Treat yourself to some Cotton Candy and Popcorn the Kiwanis Fair of Blue Ridge! Here are the highlights:

* Tuesday, June 22nd – Saturday, June 26th
* Open 5pm to 11pm Daily

* Gate Admission – $4
o 8 and under are FREE!

* Advanced Bracelet Ride Tickets are $12
o Gate Admission NOT included in the Advanced Bracelet Ride Tickets
o Available at United Community Bank, Community and Southern Bank, and Bank of Blue Ridge
o Good For Tuesday and Wednesday Only!

What a treat! After a short but sweet office caravan on Wednesday, a group of us decided on the new spot for lunch- the Blue Ridge Brewery, located downtown Blue Ridge next to the old Post Office on Mountain Street. My wife had lunch there a few weeks ago and said it was wonderful. Six in our group; walked in with about a 3 minute wait while they rearranged a few tables for us (later to find out that a 15 minute wait should be expected). We thought there would be a local beer brand on the bar but seeing none, Coach Harbin ordered a Bud Light Wheat, I had a Harpoon Indian Pale Ale, and the rest ordered water and soft drinks. All beer was on tap and they looked to have about 7 or 8 taps available. My IPA was delicious. The building was once the old Blue Ridge Post Office, and is the size of a small pub- probably seats about 30 in dining room and 10 in the bar. Soft music was playing the background, but our group was telling old real estate stories and laughing at jokes that it was hard to describe what was playing.
Menu items ranged from $6 to $10 and had several salads, soups, and sandwiches. Not a large selection, but plenty for this style of eatery and everyone selected in quick fashion. I ordered the burger and was most pleased- cooked to order with crumpled blue cheese. I posted on my Facebook status that Sue’s Cafeteria will have a run for their money on their "Best Burger In Town" claim – I’ve had several comments agreeing. I think we should suggest a cook-off! A couple in our group ordered the tuna special and, although none dared to taste the hummus, seem to enjoy their meal. Salads around the table looked good, too. There was plenty of food on each plate. Of course, our collective eyes wandered across the room at the waitress delivering dessert. We all ordered the brownie, but they only had one left. After everyone else opted for an sliced apple and caramel-type dessert, I personally sacrificed and took the last brownie. No regrets. To wrap up a great outing, Joe Ray from Suntrust Mortgage picked up our tab- what a great friend!

Although the cold has kept some away, this year’s Apple Festival was an enormous success. Keeping with a low admission fee (still $5), The Ellijay Lions Club has generated an excellent following- 38 years later, this festival is still going strong! There was a great turnout for the antique car show and the parade was as “American-Apple Pie” as you can get. If you missed the festival, you still have time to enjoy the fall festivities. Several offshoots from the Apple Festival are still in full gear- Hillcrest Orchards has their Apple Pickin’ Jubilee, and Several Corn Mazes and Haunted Hay Rides have popped up along Hwy 52 between Ellijay and Dawsonville. The trees that lose their leaves first are just now turning colors, so the next few weekends should make for some spectacular colors. And to top if off, there’s a horror movie showing this week at the Drive-in in Blue Ridge… October can’t get much better!

Greatschools.net – Fannin County Schools Info
Official Fannin County School System Site

Greatschools.net – Union County Schools Info
Official Union County School System Site

Greatschools.net – Towns County Schools Info
Official Towns County School System Site

Greatschools.net – Gilmer County Schools Info
Official Gilmer County School System Site

Quite frankly, most of our new residents looking for mountain real estate are second home buyers and retirees and have no need to know about our school systems. We’re typically asked only one question relating to schools: taxes. An excellent barometer is the Fannin County Chamber of Commerce website, www.blueridgemountains.com – let me know when you find the link for Fannin County School System.

Keep in mind, most of our schools are county schools. I believe we have one public high school and one middle school per county (save Polk Co, TN which has Copper Basin and Polk Co High). Suches, GA is the exception to this rule; Woody Gap School- one of the top rated schools in the state- is a K-12 school. Starting this year in Georgia, the parents are allowed to pick the school their child will attend as long as they reside in that school district.

After watching The History Channel’s portrayal of the Appalachians, I decided to do some informal interviews of some of my friends that have several generations of family ties to the area. Ironically, most of the conversations blended with our current national health care debate – an important topic that seems to be on everyone’s mind lately. On this blog, where most of the visitors are seeking information about moving to the mountains of Georgia, it seems appropriate to discuss this topic in the context of our local community. I’m not interested in debating the health care topic here (as of today, there’s not really a bill to debate), but I would like to point out the state of our local health care community.
Historically, Appalachian health care has fallen behind the rest of the country. Our past is plagued with stories of poor dental, high rates of infant mortality, and bad eating habits. Speaking for our immediate north Georgia mountain area, this reputation has unfortunately been earned. The causes are fairly obvious; low income levels and significant isolation. The proud yet private culture has also lent itself to poor health, although I suspect that attitude is not exclusive to our area- I’ve got relatives in south Georgia and Alabama that are just as stubborn about preventive health care. The author of this blog has, on occasion, been accused of avoiding the doctor.
But what a change we have experienced! With our population growth and unlimited and easy access to universal communication tools, we have turned the corner. Although our medical infrastructure cannot rival that of a metropolitan area, our hospital can certainly take care of 90% of what ails us. We are within a 10 minute chopper ride to Chattanooga and 20 minute to Atlanta, which boast some of the most advanced medical facilities in the nation. Our local providers are aggressively recruiting doctors and nurses to our area to meet the demand of our steadily growing population of retirees.
And another interesting yet little known fact; our doctors want to be here. They’ve selected Blue Ridge, Ellijay, Blairsville, and the other small communities scattered through the mountains for a better working environment. I’ve had the privilege of working with a few doctors searching for a home and, in the process, have made several friends in the local medical field. Although they have forgone a larger salary in a bigger city, they justify their decision with a balance of cheaper living, shorter hours, healthier environment, and most important, less “rat-race”. This equates to our area attracting some top-notch medical staff. Instead of buying a vacation home, they live and work in their vacation.
Whatever happens with our national health care, I feel confident that our local needs will be met and that our medical professionals will continue to help the southern Appalachian community rise from it’s past to a new day of healthy living.

It’s almost time! Whatever your personal feelings on a store like Wal-Mart moving into Blairsville, it’s hard to deny the immediate and positive economic impact of a big store opening. I’ve heard through the a friend at North Georgia Technical College that hiring is complete and they are just finishing the last touches of the move-in. They’ve already made Google Maps
Although I know of several small businesses who are not looking forward to another Big Box Store in North Georgia, I believe this community will fully support Wal-Mart with weekly visits. And the local civic organizations will gladly accept the help Wal-Mart provides when the time comes to buy toys and back-to-school-items for underprivileged children. The location will promote additional commercial growth on the west side of town, and property values with immediate access “should” increase over time. Wal-Mart needs approximately 300 workers to staff this location- we all agree that this is a great time for new employment opportunities. And for the harshest of local critics, I think the name of the main highway on which the Wal-Mart is located should settle some arguments – APD (Appalachian Developmental Highway).
If anyone knows of the opening date- please post!

