Bret and Mary 
[Updated on November 26, 2021] After becoming empty nesters in 2019, my lady and I decided that we wanted to start the process of looking for our future home. I’d grown up hiking in the North Georgia mountains with my family, spending many a memorable summer day at my grandparents’ humble cabin on Lake Hartwell. … Read more
[Updated November 26, 2021] If you spend much time exploring outdoor attractions in my native state, you’ve gotta wonder who’s responsible for naming the countless waterfalls in Georgia. And more importantly, why aren’t their names more distinctive? For instance, the Angel Falls Trail leads to one of our favorite waterfalls in Rabun County GA. But … Read more
[Updated on 7/20/21] I can remember my first visit to northwest Georgia’s Cloudland Canyon State Park like it was yesterday, despite the fact that it was nearly 27 years ago. That trip was the first time I went camping with my family as an adult, nearly 20 years after we hiked the Georgia section of … Read more
Although I’ve been exploring the North Georgia State Parks, waterfalls, and hiking trails near Blue Ridge and Helen since I was a boy, for some reason the town of Clayton never really popped up on my family’s radar. It wasn’t until late 2020 that we finally explored northeast Georgia’s Rabun County in depth, and we were … Read more
[Updated on 7/16/21] From Amicalola Falls and Red Top Mountain to Unicoi and Vogel, we’ve explored quite a few of the state parks in Georgia in the 12 years we’ve been traveling together. But our trip to Black Rock Mountain State Park last September firmly established the 1743-acre park near Clayton GA as our favorite. … Read more
[Updated July 27, 2021] With only one or two Blue Ridge Parkway hotels in North Carolina, it’s not easy to find accommodations along the world-famous route during the peak season in Autumn. We wanted to bring our furry friends (Boo-Boo and Huckleberry) along for the ride when we visited in October, so instead we searched … Read more
Growing up in the heart of Atlanta in the 1970s, nature was something we really only saw on school field trips. Whether it was the Atlanta Zoo, the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, or Stone Mountain Park, these magical places offered a taste of peace and serenity we rarely experienced in the city. The first time our … Read more
[Updated April 3, 2024] During our 2009 visit to Blue Ridge, Georgia, restaurants were not really among the small town’s major selling points. Sure, there were a few decent places to eat in Blue Ridge back then, but none were especially worthy of note. The only one I remember fondly– a New Orleans eatery on … Read more
[Updated September 21, 2021] Anytime someone in our Blue Ridge Mountains Facebook groups asks about the best easy to moderate hiking trails in North Georgia, we recommend the waterfalls near Helen GA. Anna Ruby Falls (.8 miles) and Helton Creek Falls (.3 miles) are both easy hikes that offer extraordinary payoff for minimal effort. … Read more
Emerald Village is located just 31 miles from Asheville and three miles off the Blue Ridge Parkway. The family-friendly attraction proved to be one of our favorite things to do in Little Switzerland NC, one of our favorite little tourist towns in the state. Featured on shows such as National Geographic Channel’s The Savage Line … Read more