Rambling in the North Georgia Mountains

One of the things I was most looking forward to doing during our vacation in Blue Ridge, Georgia, was to take some time to get off the beaten path and explore some of the many scenic mountain drives around Blue Ridge. But there was only one problem with that ... driving (or just riding, for that matter) on mountain roads makes me very nervous, and I knew I wouldn't be able to handle driving by myself and shooting pictures, too. But never fear, my sweet husband came to my rescue and "volunteered" to be my "designated mountain driver."

I had a couple of things in mind that I wanted to see, along with directions on how to get there, so off we went on our little "adventure," armed with cameras, a bottle of water for him, a Dr. Pepper for me, and some chips and candy bars for "energy," in case we had to hike to our destinations.

We were traveling on Highway 60, one of the most beautiful scenic drives in Georgia ...

Complete with old ramshackle barns like this one ...

This was a common sight, too, and made me sorta/kinda wish we had a motorcycle to cruise up and down the backroads (until I saw some cyclists caught in a rain shower a little while later) ...

A little farther down the road, I did a double take when I saw these unusual wind chimes on the side of the road. They are the largest I've ever seen and, yes, at the risk of being captured for posterity by the owner's security camera, I just couldn't resist ringin' those chimes!

I mentioned earlier that there were two places off of Highway 60, that I wanted to see, and the Old Skeenah Mill is one of them. It was built in 1848 by Willis Woody, who brought his family to the Skeenah Valley (named after the Cherokee word for “black bear”) in 1839.

The Mill is listed on the National Register, and was once a popular place for neighbors to gather and chat as they waited for their wheat or corn to be ground. It is currently being used as a campground.

Less than a mile up the road is the second place I wanted to visit -- the longest swinging bridge east of the Mississippi River! Located at the end of a three-mile bumpy dirt road that twists and turns as it winds its way up the mountain to the Benton MacKay/Duncan Ridge National Recreation Trail ...

... The 265-foot suspension bridge was worth every bump and the short hike down to the Toccoa River to see.

The Toccoa River is absolutely gorgeous ...

And I love to watch the water swirl around the huge river rocks. Its power is truly mesmerizing ...

After our hike back UP the trail, we were ready for our candy bars and drinks, and headed back to the lodge. As we passed through the little town of Morganton, Georgia, I noticed this sign and wondered if Mayberry's Floyd had moved his barber shop to the Blue Ridge mountains.

By the way, the lodge where we stayed during our vacation overlooks the Toccoa River that the swinging bridge spans, and here are a couple of pictures I took from our porch balcony.

The railroad tracks shown in this picture run along the river from Blue Ridge to McCaysville, Georgia, and the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway passed by our lodge twice a day.

The engineer would blow the horn to announce its arrival, and we would all run to the porch overlooking the river and wave to the passengers on the train.

No matter where Avery was, you could hear the pitter patter of her little feet running to see the train.

That's just one sweet memory to remind us of all the other little things we did together during our vacation this year.

Like our "scavenger hunt" grocery-shopping trip when we first arrived in Blue Ridge (we broke up into groups and each group had a list of things to find)

Picking blackberries along the road to the lodge ...

Playing board games until one o'clock in the morning

Eating whatever we wanted to eat, whenever we wanted to eat it (like a tuna fish sandwich for breakfast, with a fried apple pie for "dessert")

Whitewater rafting down the Ocoee River
(the younger, more adventuresome family members)

Watching movies (Evelyn, with Pierce Brosnan, and Heaven Must Wait, with Andrew McCarty ... both excellent movies, by the way)

Struggling with a jigsaw puzzle we weren't able to finish because we ran out of days

And finally, the "goodbye hugs and kisses," and teary eyes and more hugs.

So many little things, shared when a family spends a week under one roof ... things we will all recall and cherish for days and weeks and months to come ... until one day, once again, we will start planning next year's vacation. I can't wait!

If you are interested in planning a trip to the Blue Ridge area, you might enjoy reading some of my previous posts about our experiences there. Just click on the links below ... A Visit to an Alpine Village in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia A Blue Ridge Vacation ... the Rest of the Story! Blue Ridge, GA: A Perfect Family Vacation Getaway All Good Things Must Come to an End A Blue Ridge, Georgia Family Vacation Mountain Lagniappe Just Ducky! A Place Called Blue Ridge

Home Sweet Home

Isn't it strange how when you're on vacation it seems like time just flies by, but when you get home it feels like you've been gone forever!

We all made it home safely from our family vacation in Blue Ridge, Georgia, and I hope to have time today to edit the pictures I took and write a couple of posts. But first, there's laundry to do and errands to run and flowers to water and all the "fun stuff" you have to do after being gone for a week.

