Consider a Cabin in North Georgia
Looking for the perfect place to grab a cabin and enjoy the great outdoors with your travel tribe? You may want to consider taking a few days to explore the charming small towns and gorgeous mountain views in North Georgia. My friends and I recently rented a cabin near the town of Ellijay and took our own North Georgia adventure. The trip was truly amazing and by the time our journey ended, we were inspired to plan our next travel experience!
Why North Georgia?
Last year, my buddies and I were able to fit one last trip in just before the world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The trip was to Chicago – and it was for my friend Matt’s Bachelor Party. Our group had so much fun in the Windy City that we decided to plan another trip. After debating between a few destinations, we settled on taking a trip to North Georgia. For starters, we felt a trip to the mountains would be a responsible way to travel. We would essentially spend our entire time in open air environments or isolated in our amazing cabin. Furthermore, North Georgia was drivable for everyone and the area held experiences that the entire group couldn’t wait to experience!
Meet My Travel Tribe
From left to right on the photo above you had my friends Matt, Trevor, Anthony, Tyson, Josh and myself. I know what you’re thinking – did Stevie’s dog come too? She sure did! That’s my pal Penny who I brought along because A) she loves adventures B) our cabin was pet friendly and C) everyone in the group was ok with adding an additional member.
Our Cabin
The Apple Crisp Cabin sat atop Walnut Mountain near the town of Ellijay. I’m not gonna lie, it was pretty sweet! The wood cabin stood three stories tall, and the back porch provided a stunning view of the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.
Inside, we had a big screen tv, a ping pong table, a poker table, a hot tub, a grill, and a foosball table – perfect amenities for a guys trip!
Amicalola Falls State Park
Just a short distance from the start of the Appalachian Trail sits the beautiful Amicalola Falls State Park. My friend Josh suggested it may be an area worth visiting, so we decided to make it our first stop. It did not disappoint! We parked and started our hike up some steep steps with the cascading Amicalola Falls at our side. The initial hike was full of great spots to take pictures for Instagram. After climbing the stairs to the top of the 729-foot cascading waterfall (which by the way is the third highest waterfall east of the Mississippi River), we made our way back down using a different route. Our trek down was over a gradually declining hiking trail, which made for some spectacular views. I think the group member who had the most fun on our hike was Penny! Quick tip – if you decide to bring your furry friend on a hike, make sure to have a way for them to get water. I brought a foldable water bowl that I could refill with my water jug as we walked. Oh, and one more thing, be sure to bring dog bags to pick up their waste should they have to go number two!
After our decent down the mountain, we found ourselves at the Amicalola Falls State Park Visitors Center. The Visitors Center is a great place to grab some trinkets so you can remember your time hiking around the beautiful falls.
Ellijay, GA
After hiking the falls and making a quick stop at B.J. Reece Orchards to pick up some tasty jams and jellies to take home, we wanted to explore Ellijay. We made our way into town around lunchtime and found ourselves at Ellijay Wood Fired Pizza – a great choice! I decided to order the Black Goat Pizza which came with goat cheese, apple maple bacon jam, pistachio, prosciutto, and black garlic molasses. It was a little bit out of the box, but I absolutely loved it! Ellijay Wood Fired Pizza has a whole bunch of different artisan crafted pizza, so I definitely recommend you hit it up when you visit.
Our next stop was to grab a little post-pizza coffee at Ellijay Coffee House. I really enjoyed the coffee, and the vibes inside were very welcoming. With to-go coffees and lattes in hand, we decided to explore downtown Ellijay a little bit more. The downtown area is full of family-owned businesses and eateries – and many of them happened to be dog-friendly! From the pizza to the coffee to the shopping, everyone (including the dog) enjoyed Ellijay.
Blue Ridge, GA
The following day, we decided to explore one more town – Blue Ridge. Lined with friendly small businesses in red brick, the picturesque small town held a unique community feel. We started our Blue Ridge experience with lunch at the Fighting Town Tavern, a restaurant with great rock and roll theming and stellar food. Once we all finished our meals, we explored more businesses on the town’s main street. Like Ellijay, Blue Ridge businesses were very dog friendly! Penny had an absolute blast checking out all the little niche stores and businesses that we poked our heads into, and on multiple occasions a business owner or employee would give penny a little treat.
A couple of us were in the mood for a midday brew, so after checking out the town we took a short walk over to Fannin Brewing Company. The brewery had a gorgeous outside area to sit and sip your beer – a perfect open air environment to feel safe during COVID times. We grabbed our brews and proceeded to play some Cornhole and Jenga outside on a perfect spring day.
Was Our Trip A Success?
After one final delicious hibachi group dinner at the Okinawa Restaurant, our trip was complete. I don’t think our North Georgia adventure could have turned out any better! Our cabin itself was so spacious, came with an unbelievable view of the mountains, and had plenty of great features like the ping pong table and the hot tub that we enjoyed. The hike we took at the Amicalola Falls State Park was incredibly beautiful and it felt great to breathe in fresh mountain air. Finally, the towns of Ellijay and Blue Ridge were so pleasant and full of friendly people. I had an absolute blast in North Georgia, and I can’t wait to get back for another cabin adventure with my travel tribe!
Group Experience
Be sure to visit Group Experience, the official home of the Destinations Beyond Expectations podcast, to learn more about building your travel tribe.