Book A Cozy Mountain Getaway at a Special Rate

Happy fall, y'all! The leaves have turned and we have set our clocks back, and that means that autumn is in the air. Book a reservation to get away from it all with your family or the one you love from our specials page to get an amazing deal on the perfect fall getaway while the deals last! Don't forget to pack some warm boots for hiking and your coziest socks for snuggling by the fireplace -- we'll keep your hands warm with a mug of hot cider from the kitchen.

When you rent an Above the Rest luxury cabin, mention "chamber10" to receive 10% off any stay of three nights or longer.

Southern Comfort Cabin Rentals is offering a 10% discount to all military, law enforcement, firefighters and teachers.

When you stay six nights with Black Bear Cabin Rentals, your seventh night is free.

At the Reid Ridge Lodge, you can stay your first two nights at rack rate and then pay only $89 per night for the rest of your stay.

Check out our specials page for all the other bargains available this season!

Take A Scenic Train Ride During the Height of Scenic Leaf Season

Our number one must-do this fall is taking a scenic ride through the north Georgia mountains

Photo by Gary Knight

between Blue Ridge and McCaysville during the height of leaf season. It's the perfect romantic adventure and a treat for you, your honey, and the whole family! Snuggle in comfort in a climate-controlled enclosed car or enjoy the crisp fall breeze in an open-air car as the train snakes alongside the Toccoa River. It's the perfect way to relax and enjoy the fall colors! Book a trip from October 1 through November 14, or on the ever-popular Pumpkin Express October 25. Scenic train trips going from Blue Ridge to McCaysville/Copperhill, Tennessee, depart most weekdays in October at 11:00 am, and twice on Fridays and Saturdays, at 10:00 am and 3:00 pm. All trips include a two-hour layover, giving you time to explore Copperhill's shops, sights and restaurants. Call the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway for more information at 877-413-TRAIN (8724), or check out their website for more information.

A Cultural Mecca in the Mountains

Arts and culture abound in Blue Ridge, Georgia, a haven just 90 miles outside of Atlanta via I-575. Blue Ridge is recognized one of the top arts towns in Georgia, and the creative community is "nothing short of remarkable," according to a recent Georgia Council for the Arts case study. The natural beauty of the area draws artists, potters, musicians, creative enterprises and the people who appreciate them. 

Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association & The Art Center

With over 1,000 members, the Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association (BRMAA) has provided the foundation for the development and growth of the arts in Blue Ridge for 35 years. The Art Center, located in the historic Fannin County Courthouse, houses studios, a pottery and kiln studio, five artistic guilds, five galleries and an artist in residence program. BRMAA produces two Arts in the Park festivals each year, Memorial Day and the second weekend in October. The Art Center also has changing exhibits throughout the year. For a complete schedule of events, see the website www.blueridgearts.net 

Blue Ridge Community Theater

Our beautiful new playhouse is located at 2591 East First St., across from The Swan Drive-in. In any given year, the theater has 23 stage productions, 114 performances and 33 weekends of entertainment. Call 632-9223 or visit www.blueridgecommunitytheater.com 

Live Music Venues
The Blue Ridge Community Theater sponsors the Live Music is Better series of concerts by acoustic musicians throughout the year. You can find our more and book tickets at the website link above. 

Pickin in the Park is a weekly series of free casual jam sessions for acoustic musicians held under the trees along the Toccoa River at Horseshoe Bend Park in McCaysville every Thursday evening from 6:00 til dusk, beginning the week of Memorial Day through the end of September. Bring a picnic supper, a lawn chair and your own instrument and join the fun. 

Live Music Downtown 
Live Music Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Blue Ridge Brewery; Most weekends at Christy Lee's Courtyard Grille, The Vine of Blue Ridge, Whistle Stop Grill, Copperhead Lodge and Cartecay Vineyards. Some weekends at Fannin Brewing Co. and Blue Ridge Community Theater. 

