifi is available for your devices.

The Rabbit Tail Lounge is fully equipped with a kitchen, bathroom, living/TV area, and two dining room areas that can seat up to 12 guests. Additional tables/chairs are also available. So schedule your private or group event now. Prices upon request. Thank you. Julie

02/07/2025

February 7, 2025
Well, work is continued on The Spartan Village Retro Trailer Coach Resort/Park. I have updated the website: https://www.thespartanvillageretrotrailercoachresort.com, so check it out. Some links are not working, and we are working on getting them fixed. The wallpaper is scheduled to be completed in the next two weeks. Custom pale pink blinds have been ordered for the Rabbit Tail Lounge/Clubhouse from Budget Blinds. If you have never used them, they are great! I am in the process of swapping out the RV heating and air units for split heating/air units which are more efficient and quieter. All the gas stoves have been switched for electric as well, and new toilets installed. Four of the trailer coaches are being readied for the season which will start March 15, 2025. The Spartan Village is also ready to be rented by groups looking for a place to have a small retreat or get-together. The Clubhouse has a full kitchen that I am working with the Health Department to get permitted and will also have a list of local caterers for your dining needs. I am also looking to start having events such as Mystery Dinners, Dinner Club, Custom Parties, etc. Will keep you posted on the website. So, make your reservations now before the calendar fills up! Remember the season starts March 15, 2025. So, make your reservations now! Thanks for all your support. Dr. Julie

Heralding the past of mid-century 40s and 50s travel home luxury, The Spartan Village has gathered six spacious, rare Spartan travel coaches from across the country to recreate a unique retro lodging experience. These units have been both restored and upgraded to include desired modern-day amenities...

01/08/2025

08 January 2025
Wow! I cannot believe my last posting was in October of 2024. I for one am glad to have moved on to a New Year and hope that all of you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! Progress has been made on the clubhouse and it is almost done. I decorated for Christmas. There are just a lot of little things that need to be completed like finishing the Flower Bomb wallpaper in the main club area and the Rabbit wallpaper in the bathroom, I need to get the shower facet for the bathroom and looking for a little cabinet that will fit next to the outlets for storage. I am also looking for kitchen cabinet handles and finally settled on top mount drawer pulls. You will also notice that I have filled the space with a lot of furniture. I sold my house in Madisonville and stored my belongings in the clubhouse and a 40-foot shipping container that is sitting outside the fenced in area of the Spartan Village. My plan for the Village is still a moving target so I am open for suggestions. Following are my ideas for the Village: (1) rent out the whole Village for Health and Wellness retreats except the travel couch that I am currently living in. Remodeling the 1949 Spartan to accommodate therapy modalities like massage therapy and hypnotherapy, (2). Continue renting out the travel coaches on Airbnb. I currently am closed for the Winter, (3) renting the clubhouse for events such as private events such as meetings, wedding showers, etc., Mystery Dinners, bo***ir photography, and other retro-photo shoots. I am working with the Monroe County Health Department to get the kitchen permitted and hope to have that done in March before I re-open. I am also in the process of replacing all the RV-top heating and air units with split heating and air units that will be more cost effective and allow me to keep all the travel coaches open year-round. So, stay tuned for more updates. Dr. Juli

10/21/2024

October 21, 2024
Wow, I can’t believe I have not posted anything since August! Well, The Spartan Village Clubhouse: The Rabbit Tail Lounge is almost completed. Mike Smith my contractor has done an amazing job! The tile has been completed in the bathroom and kitchen and YES, the kitchen has pink grout that goes very well with the pink appliances. The clubhouse should be completed in a few weeks, and I am hoping to have an open house November/December timeframe. I plan to close the trailer coaches in December but will leave the clubhouse open for events, Murder Mystery Dinners, Dinner Club, etc. I am also working with the Monroe County Health Department to get the kitchen permitted. So, stay tuned for more updates.

