Bret and Mary 
[Updated on 7/20/21] Growing up in Atlanta, the mountain town of Helen GA seemed like another world, with its festive Christmas in Helen celebration and fun Alpine architecture, biergartens, bratwurst, and annual Oktoberfest Fall Festival. But even as a kid I was much more attracted to the natural beauty of Unicoi State Park, which is … Read more
[Updated November 6, 2021] The Expedition Bigfoot Museum is a uniquely intriguing attraction in Cherry Log GA. Located along Highway 515 just minutes outside of Blue Ridge, it’s truly a weird and wondrous must-see for anyone visiting the North Georgia mountains. You don’t have to be a diehard believer in Bigfoot encounters to get a … Read more
[Updated November 9, 2021] Visiting Blue Ridge GA in the ’90s (and even as recently as 2009), there was little indication that this tiny town would soon become a tourism hotspot. Spanning just 2.6 square miles, with a population of less than 1300 people at the time, it felt like any number of other sleepy … Read more
[Updated November 9, 2021] There’s something about exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains that always takes me back to my childhood, growing up in North Georgia. When I was 5 my grandparents bought a trailer on Lake Hartwell, where I first fell in love with nature. When I was 12, we helped build their wood house … Read more
Located in the foothills of the North Georgia mountains (45 miles southwest of Ellijay), the Barnsley Gardens Resort ruins offer a rare glimpse of the state’s pre-Civil War history. Most of Georgia’s early 19th century landmarks were destroyed during Maj. Gen. William Sherman’s march to the sea. The Union Army’s “scorched earth” approach was designed … Read more
Created in 1934 and encompassing 522,419 acres, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in America, attracting more than 10 million travelers each year. Straddling eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is a haven for nature lovers. The most popular Great … Read more
Downtown Asheville, NC History: From Biltmore to the 21st Century Boom. The evolution of North Carolina’s most popular Blue Ridge mountain town.