Self-Guided Experiences

When you visit Blue Ridge, Georgia, you'll find that there's so much to do, you can hardly schedule it all out. When you find yourself with some unscheduled time, check out our Self-Guided Experiences page, chock full of printable maps with detailed descriptions to make your ambling around much easier. Whether you're looking for a drive down country roads, biking routes and hiking access points, a map of all the waterfalls in the area, or a comprehensive guide

to dining or antiquing, you can find a wealth of easily accessible information all right here. Check out all the water access points in the area! Or maybe learn about the Benton McKaye Trail, the lesser-known cousin of the Appalachian Trail
(which also begins right here in Fannin County). Take a day trip to Dahlonega through "apple alley." These go-to guides will lead you right where you want to go.

Blue Ridge, Georgia's Top 5 Dining Experiences

TripAdvisor.com is an incredible tool for anyone trying to plan a vacation. What better testimonial is there than reviews written by travelers just like you? For the skinny on where to eat, what to do, and where to sleep, TripAdvisor rankings can't be beat. That's why we've selected the top five places to eat in Blue Ridge according to reviews left by vacationers on TripAdvisor and featured them here to give you a little more information on why other visitors think they're awesome. But if none of these tickle your fancy, check out our dining page for the skinny on all the rest of the incredible dining experiences to be had in Georgia's Blue Ridge.

1.) Mercier Orchards
Did you know the scenic Mercier Orchards has a cafe? In addition to rolling hills covered in apple
trees of all varieties, Mercier Orchards has a variety of other fruits available to be handpicked throughout the year, as well as a very special cafe serving up the literal fruits of their labor.

2.) Joe's BBQ

Not only is Joe's BBQ rated the best in Blue Ridge, it's rated the best in the country. You read that read, the best in the entire U.S. of A. That's saying a lot about how good this barbecue is, folks. Make sure to get some while you're visiting!

3.) The Sweet Shoppe

This award-winning cupcakery not only creates such fantastic confections as French toast and bacon cupcakes (a personal favorite), but they serve up cheesecake, fudge and more, as well. And they won The Food Network's Cupcake Wars. Try key lime,
strawberry lemonade, orange dreamsicle, fluffernutter, Moosetracks...

4.) Cantaberry Restaurant
Cantaberry Restaurant is a local eatery known for its soups and sandwiches in a cozy, relaxing cafe atmosphere. One reviewer says, "The prices are average, but the food is WAY above average! Get the large sandwich, as you will wish you had more if you only get
the half portion!" There you have it folks: delicious food at a great price. What's not to love?

5.) Harvest on Main
Harvest on Main is a Blue Ridge destination. Foodies come from far and wide to see what chef and owner Danny Melman is serving as his special each day, and they always enjoy a delicious farm-to-table meal with excellent service. In this rustic atmosphere, conveniently located in the heart of downtown, you're sure to leave the table satisfied.

Unique Lodging Opportunities

Georgia's Blue Ridge is only 90 miles south of Atlanta, but a million miles away from it all. Filled with romantic options for a getaway for two, a family vacation, and girlfriends' getaway, guy's fishing trip, family reunion, or a business retreat, Blue Ridge and Fannin County can offer tons of alternatives to accommodations available in other destinations. Below are some of the highest rated accommodations on TripAdvisor; check out our accommodations page for all the information on our many unique lodging opportunities.

• Comfort Inn & Suites: If your idea of "getting away from it all" doesn't necessarily mean getting away from all the comforts of brand standards and nationally-ranked accommodations, our lodge-themed Comfort Inn & Suites may be for you. The hotel's massive stone fireplace, stone columns and huge lobby filled with overstuffed furniture for maximum comfort provide the perfect place to enjoy the wide windows overlooking a panorama of the Blue Ridge Mountains, all while providing a free breakfast, fitness center, and other amenities you're used to.

