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Less Expensive? Conroy Cottage!
Web Links
Although relaxing and reading a good book or watching a great movie is the best thing to do at Tuckaway Ridge, if your desire is for the more active things, here are some suggestions:
Without a doubt, the best website for the area is the Chamber of Commerce website, www.blueridgemountains.com, as it has calendars of things that are going on no matter what time of year you visit.
Blue Ridge - Blue Ridge is a quaint little town that is definitely gaining an “upscale” reputation and has often been compared to what Highlands, NC was many years ago. The downtown area is very charming with numerous antique stores, specialty stores, restaurants, fudge shops and more. Many of the older buildings are undergoing restoration to their original state from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.
Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia - For more information on the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia, check out the below link. There are a lot of links from here to area attractions. Please note that although there is no better rental than Tuckaway Ridge, if we are indeed sold out there are links to rental companies and other owner web sites. http://www.blueridgemountains.com/
Blue Ridge Scenic Railway - Traveling along the Toccoa River insures beautiful scenery during the nine months of operation. Operates April to December, mostly on a three day weekend schedule (except for June, July, and October where it operates every day). View the 2006 calendar by clicking here, or visit their website at http://www.brscenic.com/ or call 800-934-1898
Golf Courses - There are four 18-hole golf courses near Tuckaway Ridge, Brasstown Valley Resort in Young Harris, GA (706) 379-4613, Butternut Creek Golf Course in Blairsville, GA (706)439-6076, and the Whitepath Golf Club in Ellijay, GA (706)-276-3080, and Cherokee Hills Golf in Murphy, NC (and there is a great flea market for the non golfers in Murphy as well!) (800) 334-3905.
Whitewater Rafting - A great adventure less than 20 minutes away from Tuckaway Ridge, the Ocoee River was the site of the 1996 Olympic Games Whitewater competition. This is a dam-release river, meaning part of what you pay goes towards diverting water intended for hydroelectric use to river rafting. This insures Class III and IV rapids regardless of rainfall. There are numerous companies, including Wildwater Limited, Ocoee Rafting, Ocoee Adventure Center, and Quest Expeditions. This is offered April through October only.
Best Romantic Evening - Start with a massage right in the privacy of
Tuckaway Ridge by Joseph & Lorraine
(larrb2003@yahoo.com or 706-698-5700), followed by a gourmet dinner
cooked for you at Tuckaway Ridge by Chef Douglas
www.cabincuisine.com or
Cabin Cuisine - Chef Douglas will come to Tuckaway Ridge and prepare, serve, and clean up a four course meal! He does everything for you for less than a fine restaurant in a larger city. Check it out in our Guest Photos (scroll to the bottom) or click here for a photo of Chef Douglas. www.cabincuisine.com
Trout Fishing and Fish Hatchery – The Chattahoochee Forest National Fish Hatchery hatches rainbow trout for release in most lakes and rivers in North Georgia. Excellent trout fishing can also be found on the Toccoa River, Rock Creek, Coopers Creek, and Noontootla Creek. For information on trout fishing in Fannin County, click here. For information on other fishing possibilities in North Georgia, please click here.
Skiing – The closest (decent) snow skiing is at Sapphire Valley, or the Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley, NC both less than 3 hours away.
Mercier Orchards - A family owned and operated Apple Orchard nestled in the North Georgia Mountains of Blue Ridge, GA doing business for more than “60 years”. Mercier Orchards on-line now offers the best selection of Mercier Quality apples and products. Everything from our famous “Fried Apple Pies” to our “Fresh Apple Cider”, "U-Pick Apples" and, of course, the best North Georgia Apples you can get! http://www.mercier-orchards.com/ or call 706-632-3411 .
Hiking and Mountain Biking - The hiking and mountain biking opportunities are too numerous to even begin to mention them all as there are over 300 miles of hiking trails from beginner to advanced. 40% of Fannin County - the county where Tuckaway Ridge is located – is National Forest. However, the closest trail to Tuckaway Ridge is the Benton Mackaye Trail (named after the person who envisioned the Appalachian Trail, which is also close to Tuckaway Ridge). To link to the Benton Mackaye Trail, go to: http://www.bmta.org/index.htm#Menu. There are also numerous trails in the Aska Adventure Area, the Cohutta Wilderness area, and the Chattahoochee National Forest. For more information on these, please go to: http://www.fs.fed.us/conf/
Lake Blue Ridge Marina - Rent Jet Skis or Pontoon Boats, or launch your own boat. The fishing is also magnificent. For more information go to http://www.lakeblueridge.us/boat-ramps/ or call 706-632-2618. There is also a nearby beach. Directions - Go out to Hwy 515 (US 76) North to the Kentucky Fried Chicken (on the right). Turn right and go to the 4-way stop, then turn left. Go past Aska Road (stay on Old Hwy 76/Business 76) until you see signs for the Marina, or you can stay on Old Hwy 76/Business 76 and go to the dam.
