Ellijay, GA Travel Guide: A Weekend in the Blue Ridge Mountains

We had the privilege of being invited to stay in this Airbnb in Ellijay, Ga. this past weekend. Before the invitation we had never even heard of Ellijay. We did a little research on the area and didn't find a ton of information, so honestly I was a little unsure about going. We ultimately decided to go because you can't ever go wrong staying in the mountains for a nice getaway. Little did I know that the town + area was going to be such a treasure. And when all was said and done, I really wish we had at least another day there.

We were there in prime fall season so the leaves were changing and it was gorgeous. We would also like to return during the summer so we can partake in all the water activities like kayaking + whitewater rafting. Next time we need to stay at least 3 full day so we have more time to walk around Ellijay + Blue Ridge and to do more shopping and hiking.

I grew up in the Nashville area and we always went to the Gatlinburg area, and so do most people around here. But I'm going to be really honest with you, if you live in the south and your go-to mountain escape is Gatlinburg, you're missing out. I know a lot of people love Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains are beautiful, but it's overcrowded and a little cheesy for my taste. Definitely give the Blue Ridge Mountains a try instead.

The little towns around the mountains are like Stars Hollow (Gilmore Girls reference if you didn't know :) ). They are adorable and have character and I just don't think you get that in Smoky Mountains area. So if you are looking for a mountain getaway look no further than the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.

Where to Eat:

Cantaberry Restaurant, Ellijay + Blue Ridge- We ate a late lunch here and it was so delicious. They have gluten free bread which is always such a gift. Savannah had chicken + wild rice soup that she cannot stop talking about. She actually tried to recreate it at home. I had a shiitake mushroom soup that was gluten free and I liked it a lot more than I expected. We both got the turkey club sandwich and gobbled it right up.

Rum Cake Lady, Blue Ridge + Copperhill-  This is an authentic cuban restaurant that had gluten free options. They even have gluten free rum cake and it was so good. Even my mom + Savannah liked it as much as I did. It was really moist which is rare for gluten free cakes. We all had a Cuban sandwich and I had mine with gluten free bread. The bread was really good and different than most gluten free breads. We all throughly enjoyed our sandwiches. None of us could eat all of ours though so we had the rest of our sandwiches later.

Mercier Orchards, Blue Ridge- We ate breakfast here on our last morning, and I really wish we had more time to spend here. When you eat here, they give you apple cider donut holes. Yummy! They weren't gluten free but Savannah enjoyed them :) They have a winery and make hard apple cider. They actually just have a lot to see + do but unfortunately we had a train to catch.

Kaffee Haus, Blue Ridge- So we technically didn't eat here, but I did have a delicious latte. I had to put it on the list because we all need good coffee shop recommendations.

Where to Shop:

There were a ton of antique shops in the area that we didn't even go into. I could spend hours in an antique shop and we simply didn't have the time. I definitely need to go back so I can leisurely stroll through the many antique shops they have.

The Loving Bull- Savannah + I both bought a few things here and then immediately put them on. We are wearing them in the picture above. They had some cute Ellijay tees that I was tempted to buy. A lot of souvenir tees are tacky or cheesy but they had a really good selection!

Artful Ellijay- This is a lovely home decor place. We love to go into stores like this even if we aren't in the market to buy anything. It's a great way to stay inspired. This is definitely worth a visit.

Mountain Treasures, Ellijay- This store had a little bit of everything. Clothing, gifts, antiques, and best of all the do wine tastings and sell wine. My mom bought a bottle of red wine that we all really loved. What's better than sipping on wine while you are shopping?

Posh + The Weekender, Ellijay- This is a hair salon + boutique. They have higher end items like Johnny Was and a shoe brand I cannot remember. It's nicely curated, just expect to pay a little more for items.

Juliana's Boutique, Ellijay + Blue Ridge - They had a ton of cute fleece pullovers that I was tempted to buy but we had literally just bought some for this trip. We did pick up 2 pairs of cute sunglasses.

Painted Pony, Copperhill - I got a mid length tan coat that I have already worn several times. They have a lot of Native American inspired jewelry here.

