Agent: Rachel Callihan, Georgia Mountain & Lake Properties, 706-258-8067, rachelbc@tds.net

  

Budget Line: A retreat in Blue Ridge where the family can get away and enjoy mountain life  

 

ONLY WHAT'S BELOW HERE PRINTS: 

  

By C. W. Cameron For the Journal-Constitution

 

Who: Al Vega, 48, is a senior vice president of a healthcare services company. He enjoys his vacation home with his three daughters: Madi, 20, Rachael, 19 and Lana, 13.

 

What:  Al describes his house as a two-story cabin that looks like a lodge. The main floor is clad in logs, and the roof is copper. There are two bedrooms, a living room, eating area and kitchen on the main level and upstairs is a loft and master bedroom. The ground level is a walk-out basement with a bedroom, bathroom and game room. The house features two stone fireplaces and is completely wooden inside - wood floors, wood ceiling, wood walls. A wrap-around porch encircles the cabin. "Depending on the season, we have a variety of views from just about anywhere you look," he says.

  

How long does it take to get there? Al lives in Alpharetta, about 80 miles away. "It takes us an hour and twenty minutes to get there and we typically go at least one weekend a month year ‘round. In the summer, we spend every other weekend up there and we do a lot of the holidays there like Thanksgiving and Christmas."

 

Vega tells us more about his mountain home.

  

Boating is a big factor: "We had been going up there for probably the last two years before I bought this house. We started looking using Blue Ridge as the center of our search because we didn't want to be too far from ‘civilization'. We wanted to be able to put a boat up on the lake, and Lake Blue Ridge is right next to town. The cabin is literally ten minutes to the marina.

 

The differences between lakes: "I keep a boat at Lake Lanier but it's gotten too crowded. When we want to have big open water, we come to Lake Blue Ridge. On any given weekend over the summer there are no more than maybe a couple hundred boats. It's surrounded by the mountains, so it's also very picturesque. There's really a tremendous contrast between Lanier and Blue Ridge. One's a party lake and the other is a place to hang out. You can jet ski on Lake Blue Ridge without hitting someone.

 

A great place for family: "Many weekends Lana brings friends up so we've got air hockey and a pool table and a hot tub. It's a fun place for kids. In the summer there are lots of other activities. The kids like to go horseback riding and you can go tubing on the Toccoa which is not too far away.

 

Blue ridge is charming: "The town has a lot of neat shops including a little coffee house in the middle of town in used to be an old bank building. We take the train a couple of times a year, too. It's like a completely different world when you're up here. The most wonderful thing is that it's so close and yet so far away in atmosphere. It's very retreat-like. That's why we're up here."

 

Sidebar on Mineral Bluff:

Vega's home has a mailing address of Mineral Bluff. Although he says that's primarily a function of which side of Hwy. 60 you're on, Mineral Bluff was once a thriving tourist town where people came to enjoy the waters from the mineral springs. Rachel Callihan, Realtor with Georgia Mountain & Lake Properties, says Mineral Bluff is a quaint little town that predates Blue Ridge, and adds, "There's not much more than a crossroads there now, but the Toccoa River runs through the area and subdivisions are being built that have 50-mile views of the surrounding mountains."

 

Callihan says, "The area is reasonably priced and centrally located to Atlanta, Chattanooga and Murphy, North Carolina. There's a new golf and river community being built in the area as well."

 

Recent sales:

• 531 Pine Path Circle; two-bedroom two-bath older cabin; 2.23 acres; sold for $150,000.
• 1 Hardscrabble Road; three-bedroom three-bath on over 2 acres, approximately 4,000 square feet; mountain views; $360,000.
• Bluebird Lane, tract of 4.76 wooded acres, mountain view; $79,000. 

 

HOMEFINDER - VACATION HOME - Cherry Log   

  

To run: April 20

  

All names and facts c.q.