Blue Ridge, Georgia Government Web Page - This web site is the government sponsored web site for Blue Ridge, GA and has links to other web sites as well: www.blueridge.georgia.gov
Aska Adventure Area – Numerous well-groomed hiking trails (some even provide vistas of Lake Blue Ridge) as well as tubing opportunities are available in this area. While there (and even worth it’s own trip) please visit the Toccoa Riverside Restaurant (open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday from 430pm to 9pm 706-632-7891). Although no wine or beer is served, you can brown bag and for a $3 “corkage fee” they will serve your wine or beer. Directions - Go out to Hwy 515 (US 76) North to the Kentucky Fried Chicken (on the right). Turn right and go to the 4-way stop, then turn left. Turn right on Aska Road (there is a cemetery there) and the Toccoa River House Restaurant is several miles down on the left (it takes about 20 minutes to get there). There is also a fantastic drive home through the Rich Mountain Wilderness Area along Stanley Creek Road if during the daylight. This drive (part of which is a well packed gravel road) will put you back out on Hwy 515/US 76 near Cherry Log, which means you would need to drive a few miles north to get back to the turn-off for Tuckaway Ridge.
Restaurants - Aside from the Toccoa Riverside Restaurant, mentioned above, there are several other restaurants in town, including Blue Jeans Pasta and Pizza, 706-632-6503, The Victorian House Restaurant, 706-258-2275, and The Cabin Grille, 706- 632-3999, and the Serenity Garden Cafe, 706-258-4949.
Murphy, NC Flea Markets – Actually, there are two flea markets right across the street from each other (Fosters Flea Market and Decker's Flea Market). Lewis Foster and Jerry Decker are cousins. Which one has the best bargains? Shop there and let us know! Click here for more info.
Horseback Riding – Double D Trail Rides or Adventure Trail Rides in Blue Ridge or Blanche Manor Ranch in Copperhill and Trackrock Stables in Blairsville all offer horseback riding along scenic trails.
Best Motorcycle or Sports Car Drive – For a beautiful day trip on that Harley or sports car, you can challenge the world renowned “Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap” with 318 curves in 11 miles. Located near Bryson City, NC, this drive is about 2 hours away from Tuckaway Ridge.
Kangaroo Conservation Center - Located less than an hour away in Dawsonville, GA is the Kangaroo Conservation Center. While on this working farm, you can see Kangaroos, Dik-Diks, Springhass and Cranes. A great family day trip!
Wineries in North Georgia - Georgia produced a lot of wines back in the 1800's, but prohibition changed that until a resurgence in the 1980's. Today there are 10 wineries that are part of the Wine Growers Association of Georgia, all located in Northeast Georgia.
Waterfalls in North Georgia - This website link has some gorgeous photos of the waterfalls in North Georgia, although some of them are located on private property. While at Tuckaway Ridge you will find a National Park Service guide that has directions to get to waterfalls located on publicly accessible lands. But the photos are truly remarkable, so click here to view them.
Miscellaneous - You may want to visit www.blueridgegeorgia.us/archives/22 for the scoop on the drinking laws in our area. It has great info on the area as well as what type of alcohol can be purchased and in which counties and cities. (Remember no liquor is sold anywhere in our county, although beer and wine is sold except on Sundays. Also, we are less than 30 minutes from two other states and three or four other counties). For more information on various businesses in the downtown Blue Ridge area, you might want to visit www.blueridgega.com.
Pickin' In The Park® -
Every Thursday Evening May through September
enjoy live acoustic music
including traditional Appalachian, Bluegrass, Blues and Jazz music every
Thursday from 6:00pm - Dusk at
Pickin' In The Park®. Bring your instruments and participate
in these weekly jam sessions along the river... or come listen, grill-out and
dance!
Pickin' In The Park® is located under the trees and pavilions alongside the
beautiful Toccoa River upstream from McCaysville, Georgia on River Road just off
Hwy 60.
For more information, call:
706-492-5030.
Conroy Cottage - Conroy Cottage is a less expensive rental property located just North of Blue Ridge near McCaysville and both properties are owned by Steve and Terri Tucker. Prices start at only $95 per night (midweek) and $125 per night (weekends). It may not have quite the view as Tuckaway Ridge, but it has a great deck and accommodates up to 6 guests.
Other Rental Cabins - If Tuckaway Ridge and Conroy Cottage are not available, then we recommend BlueRidgeCabinsByOwner.com where there are additional cabins that are independently owned and managed like Tuckaway Ridge.
Cabin Owner Services - If you already own a cabin in the Blue Ridge area, and you manage your cabin yourself like we do, you may find the services of Cabin Care and Services of North Georgia worth checking out. They will act as your caretaker and will keep an eye on things in Blue Ridge on your behalf.
Of course, you may want to just sit back, look at the view, read a book, or watch the 42” Plasma TV!