What to do:

Hike- There are endless hiking options in the area. We hiked a part of the Appalachian Trail where it meets up with the Benton Mackaye trail at Three Forks. We also hiked to a swinging bridge, and we had quite the adventure getting there. My mom was with us on this trip and I had to take over driving because she was having a mini nervous breakdown. And I don't think my driving made it any better. Hahaha!

The scenery is beautiful and the terrain is challenging but it wasn't something you needed to be in shape for. We ran into a guy who was 4 miles away from finishing the Appalachian Trail which is a 2,181 mile journey. I wish we had time to visit Springer Mountain which is either the start or the finish of the AT depending on which route is taken.

Here are some photos from our hike:

Side note, we all have the same hiking boots. My mom decided to buy the ones we had after she took a little tumble on our last hike together. All that to say, we love them! They are waterproof, tough, support your ankles well, and we like the way they look too. You can get some for yourself here. We HIGHLY recommend having the right hiking boot when you are hiking/adventuring around these parts. Some places it's not necessary, but here it is!

Visit an Apple Orchard- As mentioned earlier, we ate at Mercier Orchard, and the day before we visited the BJ Reece orchard. We hoped to pick our own apples but we were too late in the season for that. We did pick up approximately 100 apples thought. I think I got a little over zealous because I've really been into making apple things- apple sauce, apple butter, and apple cider. I think my eyes were bigger than my stomach. We've been churning out apple things but still have a lot left. They have a several activities that would be great for children. They also have a store with jams + jellies and a zillion flavors of fried pies and donuts.

Visit a Winery- I put this on here because there so many wineries. We sadly did not get to visit one, but you should go if you have time.

Take a scenic train ride- We took a train from Blue Ridge to Copperhill, Tn. It's an hour train ride there and then you have 2 hours in Copperhill. There are several restaurants and shops that you can walk to. The train ride gives you the beautiful mountain scenery and a view of the Toccoa River. Full disclosure: the tickets were around $50, so if you are on a tight budget, I would skip this. We enjoyed the train ride, but honestly I felt like I got to experience the views just by hiking and walking around. It was nice and peaceful to be able to just sit, ride, and to be immersed in the fall leaves.

Where to stay:

Magnolia House- This was the whole reason we came and we absolutely loved this house! Kim was the perfect host and we are so happy she reached out to us. The house is immaculate and if you love the Chip + Jo decor style, this place is for you. The hardwood floors are drool worthy. The house is located 5 minutes from downtown Ellijay. There is also a fire pit outback which we were happy to use. Kim left us farm fresh eggs and fresh fruit which was such a nice touch. I am sad to say that we never had a chance to take our own pictures of this beautiful space. The picture here is from the listing. Also, check out this link to get $40 off your first Airbnb stay.

So the next time you are thinking of visiting the mountains, think about the ole Blue Ridge Mountains in Georgia. And if you get the chance to go when the leaves are changing- do it!

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5 Tips For Your Weekend in Gatlinburg, TN

A few hours east of Nashville is a town called Gatlinburg. If you've lived in Nashville long enough, you've probably been there. We recently spent a weekend there celebrating Casey's birthday with her mom. We made fudge, watched movies, explored the mountains and ate a LOT of food. We did a lot of research before our trip and really didn't know what we wanted to do, except relax. We couldn't find any guides that fit our interests, so we wanted to create one to give you some tips for your next trip to the mountains! Let's get started...

1. Make sure your timing is right. What time of year will be best for your trip? You will really want to keep the weather in mind. Fall would be a beautiful time to go and see all the leaves changing colors, but keep in mind that everyone will also have that thought and it will be crowded. Maybe crowds don't bother you- I definitely would like to go back at this time. If it's going to snow, you'll want to make sure you are staying in a place where you can easily get to it. We stayed in a place with a wicked climb. I mean you can't expect much different- it's the mountains! But some drive ups are better than others. Do you have snow tires? We don't. Just use common sense and do a little research and you will be fine!

