For a young couple with a baby on the way, The Ford Plantation turned out to be the perfect place to put down roots.

Trip and Ashley Addison were first introduced to The Ford Plantation by a colleague of Trip’s, whose parents are full-time residents at Ford. Having relocated to the Savannah area from Atlanta in 2015 for Trip’s new job, the couple was looking for a special place to call home. They found it on their first visit to Ford.

“We came to brunch and sat on the Clubhouse porch and were in awe of the views,” recalls Ashley. “When we got in the car, Trip said, ‘We’re living here!’” “We didn’t even make it as far as the members’ gate,” Trip adds with a laugh.

At the time, Ashley was pregnant with their first child, Elizabeth, and they were pondering a familiar question many young couples starting a family have: “Do we really want to live downtown?”

They wanted a house they could live and grow into for a long time, so Ashley sketched out their house plan, and “the architect made it happen,” she says. The entire process turned out to be easier than expected and took about 18 months to complete.

The Addisons say the beauty and solitude of Ford is one of the things they love. “Almost every night we go on a golf cart ride with the kids to get outside; see the wildlife, our neighbors and to enjoy what this place has to offer,” says Trip. “There’s just such an overwhelming beauty that I’d never experienced before—it calms me,” adds Ashley.

Ashley and Trip also appreciate how nice and welcoming people are at Ford. Trip says, “Regardless of who you are, where you come from, or what your background is, people want to know all about you and really get to know you on a personal level, and I think that’s nice.”

The Addisons have quickly become part of the fabric of Ford and enjoy taking their growing family, which now includes seven-month-old George, to Club events. “Regardless of what event we take them to, everybody knows Elizabeth, everybody loves Elizabeth, and everybody wants to hold George,” says Trip. Ashley says, “I’m excited to see Elizabeth and George grow up here in this special place.”