A weekend away in North Georgia

Hello, friends! It always takes me longer than I think it will to get back into the swing of things after a weekend away, especially because so many of our weekly routines — grocery shopping, vacuuming, laundry — happen on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. But here I am, and I thought it would be fun to tell you about our adventure in North Georgia!

I am not sure how useful of a post this is, because unlike some of our other destinations, I don’t know how likely it is that any of you will ever travel here, ha! Were it not for a dear friend’s wedding, I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t have. If I happen to have any Atlanta readers, though, pay attention: this would make for a fun weekend getaway!

Our destination was about five and a half hours away from our home, and thanks to a serendipitous Google reroute due to traffic, we were able to have dinner at White Duck Taco in Asheville (!!!). I’m sure you remember that White Duck is one of our absolute favorite spots anywhere, so this was a major unexpected bonus. We also stretched our legs on the greenway behind White Duck and New Belgium Brewery in gorgeous 75 degree weather, so it was a great rest stop all around.

Thursday and Friday night we stayed at an Airbnb in Tallulah Falls, a short drive away from the wedding venue. To say we fell in love with it is a serious understatement — it was probably the highlight of our trip!

The listing lays it all out, but it was the most serene, peaceful spot you could imagine, meticulously maintained with a rustic vibe. It was set directly adjacent to an emerald green lake — the deck literally extended over the water — and the nearest neighbor was half a mile away in any direction.

June said her favorite part was watching the ducks, John couldn’t get over the lake views from every window including the shower, I loved reading on the porch swing, and we all loved eating breakfast on the deck every morning. Highly, highly, highly recommended, even if you have no other reason to be in this area!

On Friday morning we hiked Tallulah Gorge, including 600+ steps down to cross a suspension bridge.

We packed subs for a picnic lunch post-ascent, and turkey, cheese, and Gatorade have never tasted so good. The rest of our day was spent relaxing, rehearsing (I was the day-of coordinator), and attending the rehearsal dinner.

Despite a minor hiccup on Saturday morning (when we locked ourselves out of the Airbnb clad in pajamas with no phones and no car keys) the day quickly got back on track thanks to our kind host. We had a quick lunch in nearby Clayton at Fortify Pi, but there were seemingly lots of yummy places to choose from. I was dying to pop into Wander North Georgia for a browsing session, but we just didn’t have time.

Once at the venue, Glen-Ella Springs, June had the BEST time helping EVERYONE prepare for the ceremony and reception — racing back and forth from the florist prepping the arbor to the waitstaff setting out flatware — and I got the pleasure of working with my friend Davy to move the timeline along and make sure every i was dotted and t was crossed. We were all worried about rain, but ended up with lots of sun and perfect temps – such a blessing! After a glow stick jam session on the dance floor and sparkler exit, we put June to bed and got to sit around outside chatting with friends for an hour or so before turning in ourselves.

Glen-Ella itself was a delight, from the comfy beds to the delicious included breakfast and the nicest innkeepers. Our friends actually chose it as their venue after spending a winter weekend getaway there, and I can see why – I’d love to go back to have dinner by the cozy fireplace in the dining room!

Though we were only gone three nights, this extended weekend trip truly felt like a week away. I think it was probably a combination of the peaceful location and the fact that everything was new to us — a good reminder to these loyalists to inject novelty in travel wherever possible :)

Now we’re looking forward to a fun weekend at home, possibly including a visit to the Museum of Life & Science, strawberry picking, and the Azalea Gardens! Spring weather is here!!