In this post: Our 2015 trip to Ellijay, Ga for Sukkot. We’ve got cow milkin’, pig racin’, and apple pickin’ fun in this mountain town. It’s perfect for Fall!
Hello, dear ones! Wow, it’s amazing how quickly time passes. We’re about to celebrate our 9th Sukkot and Leeland’s 2nd one (outside the womb). Last year, Leeland was just a baby. He wasn’t even crawling! The family and I drove to Ellijay, Ga. We didn’t camp in a tent because Leeland was so little. Instead, we rented a gorgeous cabin on the river.
Ellijay is the perfect town for Autumn time. The leaves have changed and the mountainous scenery is breathtaking. The only downside for us was the weather. It rained the whole time we were there. There were even flood warnings…which took me to panic mode. I watched the river outside our porch rise…and rise…and rise. We almost evacuated, but thankfully we didn’t have any flooding. This trip was a huge reminder for me to trust God. My fear really messed up the mood. That being said…the in between moments were precious, and I guess I can only see that looking back. I wish I had felt it during the trip. These pictures remind me to look at the glass half full! Enjoy! Maybe you will want to visit Ellijay. I highly recommend it.
- At the Cabin~ We got to our cabin late that night. It was rainy and dark. Our GPS was a bit sketchy. Praise the Lord we found the cabin despite it being tucked far back in the woods. All of our bedrooms were upstairs. If Leeland had been older (like this year), stairs would never have worked. The stairs were steep. Thankfully, Leeland wasn’t even crawling, so he could sleep between Chris and I. There was no danger of him rolling off. The cabin felt like Christmas. It was cozy. I wasn’t used to being on a river, and the gentle sway of the cabin did worry me a bit.
The view was great, though! Here’s our upstairs balcony (which I was too timid to linger on).
Although the weather was dreary, the fireplace completely made up for it. I could’ve stayed at the cabin and lounged all day but we had plans. Here’s Chris having breakfast, as Leeland cozied up to the fire.
This was our porch, right over the river. Michael and I ate there. I brought pancake sausages on a stick because they were easy to make. We had a full kitchen though.
What a precious moment…
A nice place for a quiet time.
Michael was feeling like a cowboy, so he posed in the second living room. The bedrooms were small, but you could have a large party in this room. We could’ve invited others and just spread out sleeping bags! I wasn’t used to so much glass. Nobody was watching us though. We had just a couple of neighbors.
Our very narrow staircase.
This statue resembles the Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil girl.
Downtown Ellijay
- They had a city wide scarecrow decorating contest. Scarecrows were everywhere!
- Cornerstone Cafe ~ We had a delicious lunch in this quaint restaurant.
The Autumn decor made my day!
Everything was yummy at the Corner Cafe, and it had a hometown feel.
Next door to the cafe is Main Street Antiques. I found a few keepsakes and early Christmas gifts. There’s so much to see, and the store is two stories. I didn’t have enough time to fully explore it all.
Hillcrest Farm~ The main attraction for our trip was the farm. Ellijay is known for its apples. There are many farms to choose from and most of them have similar events. Hillcrest was a treat…even in the rain! I’m glad we picked it.
- Inside the country store: This old man talked! It was nice being welcomed by a robot! Ha!
- Watching clogging! I myself used to be a clogger. So I enjoy seeing others perform. I’ve done tap and clogging. Personally, I believe clogging is harder.
- Milking a cow~ There are just a handful of farms near us where you can milk a cow, and most of them are a good drive. I’m so glad Hillcrest had this experience.
I had never milked a cow before. It wasn’t hard…just strange.
This was Michael’s first time too.
- Hillcrest Moonshine Museum~ Well, we were definitely in the mountains! The Moonshine museum was interesting…
But there was more than moonshine. We also learned about old time country livin’.
Some of the museum, felt like the home of my kin folk. My mom and I lived with my aunt and uncle in their old country house (before it was torn down). I remember the old stove and the country counters.
The church scene reminded me of several of the old country churches I attended as a kid. Yes, I felt right at home.
You’ve got to see this place for yourself…if not, at least for the creepy headless child mannequin!
Escaping the rain for a bit inside the restaurant.
- Pig Races~ I gotta say…I was a bit disappointed. Basically, they let the pigs loose and they ran across the track once. Then it was over. I don’t know what I was expecting…maybe we’d take bets and they’d run in circles? I don’t know.
- Petting Zoo~ We’re animal lovers here. Baby goats and chicks are plenty of entertainment for us.
Bees…
We bought some homemade goodies in the country store, and I bought the Ciderella book mentioned in this post: http://amberdover.com/2016/09/28/toddler-life-apples/
- Apple Picking~ We had to pick our apples in the rain. They had a good size orchard with a large variety of apples. The price was good too.
Back at the Cabin ~ One weekend didn’t seem long enough. Maybe one day we will go back…maybe get a cabin not quite as close to the river :). I don’t have a picture, but there was a puzzle or game there called Murder on the Rocks. This took the eery feeling up a notch. Overall, the place was peaceful, though. They had a journal for guests to leave their experiences. It was nice reading about those who came before us.
- Family games and supper ~ The cabin was stocked with games and books. I wish we had more time to relax at the cabin. I cooked an easy meal and we played Scrabble.
- S’mores on the Fireplace and creepy movies~ We attempted to roast marshmallows in the fireplace. It sort of worked. Then Michael and I stayed up to watch creepy movies. I don’t like scary…so we watched DVDs of the old plays I was in. I played the secretary in And Then There Were None and I was the fiancee in Arsenic and Old Lace. These plays were just a bit spooky, and definitely PG (considering I was in them!). I wanted to share those memories with Michael. He was so little when I acted in Family Theatre. He didn’t get to see the shows back then. The cabin had tvs in both living rooms.
Goodbye, Cabin! I took some farewell photos as we headed out.
Goodbye, cozy rustic room!
Goodbye, woods!
Goodbye, deck and jacuzzi that we never got to use!
Goodbye, fire pit that also went unused. Silly rain…
Check out all of our Sukkot memories here:
http://amberdover.com/category/holidays/sukkot/
Ellijay is now in my top ten. Helen, Ga is probably my top for Autumn fun, but Ellijay is super close. The farm aspect almost knocks Helen down a peg. Anywho, our Sukkot this year is going to be different in every way. Until then, I’ve got several Fall posts from last year, and some more recent Autumn fun on the way. I hope you were inspired!
God bless & remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover
