Archive for May, 2011

Kick off your vacation season at the Blue Ridge Arts in the Park Festival!

When I attended the Blue Ridge Writer’s Conference in April, my favorite part was when the Blue Ridge Mountains Arts Association

Director stood up and said something to the effect of “our plan for Blue Ridge is for it to be an art town.”  This is why I love Blue Ridge and it’s people.  They are shamelessly promoting art, creativity, and the freedom to come to Blue Ridge and be who you are.  I believe by now I have made it apparent that I love Blue Ridge, Georgia.  It is my home away from home. My own personal getaway and creative outlet.  When I go there, I feel free to let my freak flag fly. My creative juices start flowing, and I am overcome by it’s beauty and magic.  Ideas and inspiration bubble up from my core and explode in showers of color and light. Blue Ridge is a mere 90 minutes from Atlanta, yet I feel as if I’m in another world as soon as I turn down Main Street.  This is why I’m so looking forward to attending the 35th Annual Blue Ridge Arts in the Park Festival this weekend.

From what I understand, there are over 200 juried (that means judged by people who matter) arts, crafts, and food booths (I’m sorry, did someone say food?  Lots of food?  Where do I sign up?!).  Not to mention live music, train rides, activities for the kids, and various other enticing attractions for us artsy types.  I’m sure even non-artsy types will love it! The nucleus of this artistic supernova is at Downtown City Park, though I hear it oozes out into downtown Blue Ridge, with some of the live music acts performing directly in front of the Arts Center, housed in the historic Fannin County Courthouse.  Admission is 5 bucks, and kids get in for free. The festivities begin at 10am, and go until 5pm.  Arts in the Park has been going strong for 35 years, is attended by over 15,000 people, and is ranked one of the Top 20 Events by the Southeastern Tourism Society.  But y’know, no big deal…

Not to mention the time I will get to spend roaming around Main Street and lazily perusing it’s many art galleries, furniture stores, fabulous boutiques, and fudge shops.  So much fudge, so little time.

I am beside myself excited to be there this weekend.  What better location for a festival dedicated to the creative genius of so many talented people than the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains?  What better town, than a self-proclaimed arts town to host it?  I believe that a convergence of creativity, love of life and beauty, and pure spirit the likes of which will be at this festival is healing for the Earth and her people. The Earth and her people could use a little bit of healing right now. People enjoying each other, and expressing themselves and their passion for life and art is always so healing and uplifting for me.  So, my dear friends, if you’re feeling spontaneous, and would like some inspiration, fresh air, and passion in your life this weekend, please join me in Blue Ridge.  It’s sure to be a memorable weekend.

Find additional information on Festivals in the north Georgia Mountains

Choosing a vacation cabin rental is not always an easy task… The Blue Ridge Lodging Association helps to take some of the guess work out of selecting a trusted lodging provider in the north Georgia mountains

Southern Comfort Cabin Rentals is a proud member of  the Blue Ridge Lodging Association. Learn more about the Lodging Association by visiting the website www.BlueRidgeLodgingAssociation.com

The Blue Ridge Lodging Association serves the short term lodging and vacation home industry in Blue Ridge Georgia with a focus on education, compliance and connecting Owners, Managers and Visitors to the area.

Trusted accommodations in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia.

Adventure & relaxation live in harmony at the Downtown Blue Ridge Adventure Center of N GA. SoCo Cabins keeps followers in tune with all the interesting sights & sounds!

The latest buzz is all about Southern Comfort Cabin Rentals moving to Downtown Blue Ridge and creating the Blue Ridge Adventure Center. The Adventure Center is located downtown at 240 West main street Blue Ridge, Georgia. This prime location is directly across from the Blue Ridge Scenic Rail Road and between the LL Beanery and The Blue Orleans – VH Bistro. On the same block visitors will also find GateWood Hall – Gracious Home and The Blue Ridge Brewery along with several great clothing and shopping boutiques.

The Blue Ridge Adventure Center will be open Monday through Saturday providing booking services, maps, and other accommodation services throughout Blue Ridge and the surrounding North Georgia, Eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina Mountains. In this central location visitors will find:

·         Southern Comfort Cabin Rentals and Real Estate Services
·         Surf Blue Ridge stand up paddle board rentals
·         Upper River Adventures fly fishing guide
·         Raft One Outfitters (Rafting, Zip Line Canopy Tours, & Bike Rentals)
·         Blue Ridge Trail Blazers maps and guided tours

Just imagine having the most popular and sought after adventure activities coupled with the best accommodation services in the north Georgia mountains. This is now an option in Blue Ridge GA!

When you stay with Southern Comfort Cabin Rentals you will have immediate access to the Adventure Center offering Surf Blue Ridge Stand Up Paddle Boards, Upper River Adventures Fly Fishing Guide Services, and Raft One Outfitters (Whitewater Rafting, Canopy Tour Zip-lines and Mountain Bike Rentals). Maximize your time and ask Southern Comfort Cabin Rentals for assistance with all of your vacation accommodation needs.

