Spooky Stuff in Georgia's Blue Ridge

Blue Ridge, GA
Lots of spooky stuff is going on in Blue Ridge and McCaysville for Halloween this weekend! 

Mercier's Halloween S.P.O.O.F. (spooky pumpkin old orchard fest)
October 29 and 30th from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. 
Kids spooky house, duck pond, bon fire, s'mores and lots of other fun stuff.  $6 for a tractor ride to the old apple house where you can select a pumpkin, participate in activities and have some hot apple cider!  Call 800-361-7731 for more info.
U-Select Pumpkins Take a tractor ride into the orchard and pick your pumpkin without the SPOOF!  Friday, Saturday and Sunday this weekend.

Halloween Horror Putt Putt - The Lilly Pad Village on Aska Road
Every night 7 p.m. through 10 p.m. through October 31st. 
Menacing ghouls, scary creatures of the night, eerie music, creepy fog and so much more at the second annual Halloween Horror Putt Putt at Lilly Pad Village.  Also come to the Third Annual Halloween Party on Saturday.  For more information, call The Lilly Pad at 706-534,1317.

SCARY Haunted House at Blue Ridge Community Theater
A Terrible Way to Die!!
For kids 13 years and older ONLY!  October 28, 29 and 30 from 7 p.m. to midnight.  $10 at the door.  Right accross from the Swan Drive In on East First Street.  Call 706-632-9223.
Enter at your own risk!

Blue Ridge Ghost Tours
Weekly tours of local ghosts and folklore, including the Ghosts of Downtown Blue Ridge, Ghost of Tilly Bend Church, local legends and stories.  For reservations call 706-455-9866 or see http://www.blueridgeghosttour.com/. 

Halloween Safety Zone in McCaysville/Copperhill, Tenn.
Friday, October 29th from 5 to 8 p.m.  Halloween Costume Contest at the First Baptist Church parking lot beginning at 4:15 to 4:50 p.m.  Halloween Parade begins at 5 p.m. and UCBI Scream Contest at 6 p.m.  For more information, call 706-492-6014.


Halloween Safety Zone in Downtown Blue Ridge
Saturday, October 30th from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Hundreds of costumed kids and grown-up kids plus your pets are welcome gather in downtown Blue Ridge to celebrate. Fun begins at 6:00 and runs until 8:30. Costume contest begins at 6:15, with a pet contest at 7:30. Halloween Movies in the park beginning at dusk.

Fabulous Fall in Georgia's Blue Ridge



Fabulous color in years past near the Depot in Downtown Blue Ridge. 

 Blue Ridge, GA 
It's finally Fall in Georgia's Blue Ridge and time to celebrate the harvest! Now showing -- rapidly changing colors in the hills -- brilliant red dogwoods and sourwoods and early golds on display. Goldenrod and fall wildflowers, red sumac berries, hay bales and corn shucks along the roadsides. Locals especially watch the trees near the Depot in Downtown Blue Ridge for early changes in color; they are sure signs that Fall is here.



  The best way to experience the Georgia Mountains in the fall is by simply taking a driving tour.  Driving tour suggestions?  There are three great choices on our Fannin Chamber website, http://www.blueridgemountains.com/, select Self Guided Tours.  Driving Tour Number One is a loop through the mountains and countryside, Driving Tour takes you on an adventure in the Cohutta Wilderness, and Driving Tour Number Three is a day trip to Dahlonega and Ellijay's Apple Alley.



Fall is the season of festivals in the Georgia Mountains, and Blue Ridge celebrates the season each year with the Mountain Harvest Fair on the last two weekends of October; this year beginning on Saturday, October 16th. But festivals aren't the only way to celebrate the bounty of fall in Blue Ridge. Help harvest the apples yourself at Mercier Orchards and Mountainview Orchards by picking your own! Load up on mountain honey, apple butter, fried pies and apple fritters.

You can't beat the view from the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway anytime during Fall as it travels along the Toccoa River between Blue Ridge and McCaysville.  But kids especially enjoy the Punkin' Pickin' Special, this year on October 24th.
The train visits the "great pumpkin patch" of Farmer Brown and kids pick their own special pumpkins.

Mercier Orchards has its own "SPOOF," Spooky Pumpkin Old Orchard Fest beginning October 22, with lots of fun activities.  More info on their Facebook Page.  Become a fan while you're there!

Paws in the Park is a fun new fall celebration on October 23rd in Downtown Blue Ridge.  Bring your pet for a parade, pet costume contest and more, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  For more information, call 706-632-7311.