I do have one picture I'd like to share today. I captured this view from a lookout point along the mountain road leading to our lodge.

I'm looking forward to visiting my blogging friends and catching up on what's been going on in your world while I've been away.

Going Home

As the saying goes, "all good things must come to an end," and that includes family vacations. My family will be traveling home today, after having spent a wonderful week together in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Blue Ridge, Georgia.

Yesterday we were blessed with a gorgeous sunset which was the perfect ending for a perfect week.

May God watch over all of us on our journey home today.

Blue Ridge: Day One

We had a safe, although long (8 hours), journey to Blue Ridge, Georgia yesterday, and when we arrived at our lodge, we were welcomed by a beautiful gift basket of goodies, a box of fried apple pies from Mercier Orchards, and ice cream and apple cider in the refrigerator -- all compliments of our gracious hosts, Lissa and Gary Knight. Thank you, Gary and Lissa. What a wonderful way to start our family vacation!

I was the first one up this morning (not a surprise), and was greeted by a soft gentle mist falling outside ...

Toccoa River

The sun is peeping through the clouds as I write this, and it looks like a good day to spend inside, resting from our trip and just "hanging out" together in Gary's beautiful lodge.

We have snacks to eat ...

Games to play ...

Puzzles to work ...

Good movies to watch ...

And lots of swinging and rocking and visiting to do ...

To be continued ...

A Blue Ridge, Georgia Family Vacation

This week my family and I will be getting ready for our annual family vacation, which we are going to spend in a beautiful lodge located on a mountaintop overlooking the Toccoa River, near the quaint little town of Blue Ridge, Georgia. This will be our fourth trip to Blue Ridge, and there will be ten of us, ranging in age from 5 to 84.

If you are within driving distance and planning a family vacation or reunion, you might want to consider the Blue Ridge, Georgia, area as your destination.

We love the mountains and the reason we enjoy Blue Ridge is because it offers something fun for everyone, regardless of interests or age. For the adventurous, there's whitewater rafting, hiking, horseback riding, trout fishing, and exploring waterfalls. You can also take a ride on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, explore the abundance of antique and gift shops in the area, or just sit on the cabin porch and enjoy the sights and sounds of the Toccoa River below.

While all of those things are fun to do, I think one reason our family vacations are so enjoyable is because of where we stay. When we first decided on the Blue Ridge area, my daughter and I "googled" luxury mountain cabins trying to find accommodations that would suit the needs of our family. We needed a cabin that would provide enough room for 10 people to comfortably sleep, eat, and relax without being crowded.

We soon realized that that was not going to be an easy task. Oh, we found lots of luxury cabins, but some didn't have enough bedrooms ... others didn't have enough bathrooms ... and still others had (horrors!) carpet and upholstered furniture, which we didn't want (I know, we're picky!). But we're also diligent ... and, finally, one day all our searching paid off. That was the day we discovered a website called Cabin Rentals of Georgia, and we were thrilled with the incredibly luxurious lodges described there.

We soon discovered that they are just as beautiful "in person" as they are in the photos featured on the website.

Custom-built, owned, and maintained by Mr. Gary Knight and his wife, Lissa, the lodges range from 3-5 bedrooms and are elegantly decorated with upscale furnishings and accessories. They feature large gourmet kitchens with top-of-the-line appliances, granite countertops and eating islands, game rooms (with pool tables, air hockey, or table tennis), luxurious bathrooms with granite countertops, hot tubs, fireplaces ... well, I could go on and on, but you can click here to visit Gary's website (Cabin Rentals of Georgia), and see these extraordinary vacation lodges for yourself.

The lodge we'll be staying at this year is called Fallen Timber Lodge. We stayed in it last year and it was so spacious and comfortable for our large group, that we reserved it again this year. Here are a couple of photos:

I know this probably sounds like an advertisement for Gary's cabins, and perhaps, in a way, it is ... but it's because I know what we went through trying to find a perfect place for our family vacations, and if I can help someone else discover the pleasures of Blue Ridge, Georgia, and Gary Knight's beautiful cabins and gracious hospitality, then, so be it.

Working with Gary is truly a pleasure and I know you won't be disappointed. He appreciates your business, and goes "the extra mile" to make your vacation experience a happy and memorable one.

We are all counting the days until this weekend and are looking forward to a happy, memorable, and fun week with all of us under one (large) roof in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. It just doesn't get much better than that!

Blue Ridge, GA: A Perfect Family Vacation Getaway

It's that time of year when we start planning our annual family vacation, which will be August 30 through September 6th this year. We have spent the past three family vacations in Blue Ridge, Georgia, and enjoyed it so much that we're going back again this year. There will be 10 of us, ranging in age from 4 to 84, and we have reserved a mountain lodge located on the Toccoa River, near the quaint little mountain town of Blue Ridge ...

