As a businessman logging hundreds of frequent flier miles traveling from city to city, Rick longed for the peace and natural beauty he remembered in the Ozarks and decided to find his own retreat. His retreat would include all the best comforts he had enjoyed in his travels. An aviator himself, Rick logged countless hours of flying time surveying land from above in his airplane, a Piper Arrow 200, trying to find just the right property. Then, he would load up his 4x4 pick-up with maps, coordinates, and his faithful dog Dan and continue scouting select properties by land. After nearly two years of searching, Rick found the Love Falls property, which turned out to be a mere forty miles from where his grandparents' ranch had once been. Rick fell in love with the mountainous terrain and picturesque views from the bluffs. In 2000, Rick bought the property and began restoring the property in earnest with his wife Peggy after their marriage in 2001.