24 Hours in Blue Ridge, Georgia
This past weekend, we took an impromptu trip to Blue Ridge, Georgia. I planned the trip on Friday and we dropped off Sandy at my mom’s on the way, on Saturday around noon. We were not aware that snow had been forecast for Saturday, so when it started to lightly snow in the morning, we left anyway, thinking that nothing would stick. The drive took approximately 1 hr and 30 minutes from North Atlanta.
Downtown Blue Ridge
We spent most of the daytime walking from our B&B (more on this B&B further down) to a restaurant for a late lunch. The snow made everything look so pristine and cozy; it was almost as if we weren’t in the state of Georgia.
With it being a snow day, most businesses were closed, but luckily a few places were open for us to visit. We ate lunch at Harvest on Main, which was delicious, and walked around downtown. Blue Ridge is also known for its trout fishing, so I tried the delicious trout paired with Cider from Mercier’s Orchard, a local orchard in Blue Ridge.
I visited a general store called Chester’s Provisions (a part of Chester Brunnenmeyer’s Bar next door). This wonderful shop stocked great snacks, fun trinkets, and so many pantry goods.
After lunch and visiting the provision store, we walked around the town and played in the snow.
Blue Ridge Scenic Railway
One of the activities that we wanted to do is ride the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway. Unfortunately, they are currently closed for the season and will restart in March, in time for Spring. In the meantime, we checked out the train itself seeing as it is located right behind our B&B.
bear claw vineyards
Originally, I booked a vineyard tour for 3 pm at Bear Claw Vineyards, but because of the snow, had to cancel since the vineyard would not be open until later. At the end, we visited the vineyard anyway and had a few sips. We plan on coming back for a tour in the spring when we revisit Blue Ridge - in the meantime, here is a snap of the treehouse that is located in the vineyard, as featured on the show, Treehouse Masters.
Blue Ridge Inn Bed and Breakfast
We got very lucky when Blue Ridge Inn had a last-minute opening and scooped it right up (as in, made the reservation an hour before we left). I will say that this Inn now falls on my top 5 places I have ever stayed. I’m a sucker for historical structures, and this structure is the oldest house in Blue Ridge. The owners have maintained it so well over the course of over 100 years, making modern upgrades while still keeping the historical elements as intact as possible. The staff who ran the inn were all very friendly (shout out to Gene!), courteous, and so helpful. The bed was very comfortable, the entire place is very clean and fresh, especially the bathrooms.
I kind of wish that we stayed longer - that’s really my only complaint about this trip. Otherwise, it was a nice 24 hours being out of the ordinary hustle and bustle. We do plan on coming back to Blue Ridge in the spring or summer, or fall - or all three? Whenever that may be, I’m looking forward to our next visit.