When booking summer camps for the girls this year, I went a little crazy and basically booked the girls every week that was available. I think the excitement of being able to send Ruby to a handful of camps got the best of me and wanted to just keep them busy and on a schedule for as much of the summer as possible. Which meant the only week we had available for a vacation was the week of the 4th of July, since all the camps are closed for the holiday. That also happens to be Ruby’s birthday. Lillian and I love the beach and could go every other week, so that is what I really wanted to do for the 4th. But, the prices for the beach on a holiday week are about triple what they are normally, and I just couldn’t pull the trigger on it.
So, we started talking about where we could go that was drivable and maybe just a little bit cooler than home. My dad and step mom have been going to the Blue Ridge Mountains in Georgia for several years and always tell us how much they love it. There are several small towns nestled in the mountains, with tons of breweries, shops, wineries, and tons of activities for everyone.
Where We Stayed
We were able to find a gorgeous house in the mountains that was about a 25 minute drive in any direction to the different towns and activities. It was an 8.5 hour drive from our house, which was about as far as I was comfortable with 3 kids in tow. We were able to book 7 nights, so the drive was worth it for that long of a trip. It was exactly what I needed for this time of year. It was so relaxing, the weather was cooler and we were just able to chill. After staying busy since school let out, it was perfect.
What We Did
On vacations, we choose to still try to keep the girls on somewhat of a normal schedule. Lillian and Stella are old enough now to be able to stay up late a few nights, but it is still important for Ruby and Stella to get their naps. Everyone in the family benefits from the younger two girls getting their naps. So, being bound to naptime can sometimes limit the activities we can do while traveling, but that is fine by us.
Blue Ridge Railway Scenic Railway– came very highly recommended from several travel sites as well as from a few people. You take a train from Blue Ridge, GA to McCaysville, GA and Copperhill, TN along the Toccoa River. McCaysville and Copperhill are neighboring towns, you cannot tell where one starts and the other ends, it’s pretty cool, because the state line runs right thru the town. You can have one foot in Georgia and one foot in Tennessee at the same time. The train is very spacious and clean, there is a large bathroom in each car as well as a snack car. The train moves very slowly and takes a full hour to get into town. It is a beautiful ride and a novel thing to do, as I’ve never traveled by train, nor have our kids. The only downside is the train brings in a ton of people at one time to this little bitty town and you only have two hours to eat and walk around. Think cruise ship coming into port and dumping a ton of people in one area, that is what it felt like. We actually went back to McCaysville a few days later and it was much more enjoyable when the town was not as crowded. So, it was okay. If you want the fun of riding a train, do it. But if you just want to see the town, drive there, you will get a much better experience in town if you aren’t there the same time as everyone else. There are lots of cute shops, restaurants and a few breweries.
Bear Claw Vineyards in Blue Ridge– From everything we had seen, this was the most family friendly vineyard. They have a huge patio, games for the kids and a ton of room to run and play. The girls even walked thru the creek on the property; they loved it. The weather was perfect, we got a couple glasses of wine and sat outside with a meat and cheese platter. They sell a small amount of food, the platter was a prepackaged Boar’s Head selection of meat and cheeses, so nothing fancy, but it was delicious.
Blanche Manor– There are tons of places to go horseback riding in the area, but this was one of the only ones I could find that had pony rides for kids our age. Although, it was not a pony ride, it was a full-grown horse ride. Lillian and Ruby loved it, and they were great at getting the girls on the horse with the appropriate equipment. The ride was about a 15-minute walk around a pasture, but it was exactly what the girls wanted to do. Stella, true to form, wanted nothing to do with it.
Deep Roots Orchard Apple Orchard– was my favorite thing we did on the entire trip. It is a family run apple orchard and apothecary shop where in the fall you can walk thru the vineyards and pick apples. We set up a tractor ride and picnic in the vineyard. The food was amazing, all locally made and packed in a picnic basket with everything we would need. I highly recommend this to anyone; they even have live music in the fall. I could’ve spent hours in the apothecary shop too.
Town of Ellijay– out of all of the little towns we visited, this one was my favorite. We spent the morning just walking around looking in all the stores, grabbed coffee and sweets at Ellijay Coffee house. It was the quintessential small-town vibe that I was looking for when we booked this trip.
2nd Story Entertainment– This is located in downtown Blue Ridge and was the perfect way to beat the afternoon heat. It is a indoor 18 hole putt putt course that weaves in and out of several rooms, several arcade games, a full wall of Where’s Waldo and just about any other family game you can imagine. It was so unique, I had never seen anything like it and wish there was something similar around here.
What We Ate
Habanero’s– in McCaysville, it was the only place we could walk in and get a table when we got off the train, it was just okay. Quick and easy tex-mex.
The Copper Grill– This was just a simple grill; I got a soup and salad. Was good, but nothing fancy. Check when things are open, we went back into McCaysville on a Tuesday and there were not many restaurants open.
Hole in The Wall– It was a really cool little place with great food. They are known for their breakfast, which they serve all day, but the lunch was delicious too. It is a small place and you will probably have to wait for a table, but there are plenty of shops right around it to kill some time.
Ellijay Coffeehouse– I got an Oatmilk Lavender Latte, it was amazing! The girls split a triple berry smoothie and they loved it. It is such a cool and eclectic spot.
Overall, it was a very low key, relaxing trip, which was exactly what I wanted. We were fortunate enough to have my dad and step mom join us for the first half of the trip, traveling with grandparents is always a huge help with the kids. They even cooked all the nights they were there with us, which really made it feel like a vacation for me! They grilled steaks and made burgers and we made pizzas and ate leftovers the rest of the week. We made smore’s on the porch, ran around on the mountains around the house and enjoyed a week of nowhere to be and nothing to do!
