Blue Ridge Georgia
Something we have started being more proactive about is trying to vacation at places we’ve never been to. Fast forward to the end of September and we decided to take a last minute trip to Blue Ridge, Georgia. Technically we stayed in a cabin in Morgantown - about 15 miles away. The idea we had was to do some location scouring for future photo shoots and do some family portraits while there.
FRIDAY
On October 7, we headed out around lunchtime from Decatur Alabama and made the 4 hour drive. The GPS took us through Chattanooga which turned out to be a cluster because we came through at school/rush hour afternoon traffic. Finally arrived a little after 6 PM at the cabin. Out of all the cabins we looked at, this was the nicest - plus it was 3 stories with a bedroom on each floor and then downstairs was the game room and hot tub. It featured multiple fireplaces (indoors and outside) and had board games, a fully stocked kitchen, and wifi/tvs.
Here’s a quick video I made of the inside of the cabin. (You can view the AirBnB listing here)
Amanda’s friend Chelsea and her family joined us on this adventure. We spent the first night relaxing in the cabin and cooking a delicious steak dinner.
SATURDAY
This day was kind of up in the air. After breakfast we decided to visit Helen GA since that was a place Amanda had always wanted to visit. It was a little over an hour from the cabin so we figured it’d be a quick trip and then we’d get on with exploring more in our area in the afternoon.
Cabin tucked away in the mountain side - Nikon z6 and Nikon 500mm PF.
On the way, we took the Richard Russel Parkway. It was a pretty winding mountain road but that led us to some great stops and views.
Scenic overlook on Richard Russell Parkway, top of the mountain
After a long windy bit of roadways, and up and down mountain sides - we made it!
Traffic was insane because of Oktoberfest
Long story short - we spent the entire time waiting to eat at Bodensee, waiting on food, and then a little bit of walking
In the end, we concluded that Helen GA is basically a mini Gatlinburg - a small area packed with thousands of people. The photo doesn’t even begin to illustrate how packed the streets were with cars, and sidewalks with people. Just walking and pushing a stroller was challenging. Plus there were tons of dogs, one of which attacked our friends’ son while we were eating lunch. Too many people, too many dogs. Also too many bees flying around to make this an enjoyable visit. Highly recommend staying away during Oktoberfest.
Blue Ridge Dam
Amelia being silly
We took a leisurely drive back North and decided to check out the Morgantown Lake. Ended up at the dam and hopped out for a photo op. Then we took a quick drive to Blue Ridge. The downtown area seemed like any other downtown area but there was some kind of field trip and tons of people everywhere, so we decided not to stop and head on back to the cabin and start getting ready for dinner. I actually was worn out and went to bed around 8 PM.
SUNDAY
It’s hard to believe our time was up. We got the cabin ready for departure and headed out at 11 AM. We decided to take the scenic route back towards Chattanooga and the Ocoee River.
We made a stop in Copperhill TN and got some things from some of the local stores and ate lunch there. Great time walking around and relaxing. This is what we thought we’d be doing in Helen GA the day before.
Our trek continued on Hwy 64 where we passed this amazing park area that looked closed, but really had limited access (Callahans Ledge). This is a must see place!
The next stop was the the Middle Ocoee Put-in to see some Fall colors. There were a lot of folks getting their kayaks in the water here.
A few miles up the road, we saw a scenic bypass sign and decided to try that. The VERY curvy road took us up the side of Chilowee Mountain where we got to an overlook of Lake Ocoee.
According to the GPS, traffic was very bad in Chattanooga so we actually turned South and went through Dalton GA and then across to Mentone AL. This took us through the Scottsboro area, so we stopped at Weathington Park in Section for a while to relax.
Our trip was basically over around 6PM when we stopped at Ruby Tuesday in Scottsboro for dinner. We broke our rule of “Don’t eat at chain restaurants on vacation” but since it was getting late, we were tired, and hungry - and this place was open on a Sunday and not too busy, we did it. Amelia seemed to enjoy it. We got home around 9:00 PM and were very happy to have had another fun adventure!
WHERE SHOULD WE GO NEXT?
We are always on the lookout for new and neat things to see within a 4 hour drive of Decatur, AL. If you’ve got some good spots to visit over a weekend, let me know!
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Kyle
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Kyle Root is a published and award winning photographer based out of Decatur Alabama. Working in the area since 1999 has helped him become one of the most recognized photographers and videographers in North Alabama. His work has been featured both locally and on the national stage. Honesty, Integrity, Quality Products, Amazing Customer Service, and just being a nice guy have helped propel him to the spotlight in the North Alabama area as a photographer. If you're looking for professional photography, you're in the right spot.