More to come soon on a Fabulous Fall 2010 in Blue Ridge, GA.  If you haven't booked your cabin yet for Fall, Thanksgiving or Christmas, hurry up!  See cozy cabin specials on our website before it's too late!

Staying Cool in Georgia's Blue Ridge

Rafting the Toccoa River in Blue Ridge, Ga

Blue Ridge GA

It's mid-August in Blue Ridge and temperatures are beginning to shift downward a little this week.  That being said, folks are still looking for cool ways to stay cool, since Lake Blue Ridge has become somewhat inaccessible due to repairs on the dam.  There are still plenty of ways to stay cool, with miles and miles of chilly mountain water in area rivers and streams.  The coolest way to stay cool, according to our Facebook Poll is tubing the Toccoa River, both above the Lake Blue Ridge dam on Aska Road and below the dam in McCaysville.

Tubing the Toccoa River above the Dam.

Tubing above the dam is a slow and easy ride for those who want to take in the beautiful scenery. Trips can

be booked with Toccoa Valley Campground, 706-838-4317. Famous for its pink tubes, Toccoa Valley will put you in the water at its campground and pick you up at the Shallowford Bridge two to three hours later downstream.

For a shorter (and sometimes faster) trip, try tubing the Toccoa in McCaysville.  One-hour trips are offered by Rolling Thunder River Company, 800-408-7238, and by Toccoa River Adventures.  Both companies also rent funyaks and rafts.

Also don't forget the coolest adventure in Georgia's Blue Ridge, whitewater rafting on the Ocoee River or the Nantahala River in North Carolina.  Professional guides offer trips from March to October, plenty of time to plan a trip.  Find a list of whitewater rafting guides on our website.  Another very cool adventure is playing in the cool pools of water at the Ocoee Whitewater Center (currently on Thursdays and Fridays).  There are lots of great swimming holes, but watch out for slippery rocks.  The Whitewater Center also offers hiking and biking trails, picnic areas and snack bar.

Toccoa River at the Swinging Bridge

But perhaps the coolest thing of all is to find a clear mountain stream and simply enjoy the sound the water makes as it rushes by.  Suggested spots ... Horseshoe Bend Park, Tammen Park or the Swinging Bridge on the Toccoa River, Noontootla or Rock Creek in the Chattahoochee National Forest, Jacks River in the Cohuttas.

Lake Blue Ridge Dam Repairs Underway

Blue Ridge, GA

The summer months have been been busier than ever in Georgia's Blue Ridge and school is starting back much too soon. Meanwhile, the Tennessee Valley Authority has started to draw down Lake Blue Ridge for repairs to the penstock and rehabilitation of the dam, a project which will take one year for the lake side and another for the Toccoa River side of the dam.  Old Highway 76 over the dam has been closed for the duration.

When it comes to the Lake Blue Ridge dam rehabilitation, there's bad news and good news. The bad news is we lose our lake for about one year, and access over the dam for two years. Good news is the dam will be safer and once we get the lake back, we won't lose it every five years for deep drawdowns.


The lake drawdown has record numbers of visitors tubing the Toccoa River in the brisk, fast moving waters created as TVA withdraws water from Lake Blue Ridge at record speed. It is expected that the water will continue to be drawn down 24-hours every day until about the middle of August, when withdrawals will be reduced from seven feet per week to three feet per week. Meanwhile, trout fishing is best in areas above the dam in the higher elevations. Lake Blue Ridge is still open for fishing and all of our boat ramps are still accessible at this time.

Although people are still swimming at Morganton Point, every day, as the water recedes, the hike to the water's edge gets longer and longer. As of August 1, Old Highway 76 over the Lake Blue Ridge dam has been closed and will remain so until the repair of the penstock and the dam is complete about two years from now. TVA hopes to complete work on the penstock and dam rehabilitation on the lake side by Spring 2011; the refill will depend on the rain. For current lake elevations and release times, see the TVA website.

Surfing in Georgia's Blue Ridge Mountains

Blue Ridge, GA 

How do you surf in Georgia's Blue Ridge mountains?  Stand-up paddling -- via surfboard and long paddle, is all the rage across the country.  Now you can actually stand-up paddle surf on the lakes and rivers of the Blue Ridge area, "bringing the Hawaiian spirit of Aloha and Surfing to North Georgia."  Surf Blue Ridge provides lessons and rentals for this new sport.

