Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 33

Floating
the Chestatee
Marshall Hess floats, kayaks and
canoes his way down the Chestatee
River in Dahlonga, Georgia, the college
town where Ben LaChance established
Appalachian Outfitters River Outpost
(canoegeorgia.com/706-867-7116) in the
early 1980s.
For an hour, my son and I opted to float
for about a mile on tubes, slipping
below an old bridge. But we could
have gone longer, thanks to a trail on a
riverbank, where tubers can climb on
land and then head back downriver
again and again, says Hess. "They can
make the trip as long or as short as
they want."
-JT
dog, Mica, serving as a tongue-wagging,
huggable first mate. Happily, both are
known to abandon ship and swim with
all aboard.
On a sunny Monday, we stopped below the 40-foot-tall Mill Creek Falls, finding a man and boy on a fishing boat. We
dived beneath Wright Creek Falls. And we
spent a half-hour getting out and exploring rocks while also meeting a millipede
at the swimming hole of the Thompson
River Falls before cruising ever-so-slowly
to the grand finale: Laurel Fork Falls.
"You have the grandparents swimming with the kids," Wade says. "It is a
magical place in the summer. And there is
nothing like swimming under a waterfall
to turn an 80-year-old person into a kid."
Wade regularly docks at Devils Fork
State Park, the place where I stay with
my kid, John, in a luxury cabin (scmountainLakes.com). This tree-filled park
provides one of Jocassee's only access
points, Wade says.
"This is a wilderness lake. Its job
is to let people get into the wilderness
of the Jocassee Gorge. It's a great, big
road map that leads you deep into the
mountains."

Come get lost
and find yourself

Come explore Patrick County, Virginia.
From the rugged outdoors to 5-Star luxury,
there is so much to discover here.
www.visitpatrickcounty.org

500 miles of glistening shoreline

...nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Year-round appeal.

LakeIA
Smith M untainVIRGIN
THE OFFICIAL GUIDE TO

History & Wine anytime.
Fish. Boat. Golf. Dine. Shop. Stay.

PITTSYLVANI A COUNTIES
BEDFORD, FRANKLIN, AND

ESTATE & MORE
* SHOPPING * EVENTS * REAL
MAP * LODGING * DINING

For a FREE copy of the
Visitor's Guide:
www.visitsmithmountainlake.com
or call 540.721.1203

May/June 2017 33


http://www.visitpatrickcounty.org http://www.canoegeorgia.com/706-867-7116 http://www.visitsmithmountainlake.com http://www.mountainLakes.com

Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017

Features
Romance, Reunions and Family Fun for Summer
Mountain Summer: A Photo Essay
When Asheville Took over the 1970s’ Paper Dress Fad
Bateaux along the James River
On the Appalachian Trail, the Easy Way
BBQ!
Departments
Letters / Worth a Click
Contributors
From the Editor
Mill Creek Stories
Creature Feature
Mountain Report
The Good Walk
Country Roads
Singing in the Garden
Festivals & Events
Guest Column
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - Intro
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - Cover1
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - Cover2
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 3
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 4
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 5
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - Letters / Worth a Click
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - Contributors
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 8
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 9
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - From the Editor
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 11
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - Mill Creek Stories
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 13
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 14
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 15
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - Creature Feature
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 17
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 18
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 19
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - Mountain Report
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 21
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - The Good Walk
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 23
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - Country Roads
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 25
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 26
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 27
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - Romance, Reunions and Family Fun for Summer
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 29
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 30
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 31
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 32
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 33
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 34
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 35
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - Mountain Summer: A Photo Essay
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 37
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 38
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 39
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - When Asheville Took over the 1970s’ Paper Dress Fad
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 41
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 42
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 43
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - Bateaux along the James River
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 45
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - On the Appalachian Trail, the Easy Way
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 47
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 48
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 49
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 50
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 51
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 52
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 53
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - BBQ!
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 55
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 56
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 57
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - Singing in the Garden
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - Festivals & Events
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 60
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 61
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 62
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 63
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 64
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - 65
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - Guest Column
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - Cover3
Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2017 - Cover4
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