A Perfect Girls’ Weekend in Blue Ridge, Georgia
This year, to celebrate May birthdays and Mother’s Day, the matriarchs of our family decided on a fun and relaxing “girls weekend” in Blue Ridge, Georgia. We stayed at the Meadow Creek rental cabin, and let me tell you, it was absolutely gorgeous. The cabin, sitting on over four acres with a beautiful creek at the bottom, was the perfect retreat. The back deck had tons of seating and a spectacular view of the meadow and creek below. We noted that this was a pet-friendly cabin rental in Blue Ridge, so next time, we may include our furry family members, they are always a lot easier than traveling with our husbands 🙂
Morning Rituals and Rustic Beauty in the Georgia Mountains
Every morning, we found ourselves slipping into a delightful routine. Sitting in our jammies, watching the sunrise over the meadow, taking a walk around the manicured grounds, saying hello to the horses next door, then followed by breakfast on the back deck. We wanted this girls weekend in the North Georgia Mountains to be full of activities so our goal was to be out of our rental cabin by 10 AM to start our day of exploration.
Exploring Downtown Ellijay
Our first adventure took us to downtown Ellijay, a quaint little town full of charm. and super nice people! We visited the Blue Ridge Olive Oil Company, where the friendly owner let us sample various delicious oil and vinegar combos, all of them so tasty. My favorite was the strawberry vinegar paired with basil oil—perfect for my Caprese salad.
Next, we wandered around the circle, in and out of several delightful little mountain stores, one of our favorites was the Main Street Antiques, a two-floor treasure trove of nostalgic and modern day trinkets. We spent about an hour exploring all the cool items. Hungry from all the browsing, we had a late lunch at Cantabury Restaurant in the heart of downtown Ellijay. We chose indoor seating, tempted by the A/C on a warm day over the expansive outdoor deck that overlooked the downtown area. The food was amazing—creamy tomato soup, grilled chicken pesto sandwich, apple pecan chicken salad, and a flatbread special with blueberry spread, chicken, and bacon. YUM!!
With full bellies, we decided to tour the Tabor House Museum, just a few steps away from Cantabury. This delightful museum is the oldest family home in the city of Ellijay. It took us about 40 minutes to stop and view all the artifacts and read over the literature in this Victorian-era reconstruction home from the 1870. It was a nice little journey back in time explaining North Georgia’s history of the early settlers and the Cherokee Indians plus some items and notes on the Civil War, and how it affected this area of North Georgia. Very informative and a nice break from shopping.
Our final stop in Ellijay was the Mountain Valley Farm for some fresh eggs and sausage for tomorrow’s breakfast, and who could resist homemade ice cream for tonight. If you enjoy quality fresh meat with no chemicals at all, then this is definitely the place to go. This is a family run operation and has been around since 1840, all the animals are treated humanely and roam freely on the hundred plus acres of farmland. A true breath of fresh air!
Unwinding at the Meadow Creek Rental Cabin
By this time, our girls weekend in the Georgia Mountains was starting to wear us down and back at our cabin rental in Blue Ridge we went. A nice glass of wine, a long soak in the hot tub, and then we played af few hands of cards before heading to bed. It was the perfect way to end our first day in Blue Ridge.
A Day of Pampering at the Spa
It’s not a true girl’s weekend away without a spa day! Our second day started with coffee and tea on the back deck, accompanied by vibrant conversation about what we were going to accomplish today. Then it was off to Serenity in the Mountains, a luxurious and quite spacious spa in Blue Ridge. We enjoyed facials, massages, and manicures, and gathered in the relaxation room between treatments to sip tea and munch on light snacks. This spa day wrapped up with a 30 minute session in the salt cave, where we chilled out in anti-gravity chairs wrapped in warm blankets. Feeling oh so pampered and refreshed, we decided to head into downtown Blue Ridge for some quick shopping before the stores closed.
Despite our post-spa appearance, we ventured into downtown Blue Ridge for some retail therapy. The town’s charming boutiques, including PJ Rusted Buffalo, Owl’s Nest, and Multitudes Galleries, offered us a delightful shopping experience. We all left with new pieces of beautiful and unique jewelry, and vowed to return tomorrow for a deeper dive into all the amazing pieces of the art, wood work and knick knacks that adorned these stores.