2. Stay outside of town. Part of the reason we stayed in this Airbnb was for this view right here. This is the exact Airbnb we stayed in. If you use this link you can get $40 off your first stay! At first we were a little bummed that we were 25-30 minutes away from Gatlinburg, but it turns out that it was a blessing in disguise. We were in Townsend which is right by a park entrance and away from all the crowds of Gatlinburg. There were plenty of restaurants and even shops just 5 minutes from our Airbnb and we didn't have to wait to get in. The pace was slow which was exactly what we were going for the trip.

3. Know before you go. This is a little nugget my mom told us growing up and it's a brilliant thing to live by. It was usually in reference to my brothers heading out to a dirt bike track, but it can be applied to any place you are going. We wanted to go to Clingman's Dome, but when we got to it it was closed! It closes every year on December 1. It was December 2! Missed it by a day. There's a really cool lookout right there so we went there instead. We had a few hikes and places in mind, but we kind of just played it by ear. This was totally okay as our group of 3 was pretty easy-going. But if you don't have a lot of time or want to see very specific things, make sure those places are open. Also, make sure weather hasn't changed anything. And make sure you have enough time to get there and back in the daytime. Really, just make a plan. It's always good to see what everyone's expectations are.. and then lower them. Sounds a little depressing, but it's true!

4. Give yourself enough time. We were lucky enough to be able to head out Friday morning and get to Townsend in the early afternoon. We left Sunday so this gave us just enough time to see what we wanted. I still found myself wishing we had one more day just to hang out in our cozy cabin. Since you are in the mountains, it takes twice as long to get everywhere. So many things we did were 30 and 40 minutes away from each other. That really starts to add up when you are only there for a couple days. Also, make sure you give yourself enough time to get home before dark. These are the mountains. The roads wind for days. Safety first!

5. Relax. This was our main reason for heading out to Gatlinburg. I had never been and was excited to see what all the hoopla was about. Turns out, it just really isn't my flavor. Or Casey's. Or her moms. I could forego the whole strip and stay by the park just for scenery and time away. Make sure you take time to relax and enjoy the beauty of your surroundings. If you don't think you like Gatlinburg, maybe give it a try by staying in Townsend and not even going to fight the crowds. The Great Smoky Mountains are the real reason to go anyway!

Places we ate: Log Cabin Pancake House, Greenbrier Restaurant, and Elvira's Cafe. We would definitely recommend Greenbrier and Elvira's! Greenbrier is tucked away on a hill and it overlooks the mountain. Elvira's was fast and easy for breakfast and right by our Airbnb! We had to wait in line at Log Cabin and the food was good enough, but it was just breakfast and they were not accommodating at all with Casey and her celiac. I have zero tolerance for people who refuse to take celiac seriously, so we wouldn't go here again. Places we wished we had eaten at: Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant. Due to time, we didn't make it here, but it was on our list! Casey and her mom have eaten there before and loved it, but this was pre-celiac Casey. Maybe next time we will make it there!

Oh we also rode the Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster! I really just wanted to see what this was about, and it was fun, but not worth the $16/person it costs. It was just over so fast. Casey made a good point that you could almost buy a ticket to Dollywood for the price and ride many more coasters. Not that we wanted to go to Dollywood. I'm glad I experienced the mountain coaster, but I would not necessarily urge you to ride it. 

All in all, the things I thought I was going to like about Gatlinburg were underwhelming at best. BUT the good news is that the things I didn't even really think about- being in a small town in the mountains with a great view and a hot tub and gas fireplace- were the best parts! So if you are headed to see The Great Smoky Mountains, our suggestion is to try out Townsend. Definitely try to go when Clingman's Dome is open- I WILL be going back to that one day when it is open. Bring some food with you because the grocery stores are few and far between and they have very limited selections. Casey's mom made us a taco soup for dinner one night and I made a white chocolate fudge (recipe coming soon.) Jump in the hot tub, watch some movies and sit by the fire. Stare at the mountains because they are magnificent. Most importantly, go to slow down for a few moments. It'll be worth it!

xo, Savannah

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