• Aska Lodge B&B: With 233 reviews, and 228 of them giving Aska Lodge the best possible rating, you know this is a property you simply can't miss (the remaining 5 reviewers rated the B&B 'Very Good,' and no one has rated it any lower than that). It's the ultimate mountain getaway! Tucked away on a mountain ridge, but only two miles from downtown, it's close to all the activity but also quiet, serene, and relaxing. Kick back on porch swings and rocking chairs to enjoy the hummingbirds and fresh mountain air. 

• Blue Sky Cabin Rentals: We have quite a few cabin rental companies here in Blue Ridge, all of them top-notch, but TripAdvisor has been getting some great reviews of Blue Sky's Change in Altitude cabin lately. This gorgeous home is perched high in the mountains with stunning views, but it easily accessible with a paved driveway. Featuring three bedrooms, three bathrooms and enough space to sleep 6, this luxurious getaway will have you feeling as far away from the real world as you could possibly be.

Visit our website for more information on what to see, do, eat, and where to stay in beautiful Blue Ridge, Georgia!

World class rafting on Blue Ridge’s Ocoee River

Each year, more than 300,000 people shoot the rapids on the Toccoa/Ocoee River in Blue Ridge. During the March through October season, locals and visitors alike take the trip down the river in rafts, canoes, and kayaks. The river has a constant flow rate and continuous waves and holes to ramp up the sense of adventure. Flowing out of Lake Blue Ridge as the Toccoa River, the name changes to Ocoee at the Tennessee border. The class III and IV rapids that highlight the river begin just west of Ducktown, TN. Rafting trips feature the Upper Ocoee, including the Olympic kayaking course created for the 1996 Olympic Games at the Ocoee Whitewater Center; the Middle Ocoee, a five-mile stretch of class III and IV whitewater; and a Full River Trip which includes both sections. Full River Trips are only available on designated days on summer weekends, so check on the dates before you make your plans. Because of the amount of

whitewater on the river, rafting trips are limited to adults and children over the age of 12.

For families with younger kids, or for those who prefer a more relaxing float, tubing trips on the Toccoa in Blue Ridge and McCaysville are available on both the upper and lower sections of the river. Rafting and tubing is also available on the nearby Nantahala River and offers a gentler trip than the Ocoee. New to Lake Blue Ridge is stand-up paddling, an active way to move around the water at your own pace.

Check out the water adventures page on our website for more information on local outfitters and other water adventures in the area.

Top 5 Year-Round Reasons to Spend Some Time in Blue Ridge

If you've ever been to Blue Ridge, we know we don't need to do any convincing to get you to come back. That's the easy part! But if you've never visited us here, you may wonder what makes us special enough to spend your time here instead of elsewhere.

1.) Incredible Dining
Now, when we say "incredible," you can believe it. Restaurants in Blue Ridge have been hailed by all

kinds of publications as world-class. We've got the number one barbecue restaurant in the South, and that alone says a lot! Whether you've got a hankering for upscale or down home, we've got just the restaurant for you.

2.) The Scenery
The scenery. The scenery. Sure, there are plenty of places with a pretty view. But pardon our bragging -- we think ours tops them all. No matter where you choose to stay, you've got the opportunity to look out your window and see the beautiful crystal water of Lake

Blue Ridge, mountain vistas with nary a blemish of the hand of man, or out quaint downtown with visitors and locals milling about the park, tree-lined sidewalks, and historic depot. You can't go just anywhere for views like these.

3.) Proximity to Atlanta
Blue Ridge is only 90 miles north of Atlanta via I-575 and highway 515, but it's a million miles away from the traffic, stress, and anxiety of the big city. A pleasant (and scenic!) drive will bring you right into town, where our cozy shops and galleries will make you feel like you've left that other world altogether and are vacationing in an old fashioned artists' community practically untouched by time.