Established by Chris Tilghman and his wife, Rhonda, Surf Blue Ridge's stand-up paddling experiences can offer peaceful enjoyment of nature, power paddling or a downriver rush. The sport provides core strengthening, endurance, balance and "oneness with the water and nature," according to Chris.

Lake Blue Ridge (pictured above) has been the setting for a number of sunset paddling trips this summer, but the local rivers can offer a totally different experience.  It's hard to imagine a whitewater stand-up paddling trip, but Chris says it's the area's newest sport.

Surf Blue Ridge is located in downtown Blue Ridge at 500 East Main St., 706-889-8747.  Give them a call to try out this new Blue Ridge mountain adventure.

Experience the Blue Ridge Farmers Market

On Saturday mornings, the place to be is the Blue Ridge Farmer's Market, from 8 a.m. to noon on West Main Street in Downtown Blue Ridge City Park (across the street from the Fannin County Courthouse and the Art Center).  A trip this past Saturday was way beyond expectations, with both the number and quality of vendors.The poster above was designed by Ande Cook, who brought her art, veggies and herbs to market in her own pick-up.  Ande has a beautiful blog at: http://chickory.blogspot.com/

We bought wonderful Amish bread and banana bread, homemade "Blue Ridge Stew," peach preserves, green beans and potatoes.  But there were lots and lots of other things, including handmade bird houses, crafts, fresh flowers, plants and herbs, baked goods, pickles, apple butter, tomatoes, cucumbers and squash, just to name a few.  Thanks so much to the organizers of the Blue Ridge Farmer's Market, and thanks for bringing it back to downtown Blue Ridge. Check out the market blog at

blueridgefarmersmarket.blogspot.com

Farmer's Market folks at first day of market in Downtown Blue Ridge.

At the same time as the farmer's market, there was lots of activity in Downtown Blue Ridge, including the park.  Kids were dancing at the bandstand near the market, playing at the playground and generally having fun in the park.  The Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Center is now open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and had a beautiful quilt show going on in addition to the regular exhibits.  The gift shop is also open on Saturdays.  See what's coming next at http://www.brmaa.net/

Quilt featured at The Art Center Quilt Show.

Remembering the Good Times in Blue Ridge

A ride on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway brings back

simpler times and sweet memories to many who remember

when the railroad was the way to travel.

Blue Ridge, Ga.

A wonderful blog on a first time rider's experience on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway brought to mind some of the things we take for granted here in Blue Ridge.  People like Lana, who wrote the blog and took wonderful pictures of her experience, love the railroad and other small town pleasures here, because they bring to mind a simpler time.  We sometimes forget that the small town "Mayberry-ness" of Blue Ridge brings back some very poignant memories for those who come here and experience small town life once again.  For Lana, the railway brought back thoughts of her childhood, her parents and grandparents, and the way they lived back "in the day."

One of three remaining drive-in theaters in

Georgia, the Swan plays first run movies.

There are those of us who spent lots of nights at the drive-in movie as kids and teenagers (maybe in the back seat or hiding in the trunk to sneak in?)  Yesterday in our Fannin County Chamber Welcome Center, one of our visitors got really excited because we have a drive-in movie theater called The Swan here in Blue Ridge.  Well, it's pretty special to have a drive-in movie theater that plays the top movies every week, and those of us who live here probably don't appreciate it enough.  People take their picnics and lawn chairs and really enjoy an evening under the stars, not to mention the funnel cakes.  It's an experience you simply can't have anywhere else.  This weekend "Toy Story Three" and "Prince of Persia" are playing on the double-feature.  Adults are $6 and kids are $3. So pack the kids in the car and head over to The Swan about "dark-thirty" for a little nostalgia under the stars.

                           

 Sometimes it's just a simple view, a country church or a field of cattle, that can bring us a connection with the past and a feeling of quiet joy.

                                                   

Sometimes the simplest sights, like a field of cattle, can stir up the most powerful sense of well-being.  We take for granted that these soothing and beautiful sights are ours to see every day, and keep forever.  If you come to Blue Ridge, be sure to take the time for a scenic drive along our rural countryside. The beautiful landscape and the peace and quiet will remind you of what matters in life.

People bring their kids to the

mountains, because they want them

to experience the outdoors, catch a fish

or pick an apple. 

These days kids are raised in subdivisions and spend their play time with scheduled activities 9 to 5.  People bring their kids here to hike in the woods, catch a fish, pick a strawberry or an apple -- things we take for granted are very special for kids with very little unstructured time at home.  A family trip to the mountains gives new meaning to the term "quality time."