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American Roads Travel Magazine - Mountain Roads
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Mountain Roads

There is magic in the air in the North Georgia Mountains. Everything is just a little different. The streams tumble faster. The lakes are bluer. Life moves at a slower pace. The air is a little fresher and music always seems to be lurking in the background. And is the food really better or do you just have a better appetite? Even the fun is different. Different but better. It's not a plastic theme park contrived fun. It's just good old get back to nature fun.

Today, the North Georgia Mountains is a popular destination for visitors from all over the world. They are drawn to the culture, the scenery and the spectacular autumn colors. Cabins, bed and breakfasts, and campgrounds have sprung up to accommodate them. Businesses like Majestic Mountain Getaways offer private cabins all over the area. This is one way to feel more like you are living in the mountains instead of just vacationing.

Waterfall at Vogel flows off Lake Trahlyta

Although modern facilities such as dozens of excellent restaurants, groceries, and shops are available, the soul of its early settlers, and the even earlier Cherokee, still is alive and well here. The changes came slowly to the mountains, and it was during this period of change that a tragic and talented figure arose.

Byron Herbert Reece was born September 14, 1917, in Union County. The cabin at the base of Blood Mountain in which Hub, as he was called, was born is long gone. Lake Trahlyta, a man-made lake built with the coming of the Tennessee Valley Authority–and electricity–in the early 1940s, has swallowed it. But he has left behind some of the most beautiful and haunting poetry of the 20th century. And at the Young Harris College Campus perhaps something of his spirit still remains. Torn between the past and the present, Hub Reece struggled to maintain the family farm, write four volumes of poetry and two novels, and deal with deadly tuberculoses that struck his entire family. Although he never graduated from college, he was hired at Young Harris as a professor. He commuted back and forth between the college dorm where he lived and the family farm he continued to work despite his own disintegrating health. Disillusioned with the changes coming to his beloved mountains and ravaged by his fatal disease, ‘Hub" finished grading his students' final papers, put a Mozart record on his player and fatally shot himself through his diseased lung with a 32 caliber pistol. It was on June 3, 1958, just a few months before his 41st birthday. Hub's story, along with the saga of the mountain peoples' collision with the modern world, is kept alive with the help of the Byron Herbert Reese Society and lots of local labor at the Byron Herbert Reece Farm and Heritage Center on U.S. 129 just north of Vogel State Park. 

A spinner keeps the tradition alive at
one of Blairsville's festivals.

The old way of life that Hub loved is still preserved in the many area festivals. The last three weekends in October, which just happen to be the time the leaves are their most colorful, are devoted to the Sorghum Festival in Blairsville held at Meeks Park. A celebration of the old ways, it features contests of log splitting, rock throwing, pole climbing, biscuit eating, and of course Sorghum grinding and cooking. Local artisans display their wares, and mountain music forms a happy background.

The first weekend in October, the tiny hamlet of Suches in the southwestern corner of the county plays host to the Indian Summer Festival held in the historic Woody Gap School. Built in 1940 as a WPA project, Georgia's smallest school has been in continuous use for over 70 years but is still preserved much as it was originally built.

Three major festivals showcase local arts and crafts in Blue Ridge: Arts in the Park, held on Memorial Day weekend; the Annual Mountain Harvest Fair, held on the third and fourth weekends of October; and the Holiday Art Show and Sale, held in November and December.

Blacksmith at Georgia Mountain Fair

Towns County is not left out in the festival department. It hosts the biggest in the area. The Georgia Mountain Festival is held at the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds on the banks of Lake Chatuge. The advantage is that the permanent buildings like the pioneer village give the fair an authentic touch. These old buildings, like the old one-room schoolhouse and the log cabin, lend to the feeling you have stepped into another time. And that's what the festival is all about, recreating the mountain culture of the early Appalachian settlers.

There are ongoing demonstrations of Appalachian life such as the log splitting, blacksmithing, soap and candle making. An authentic water mill grinds meal you can purchase. Antique farm implements, many on loan from local families, are on display. One popular exhibit is Making Moonshine, presented by Mr. Luther Mull. He takes you through each step of the process with an expertise that makes you wonder. He explains his intimate knowledge with the phrase "or so I've been told."