NOTE: June 1, 2011 Southern Comfort Cabin Rentals office will operate from 240 W. Main Street, Blue Ridge GA.

The Blue Ridge Adventure Center IS YOUR base camp for adventure in the north Georgia mountains!

Divine Intervention-Direct and obvious intervention by a god in the affairs of humans. (taken from…a dictionary.)

I am a very spiritual person.  When Southern Comfort Cabin Rentals recommended a cabin for the weekend with the name “Divine Intervention”, I knew I had to stay there.  This cabin more than lived up to it’s name. I know I have a flair for the dramatic, but I am completely serious when I say that this adventure, and this cabin, made a huge impact on me.  The last time I was in Blue Ridge, I stayed at the Blue Ridge Suite, and my city girl appetite was sufficiently whetted (I looked that up, it IS a word!).  This time, I was excited and apprehensive about staying in a real, honest-to-goodness cabin in the woods.  The drive up from Atlanta was beautiful, as usual, and once Alison (yes, I dragged Alison along with me, again) and I picked up our keys and headed out to Cherry Log Mountain, it was almost 11pm.  I wound my car up and around the windy roads up the mountain, and eventually came to the cabin.  CJ (GM of SCCR) had mercifully left some lights on for us, and we dragged our tired bodies into the cabin, exhausted.

The first thing I noticed was the bi-level porch and deck.  The top part was screened in and had a myriad of comfortable chairs and glass tables.  The bottom section was my favorite.  Not only is there a grill with a tall table and chairs, but there’s a HOT TUB!  I was beside myself with excitement, and so glad I had brought my swim suit.  Upon further investigation of the inside of the cabin, I immediately ran up the stairs and claimed the spacious loft as my own.  Hey!  I’m the writer, I get the good room!  Okay, fine, Alison can have the master next time… The loft was furnished with a queen sized bed, and even had room for a throw rug and a couch.  Not to mention it’s own little bathroom.  Oh!   And the built-in heater in the bathroom was the “cherry” on top.  And did I mention that this is a log cabin?  As in, the whole thing is made out of… logs.  It’s rustic at it’s best.

The kitchen reminded me of a real-deal, people live here and cook a whole bunch, kitchen.  There were plenty of utensils, pots and pans, and even spices!  The other two bedrooms were cozy and quaint, and Alison picked the one with the tv.  She had her own bathroom (and her own bathroom heater!) as it was just the two of us, and we happily went off to our rooms to unpack.  The first night, being as late as it was, we sat in the two story living room for an hour or so, lounging around and watching tv.  We even started a fire.  We finally turned in, as I was getting up at 7 to attend the Blue Ridge Mountain Arts Center’s Writer’s Conference.

The one thing I didn’t notice about the loft the night before was the window directly across from my bed at the top of the outer wall of the cabin.  When I woke up around 7 to the faint light streaming through those windows, I sat up in bed.  I really almost cried.  Looking out those windows at 7am on a Saturday morning, in the surreal quiet of the mountains was possibly the most spiritual, serene,and shall I say it, divine moment I have ever had.  I can close my eyes right now and see and feel it all over again.  I spent a few more minutes in bed looking at the tops of the majestic trees and watching the sky change colors above them, and then realized I didn’t have my camera.  “Oh well,” I thought, “I’ll just have to come back!”  Once my day at the Writer’s Conference was over, I stopped in at the local Food Lion and bought all the fixin’s for the dinner Alison and I had planned.  We were going to make steak and burgers on the grill, and of course I stopped by Harvest on Main and picked up two sides of macaroni and cheese (yes, it’s THAT good).  I don’t think I’ll ever be able to go to Blue Ridge without eating that mac and cheese.  I acquainted myself with the glorious kitchen and got to work.  Alison was the grill master, and I handled the sides.   When we finally sat down to eat, we looked at each other in awe of our masterpiece.  And then we dug in.

About a half hour later, we languidly moved over to the couches to digest our meal.  About a half hour after that… we were giggling as we ran to our rooms to change into our swimsuits.  Under the cover of darkness, we crept out into the night and submerged ourselves in the 100 degree hot tub.  It has been years since I’ve been in a hot tub, and I had forgotten how relaxing it can be.  This is when my second moment of “divine intervention” happened.  I.looked.up.  And saw the sparkling blanket of stars that stretched across the sky for miles.  We don’t get views like this in the city, people.  I don’t know where else but the mountains you DO get views like this.  So I stared, and stared, and stared.  Until my fingers were pruney, and Alison had long since abandoned me.  I just could not stop staring.  Seeing the stars in the sky like that reminds me of how truly small I am, and what an amazing, exciting world I live in.

So, vacation enthusiasts, I am here to tell you, once again, how grateful I am to get to do what I do.  And I highly recommend you spend some time in this vacation cabin rental, and have a divine intervention of your own.

Always with you in spirit,

Jacqueline