4.) Unique Attractions
The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway is the attraction that revived the town of Blue Ridge, and it's still an

experience not to be missed. A family-friendly and affordable activity, a ride on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway winds you through the countryside along the Toccoa River, to the sister towns of McCaysville, Georgia and Copperhill, Tennessee, where there is a 2-hour layover for shopping and dining. With seasonal trips year-round, there's always a new adventure! After returning to Blue Ridge, visitors are invited to explore the town's many boutique shopping experiences, including Gawdy Bobbles jewelry and accessories (handmade in town, and featured on the models in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition for several years running), the Blue Ridge Olive Oil Company, showcasing a veritable gallery of flavor-infused and aged vinegars and olive oils, and the Bamboo Fly Rod Company, where craftsman Bill Oyster creates his custom bamboo fly rods with hand-engraved caps, universally known to be the best available. All this and more is right here.

5.) A Cabin With a View
Here in Blue Ridge, you don't just get a room with a view -- you can have a whole cabin (and for the same price as many of those fancy hotel rooms in other places)! You can feel like you're a million miles from civilization while remaining right around the corner from town. Our many rental partners frequently offer specials and discounts to returning customers and visitors booking multi-night rentals, and whether you're looking for something cozy and quaint, or big enough to host a family reunion, we've got you covered. Just check out the accommodations page on our website for a complete listing of all of our partners and the beautiful rentals they offer. If you prefer a bed and breakfast, a lodge, a campground, or a good ole familiar hotel suite, we've got you covered there too. With so many options for accommodations, we really do have something for everyone here!

Waterfalls and Winter Hiking

Have you ever been winter hiking? With all the scenery around Blue Ridge and Fannin County, the time of year when the leaves are down is the perfect time to explore the area.

If you’re a waterfall fan, we’ve got quite the collection! Fall Branch Falls is one of our most popular for visitors, featuring a beautiful double waterfall with mountain laurel and rhododendron growing along the trail and creek bank. A hike up and back down will take about 30 minutes. Amicalola Falls is another popular attraction for water lovers. At 729 feet, it’s the tallest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi River! The Toccoa River Swinging Bridge is popular with day hikers and photography buffs, as it’s surrounded with gorgeous old-growth hemlock trees above white water and shoals.

More experienced hikers may be interested in Turtletown Falls. Turtletown Creek Trail follows the

creek and loops back down to Shinbone Ridge, where beautiful views emerge of the Hiawassee River below and the overlooks of two major waterfalls: Turtletown Falls and Lower Turtletown Falls.

Very experienced outdoorsmen and women may feel up to tackling Jack’s River Falls: located in the Cohutta Wilderness Area on the Jack’s River, this beautiful waterfall is the most visited site in the Cohutta, and is reached by a 4.5 mile trail through rugged wilderness.

For more information on all the hiking and waterfall opportunities, check out this printable pamphlet, and visit our website at BlueRidgeMountains.com.

Blue Ridge: A Real Winter Wonderland

We know the holidays are stressful. All that planning, cooking, cleaning, decorating, un-decorating takes its toll! With the remaining winter season, gather your loved ones (or perhaps just your sweetheart) and make plans to visit beautiful Blue Ridge to unwind and reconnect.

This time of year is truly a winter wonderland in the mountains of Fannin County. You won't be able to believe you're only 90 minutes outside of Atlanta when you experience our forests, mountains, and crystal lake frosted with glittering snow and icicles. Our partners are sharing specials on cabins and other accommodations to help your wallet recover from all of the gift-giving and traveling. And if you're burnt out on cooking, our restaurants have been listed as some of the best and most notable in Georgia. We even have chefs who will prepare your meal inside the comfort of your own cabin! So prop your feet by the fire, warm your hands with a mug of hot coffee, and enjoy the view, because relaxation this winter is all about the convenience and luxury abundant in Georgia's Blue Ridge.

If you'd like even more assurance that Blue Ridge is the best place to warm up your winter, check out this piece by travel journalist and radio show host Becky Beall: http://thetravelvoicebybecky.com/2014/12/03/find-winter-romance-in-blue-ridge-georgia/