About Us

Thank you for checking out our place! We are Jud and Amanda Wortman. We have three children – Emma Grace and Baxter (twins) and Elena Jo. As a family, we enjoy canoeing, kayaking and camping. We live 9 miles from Tellurian on a family farm.

Jud grew up just on the other side of Casar where we still have cattle and horses. The kids feed their menagerie of animals including chickens, rabbits, horses (just because Emma loves horses!) and pigs (just because Elena loves pigs!) every day. Jud grew up on a farm where they raised and canned their own vegetables, raised their own beef and hogs, milked their own cow and grew the corn to feed them.

Amanda grew up just a few miles in the other direction on a farm that has been in her family for generations. (It is listed on the North Carolina Century Farm 100 Years of Continuous Agricultural Heritage – recognizing that has been continuously owned and farmed by the same family for 100 years or more.) Amanda grew up on a farm where they too raised and canned their own vegetables, raised their own hogs, milked their own cows as well as making molasses out of the cane they grew while growing cotton, corn and soybeans for sale in bulk.

We both learned the value of hard work, dedication and heritage from our families.

Our 1st canoe trip as a family of 5 – we launched just a few hundred yards up river and got out at the Revival Hole – this was taken several years before we dreamed we’d ever own this place!

We have always enjoyed quiet secluded campsites, river floats and sitting by the river. After years of looking all over the mountains for a river property we could call our own, our favorite spot on the river came up for sale. It just so happened it was nearly halfway between where we both grew up. After many sleepless nights worrying if we could succeed or not (it was much larger than properties we had been looking for), we bought it! Our favorite spot on the river was virtually inaccessible by any way other than floating. But after hundreds of hours of hard work, we think we have developed a place where others too can enjoy the things we do about the property. We dream big and Tellurian remains a work in progress, but we feel we have created a place where folks can enjoy the peacefulness of nature, the river and incredible views.

Jud took this picture of the sun setting over the Blue Ridge Mountains after one of his many long days work on Tellurian. This view is from a ridge on the Tellurian property looking up through Golden Valley with Listenberry Mountain on the left and the western slopes of the South Mountain Range on the right. This vantage point has a nearly panoramic view of the mountains! Pictures don’t do it justice.

Our ½ mile of river frontage begins in a bend of the river at the confluence of No Business Creek and the First Broad River. This location is referred to by locals as the “Revival Hole” because many country churches throughout the years have used it for Revivals and Baptisms. In fact, Amanda was baptized here.

A quarter mile downstream is where our favorite spot is located. Our kids refer to it as “the best swimming hole in the river.” 1/8th mile downstream in a bend of the river, there is another prominent swimming hole referred to as the “Mull Rock” located just behind an infamous bootlegger’s house. I’m told that years ago there was actually a post office and mill there called Holly Bush.

Our kids enjoying their favorite swimming hole!

Just below the swimming hole there is a waterfall. OK, maybe it’s more of a high shoal than a water fall (it’s about a 3 foot drop), but believe me, if you go across it in a canoe, you will feel as if you have conquered Niagara. (click the video below to see the funniest video you have ever seen – “Push silly, Push!”)

VID_20190602_152146~2.mp4

the waterfall

Naming our campground proved to be one of the most challenging tasks throughout the process of development. After many ideas and brainstorming sessions as a family, we decided to go with Tellurian. We know it’s a bit different; that’s what we like. We think our place stands out and, after visiting Tellurian, we think you’ll agree it does too.