RSS Feed
Email Alerts
Facebook
As the temperatures begin to fall and the leaves start to change, it’s time for a visit to the mountains and Blue Ridge is a great destination for North Georgia residents.
A train ride through the picturesque country-side on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway and a morning of picking apples at Mercier Orchards were the highlights of our weekend visit to Blue Ridge.
Aska Lodge, nestled on a mountain side with wonderful views from the swing on the front porch, is a great place to make your headquarters during your visit to Blue Ridge.
ASKA LODGE Aska Lodge, nestled on a mountain side with wonderful views from the swing on the front porch, is a great place to make your headquarters during your visit to Blue Ridge.
Blue Ridge weekend includes train ride, apple picking
Innkeepers Mary Jo and Bob Stamper put visitors at ease with their hospitality and care to every detail to make you feel as if their home is your home. After our weekend with Bob and Mary Jo, we felt like part of the family and left with hugs all around.
The two-story home has four bedrooms on the top floor available to guests and a large dining and family room downstairs, as well as the living quarters for Bob and Mary Jo. The four bedrooms are named in honor of family members.
We had the Rachel Victoria room and the Jessica Lynn room. Both are spacious and decorated beautifully with unique twists, including three vintage suitcases stacked on top of each other to create a nightstand in one room and a sheer curtain across the Jacuzzi bathtub in the other room. Each room has a private bathroom and plush robes for the guests.
Each morning, guests wake up to the wonderful aroma of a gourmet breakfast wafting up the stairs. Downstairs, the candle-lit dining room table awaits guests as Mary Jo, in a flowered apron, and Bob put breakfast on the table. Crème brulee French toast, ham and egg casserole and sausage stuffed biscuits were among the items featured during our visit. Mary Jo has been collecting recipes for more than 20 years as she dreamed of one day operating a bed and breakfast.
Guests eat together at 9 a.m. each morning which gives you a great opportunity to meet a wide variety of people. During our stay, other guests were a couple from Clarkesville celebrating their anniversary and a couple from England enjoying a week-long stay.
The family room has a television, board games, puzzles, a piano, snacks and the bottomless cookie jar with Mary Jo’s wonderful flourless oatmeal peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. A puzzle is always in progress and guests can sit at the table and put together a few pieces.
One night, we gathered in a semi-circle facing the mountains for a bonfire to roast marshmallows. Mary Jo and Bob joined us, as did their dog, Abby. What a relaxing way to end a day in the mountains.
For more information, go to www.askalodge.net or call 706-632-0178.
BLUE RIDGE RAILWAY
Saturday morning, we took a four-hour adventure on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway. It’s a one-hour ride through the beautiful countryside along the Toccoa River to the twin cities of McCaysville, Ga., and Copper Hill, Tenn. A blue line in the parking lot at the depot is shows you where the state line is located. We had a two-hour layover which gave us plenty of time to shop and have lunch.
Special holiday train rides are planned for Halloween and Christmas. For more details on these events, as well as the regular schedule, go to www.brscenic.com or by calling 1-877-413-8724.
Be sure to spend some time before or after your train ride to explore downtown Blue Ridge. Unique shops and restaurants are located in the mountain town. Our stops included Cold Creek where we found the most delightful selection or handmade bath and body products and Someplace in Time where we found a cute apron, as well as browsed through antiques, gifts, collectibles and home décor.
MERCIER ORCHARD
Our stay ended with a few hours at Mercier Orchard, where we took a tractor ride out into the orchards to pick apples, shopped in the large gift shop where we purchased more apples, apple cider, caramel apples, an apple crumb pie and apple donuts and then stopped in the bakery for a snack of fresh baked apple pies and coffee.
The u-pick opportunity is a special feature that will appeal to children and adults alike. The trees are labeled and the guides point out which apples are ready to pick. Visitors can spend as long as they like exploring the orchards.
The orchard has been in operation since 1943 and is a fourth generation farm. Tim Mercier’s parents started the business and his 92-year-old mother, Adele, still comes to work every day.
The orchard produces 100,000 bushels of apples each year in 50 varieties. The property is comprised of 300 acres, including 200 acres of fruit.
In addition to apples, visitors can pick strawberries, blueberries, and cherries as they are in season.
Mercier Orchards is open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, go to www.mercier-orchards.com or call 706-632-3411. The Merciers also ship their products.
While fall is a beautiful time to visit Blue Ridge, each season offers something special. Kayaking, hiking, horseback riding are among the outdoor adventures offered. For more information on visiting Blue Ridge, go to www.blueridgemountains.com or call 1-800-899-6867.
