Bret and Mary 
[Updated July 29, 2021] “You don’t choose Asheville… Asheville chooses you.” This enigmatic insight from Peter White, co-owner of the Black Walnut Bed and Breakfast Inn, was a perfect summation of our fascination with what was then still a burgeoning little Blue Ridge mountain town. By our second visit to Asheville in 2014, you could really … Read more
[Updated September 21, 2021] From Anna Ruby and Amicalola Falls to Hemlock, Minnehaha, and Angel/Panther Falls, one of our favorite things about our 2020 staycations has been exploring many of the amazing waterfalls in North Georgia. But until recently we hadn’t made our way to the Richard B. Russell Scenic Hwy to hike the waterfalls … Read more
If you’ve lived in the Southeast for a good portion of your life (as our team has), chances are you’ve been exploring Appalachia and the Blue Ridge range for years. Maybe you’ve visited state parks in North Georgia and North Carolina, hiked to various waterfalls, soaked in the scenery atop majestic mountains, or taken a road … Read more
[Updated November 6, 2021] When I was a young man working to pay my own way through college, I spent 5 years as a cook, manager, and delivery driver at a family-owned Italian restaurant in Atlanta. Those influential years at At’sa Pizza (which was owned by a similarly warm maternal figure) came rushing back to … Read more
[Updated September 21, 2021] From Amicalola Falls and Anna Ruby Falls to Raven Cliff Falls and Panther Creek Falls, the Blue Ridge mountains offer an excellent array of North Georgia waterfall hikes. But of all the waterfalls in Georgia, few offer quite as much of a picturesque bang for your buck as Minnehaha Falls, GA. … Read more
As professional travel writers/photographers, our trips are usually tightly packed with adventures. So much so that we often come home feeling like we need a vacation from our “vacation.” But our stay at the Cottages at Spring House Farms, which offers dog-friendly cottages and cabins near North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest, was very different. Other … Read more
[Updated September 24, 2021] More than 20 years ago, I practiced my budding photography skills while exploring many of the hiking trails with waterfalls in Georgia. From Amicalola Falls and Anna Ruby Falls to Tallulah Falls and Panther Creek Falls, these North Georgia waterfall hikes tapped into my lifelong love of nature and eventually inspired me … Read more
[Updated September 21, 2021] Among the 100+ North Georgia waterfalls, Anna Ruby Falls was both the first I remember visiting as a child and the last one we visited in 2020 before travel was discouraged. Not to be confused with Ruby Falls in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Anna Ruby is one of the four most impressive waterfalls … Read more
In the years leading up to my daughter leaving home for college, I became increasingly conscious of time. The 18 summers we have with our kids seemed to pass all too quickly, leaving us precious few moments to establish strong bonds we hope will last a lifetime. So the timing of our trip to the … Read more
[Updated November 6, 2021] As a boy growing up near the North Georgia mountains, I tended to take the Appalachian food of my family’s roots for granted. Fortunately, traditional Southern food has come a long way over the last few decades, as has the culinary scene in little mountain towns like Blue Ridge, GA. When … Read more
