Atlanta, Georgia

Big Canoe, GA
Travel Article

a Huge Spot of Peace

In May 2006 our family found peace at a private community in north Georgia called Big Canoe. We found it because we had a time-share week which had to be used by June 1.  We wanted to visit Atlanta and this resort was recommended by the agent.  It is located 75 miles north of Atlanta in Marble Hills. Situated on over 7600 acres at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the beginning of the rugged Appalachian Trail this area offers a wonderful experience with nature. Miles of hiking trails through absolutely silent woods and trickling streams of water is idyllic for family fun and great exercise.

My son and I arrived on a Saturday minus dad who had an annual charity golf tournament to finish.  Just after arriving our friends from Georgia arrived to spend the evening.  We ate a wonderful dinner they brought with them and talked for hours.  The next morning our son and their son were eager to begin hiking so they left before us.  We walked around finding the fishing lake just down the hill from us.  It was gorgeous and even had benches for the fishermen.  It was stocked with trout, bass and brim.  We then got in the car and headed off to find the boys.  We were incredibly awed by the steep, constantly curving, narrow roads and the sheer drop on each side.  Our friends also live in a mountainous area of north GA but they were in awe also.  We found our sons sitting on the top of a huge incline on the side of the road exhausted from climbing the road.  We continued by car further and found one of the trails.  We let Chuck take the car back down and fish while we hiked.  

Our goal was to hike  the Nancy Wommack trail to the top passing by Upper Falls. This was a moderate to hard trail, which my son neglected to inform me.  It was an absolute narrow wooded trail crossing streams and increasing in grade with each yard.  Eventually I could not climb an inch more and my son who loved this immensely continued alone on his quest to find the top.  We rested and then headed back down the trail.  My son caught up with us by the time we passed Upper Falls again.  There had not been much rain or snow this year so the falls were small, but the soothing sound was incredible. We reached our starting point and decided to continue on and discover Lower Falls.  Both wonderfully magnificent and utterly inconvenient most cell phones do not work here.  Unfortunately, by Lower Falls we were getting very tired and had no cell service yet. We had no choice but to continue.  Long story short we ended up hiking about 6 miles on our first day on all the moderate to hard trails.  We finally got a signal and were picked up exhausted and starving.

On Monday we headed to Atlanta to meet with one of our clients from Atlanta Golf Concierge.  He suggested a Mexican restaurant called Nuevo Laredo Cantina.  The cantina was so authentic from ambience to food that just walking in made us excited.  Every inch of the walls were covered in photos from many decades.  One wall was covered with plaques proudly announcing Nuevo Laredo Cantina as Atlanta's Best Mexican Restaurant since 1992. Our client arrived and we sat down. The menu is expansive and after much indecision we  ordered steak Diablo, Chile Relleno, chorizo tacos, and Chimichanga  All the dishes were authentically prepared by Mexican chefs, and offered huge portions at inexpensive prices. For a Monday lunch this restaurant was packed.  It is definitely a local hot spot and a must do when visiting Atlanta.

In the Spring the world's largest aquarium opened near Centennial Park in Atlanta.  That was our next stop.  We were informed that reservations and pre-purchased tickets were the only way to get into this huge new tourist attraction.  I read an article in Southern Living that said if you got there before 9 AM or around 4 PM you may be able to get in.  This is a huge draw for school and summer camp field trips so that made a lot of sense. We were able to get in right away, the crowds were minimal and we had no problem viewing the exhibits.  Thanks, Southern Living.  There is ample parking but it is quite a walk around the building to get to the entrance. The aquarium is divided into five areas and also has a 4D theater on the second floor.  We began in the Georgia Explorer area, continuing through River Scout, Cold Water Quest, Ocean Voyager tunnel and theater and ended with Tropical Diver.  The Beluga whales and tunnel display of sharks was incredible.  Once again this is a must do in Atlanta. We love to head over to the CNN center when in Atlanta and stopped in a Jocks and Jills Sports Grill for a light dinner.  This is a bustling fun place to eat also.  I had a Vermont Salad with green apples, craisins, walnuts, cheddar cheese, ham, and grapes on a bed of lettuce served with maple syrup dressing. Fantastic and huge!

We spent the rest of the week in Big Canoe hiking, fishing, boating and taking advantage of their new state-of-the-art fitness center. Our 22 year old son was with us and loving this vacation immensely.  We were all relaxed and happy if not a bit sore in places.  The sauna and whirlpool did help that a bit. On Saturday we headed out on our 6 hour drive home to Beaufort.  We stopped at one of our favorite spots in Macon for lunch .You didn't think we would take a trip without checking out a brewery.  Texas Cattle Company Border Grill & Brewery is a must do when visiting or passing through Macon.  For three hours between Macon and Savannah there is virtually no place to stop and just miles and miles of cotton fields.  This is where audio books come in handy.  

This was a wonderful restful way to vacation and I highly recommend the Georgia mountains.  Just don't expect much more to do than enjoy  nature and family, two of the most precious things there are in life.

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