We’re definitely seeing more traffic in the North Georgia Mountains this summer! After leaving the office Sunday morning, I believe it took 3 full minutes to exit my parking lot. That may not seem like a lot to readers who reside in the city, but that’s nearly unheard of in Fannin County. If one of our local drivers wait more than a few seconds for their “window of opportunity” on Hwy 515 (aka Appalachian Hwy), it’s a reason to grumble.
I guess I found it interesting because of the day and time: Sunday @ noon. I suppose this departure time reflects an early lunch/late breakfast and dash back home to squeeze in some last minute yard work.
The tags (from what I could scan) were mainly Fulton and Cobb County – Atlanta – residents. At one point in our recent history, about 50% of our visitors were from Florida. Although the poll was a somewhat unofficial accounting from the local cabin rental companies, that stat has been quoted many times. My “car-tag” survey was even more unscientific, but the trend would make sense. Even though the Florida real estate market is experiencing a mild recovery, their local economies still stink. Our Atlanta visitors are experiencing the same down-turn, but the quick weekend trip to the mountains is easy and cheap.
Let’s look at the comparison: A two hour north-bound Friday night trip will usually allow plenty of time to arrive, grab a bite to eat, and sit down in time to watch the Braves game. This trip is a far cry from the six hour weekender to the beach, which puts your arrival time sometime after midnight. Entertainment in the mountains consist of a few good books, maybe a trip to the drive-in, grilling steaks on the porch, finished off with a dip in the hot tub while looking out over a few mountain ranges. Beach entertainment is fantastic, don’t get me wrong- sand, ocean, salty air, great seafood, and, you can bring the same books. But for some reason, a trip to the beach seems to lighten the wallet or pocketbook a little more.
But what brings me back to my original thought is the comparison of the Sunday trip home. Sandy floorboards, slightly sunburned and six hours later (seven with the time change), our Atlanta folks drag into the house satisfied and happy, but tired. On the other hand, the mountain weekend visitors to the mountains have the ability to squeeze one more day into their mini-vacation, or beat a path home to make it back for Sunday school. But more than likely you’ll be leaving around noon with the rest of the crowd. We’ll see you next weekend!

In light of the upcoming Fireworks Display in McCaysville, GA/Copperhill, TN, I thought I would add a few notes about the area.  By the way, the “new” bridge has some of the best spots- come early and bring your lawn chairs.

In the corner of Polk County, Tennessee, lies Ducktown and Copperhill, Tennessee’s copper district which has been famous for nearly a hundred years.  Known for some seven or eight decades simply as Ducktown, then for a number of years as the Ducktown Basin, but now more often referred to as the Great Copper Basin, or Copper Basin, this locality boasts a history and reputation unique in the annals of southern growth and development.

The area of the Ducktown Basin is approximately one hundred square miles, though the commercial and mining area covers only about twenty-five square miles. The state lines of Tennessee,Georgia, and North Carolina meet on a hill near the ancient church of Pleasant Hill, three miles east of what was once the Basin’s principal town, Copperhill. From there the Georgia-Tennessee state line runs diagonally across the Basin to Big Frog Mountain on the west. Several square miles of the Basin extend southward into Fannin County, Georgia.

Once a booming mining community, the sleepy little town of Copperhill, TN is the terminus of our local Scenic Railway.   There’s a great little Irish pub on Main Street (or Hwy 68) that serves Fat Tire- go figure!  One of the local establishments, known as Mayford’s (but previously known as Ralph and Grady’s), still sports bullet holes in the 100 year old tin ceiling from the some of the rowdier days of of the mining company.

Another point of local interest, the Ducktown Basin Museum is located just down the road in Ducktown, TN.  The museum, owned and operated locally, highlights Copper Basin’s history through exhibits and examples of the kinds of equipment used in the mines. The history of the Cherokee Nation, including an in-depth discussion of the “Trail of Tears” is also included in the tour.  They can be reached @ (423) 496-5778.  If you’re visiting the area this weekend, it’s worth treating yourself to this tour.

I know the agents will be excited to see the changes.  Keith has a great eye for detail and I’m excited to see his concept come to life.  As the project gets underway, I’ll post photos.

Have you ever made the trip to Lake Conasauga in the Cohutta Wilderness?  This is a great day trip from Ellijay or Blue Ridge, as well as north Atlanta.  The Conasauga Recreation Area is about 3000 feet in elevation, which makes for a nice retreat from the summer heat of Atlanta.  There are some very clean picnic areas, a small boat ramp, and designated campgrounds surrounding one side of the 19 acres Lake Conasauga, as well as a nice platform and roped area for swimming.  The North Georgia Mountains has some of the cleanest water in the southeast, so feel free to dip a toe in (and for my Florida and south GA/AL  friends… no gators!).

Three popular hiking trails branch from Lake Conasauga- The Songbird Trail is a 1.7 mile loop.  The Lake Trail is a one mile loop (around the lake) and the Tower Trail is 2.1 miles one-way.   The Tower Trail climbs to nearly 3700 feet to the old fire tower on Grassy Mountain.

Although Summer is one of my favorite times to visit, Spring and Fall bring some special sites- bird migrations, leaf colors and less crowds