Since my husband, Mike, and I moved to Florida six years ago, our friends "up north" [Pennsylvania] are always humored when we feel the need to travel out of state for vacation. In disbelief, they say, "You live in Florida. It is so beautiful. If I lived there, I would never leave." Understandable. When our overloaded moving truck passed by that bright "Welcome to Florida" sign on I-95, I too swore to never leave, and visited the beach every single day for the first three months. Yes, a true newbie!
The urge to see every "O-Town" theme park is long gone, and unfortunately my appreciation of my new hometown has slightly faded. With our timeshare directory in hand, the Georgia mountains seemed like a novel place to explore. We boarded the dogs, packed up the family roadster, and spent the drive watching the amazement in the eyes of our two-year-old daughter, Cori, who was in awe of every mountain, stream, and non-palm tree along the journey. Little did we know that our vacation would be so full of sensory delights. Hopefully reading this story will take you there with us and provide a mini-vacation from the real world, even if only for 10 or 15 minutes.
Our home away from home was a mountainside cabin nestled in Big Canoe, a sparsely-populated community spread over hundreds of wooded acres one hour north of Atlanta. Our first adventure was quick to arrive: driving to the cabin. The winding roads and steep inclines were quite a challenge for my little car, which is much more accustomed to straight, flat, Floridian roads. But that little cabin was well worth each bit of strain on my transmission, as it sat high on the mountainside, affording a great view of surrounding mountains, blue lakes, and fabulous star-filled night skies. Inside the cabin, we relaxed by the fireplace while enjoying the rustic atmosphere and the night creatures sounding outside.
Our cabin in Big Canoe was a private hideaway, yet activities were plentiful. Electric boats whirred across the lakes while lakeside golfers spent their mornings on the back nine. Our own boating adventure consisted of sightseeing, feeding geese, and feeding the local fish (although we termed it "fishing"). The highlights within Big Canoe were the miles of hiking trails within Big Canoe; along the flower-lined trails, we saw waterfalls, wildlife, and those small falling flakes reminding us of northern life: leaves. Standing in knee-deep fallen leaves entertained us as it would young children on a cool autumn day.
Just a short drive from Big Canoe, Amicalola Falls State Park was fabulous, and the falls themselves, showering water over 700 feet down a mountainside, were breathtaking. We drove the steep road to the top of the falls, and delighted in getting the uneasy adrenaline rush as we peered over the edge to the valley far far below. Our return drive down the mountainside was followed by a short hike to the base of the falls and then photo opportunities at the marker for the approach trail to the famed Appalachian Trail.
Much like our northern counterparts that vacation in our Sunshine State, our vacation would have been incomplete without visits to a few "tourist" spots. Our day at Lookout Mountain was split between Ruby Falls, a 145-foot waterfall inside a mountain, and Rock City Gardens, a natural park of intricate rock formations, endless flowers, and breathtaking views. Our day at Stone Mountain included a train ride through the 3200-acre park and a skylift ride 825 feet to the mountaintop. The view from the top was outstanding. I swear we could almost see that "Welcome to Florida" sign in the distance.....
We'll always love being Florida residents. But, when those brief moments of monotony hit, we are lucky that a whole different world of adventure awaits us just one state away in beautiful Georgia.
(22 photos attached)