  

Homeowners:

Philip and Sarah Cheek

 

Broker: Lucy Wade, Georgia Mountain & Lake Properties, 706-455-9646 cell, work 706-632-9700, lucywade@tds.net 

  

Reporter: C. W. Cameron, 404-876-0813, 404-291-2199, cwcameron.ajc@gmail.com

  

Editor: Susan Wells, 404-526-5322

  

Budget Line: A mountain retreat that offers a change of pace from city life

 

ONLY WHAT'S BELOW HERE PRINTS: 

  

By C. W. Cameron For the Journal-Constitution

 

Who: Sarah and Philip Cheek; Sarah, 52, is a forensics supervisor with the Fulton County Police Department and Philip, 53, is a major with the Clayton County Police Department. He's retiring this year.

 

What:  The Cheeks bought a two-bedroom one-bath home on 1.75 acres. There's a full basement studded in for bedroom and bath, and a garage downstairs. "We have a creek out front and the Chattahoochee National Forest adjoins the backyard so nobody can come in and build behind us," says Philip. "One thing we were sure of was that we didn't want to drive 3 or 4 miles down a bumpy dirt road to get to our vacation home. Our Realtor Lucy Wade of Georgia Mountain & Lake Properties, probably showed us 30 to 40 cabins. Once I opened the door and saw this one, I knew it was the one we wanted," adds Sarah. "And Lucy ended up being our neighbor and friend." 

 

When bought: March 2005

 

How long does it take to get there? It's two hours and 15 minutes to travel the 121 miles from their home in Stockbridge. "We try to get up there two weekends out of the month," says Philip.

 

A part of the community: "Everywhere we go, people are so friendly. They wave and stop to talk to you. I haven't met anybody yet who wouldn't wave back and talk to you. We've made a lot of new friends," says Philip. "We're part of the community here, including joining St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Blue Ridge. I'm not in a hurry to undersell our house in Stockbridge, but in the next three or four years, we'll probably move up here full time."

 

A place to renew: "When we were looking for a cabin, it was for an investment, something we could use for rental property. But the more we put our things up here, the more personal it became," says Sarah. "Now we find that coming here renews us for the coming work week. With all we have to put up with in our jobs and see all the time, this is just what we need."

 

It's secure: Sarah says, "We have great next door neighbors who own a shop in town, and Lucy lives across the street. With full-time neighbors all around, everyone can keep an eye on the place. Even when we're not up here, we know everything's taken care of."

 

Advice to others: "If you're looking up in the north Georgia mountains and can afford to buy a house here without missing any meals or missing any bills, do it. I have not once regretted the investment we made," says Philip. "We've been very blessed. So I say, ‘Do it now.'" 

 

Sidebar on Cashes Valley

 

Broker, Lucy Wade, of Georgia Mountain & Lake Properties -

 

Can discuss: driving into Cashes Valley on a four-wheeler or a horse, 4-wheel drive auto, crossing the fords where the road becomes a part of the river, visiting waterfalls; Cohutta Wilderness area

 

 

 

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By C.W. CAMERON
For the Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/16/08

Who: Juliette and Randy Chatham; Juliette, 38, is a State Farm insurance agent. Randy, 41, owns BSI Mechanical, providers of industrial equipment.

What: A three-bedroom, three-bath home with loft, game room and wraparound porches. "With the exception of the couch and the pool table, every stick of furniture is one-of-a-kind handmade. I even designed some of the furniture to fit in particular areas and to suit particular uses I had in mind. We wanted to keep a big-scale, woodsy feeling of being in a log cabin," says Randy.

Christopher Oquendo/Special (ENLARGE)

Randy and Juliette Chatham originally planned to rent out their home. But they quickly decided to keep it for themselves.

GETTING THERE Take I-75 north to I-575. Continue until road turns to Ga. 515 and go north through Ellijay/East Ellijay. Just north of Cherry Log, turn left on Chancey Road and right on Cashes Valley Road.