On another note, I am still waiting to take my old contractor to court, the date has been changed twice and he has filed a counter suit against me because of the reviews I posted on FB. Poor thing is complaining that his “character” has been affected by my honest review of his workmanship and abandoning my job. I guess a signed contract means nothing to him. He is opening a Sports Bar very close to my Village called “The Crow’s Nest” and has recently posted that he is one of the owners. Rumor has it that he put $10,000 down and his partner put $30,000 down. I hope he treats his partner better than he treated me. I am looking forward to the court settling this issue once and for all. I had to pay Mike Smith money to correct the mistakes my former contract made and finish the project. He did a great job! I will keep you posted on the results of the court hearing. The Crow’s Nest looks nice based on the pictures posted on FB and will be within walking distance of my guest so that will be a good thing for them. He is also using the Navy WWII posters I gave him when he was running the bar at the Porch. You know I only wanted him to be successful in his endeavors (I gave him tables and pictures to support his business) and when he asked me to help his workers I did so. I would have appreciated the same sentiment but instead he abandoned the job and left me hanging. What bothers me the most is that he made all these promises of taking care of Veterans and both of us being disabled Veterans. A persons Veteran or religious status should never be used as a credential for a job. A credential is defined as, “a qualification, achievement, personal quality, or aspect of a person’s background, typically when used to indicate that they are suitable for something.” I wish my old contractor well on his new endeavor; as I hope he wishes me well on the opening of “The Rabbit Tail Lounge.”
October 21, 2024
Wow, I can’t believe I have not posted anything since August! Well, The Spartan Village Clubhouse: The Rabbit Tail Lounge is almost completed. Mike Smith my contractor has done an amazing job! The tile has been completed in the bathroom and kitchen and YES, the kitchen has pink grout that goes very well with the pink appliances. The clubhouse should be completed in a few weeks, and I am hoping to have an open house November/December timeframe. I plan to close the trailer coaches in December but will leave the clubhouse open for events, Murder Mystery Dinners, Dinner Club, etc. I am also working with the Monroe County Health Department to get the kitchen permitted. So, stay tuned for more updates.

On another note, I am still waiting to take my old contractor to court, the date has been changed twice and he has filed a counter suit against me because of the reviews I posted on FB. Poor thing is complaining that his “character” has been affected by my honest review of his workmanship and abandoning my job. I guess a signed contract means nothing to him. He is opening a Sports Bar very close to my Village called “The Crow’s Nest” and has recently posted that he is one of the owners. Rumor has it that he put $10,000 down and his partner put $30,000 down. I hope he treats his partner better than he treated me. I am looking forward to the court settling this issue once and for all. I had to pay Mike Smith money to correct the mistakes my former contract made and finish the project. He did a great job! I will keep you posted on the results of the court hearing. The Crow’s Nest looks nice based on the pictures posted on FB and will be within walking distance of my guest so that will be a good thing for them. He is also using the Navy WWII posters I gave him when he was running the bar at the Porch. You know I only wanted him to be successful in his endeavors (I gave him tables and pictures to support his business) and when he asked me to help his workers I did so. I would have appreciated the same sentiment but instead he abandoned the job and left me hanging. What bothers me the most is that he made all these promises of taking care of Veterans and both of us being disabled Veterans. A persons Veteran or religious status should never be used as a credential for a job. A credential is defined as, “a qualification, achievement, personal quality, or aspect of a person’s background, typically when used to indicate that they are suitable for something.” I wish my old contractor well on his new endeavor; as I hope he wishes me well on the opening of “The Rabbit Tail Lounge.”

08/15/2024

August 15, 2024
A lot has been happening at The Spartan Village Retro Trailer Coach Resort/Park. The Village is now Permitted by the TN Department of Health Division of Environmental Health with a score of 100! Currently the Permit is just for the renting the Spartan Trailer Coaches, and I am working on getting the kitchen in the clubhouse permitted so I can function as a B&B and use it for functions. My contractor Mike Smith is continuing to do amazing work, he has installed and stained the kitchen cabinets, built the kitchen island, installed the sink and toilet in the bathroom, and put up the bathroom light fixture. My dear friend Kimberly Lake with Cabin Concierge of the Smoky Mountains. recruited her friend Stacy Post from Nashville who works as an artist in the movie industry to put up the wallpaper a more complicated process than I ever thought...who knew! We ran out of wall paper in the bathroom and had to order more and need to get the paint for the main room to compliment the wall paper. Tile for the kitchen backsplash and shower has been ordered but is on back order. I have also picked out the countertops and those will be installed soon. I think the feel of an old Speakeasy is coming together. What do you think? Stay tuned for more updates and a date for the upcoming open house. Thanks for all your support. Julie

08/01/2024

August 1, 2024,
Well, a lot has happened here at The Spartan Village. My awesome contractor Mike Smith has been working diligently. He touched up the paint on all the wood, but the baseboards in, and put the wooden kitchen cabinets in as well as hooking up all the pink Big Chill appliances. I am working on picking out a stain with the help of a few friends (Kimberly and Stacie). I introduced Kimberly a few posts back and she introduced me to Stacie one of her friends and co-workers from Nashville who is an experienced set designer for movies and commercials as well. Stacie had a break in her schedule and has been at the Village getting ready to hang the wallpaper that is going to bring the “Speak” out in “Speakeasy.” The wall paper with the flower bombs will go in the salon area and the wall paper with the bunnies will go into the bathroom. Those bunnies really do look like the ones I have! We also picked out the tile for the bathroom and kitchen. I have also included Mike Smith’s contact information: (701) 866-6067 [email protected] for those of you looking for an awesome contractor. He is as good as they come and hands down the best contractor I have found in these parts. We are close to the finish line, and I can’t wait for the final reveal. Stay tuned for more. Thank you for following The Spartan Village Retro Trailer Coach Park/Resort. Julie