A Place Called Blue Ridge

If you are a regular visitor to Southern Lagniappe, you've probably read about our recent family vacation spent in the mountains of Blue Ridge, Georgia. Today, I'd like to share some pictures I took early one morning of the historic downtown shopping district of Blue Ridge.

I borrowed this first picture from the Georgia Tourist Guide web site, but the rest are mine.

The focal point of downtown Blue Ridge is the historic depot, home to the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway.

If you would like to know more about the railway, you can click on the above link to visit the web site.

One of the first shops that caught my eye was this one:

If you would like to know why it caught my attention, you can read "the rest of the story" in my post called Just Ducky.

This was our fourth family vacation at Blue Ridge, and we ("we" being my mother, daughter, granddaughter, and I) always try to stop by one of our favorite home decor shops, which is called "Wrapsody in Blue."

Another favorite is Fieldstone Village ...

If you're ever in Blue Ridge, be sure and stop by Fieldstone Village and visit the Blue Ridge Birdseed Company, All Fired Up (art gallery), and Betty's Distinctive Linens and Boutique (she has an amazing selection of Vera Bradley accessories and beautiful table linens).

As I drove down Main Street looking for interesting things to capture with my camera, I was delighted to see this display of garden accessories.

Just look at the treasures I found there!

These elegant Adirondack-style chairs were my favorites ...

Or if you prefer your Adirondack chairs plain and simple, these were sitting outside a shop down the street (isn't that little one cute!).

I think I could find a place for all of those treasures, even the teepee! I know a little girl who would love it.

This is the Blue Mountain Music & Gems Shop.
I love the little cottage garden in front of it.

Whenever I'm exploring a new town, I like to drive through the residential areas, especially the ones with older homes. Here are a couple of pretty houses in Blue Ridge that caught my eye.

I turned around in the driveway of the house shown above, and was delighted to see an old apple tree loaded with little green apples. We don't have many apple trees in Mississippi, so this was a novelty to me.

Later that morning, my mother, daughter, granddaughter Avery, and I went back to Blue Ridge and spent a couple of hours shopping and browsing. Of course, a "four-generations-girls'-day-out" shopping trip wouldn't be complete without taking time out for lunch, and upon the recommendation of the gracious Wrapsody in Blue shop owner, we stopped next door at the Serenity Garden Cafe.

We were so pleased with our lunch selections that we went back the next day when we happened to be in town with "the guys." I had their "Three Salads" combination plate, which included a delicious Shrimp Salad, a spicy Potato Salad, and a tangy Macaroni Salad, and enjoyed it so much that I ordered it on our second visit, too. Judging by the smile on Avery's face, she enjoyed her grilled cheese sandwich and fruit salad, too. I highly recommend this charming little restaurant, which, I understand, is a favorite of the locals, too.

And while I'm on the subject of good food, one of the highlights of our vacation was celebrating my husband's birthday at an Italian restaurant in Blue Ridge called Cucina Rustica.

There were nine in our party and the food and service were truly outstanding. From the Focaccia Bread ... to the Appetizers (Antipasto Platter and Margarita Pizza) ... to the delicious Green Salad, drizzled with the house Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing ... to the Entrees, with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and fresh Green Peas ... everything was absolutely perfect.

We were fortunate to have Joyce as our server, and she was very gracious and patient, as well as efficient. She and another server even sang "Happy Birthday" to my husband and brought him a slice of Tiramasu for dessert, complete with a candle to blow out.

It was a wonderful dining experience, as well as a happy and memorable occasion. And, as if that wasn't enough, my husband, granddaughter Avery, and I had the pleasure of extending our compliments to the chef, a lovely lady named Isabella, who, along with her husband John Molinari, owns Cucina Rustica.

If you are ever in the vicinity of Blue Ridge, I highly recommend that you include dinner at Cucina Rustica in your plans (be sure to make reservations in advance, especially on weekends). I promise you won't be disappointed.

And so ends my story about my visit to the beautiful and quaint little town of Blue Ridge, Georgia. I have a couple more vacation adventures I want to share this week, and I hope you will come back to hear about them.