blue ridge: Autumn weekend in Blue Ridge: Man & nature must have conspired to arrange such perfection... - 10/27/10 08:30 AM
This past weekend saw Blue Ridge bursting at the seams with fall events and visitors. The 'chamber of commerce' perfect weather cooperated, with temperatures in the low 70's and a cloudless cobalt blue sky that provided the perfect backdrop for autumn's vivid reds and golds.One of the weekend's big draws was the Blue Ridge Harvest Festival, held at the old State Farmers Market. Arts and crafts were the centerpiece of the festival, and there were items to choose from to suit almost any taste, from hand-turned wood bowls to hand-crafted quilts to home-made jams and preserves. There was also a large … (5 comments)

blue ridge: Aska Trails -- A Hiker's Paradise - 07/25/10 02:50 PM
Hiking has become my new passion. Those who have known me for years will find this quite amusing. After all, I was the one who agreed to co-lead my daughter's Brownie troop if -- and only if -- I didn't have to camp in a tent or hike. Used to be the thought of hiking conjured up images of bugs, crawly things, and most dreaded of all, sweat. Today it brings me peace, joy, and most welcomed of all, sweat. I never cease to be grateful to live in an area that has such a wealth of natural beauty, and, thanks to … (2 comments)

blue ridge: Cruise-In Blue Ridge for a Cure -- Relay for Life - 04/21/10 12:50 PM

On April 4, Century 21 Professional Realty Group sponsored it's first (of what will be an annual event!) "Cruise-In Blue Ridge for a Cure" car show to benefit Relay for Life.Over 50 vintage cars, trucks and motorcycles took part -- from Model A's to Corvettes. Local favorites, the Breaking Point Band, played for the crowds, and there was great food and an Easter egg hunt for the wee ones.A splendid time was had by all and we were able to raise over $2,500 for a wonderful cause!! 

… (2 comments)

blue ridge: There's Treasure in Them Thar Hills! Geocaching in Blue Ridge, GA - 03/10/10 11:36 AM
Looking for something different to do in Blue Ridge? Try geocaching! Geocaching is a sort of high tech outdoor treasure hunt where you use a GPS in place of a treasure map. Now, you won't find a gold-filled treasure chest in the cache, but you will find fun and goodies hidden within each one. Plus, you will find the beauty and grandeur of the North Georgia mountains along the way! The Fannin County Chamber of Commerce has hidden five geocaches in Blue Ridge. Simply enter the coordinates of each into your GPS, and you're off! The Welcome Wow (N 34° 52.508’ W084° 17.950’) … (4 comments)

blue ridge: Halloween Night in BOO Ridge! - 11/02/09 07:24 AM
The rain that fell Saturday evening did little to dampen the spirits of the hundreds of kids who visited downtown Blue Ridge's Halloween Safe-Zone. Witches and goblins, princesses and fairies shared Main Street as they Trick-or-Treated their way among all the shops. A spook-tacular time was had by all! 
… (6 comments)

blue ridge: The Martyn House--'Arabian Nights' in Ellijay - 10/24/09 05:02 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a great piece today on The Martyn House in Ellijay, about a 20-minute drive from Blue Ridge. It brought to mind the wonderful time I recently had at one of their amazing farm-to-table meals. The hosts -- Joann Adams and Rick Lucas -- couldn't have been more warm and welcoming, the food more divine, or the surroundings more enchanting. I went on a balmy summer evening, and shared a table under the stars with about 50 other folks, a varied group that included local artists, gallery owners, civic leaders...and me (I could make out the whispers, "Who … (2 comments)

blue ridge: North Georgia Mountains Calendar of Events -- October 2009 - 09/29/09 08:12 AM

… (4 comments)

blue ridge: North Georgia Mountains Calendar of Events -- AUGUST 2009 - 07/30/09 06:52 AM
 

 
… (2 comments)

blue ridge: Your Second Home -- What Do You Do if You Get Sick? - 03/15/09 12:42 PM
As my daughter limped towards the car, my first thought was a very un-Mommy like one: Does this mean we're not going to be able to go to the cabin for the weekend? 
I listened to her war story. She and the defender had gotten to the ball at the same time. Both gave their best kicks; the defender's landed on the ball, my daughter's, on the defender's foot. According to the school nurse, she had jammed her big toe. It would be sore for a few days, but with R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression, elevation), she should be back on the … (4 comments)

blue ridge: Gorillas in Our Midst -- Gorillas Find Sanctuary in the North Georgia Mountains - 03/01/09 11:41 AM
Joe and Oliver make two unlikely Cinderellas. After having spent the first part of their lives in zoos, Joe and Oliver were whisked away from unhappy lives by their 'fairy godparents,' Jane and Steuart Dewar, to Gorilla Haven, a 324-acre spread in the North Georgia Mountains, just outside of Blue Ridge. Here they are given space to roam and loving care to help heal the emotional scars of their past.  
Unable to peacefully co-exist with his fellow gorillas, Joe was relegated to solitary confinement in a concrete cell for 10-years. Born at the Bronx Zoo in 1988, Oliver, who was born deaf, was unable to … (10 comments)

blue ridge: March 2009 Calendar of Events -- Blue Ridge, GA - 02/23/09 12:20 PM

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
… (4 comments)