When bought: August 2006

How long does it take to get there? It's an hour and 15 minutes to travel the 80 miles from their home in Woodstock. "We've been up there all but three weekends in the 18 months we've owned the house," says Randy.

Randy tells us more about his mountain home.

How did they decide where to buy? "We started off looking around both Blue Ridge and Gatlinburg. I quickly realized we wouldn't use a house as far away as Tennessee, so we decided on North Georgia. I was probably a real estate agent's worst nightmare. I carried a compass with me so I could be sure I'd know where the sun was going to set. We looked for no less than six months until we found the perfect house. It has a long-range mountain view, is close to amenities and had a large two-acre lot.

Not the original plan: "I originally set out thinking I would buy some investment property - a house we could use occasionally but rent out to make money on the side. Once we bought this place and started getting it set up, that changed. We fell in love with it and have never rented it.

What they do while they're there: "We can walk down the hill and go horseback riding - and plan to buy horses to board there in the future. I spend some of my time just tinkering with the house. I've done some landscaping, built a retaining wall, finished out the bottom level and remodeled the master bath. I even like to go shopping in Blue Ridge. But my biggest new hobby up here is four-wheeling.

Advice for other vacation home shoppers: "Pay attention to the workmanship. I was very picky about the quality of the craftsmanship in the house; as well as the view and the way the house sits on the lot. Keep looking until you find the right home. I'm certainly glad we waited until we found what I think is the perfect home. And don't forget the value of an agent who's willing to spend the time helping you find just the right place."

 

CASHES VALLEY

Rachel Callihan has lived in Cashes Valley all her life. Now a Realtor with Georgia Mountain & Lake Properties, she says her family has been in the area "since the beginning of Fannin County. My dad, Winston Callihan, says this was once a big moonshine area, and it used to be called 'Cash on the Barrel,' which was shortened to 'Cashes' Valley. It's one of the few places in the world you can find fairy crosses" - staurolite crystals joined to form the shape of a cross. They're considered to be good-luck pieces, and staurolite is the state mineral of Georgia.

"Most of the large tracts of land in the valley have been broken up into developable lots, so the largest tract available right now is just under 11 acres," she says. "We've got large subdivisions and a few smaller ones, too. Lots are going to be $100,000-plus and a three-bedroom, three-bath cabin with a view would be $300,000 to $400,000."

Current listings:

255 North Cashes Valley Overlook: three-bedroom, three-bath cabin, two fireplaces, two decks, two porches; 1.61 acres; view of Frog Mountain, the highest mountain between here and Texas; $379,900.

765 Cashes Valley Road: 10.8-acre tract, part pasture, part wooded, some pasture fenced in; more than 1,000 feet frontage on McClure Creek; $324,000

200 Callihan Branch Drive; three-bedroom, two-bath log home; 28-by-30-foot garage; bonus room; 6 acres; 1,200 feet frontage on Callihan Branch Creek; $600,000

On the Web:

www.georgiamountainandlakeproperties.com; 706-258-8067

 

Do you have a vacation home? We'd like to learn about it and see some photos. Send us an e-mail at vacation@ajchomefinder.com with the details of your home and include some family snapshots that really show it off.