Angela Gary is an editor with MainStreet Newspapers. She can be reached at AngieEditor@aol.com.
The two-story home has four bedrooms on the top floor available to guests and a large dining and family room downstairs, as well as the living quarters for Bob and Mary Jo. The four bedrooms are named in honor of family members.
We had the Rachel Victoria room and the Jessica Lynn room. Both are spacious and decorated beautifully with unique twists, including three vintage suitcases stacked on top of each other to create a nightstand in one room and a sheer curtain across the Jacuzzi bathtub in the other room. Each room has a private bathroom and plush robes for the guests.
Each morning, guests wake up to the wonderful aroma of a gourmet breakfast wafting up the stairs. Downstairs, the candle-lit dining room table awaits guests as Mary Jo, in a flowered apron, and Bob put breakfast on the table. Crème brulee French toast, ham and egg casserole and sausage stuffed biscuits were among the items featured during our visit. Mary Jo has been collecting recipes for more than 20 years as she dreamed of one day operating a bed and breakfast.
Guests eat together at 9 a.m. each morning which gives you a great opportunity to meet a wide variety of people. During our stay, other guests were a couple from Clarkesville celebrating their anniversary and a couple from England enjoying a week-long stay.
The family room has a television, board games, puzzles, a piano, snacks and the bottomless cookie jar with Mary Jo’s wonderful flourless oatmeal peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. A puzzle is always in progress and guests can sit at the table and put together a few pieces.
One night, we gathered in a semi-circle facing the mountains for a bonfire to roast marshmallows. Mary Jo and Bob joined us, as did their dog, Abby. What a relaxing way to end a day in the mountains.
For more information, go to www.askalodge.net or call 706-632-0178.
BLUE RIDGE RAILWAY
Saturday morning, we took a four-hour adventure on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway. It’s a one-hour ride through the beautiful countryside along the Toccoa River to the twin cities of McCaysville, Ga., and Copper Hill, Tenn. A blue line in the parking lot at the depot is shows you where the state line is located. We had a two-hour layover which gave us plenty of time to shop and have lunch.
Special holiday train rides are planned for Halloween and Christmas. For more details on these events, as well as the regular schedule, go to www.brscenic.com or by calling 1-877-413-8724.
Be sure to spend some time before or after your train ride to explore downtown Blue Ridge. Unique shops and restaurants are located in the mountain town. Our stops included Cold Creek where we found the most delightful selection or handmade bath and body products and Someplace in Time where we found a cute apron, as well as browsed through antiques, gifts, collectibles and home décor.
MERCIER ORCHARD
Our stay ended with a few hours at Mercier Orchard, where we took a tractor ride out into the orchards to pick apples, shopped in the large gift shop where we purchased more apples, apple cider, caramel apples, an apple crumb pie and apple donuts and then stopped in the bakery for a snack of fresh baked apple pies and coffee.
The u-pick opportunity is a special feature that will appeal to children and adults alike. The trees are labeled and the guides point out which apples are ready to pick. Visitors can spend as long as they like exploring the orchards.
The orchard has been in operation since 1943 and is a fourth generation farm. Tim Mercier’s parents started the business and his 92-year-old mother, Adele, still comes to work every day.
The orchard produces 100,000 bushels of apples each year in 50 varieties. The property is comprised of 300 acres, including 200 acres of fruit.
In addition to apples, visitors can pick strawberries, blueberries, and cherries as they are in season.
Mercier Orchards is open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, go to www.mercier-orchards.com or call 706-632-3411. The Merciers also ship their products.
While fall is a beautiful time to visit Blue Ridge, each season offers something special. Kayaking, hiking, horseback riding are among the outdoor adventures offered. For more information on visiting Blue Ridge, go to www.blueridgemountains.com or call 1-800-899-6867.
Angela Gary is an editor with MainStreet Newspapers. She can be reached at AngieEditor@aol.com.
Defined tags for this entry: Features, Travel feature
Related entries by tags:
- Exploring Ann Arbor: Zingerman’s businesses include deli, creamery, farm
- Exploring Ann Arbor: Culture, sports and more found at University of Michigan
- Exploring Great Smoky Mountains: Gatlinburg perfect destination for get-away
- Traveling the Oregon Trail includes stop at Scotts Bluf and other scenic, historic spots
- Outdoor adventure and family fun found in Helen
- Heading out across the Great Plains for a wild west adventure
- Stop in Sidney for shopping, history and more
- Fort Robinson a great stop for family adventure
- Lots of family fun activities found in Historic High Country
- Exploring Georgia
Trackbacks
Trackback specific URI for this entry
No Trackbacks