blue ridge: Blue Ridge, My Lovely Little Teetotaler - 12/08/08 08:34 AM
An article in today's New York Times -- "Toasting the End of an Error" -- talks about the end of Prohibition which took place just about 75-years ago when FDR ratified the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, which did away with the 18th Amendment's ban on alcohol consumption.The article points out that there are still "dry counties" in the United States -- places where the sale of alcohol remains prohibited.  Fannin County, home to Blue Ridge, is one of those communities.  You can buy beer and wine in Fannin County -- heck, the drive-thru Beer Barn boasts "the coldest beer in town" -- but … (2 comments)

blue ridge: December Calendar of Events -- Blue Ridge, GA - 12/05/08 11:50 PM

… (2 comments)

blue ridge: Deals so sweet, they're almost good enough to eat: A market report for Blue Ridge, GA - 12/03/08 02:33 PM
Housing prices in Blue Ridge and surrounding communities continue their steady march downward. An analysis of year-to-date sales for 2008 shows that the median price for residential properties has dropped 17% over the same time period in 2007, while the total volume sold dropped nearly 35%. There are currently 605 cabins on the market in Fannin County and many of these are a-MAZING deals! Cabins with amenities like jaw-dropping panoramic mountain views, river or creek frontage, luxe interiors, hot tubs and outdoor fireplaces are available at prices $100,000 to $200,000 less than comparable properties sold for just two years ago.  Cabin prices are … (4 comments)

blue ridge: Snow in Blue Ridge...The Perfect Guest - 12/02/08 02:10 AM
The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found?                                                                        ---J. B. Priestley
Snow is the perfect guest in Blue Ridge: because it comes only a few times a year, you are always delighted to see it, and it doesn't overstay its welcome.Our first snow came earlier than normal this … (2 comments)

blue ridge: Gorillas find sanctuary in the North Georgia Mountains - 11/23/08 07:05 AM

Joe and Oliver came to the mountains of North Georgia for the same reason so many of us do. Years of big-city living had taken its toll on them -- both psychologically and physically. Peace awaited them on a pristine 324-acre spread in Morganton, a small community just outside of Blue Ridge in the beautiful North Georgia mountains. A 324-acre spread surrounded by 10,000-volt electic fences, computerized gates and 15-foot high concrete walls.Joe and Oliver are two of the inhabitants of Gorilla Haven, a primate heaven-on-earth compound. The labor of love of Jane and Steuart Dewar, Gorilla Haven was conceived to house gorillas that … (2 comments)

blue ridge: Find Christmas Magic at the "Light Up Blue Ridge" Festival - 11/17/08 12:51 AM
Christmas comes early in Blue Ridge -- November 29th to be exact. That is the date of the annual "Light Up Blue Ridge" festival, a day that local children look forward to with almost the same eager anticipation as they wait for Christmas morning itself.  On November 29th, beautiful downtown Blue Ridge will be abustle with carolers, horse-drawn carriages, stores bursting with wonderful items to make your holiday shopping a breeze. The most important visitors to downtown that day will be the children eagerly waiting for Santa Claus, who, along with Mrs. Claus, will ride into town on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway. Once Santa arrives, … (4 comments)

blue ridge: Elegance Has a Name~~Wrapsody in Blue~~Blue Ridge, GA - 09/14/08 01:46 AM
Conventional wisdom held that opening a shop outside of the heart of downtown Blue Ridge’s shopping district was retail suicide. Conventional wisdom never met Michael Brunson and Jack Morton. Not ones to shy away from a challenge, Michael and Jack knew the world—or at least Blue Ridge shoppers—would beat a path to their door if they opened an elegant shop full of marvelous items unlike any others offered in town. Thus Wrapsody in Blue was born three-and-a-half years ago.
Michael and Jack first came to Blue Ridge five years ago to help their good friends—Atlanta’s 11Alive news anchor, Jill Becker, … (4 comments)

blue ridge: Multitudes Gallery -- Dazzling Hand-Blown Glass Artwork in Blue Ridge - 08/29/08 06:37 AM
Walking into Multitudes Gallery feels like you are stepping into the middle of a living kaleidoscope. Colors swirl and bend as your eyes make their way around this magical gallery. Hand-blown glass artwork covers every surface, including pieces dangling from the ceiling. Multitude's owner, David Alfrey, opened the gallery six years ago in the corner space of the then newly-renovated Hampton Square, a building that had for years housed the local roller skating rink. Multitudes has vast expanses of windows that make up three of the four sides of the space, providing the perfect light-filled backdrop for the dazzling glass pieces in … (2 comments)

blue ridge: Red, White, and Blue Ridge...Labor Day Bar-B-Q - 08/27/08 03:22 PM

The sounds of bluegrass music and laughing children float in the air along with the delicious aromas of roasting spareribs and chicken, and like a pied piper, they draw visitors from near and far to the annual Labor Day Bar-B-Q in beautiful downtown Blue Ridge.
Proceeds from the beloved annual event benefit the Good Samaritans of Fannin County, an inter-denominational group made up of members of many churches in Blue Ridge--Baptist, Presbyterian, Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Disciples of Christ, Episcopal, and Charismatic--whose mission is to assist those in financial, physical or mental need in the community.
The event is kicked off … (4 comments)