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	Adventure Trail RidesAbout North Georgia by Randy Golden exclusively for About North Georgia Synopsis -- Deep in the heart of Fannin County, Georgia, north of Blue Ridge, a new challenge -- horseback riding with Adventure Trail Rides. Following a combination of old logging roads and backcountry paths, Pam and Randy Golden circle beautiful Cashes Valley on a cool autumn day. Kids love horse rides Rachel Callihan Along the trail Running through the field Granny Callihan would be pleased if she could see Rachel Callihan today. Part businesswoman, part guide, and a horse lover through and through, Rachel is carving a niche for herself in the mountains of north Georgia just as Granny did more than a hundred years ago, and while Rachel may not get a mountain named after her, she gets all the kudos she needs from the smiles of kids and adults who have come to ride her horses. The elder Callihan became known as a caring neighbor, and "Granny" Callihan Mountain got its name because she would frequently be seen crossing it to take care of a friend on the other side. The mountain forms one side of Cashes Valley, which is the site for our Adventure Trail Rides trip. This adventure was going to be a trip into our past, since neither my wife Pam nor I had ridden a horse for more than 25 years. An unusual fall morning greets us as we head north to Fannin County. Dark gray clouds intermingled with blue sky, the threat of rain hanging over our head, but since it is an adventure, rain never gets in our way. We arrive at Rachel Callihan's place and meet her and Sharona, our trail guide for the day. Friendly and amiable, Sharona and Pam quickly form a friendship because of their mutual love for all of God's creatures. Soon we begin our horseback tour, climbing the mountain behind Rachel's barn. For Pam and I, the years of not riding melted away and we quickly felt like seasoned riders. Sharona kept the kids close to make sure she could respond in a flash to any problems, but soon she was more confident of their ability. As the ride progresses, she tells us of the Callihans who help settle Cashes Valley and of Granny caring for neighbors. It was Rachel's story that was the most heartwarming. She rescued some horses from a bankrupt trail ride business, giving them the food and care they needed. Word quickly spread that Rachel would care for these pets, and other horses were given to her. Faced with mounting costs she began to offer trail rides herself. Rachel now purchases some of her horses at auction. As our team climbs each side of the mountains that form Cashes Valley I begin to notice the diverse eco-system contained by this botanical anomaly. Plants whose normal range is significantly north of this latitude abound; I am surprised at the ecological diversity in this north-south valley. The trail ride runs near and crosses McClure Creek and Callahan Branch, both tributaries of nearby Fightingtown Creek. Good scenic views of the nearby mountains, including line of sight views of some peaks in Tennessee, lend character to this ride. Towards the end of the trip Sharona asks if any experienced riders want to try running their horse in an open field. I decline, but Pam is eager for the opportunity to once again test her limits on a horse at full gallop. After tying up the remaining horses, Pam and Sharona head out to the open field, increasing the pace until the horses reach their most graceful speed -- a gallop. It is a sight to behold, the beauty and grace of a horse well-ridden. After this highlight the women return and we head back to the barn. Rachel's love and concern for these animals is deep and it shows. When a vet advised her to put a beloved horse named "Elvis" down after an injury she refused, permitting him to live in retirement, grazing in a open field. Elvis enthusiastically greets our group upon our return from the trail, just as he greets each group of returning horses. Back at Rachel's, we have returned to our starting point, a little more sore and a little more relaxed than when we left. Yet, a spark has been ignited - one we shall rekindle over and over, with return trips to Adventure Trail Rides for more exciting journeys. About the rides Adventure Trail Rides offers trips into Cashes Valley each day of the week, but space is limited. Reservations are required. For a great family outing take the kids and let them go horseback riding in this beautiful setting. Call 706.258.BARN (2276) for more information or reservations. Adventure Trail Rides Cashes Valley Road 706.258.BARN (2276) County: Fannin County Cashes Valley Road Waypoint location: Latitude 34.8915, Longitude -84.4207 Important information on maps and waypoints Map data ©2008 Tele Atlas - Terms of Use Map Satellite Hybrid Directions From Atlanta: Take I-75 north to I-575. Continue north on I-575 until it becomes SR 515 (Appalachian Development Highway). At the Blue Ridge McDonald's, turn left on Highway 5. Follow this for 3.8 miles and turn left on Highway 2. Continue on Highway 2 for 3.8 miles. After Lickskillet Road on the right, turn left on Cashes Valley Road. Adventure Trail Rides is on the left, about a mile down this road. Outdoor Adventure in North Georgia About North Georgia About North Georgia Index
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