Tuckaway Ridge - Things to Do in the Area

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:

There are a number of things to do in Blue Ridge. 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. Also, although we do have a small collection of brochures at Tuckaway Ridge, you may also want to personally visit the Chamber of Commerce for the latest information. They are located behind the CVS Pharmacy in town. Go north on Highway 515 (the Appalachian Highway) and then turn right at the CVS Pharmacy and take the first left after the Bank of Blue Ridge.

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) you may want to visit the Toccoa Riverside Restaurant (open for dinner Wednesday through Monday from 430pm to 9pm, and also open for lunch on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 706-632-7891). 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.

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. For the government sponsored web site for Blue Ridge, with links to other web sites as well you may want to visit www.blueridge.georgia.gov.

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

Chef Douglas – If you do not go out to dinner, but don’t feel like cooking or cleaning up, call Chef Douglas! He will come to Tuckaway Ridge and he brings all the ingredients, cooks, and cleans up right at Tuckaway Ridge. Go to www.cabincuisine.com or 706-633-6734 (they even do the dishes!).

Driving - 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.

Fishing and Fish Hatchery – For information on trout fishing in Fannin County, click here. For information on other fishing possibilities in North Georgia, please click here. 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. You may also want to click on "The Trout Pond" , which is stocked with fish and only about 30 minutes away where no license is required.

Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds – Located less than an hour away, the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds is home to the Hamilton Rhododendron Gardens. Open year-round, this boasts one of the largest collections of hybrid rhododendrons in the state of Georgia. With more than 3,000 plants in bloom from early April to late May, visitors are invited to tour the gardens along their pine bark trail on the shores of Lake Chatuge. Admission is free of charge, but a $3 donation is requested. The Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds also has a Pioneer Village with authentic and antique structures from the area that have been moved here to preserve them. During special events, visitors can tour a one-room schoolhouse, a general store, a blacksmith shop, a repair shop and an "old mountain home."

Golf Courses - There are four 18-hole golf courses near Tuckaway Ridge, the closest is the Whitepath Golf Club about 20 minutes away in Ellijay, GA (706)-276-3080. The others are Brasstown Valley Resort in Young Harris, GA (706) 379-4613, Butternut Creek Golf Course in Blairsville, GA (706)439-6076, and Cherokee Hills Golf in Murphy, NC (and there is a great flea market for the non golfers to hang out in Murphy, NC as well!) (800) 334-3905.

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/ Not every trail allows mountain biking, but there are definitely 20 miles of trails that do allow mountain biking at the Ocoee Whitewater Center Trails

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! (Note kids must be at least 6 years old to enter).

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 Lake Blue Ridge Marina or call 706-632-2618. There is also a nearby beach. Directions – go south on Highway 5 to Hwy 515 (US 76) then south to the Kentucky Fried Chicken (on the left). Turn left 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.For all the boat ramps on Lake Blue Ridge, go to http://www.lakeblueridge.us/boat-ramps/.

Massage – You can enjoy a massage right in the privacy of Tuckaway Ridge by Joseph & Lorraine (larrb2003@yahoo.com or 706-698-5700),

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.

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.

Music - Pickin' In The Park® – Enjoy live acoustic music including traditional Appalachian, Bluegrass, Blues and Jazz music every Thursday from 6:00pm - Dusk during the months of May through September alongside the Toccoa River at Ron Henry-Horseshoe Bend River Park in McCaysville, Georgia. Pickin' In The Park® is a series of weekly jam sessions that nurture local acoustic music. Bring your instruments and participate in these weekly jam sessions along the river... or come listen, grill-out and dance!

Restaurants - Aside from the Toccoa Riverside Restaurant, (706-632-7891) mentioned above under “Aska Adventure Area”, there are several other restaurants in town, including Blue Jeans Pasta and Pizza, 706-632-6503, The Victorian House Restaurant, 706-258-2275, the Serenity Garden Cafe, 706-258-4949. For Italian, Cucina Rustica in Morganton (about 20 minutes away) is also quite good, 706-374-7474. For good Bar-B-Que, try Blue Ridge Mountain Bar-B-Q, (be sure to get some chicken salad - goes great on Ritz Crackers - we call it chicken dip) - 706-632-6996. For a great lunch (or an early dinner on Friday and Saturday) try out Joe and Mary Jo's Cider House Cafe, 706-492 - 7753.

Snow 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.

Theater – The Blue Ridge Community Theater brings live theater to Blue Ridge! Check out what’s playing during your stay, 706-632-9223. There is also a regular cinema in town, the Blue Ridge Twin Cinema, 706-632-7202 and there is also an old fashioned Drive-In, the Swan Drive-In, 706-632-5235

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.

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.

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.

Lastly, if you drink beer, wine or alcohol, Tuckaway Ridge is located in Fannin County, which has no liquor store. Many Blue Ridge restaurants now serve beer and wine, so "brown bagging" is no longer permitted. You can purchase beer and wine in the supermarkets and stores in Blue Ridge (but not on Sundays) or Copperhill, TN. Copperhill, TN has beer by the drink in the restaurants. You can purchase alcohol either in Ellijay, GA or Murphy, NC, both of which are about 30 minutes from Tuckaway Ridge.