A view of the Toccoa River and Gazebo for Riverview Lodge, Fallen Timber Lodge and Outlaw Ridge

Today was another beautiful spring day in Blue Ridge so I decided to shoot sample videos of what you will see and hear when you get to the river from our cabins. Take a peek.

Blue Ridge Scenic Railway comes by The River's Edge Luxury Lodge

The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway comes through our property along the Toccoa River usually once a day. This is a viedo sample of what you will see and hear as the train comes by. This clip was shot from the octagonal deck at The River's Edge, a luxury 5-bedroom lodge on the Toccoa River. Notice the Cherokee Indian Fish Trap in the river, indicated by the large "V" shape. Easy access to the Toccoa River from The River's Edge is possible for endless recreational fun on the river, whether fishing for trout, canoeing, tubing, or kayaking. Come enjoy Summer Fun on the Toccoa River in Blue Ridge, GA!

Fun times at Crooked Creek Cabin

A couple of weeks ago, while the weather was on the chilly side as is typical of early April, we went over to Crooked Creek Cabin to lay down some mulch around the firepit alongside the creek, and build a fire. Our friends from St. Louis were visiting and enjoyed throwing the baseball in the large "yard". Crooked Creek is such an intimately private cabin, offering great recreation on the grounds. Enjoying 650 feet of creek frontage, there is ample exploration in the creek, on the banks of the creek and great hiking across the creek into the Chattahoochee National Forest. A felled tree provides the perfect "bridge" to cross to the other side! Fishing in the creek for rainbow trout is quite the treat, and top it off with a fish fry over an open fire right next to the rushing waters of Wilscot Creek. A fun day was had by all that day, a wonderful ending to a most memorable visit with our friends.

Video Views of Lake Blue Ridge from the Decks of Cloud 9, Luxury Mountain Lodge

As we stood on the decks of Cloud 9, an amazing mountain lodge on Lake Blue Ridge, we couldn't let the opportunity pass to videotape the panoramic view of the lake. Springtime is probably our most favorite time of year up here, and we try to capture some its breathtaking beauty wherever and whenever possible. Around 5p yesterday, this is what the lake looked like as seen from the spacious decks of one of our luxury 5-bedroom lodges.

Cloud 9 offers lofty views of Lake Blue Ridge and surrounding mountains inside an indulgently luxurious mountain lodge. The magic of Cloud 9 provides endless recreational opportunities provided by a large private boat dock and sun deck, complete with canoe, rafts, chairs, and hammock. Featuring a view of the big waters of Lake Blue Ridge, in addition to breathtaking sunsets, Cloud 9 is your Luxury Recreational Headquarters for the summer!

Field Trip to the Ocoee Whitewater Center

On April 2 our Fannin County Christian Homeschool Group took a field trip to the Ocoee Whitewater Center, the site for the 1996 Summer Olympics, for our classes.  Three classes offered that day were presentations about Snakes, Life in the Woods, and Streams.  A very informative and enjoyable day was had by both the kids and parents.  The staff at the Center is so friendly, and the classes offered that day were well-presented, lots of fun, and the educational interaction with the kids made for a memorable experience. 

One of the  Park Rangers offered a presentation on snakes, and brought several of his personal snakes for the class to touch.  What an experience that was!  When someone else is handling snakes, it's an amazing thing to revel in the beauty of these snakes.  A very lively and informative, fun and interactive presentation- the kids loved learning about snakes, meeting them personally, and hearing some wild stories! 

The second lively presentation about wildlife in the woods proved to memorable as well.  We learned about all the different types of wildlife living in the mountains and woods and how they survive.  Soft pelts of deer, bear, skunk, beaver, and possum were passed around for all to feel, after a brief explanation on proper handling of a pelt.  One very informative fact we learned was regarding the deer and her fawn.  When a mother deer leaves her fawn to go forage for food, the fawn is left unprotected, but perfectly camouflaged, lying very still in the same place his mother left him. As she departs she leaves a scent along the way, enabling her to find her way back to her baby.  The problem occurs when hikers stumble upon a fawn, scare him away, and consequently the mother is unable to find her fawn upon her return.  We were advised to never disturb a fawn in order to prevent this from happening.

The third and last presentation was about Streams.  This was the presentation most eagerly anticipated, as it required the kids to get in the water, albeit the day was cold and windy.  When did that ever stop an eager child from wanting to explore the wonders of the waters!  The goal of this presentation was to find underwater creatures, capture them in the nets provided, and take them to a magnifying glass container to examine them up close.  Specimens captured included crawdads, water spiders, centipede-looking creatures, and other interesting little creatures. 

The Ocoee Whitewater Center features a large pavilion for grilling and picnicking.  We enjoyed a festive lunch, grilling hot dogs and celebrating one of our students birthday.  

A perfect destination for families and large groups, the Ocoee Whitewater Center promises to provide unending entertainment to all who enjoy the outdoors.  Hiking and mountain biking provided on beautifully laid out paths, capturing the breathtaking beauty around you will prove to be quite exhilarating.  Bring the kids to swim in the swimming holes in the river among all the boulders - certainly beats a swimming pool! The Ocoee Whitewater Center's gift shop is worth exploring, taking home a wonderful momento for a great time had on the river.