Blue Ridge Country March/April 2020 - 55

DO

This view of Lake
Chatuge is from Bell
Mountain.

✔✔ Lake Chatuge Dam Trail. (TOWNS
COUNTY, GA). Walk, bike, and stroll
paved paths around the lake
and over the dam. Perfect
for families, dog walking,
and breathtaking views. YR.
(tennesseerivervalleygeotourism.org/
content/chatuge-dam-reservation-trail/
ten2cedd29a062ec15e8)

✔✔ The Foxfire Museum & Heritage
Center. (MOUNTAIN CITY, GA). Started

by high school students over
50 years ago, the mission to
preserve Southern Appalachian
traditions and culture has
grown exponentially. On the
106-acre property are now 10
authentic period log cabins
and a dozen other structures,
hundreds of artifacts, and a
knowledgeable museum staff.
The original magazine is still

in publication, and there is a
famous book series with dozens
of editions. YR. (foxfire.org)
✔✔ Apple Houses and Orchards.

(GILMER COUNTY, GA). Nine family

farms across the county offer
a wide combination of fun
including u-pick, hayrides,
festivals, mazes, canned goods
and produce, and homemade
baked goods. YR. (business.
gilmerchamber.com/list/category/applehouse-orchards-9473)

✔✔ Demorest. (HABERSHAM COUNTY, GA).
With a "city of refuge" founding
history as a Temperance Town
(no alcohol, gambling, or

North Georgia Quick Guide: "WHAT'S NEW"
;; Sautee Nacoochee Native Peace Garden.
(WHITE COUNTY, GA). To honor the 12,000-year history of
native peoples, the donated land was transformed
and dedicated as a woodland garden with native
plants. (snca.org/snc/env/nativePeaceGarden.php)
;; Merchants Walk. (BLAIRSVILLE, GA). Just beyond the
downtown square find coffee houses, burgers,
home cooking, executive chef seafood, upscale
Italian fare, and retail shops in this developing
pedestrian-friendly area of town. (visitblairsvillega.com)
;; Ellijay River House Bed & Breakfast. (GILMER
COUNTY, GA). At this 1915 Craftsman home, enjoy the
river, porches, birdlife, cold drinks on the veranda,
cozy fireplaces, a reading Nook, and then walk
downtown for shops, restaurants, bars, and a
welcome center. (ellijayriverhouse.com)
;; Westside Park Disc Golf Course. (ROCKY FACE,
GA). The PDGA certified 18-hole course challenges
participants with hilly elevations, mixed foliage,
thick natural rough, and well-maintained fairways
and holes. (pdga.com/course-directory/course/westside-discgolf-course)

Still more on the next page . . .

TOWNS CO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

prostitution), this community
developed around a "private
club" lifestyle in the early days.
While still small, this town offers
a gourmet restaurant, luxury
lodging, the Johnny Mize
Athletic Center and Museum,
and the Mason-Scharfenstein
Museum of Art. YR. (cityofdemorest.
org/attractions)
✔✔ Tunnel Hill Heritage Center
& Museum. (TUNNEL HILL, GA). For
railroad buffs, this is the first
major RR tunnel in the South
and through the Appalachian
mountains. Important Union
and Confederate Civil
War history and the "great
locomotive chase" took place
at this site. Explore the actual
tunnel and a museum, period
house, and general store. YR.
(civilwarrailroadtunnel.com)
✔✔ Trout Capital of Georgia.

(FANNIN COUNTY, GA). With 100 miles

of creeks and rivers, serious
angling happens in this county.
Bring your own gear, or go with
one of the many guide groups
who know all the best places.
YR. (blueridgemountains.com/things-todo/outdoors/trout-fishing)

✔✔ Sautee Nacoochee Cultural
Center. (WHITE COUNTY, GA). Valley
heritage across cultures is

celebrated here via museums
and heritage sites for first
nations, African Americans, and
artisans. Festivals and events
complement permanent and
visiting exhibits, art shows,
classes, and environmental
stewardship efforts. YR. (snca.org/
snc/home.php)
✔✔ Historic Lakemont Village.
(RABUN COUNTY, GA). Renovated and
restored from its early 1900s
history, this quaint mountain
community has deep roots
and new life as an immersive
destination. Browse antique
stores, art galleries, parks,
landmarks, and farms. YR.
(exploregeorgia.org/city/lakemont)
✔✔ Gold! (DAHLONEGA, GA). The
country's first gold rush was in
Lumpkin County. Learn about
this storied time in U.S. history
by starting at Dahlonega Gold
Museum housed in the state's
oldest surviving courthouse
(1 Public Square N). Then, try
your luck panning at Crisson
Mine, an open pit mine from
1847 (2736 Morrison Moore
Pkwy E). Follow with a tour of
the upper shaft of what was
once "the wealthiest acre of
land in the world" - Dahlonega
Consolidated Mine (185
Consolidated Gold Mine Rd).

MARCH/APRIL 2020

55
Blue Ridge Country March/April 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country March/April 2020