Shopping and Dining in Blue Ridge
At this point, our bellies were rumbling and we needed a casual spot for dinner. Of course we chose Black Sheep, the most upscale restaurant in downtonw Blue Ridge, which was just a short walk across the railroad tracks. We opted for outdoor seating, enjoying martinis and a sumptuous meal. Our menu choices that night featured Salmon Rockefeller, Filet Mignon, and Tasso and blackened shrimp pasta. Our meal ended on a sweet note with crème brûlée and decadent chocolate cake to celebrate our birthdays. To say we had a few laughs would have been an understatement, it was truly a delightful experience all the way around.
A Night Under the Stars
Back to our Blue Ridge rental cabin where we were treated to a rare sight: the Northern Lights danced their way across the sky for several hours that evening. The meadow, with its complete darkness except for the twinkling stars, was the perfect canvas for this magical display of pink, purple, and green lights. It was a truly memorable night.
Hiking and Exploring Mercier Orchards
Day three of our Girl’s Getaway weekend in the North Georgia Mountains began with a delicious breakfast on the back deck over-looking that spectacular meadow. We lingered over a fresh fruit plate and cheese as we debated which Blue Ridge hiking trail we would conquer that morning. Fortunately, the Meadow Creek cabin rental was conveniently located a quick 3 miles away from an easy ATV trail that meanders along Lake Nottely and into the forest. The gentle terrain made the three-mile round trip a perfect morning workout, even for our 84-year-old birthday girl. Take note, if you are looking for a wide, fairly level hiking trail, this one is perfect for families with children and it’s also a pet-friendly trail.
No trip to the North Georgia Mountains is complete without visiting Mercier Orchards. This place has it all—a deluxe bakery, farmer’s market, Cracker Barrel-style store, winery, and old-time general store. We spent over an hour there, meandering through each isle, sampling apples and cider and stocking up on goodies to share with the gang at home. This weekend Merceir Orchards was offering tractor rides to a “you pick” event where you can harvest strawberries. This place is amazing and other seasons you can pick, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, and over a dozen varieties of apples. We left with a bounty of apples, fried pies, caramel apples, apple bread, hard cider, and adorable knick-knacks.
Our final shopping spree in downtown Blue Ridge focused on clothes and treats. The Peruvian Shop had beautiful jackets, sweaters, and handbags, while the Blue Ridge Adventure area offered perfect hiking attire. The Blue Ridge Cotton Store had some great souvenir T-shirts and caps for our out-of-state family members. For those with a sweet tooth, The Sweet Shop, The Chocolate Express, Three Sisters Fudge and Hucks General Store all provided delicious confections, which we easily earned with all that strenuous shopping we did!
Time for lunch and our choice today was Chester Brunnenmeyer’s Bar & Grill, we opted for several appetizers including smoked trout dip, Roasted pimento cheese, soup and salad, everything was delicious and the perfect way to end our shopping day. Loaded down with shopping bags and treats for our evening charcuterie board, we headed back to our luxury cabin rental.
Real Estate in Blue Ridge
Before leaving the downtown area, we met Tiffany Spencer, an enthusiastic real estate agent outside her new office at Engel and Völkers. She provided valuable information about the real estate market in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and we grabbed her card in case we decide to make these Georgia Mountain getaways a more regular event.
Last Night at Meadow Creek
Our last night went by too quickly. We soaked in the hot tub one last time, reflecting on the wonderful memories we had created. This girls’ weekend in the North Georgia Mountains was the perfect way to celebrate special days and create lasting memories. We had so much fun that we are already planning to do it again next year.
Exciting Future Adventures
Yup. We are already planning our next trip back to these amazing North Georgia Mountains. There is so much to do and see, we definitely couldn’t fit it all into one trip. Next time, we plan to ride the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway and the Railcars, an 11-mile round trip adventure through the foothills of North Georgia. We also hope to visit the Big Foot Museum, that several locals mentioned to us, as well as hit some of the wineries in both Blue Ridge and Ellijay. If the weather permits, we might even convince our super matriarch to go tubing down the Cartecay or Ellijay River. And if our family members are really nice to us, we may even consider bringing them along next 🙂
Book a North Georgia Vacation Rental with Morning Breeze
This girls’ weekend in Blue Ridge, Georgia, was everything we hoped for and more. The beautiful surroundings, luxurious accommodations, delightful shopping, delicious food, and memorable experiences made it a celebration to remember. We look forward to our next adventure in the North Georgia Mountains and the many more memories we will create together.