 

In addition to a trip into yesterday, you are treated to an extensive group of artists and craftspersons, lots of food booths, a complete carnival midway and lots of animal acts.

The adjacent Anderson Music Hall, where some of Nashville's best Grand Ole Opry performers have appeared, hosts two professional music shows daily during the summer fair while the Georgia State Fiddler's Convention is held in the fall during the Georgia Mountain Fall Festival.  The highlight of the festival is their annual competition for "Georgia Mountain Fiddle King."

Billy Ray Cyrus performing at Anderson Music Hall

In fact, one of the common threads in all the mountain communities is the music. Mountain music is still alive and well here. Any weekend from spring through fall you will hear dulcimers and banjos and fiddles playing the old songs. On Saturday, from Memorial Day through the middle of September, Vogel State Park presents a concert by different area musicians. The concerts are free; however, donations are requested for the musicians. Mountain Music Festival is a popular music/arts and crafts festival held at Vogel in September. Cabins and camping spots at the park are booked many months ahead for this festival. Vogel also has swimming and fishing in Lake Trahlyta. Just north of the park there is an overview for the waterfall. Vogel is the second oldest state park in Georgia, built in the 1930s.

Cain't Hardly Playboys at Union County Courthouse

Another popular spot for free concerts on Friday night is the old Blairsville Court House, currently housing the Historical Society and a museum telling the early history of the county. Many of the musicians go into the history of the songs and instruments. The courthouse, which is over 100 years old, has been painstakingly renovated and is complete including the clock tower. It is located on the square in Blairsville. The square and the surrounding area are home to many shops and restaurants.

Guide Josh Garrison in Lake Nottely

Water fun is a popular pastime here. Lake Nottely provides a 4,180-acre body of water for fishing, boating or swimming. You can hire a fishing guide like Josh Garrison to catch the big hybrid bass or just explore the lake. Lake Winifred Scott is another popular lake. Nottely River provides an opportunity for tubing, fishing or wading.

A flock of Canada geese on Lake Chatuge

The Ridges Resort in Hiawassee offer tours and kayak or canoe rentals on Lake Chatuge. All of the local lakes are great kayaking/canoeing spots. Another popular pastime is visiting the county's many waterfalls. Desoto Falls, Helton, and Dukes Creek Falls are the major ones, but there are countless tiny falls located throughout the national forest. The many wildlife areas are great places to visit if you want to spot some bears, deer or other native animals. Just remember that bears are wild and should not be fed.

Lee Mansfield feeds some of the alpacas

If you want to see a truly unusual animal that you can feed or handle, visit Alpacas 4U2C. This alpaca farm, run by Lee and Joanne Mansfield, is a real treat. When we visited there were six babies of different ages. We got to feed and pet them. It is obvious that Lee and Joanne really love their animals. They also sell items made of the resident alpaca's wool. Joanne explained that they do not dye the hair so they can tell just which animal's coat is used to create each item. Of course, this is a serious business and the Mansfields are registered breeders. They work hard to improving the breeding population. If you are considering going into the alpaca breeding business, here is where you want to buy your animals. Not only have these alpacas been given all the food and care they require, they have been amply provided with another important item, love.

Hiking is also popular. The granddaddy of all trails, the Appalachian Trail crosses Union County at Neals' Gap. Mountain Crossings at Walasi-Yi Center, located there, is an outfitter, hostel and general gathering place for hikers. The owner, Winton Porter, recently wrote a great book highlighting stories and people he's met on the trail and at the shop through the years. It's called Just Passin' Thru .  He also has a Boot Museum at the shop.  Look up and you will see a plethora of well-worn hiking boots when you walk into the shop. You might call it a custom-fitted museum.

Blue Ridge Senic Railroad

Another unique attraction that is reminiscent of the "Good Old Days" is the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway. Riding the rails has always had an air or romance and adventure to it. In today's hustle bustle world, the railway has almost become a part of our lost past. Almost, but not quite. In Blue Ridge, Georgia, at the gateway to the Appalachians, it is alive and well. The histories of the railroad and Blue Ridge are irrevocably tied together. In 1887 the Marietta and North Georgia Railroad picked this spot for the area hub, and the town of Blue Ridge was incorporated. It quickly became a boomtown as a result of the great iron road. Investors and tourists flocked there for many of the same reasons they do today, inspirational mountain views and a healthy laid-back lifestyle. The boom, like all booms, ended, but Blue Ridge persisted.