If you are within driving distance and planning a family vacation or reunion, you might want to consider the Blue Ridge, Georgia, area as your destination.

We love the mountains and the reason we enjoy Blue Ridge is because it offers something fun for everyone, regardless of interests or age. For the adventurous, there's whitewater rafting, hiking, horseback riding, trout fishing, and exploring waterfalls. You can also take a ride on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, explore the abundance of antique and gift shops in the area, or just sit on the cabin porch and enjoy the sights and sounds of the Toccoa River below.

While all of those things are fun to do, I think one reason our family vacations are so enjoyable is because of where we stay. A couple of years ago, my daughter and I were "googling" luxury mountain cabins in the Blue Ridge area, trying to find accommodations that would suit the needs of our family. We needed a cabin that would provide enough room for 11 people to comfortably sleep, eat, and relax without being crowded.

We soon realized that that was not going to be an easy task. Oh, we found lots of luxury cabins, but some didn't have enough bedrooms ... others didn't have enough bathrooms ... and still others had (horrors!) carpet and upholstered furniture, which we didn't want (I know, we're picky!). But we're also diligent ... and, finally, one day all our searching paid off. That was the day we discovered a website called Cabin Rentals of Georgia, and we were thrilled with the incredibly luxurious lodges described there.

We soon discovered that they are just as beautiful "in person" as they are in the photos featured on the website.

Custom-built, owned, and maintained by Mr. Gary Knight and his wife, Lissa, the lodges range from 3-5 bedrooms and are elegantly decorated with upscale furnishings and accessories. They feature large gourmet kitchens with top-of-the-line appliances, granite countertops and eating islands, game rooms (with pool tables, air hockey, or table tennis), luxurious bathrooms with granite countertops, hot tubs, fireplaces ... well, I could go on and on, but you can click here to visit Gary's website (Cabin Rentals of Georgia), and see these extraordinary vacation lodges for yourself.

The lodge we'll be staying at this year is called Fallen Timber Lodge. We stayed in it last year and it was so comfortable for our large group, that we reserved it again. I think you will understand why when you see these photos ...

I know this probably sounds like an advertisement for Gary's cabins, and perhaps, in a way, it is ... but it's because I know what we went through trying to find a perfect place for our family vacations. If I can help someone else discover the pleasures of Blue Ridge, Georgia, and Gary Knight's beautiful cabins and gracious hospitality, then, so be it.

Working with Gary is truly a pleasure and I know you won't be disappointed. He appreciates your business, and goes "the extra mile" to make your vacation experience a happy and memorable one.

We are all counting the days (only 138 to go!) until our vacation in August, and this probably won't be the last you hear about it before we go (aren't you excited?).

P.S. -- I sent a link to this post to Gary Knight, and this is the note I received from him in reply. It will give you an insight into the kind of person he is and the service you can expect if you stay in one of his cabins.

Oh Janie, This is so incredibly nice of you! Please keep me posted on your visit. I am currently working on getting you better access to the river through some roads that are currently blocked ... I will also make my mule available for your needs to access the river easily! We will make this the best vacation of all! I am here to help you plan all of the things you want to do and see. We can check the calendars on the lake houses and the creek house for fishing as well. On the lake houses perhaps a day trip with a boat rental? Just let me know what you are thinking and I will help in every way! Thank you again this is so very touching. Regards, Gary

A Family Vacation in Blue Ridge, Georgia

My husband and I will be joining several family members this Sunday, for a week-long vacation in Blue Ridge, Georgia. There will be 11 of us ranging in age from three to 86, and we have reserved a lodge located on the Toccoa River in the mountains near the town of Blue Ridge ...

Here are a couple of pictures of the lodge, which has three levels, including five bedrooms, three and a half baths, a beautiful kitchen with top of the line appliances and granite counter tops, a loft, media room, small office space, and a game room ...

[Photo]

One of the features of the lodge that I'm looking forward to the most is a gazebo, which is located right on the river behind the lodge. It has a huge fireplace and I can't wait to introduce our three-year-old granddaughter Avery to the art of roasting marshmallows over a fire! We've been telling her about our "bacation," as she calls it, for a couple of weeks now and last weekend I made a chart for her to put stickers on each day to count down the days. Here she is in her "fishing hat" practicing with her new Dora fishing rod ...

Looks like she's pretty good judging by the awestruck look on her daddy's face ...

The lodge has internet service, so I hope to be able to share some things and keep up with my blogging friends while I'm gone. Until then ... Happy blogging!