Growing pains cause havoc on Walton's Mountain. Grandma's upset as her 68th birthday approaches, qualifying her for an "Old Age" pension, and she frustrates everyone by refusing to seek help for dizziness and a hearing problem. John-Boy craves private, quiet space for an office in an attached cabin, but Mary Ellen is told she can use the space as her bedroom. A visiting college boy Mary Ellen encounters at the lake plunges her into confusion when he kisses her, despite being several years older.

When an agent for a company which wants to build a resort on Walton's Mountain offers John more money than he ever dreamed of, he is tempted to accept. The hot springs makes the area desirable for a spa, and John knows that his children's futures would be secure if he decides to uproot everyone and sell out.