GEORGIA
Blue Ridge
Hope you guys had a good Thanksgiving! I know it’s been a while since I posted: that’s because most of my trips the past 6 months or so have been more friend/family/event oriented so there’s not much to post about.
In fact we went to Blue Ridge to visit with my boyfriend’s family but we managed to do enough adventurous stuff that I figured I’d make a post for it. Blue Ridge is a pretty touristy town in northern Georgia, nestled in the bottom of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Downtown Blue Ridge and the nearby Ellijay are super cute towns with restaurants, shopping and some local activities.
Mercier Orchards was a big hit with the family, they love the hard cider there. They also sell all sorts of other apple products like pie, juice, jam and anything else you could imagine using apples for.
The Pasta Market is where we went to pick up some supplies for dinner. It’s a small operation selling pasta, cheese and sauce. You can also dine here although we didn’t get the time to try it out.
We did some fly fishing with guides from Cohutta Fishing Company. It was really cool because we were able to fish in a private creek so there was no one else out there and the fish were supposed to get really big. The conditions weren’t great for fishing since it hadn’t rained recently and the water was too clear but it was still really fun.
They supply the fishing rods, waders, boots and lures. It’s really cool wading into the cold water but not feeling it. Our guide was also super nice and knowledgable and we had a great time hanging out with him.
Chateau Meichtry Family Vineyard and Winery - we did some wine tasting here. They let you do flights of 5 or 6 with a chocolate cup. We decided to do the 6 and the chocolate cup was delicious! They were out of charcuterie boards when we arrived but they let you buy your own cheese and crackers and make your own picnic essentially.
They’ve got tons of outdoor seating but it was pretty quiet in November. The wines were all really good, we specifically tried mostly dry reds but had a sweeter red in our chocolate cup.
After wine tasting we headed to Mountain Valley Farm Store to pick up some more supplies for dinners and snacks and such. It’s a super cute store selling fresh milk, cheese, ice cream, jam and other things. Outside, they have chickens, rabbits, goats and even a cow that you can look at and hang out with.
Justin and I got the salted caramel and cherry ice cream. The salted caramel is INSANE! So worth getting to pig out on.
For dinner out, we went to the General Ledger, an American restaurant in Blue Ridge. It’s in an old bank so one private table option is inside the vault! We got the brussel sprouts and the cheese dip appetizers and they were quite good. I normally don’t even like yam. For dinner I had the chicken paillard and I thought it was quite good.
In terms of hiking, there are a lot of good options within an hour radius. We didn’t do a ton of what I would normally consider “real” hiking because the focus of the trip was more on family and we didn’t have a lot of time to drive beyond 20-30 minutes away.
But essentially the Appalachian Trail crosses with Blue Ridge so there’s quite a trail network. We did about 2 miles on the Benton MacKaye Trail because the start was nearby the cabins we were staying in.
It was perfect weather for a nice walk with the family and we could bring bikes and the dog.
Other options in the area were Falls Branch Falls Trail, Stanley Gap and Flat Creek Loop. Unfortunately for us, a few weeks before we arrived there was a fire so these trails were closed to access while we were there.
We considered going out to Amicalola Falls State Park but it was a 40 minute drive from the cabin and we simply ended up not having the time.
Instead, we ended up driving up to the lake nearby, aptly called Lake Blue Ridge. There’s a couple of recreation areas to choose from and we did a less than 1 mile loop nearby the lake. The lake level is kept low during the winter so it was a little underwhelming but still nice to get outside.
Our final excursion was in Ellijay. We ate lunch at Ellijay Wood Fired Pizza and it was so good! Perfect crust and toppings. The wait was a little long on a Saturday afternoon so make sure to get there a little early.
Finally we stopped by a local soap shop called Green Willow Soap. They’ve got tons of homemade bath bombs – I lost control and bought a box. It smells really good and was festively decorated. The ladies inside were also delightful and very helpful.
I think Blue Ridge is surprisingly delightful for a tourist mountain town with good food and friendly people. Definitely would recommend!