What do you think of when you imagine the southernstate of Georgia? Perhaps, juicy peaches, old trees covered in spanish moss, and bygone era plantations come to mind (which is absolutely true) but the state is filled with more diversity than we could have imagined.
Before we jump in, you may be wondering, what lead us to this spot of the world? After almost being homeless in 2016, we decided to make the most of our situation and jump at the change to volunteer at the beautiful historic Mountain Laurel Farm where we stayed and helped at for 2 months through the Workaway cultural exchange program.
It’s easy to see why we wanted to volunteer here. Not only for the beautiful location but for the fact that we got to first hand experience what it’s like to work at a wedding venue and bed & breakfast. It was a dream of ours every since getting married at a rustic historic B&B in the mountains of California!
We spent many a day cleaning, making beds, & prepping in the gorgeous 1914 farmhouse and 1880’s restored barn.
This is the cozy cottage we stayed in for 2 months, isn’t it charming? It’s from 1940 but has been renovated and has the cutest Native America and cowboy decor.
We were so blessed to help at 4 weddings and be apart of making someone’s wedding day run smoothly!
Alright, so now that you know what lead us on this adventure 3 years ago, we welcome you to come along with us during our time exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia in the blooming springtime plus some of our adventures volunteering at the farm:
We arrived in the Blue Ridge Mountains at the beginning of March when the tulip magnolias were just starting to bloom but winter wasn’t completely over yet. Little did we know when we arrived to that Northwestern corner of GA we would be in for a treat from Mother Nature.
Springtime in the Georgia Mountains was THE MOST BEAUTIFUL we ever experienced! Every day the rolling hills turned move vivid shades of green than our eyes had ever seen. The trees had the most gorgeous white blossoms and butterflies flitted around, it was magic!
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Who knew the Northeastern corner of Georgia is at start of theAppalachian trail!? Ok, obviously loads of people (besides us who didn’t have much time to research before hand) since it is a super popular destination with Southerners with each season holding different opportunities. The area is filled with beautiful nature, rivers, charming villages, and Civil war and Native American history.
We tried to get out and explore when we were done with farm chores. A hike to one of the many beautiful waterfalls such as Anna Ruby Falls is well worth the trip.
We were blessed to spend Easter Sunday with friends from North Carolina. We both drove an hour to meet in the middle at The Dillard House for brunch, and we had the most delicious southern spread!
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Just near the farm are so many charming little towns to visit. Cleveland is home of the original cabbage patch dolls home at Babyland General Hospital.
The hamlet ofSautee Nacoochee is a darling place with cute shops, restaurants, and a historic market from 1872. The Lavender Cottage was a favorite of ours, EVERYTHING was purple and smelled delightful! Don’t forget to visit the antique mall on your way out of town!
The whimsical village of Helen is like something out of a storybook with its Bavarian style buildings. In the 1960s, this little struggling timber town went through a total makeover in hopes of turning the city around, and it certain paid off! Now, thousands of visitors come every year for Oktoberfest. the specialty shops, and of course the German foods and pastries!
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We hope you enjoyed coming along with us to all the charming places of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia!
Would you ever like to experience a springtime in a different state?
We can’t recommend enough the precious people we’ve met and adventures we’ve been blessed to have through the Workaway program and how it changed our lives. We will always hold dear to our hearts, the time we spent with the Lothridge family at Mountain Laurel Farm. They treated us like family and we had so many fun adventures together!
Bye For Now,
-Lindsay & Jonas
P.S. When in Georgia one simply has to throw together a “Gone With The Wind” inspired photo shoot! See the rest of the photos on HERE:
