Our Trip to the Mountains Part 2

While staying in Hiawassee, we went to the GA Mountain Fair and I left my camera in the truck for most of the day and didn't get very many pictures.   It was the National Fiddlers Convention and they had a competition for Fiddlers, Bluegrass Bands, Mandolin, Flat Pickers, Finger Pickers and Banjo players.   It was great music and lots of fun to hear all of the musicians, who after the competition, sat around the fair grounds and played for the love of music.   There was a young banjo player who was so great, I just had to get a picture.

They had great craft cabins laid out all over the grounds, with a Blacksmith shop, log splitting, shingle making, soap making, weaving, quilting, fudge making, kettle corn, bee-keeping, a grist mill, and many other folk crafts.  They also have lots of touristy type booths with crafts for sale.   It was a great time.    Ga Mountain Fairgrounds always has the Fall festival the last 2 weekends in October.   We will definitely go back in the future.

 The fall colors and beautiful mountain lakes, were pure eye candy and kept us in a relaxed and restful mood for all of our time there.       On our last night in Hiawassee we went to a restaurant called "Deer Lodge", they are on Hwy 75 going toward Helen GA from Hiawassee.     We were in the mood for a steak and little did we know that 3 people could share one ribeye.     They were hanging off the plate as you can see in the picture below.    I highly recommend it.   It is a no nonsense kind of place with not alot of ambiance, but the food was great.    

We had a campfire every night and it was pretty cool for a Florida girl, but my mother used to call it snuggling weather and I agree.

After we had packed up and gotten our pop-up ready to head out, we drove up to Unicoi State Park.   It is the home of Anna Ruby Falls, a great lake with swimming and boating in the summer and a lodge with a great restaurant.    We had stayed there in a cabin about 8 or 9 years ago.     The hike from the visitors center to the falls is about .5 mile all uphill.   But the views are worth the hike.

We said goodbye to our friends who were staying one more day and then traveling up to NC as we started our trip across the mountains into Tennessee.    I will share that part of the trip later tonight.   

Ralph & Jo - We enjoyed our time with them so much.    We will definitely do it again.