The Antique Vault on Main street inBlue Ridge

Today, the old section around the depot has become a haven for artist and antique shops. Many of the buildings, like the depot, are on the National Historic Register. The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway is one of only two Georgia excursion trains. What was once the Fannin County Bank has now become the Antique Vault. It proudly displays the two vaults, one inside the other, as a showroom for nostalgic pieces of the past. What a fitting use for a historic building! Blue Ridge Antiques and countless other shops make this a prime shopping spot for collectors.

Lindsey's Malt shop

Before you board the train for a trip in time, go back to the ‘50s at Lindsey's Malt Shop. Here, James Dean, Elvis and Marilyn welcome you to the days of the soda fountain and the jukebox. If you wish to go farther back in time, visit the Victorian Tea Room just down Main Street. Of course, if you want to stay in a "railroad mood," there is the Depot Cafe, just next to the station. If you are just hungry for good food, the Deli Difference is great. The building is new, and there is no history, but the soup and sandwiches are fresh and delicious. For gourmet coffee and dessert the Curio Cafe is hard to beat.

Just as you feed the body, you must also feed the soul. The Books and Artworks will do just that. Owner Pam Carruth provides an outlet for the local artists and craftspersons. She says, "About 70 percent of the items are locally made, but if I find something I truly like, I bring it in no matter where it's from."

Eric Seifarth. owner at Crane Creek Winery, explains vintages

For the visitor who likes less traditional pursuits there are lots of options. You can visit a working winery, Crane Creek Vineyards, in Towns County. The grapes are grown right there and made into some delicious vintages.

The Butternut Creek Golf Course in Blairsville and the Brasstown Valley Resort in Young Harris provide a championship 18-hole course with some of the best scenery around. Brasstown Valley Resort is a complete resort with a restaurant, gift shop, pub, spa, equestrian center, nature trails and a star-gazing observatory. Brasstown Valley Resort has some interesting exhibits of the Native American and early settler artifacts dug up during the excavation process while the resort was being built. Until recently, it was one of the few places you could get an alcoholic beverage. A recent change in the law will now allow alcohol to be served by the glass in many establishments.

Owltown Market, once a grocery/gas station, is now serving salads, breakfasts, sandwiches and barbeque and has set up a large events room complete with a dance floor. They offer live entertainment from great local bands and have applied for their liquor license. Looks like a lot of fun.

The second and third weekend in October is a special time to visit. That is Sorghum Festival time and as an added bonus, the woods put on their own show. The trees up and down the mountainside are covered with a calico blanket of leaves that dazzle you eyes and delight your heart.

There is one problem visitors to the North Georgia Mountains have to contend with after a visit. The mountains will weave their magic on you and draw you back again and again. Maybe it seems so magical in the mountains because it is real. Maybe with our high tech thrill rides and artificially created perfection we are missing out on the real thing.

 

For more info:

 Blairsville/Union County Chamber of Commerce www.blairsvillechamber.com/

Towns County Chamber of Commerce www.mountaintopgeorgia.com

Fannin county Chamber of Commerce www.blueridgemountains.com/

Majestic Mountain Getaways www.majesticmountaingetaways.com/     

Paradise Cabins www.paradise-cabins.com/

Ridges Resort 706) 896-2262 www.theridgesresort.com/

Brasstown Valley Resort www.brasstownvalley.com/

Blue Ridge Mountain Railway www.brscenic.com/

Blairsville/Union County Chamber of Commerce 706-745-5789 www.visitblairsvillega.com

Josh Garrison (fishing guide) 706) 745-4802 www.fishgarrison.com

Vogel State Park – www.georgiastateparks.org

Georgia Mountain Fair – www.georgiamountainfairgrounds.com

Mountain Crossings – www.mountaincrossings

Alpacas 4U2C www.alpacas4u2c.com/

Hole in the Wall www.holeinthewallga.com/

Crane Creek Vineyard www. cranecreekvineyards .com

Byron Herbert Reece Heritage Center www.byronherbertreecesociety.org/byron_herbert_reece_farm.htm

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