This weekend our two high school sons went on a church retreat, so Mark and I had most of the weekend to do what we wanted! We started our weekend Friday night by dining at an Italian food restaurant after dropping them off and then just went home and relaxed the rest of the evening ( and by relax I mean we came home and walked our other children of the four-legged variety. We’re wild and crazy like that!)
Saturday, we knew we wanted to go on a little day trip together and take full advantage of our teenagers being gone weekend. One of the things I love about living in a suburb North of Atlanta is that we have the mountains to the North of us and the city to the South of us- there is always something to do, depending on your mood or activity preference. If there is one thing we do really well together, it’s road trips and excursions! Mark always takes me on the most scenic routes whenever possible which I love, but I have a little night-driving-in-the-mountains-on-two-lane-road anxiety, so that was my only prerequisite; that we not drive back at night that way! I have my reasons…..
We decided to go to Blue Ridge, Georgia, just a little over an hour away. Blue Ridge is a great little town that has the Blue Ridge Railway running through the town and the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background. You can take a train ride to McCaysville, Georgia, go trout fishing ( Blue Ridge is the Trout Fishing Capital of Georgia ), walk around the galleries and antique shops with work featuring local artists, visit book stores, or go to one of the local eateries to have a meal, cocktail, or coffee, to name just a few things. I have a few friends who have cabins nearby and enjoy having guests come to visit and walk around the town, too. Our Winters are pretty mild in Georgia, but I wouldn’t say Winter is the best time to visit Blue Ridge, but it’s still a nice place to go if you just want a little day trip. Most of the shops close by 5PM at this time of year. Fall, Spring, and Summer are all great times to take advantage of all the outdoor activities like hiking, fishing, walking around the town, or eating outdoors, and the shops stay open later.
I loved checking out Posh’s vintage jewelry and one-of-a-kind clothing items. Boutiques always have the best scarves, shoes, jewelry, and cute clothing pieces, don’t they? Especially in little towns that feature local artisans’ work.
One of the first shops we walked in was the new Blue Ridge Jerky Company, featuring elk, venison, beef, buffalo, and some other types of unusual jerky. The young lady that is the owner was very inspiring in her talents and entrepreneurial spirit. She just opened the shop and is still working to add different products, but I was especially intrigued by the way she had incorporated rustic vintage pieces to display her products! Loved the cow skull hanging above the shelved products, vintage hardware bin, and the 57 rusted Chevy pickup truck bed used as a display case.
The shelves are slab cut oak with the bark intact on the edge. The owner said the hardest part of that project was putting screws into the truck bed from inside the wheel well. Isn’t it a cool concept though? Being The Painted Chandelier, you know I love the crystal chandelier touch! Rusted metal, tree bark, and a touch of glamour? Great mix of elements for this type of store.
Mark spotted this quaint little book store featuring a variety of antique books and military titles. He stayed in there while I browsed around the little home decor shops, boutiques, and art galleries. ( Smart guy, huh? )
I love art galleries and especially those featuring local artists, so I stopped by High Country Art & Antique and asked Cheryl Engledow, the owner, if I could take a few pictures for clients who may be interested in local art for their homes or office spaces. As a designer, I think it’s important to familiarize myself with various artists and their work, whether it’s oil painting, watercolor, clay/metal sculptures, etc.
Art can really set a space apart like nothing else, and it’s especially interesting when a client already has a collection to add to or work with. I love to pick up a piece of art or two any time I visit a new place and it’s also a great gift idea. I was so inspired walking around looking at the different types of art work and mixed media in this gallery, and I was especially drawn to the clay sculptures by artist, Nicole Merkens. A lot of her work has an angel theme, which I love. Many of her pieces are featured at High Country Art & Antique in Blue Ridge, and I was intrigued by her use of mixed media in her various works.
Isn’t this embroidered style fox pillow so rustic and pretty? This home decor store had some beautiful table settings, furniture, and home accent pieces that would work well in a mountain cabin like those found around this area with such rich earth toned colors and textures.
I have a “thing” for interesting doors and gates. Here are a few I spotted in the area:
Beautiful weathered wood with detailed carvings~
Look at these! Don’t you just love the aged wood and the beveled leaded glass panes?
We finished our fun day with some amazing margaritas and Mexican food and didn’t eat until 9PM. Living dangerously, I know. 🙂
We had a great weekend sans kids and I need this sort of getaway every so often to restore and rejuvenate my creative senses. I leave with a sense of renewed inspiration and a feeling of calmness (except for the fact that we DID end up driving back on those curvy two-lane roads at night, but I guess I’ll admit it was well worth it and I did survive) Isn’t it SO good to get away?
Add Blue Ridge to your list of “Great little Georgia towns to visit.” So much local flavor and talent….you will enjoy it. I think my parents have taken the round trip train ride to McCaysville from Blue Ridge, and Mark and I want to do that, along with learn to fly fish in the near future. We are rediscovering some of the things we loved doing BK ( before kids! ) For more information on Blue Ridge, Georgia, you can go here.
Thanks for reading, have a great Sunday, friends!
xoxo
Kelli Fox says
February 2, 2015 at 1:39 pmI love Blue Ridge – you know Mary Kay has a place up there so we go at least twice a year 🙂 Love it!
mimirobins says
February 2, 2015 at 1:48 pmYes, Kelli! I thought about y’all when we were up there. It’s such a fun little town, isn’t it? Lucky MK having a place nearby! 🙂
Bethany at The Southern Couture says
February 3, 2015 at 1:30 pmI was just telling my husband that we need to venture out more. What a great idea!
mimirobins says
February 4, 2015 at 1:55 pmHi, Bethany! Yes, it’s so good to go on excursions and refuel your creativity and just get away and unwind! Love the little towns like Blue Ridge that feature alot of local artists’ talent! 🙂