Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Hi from Hiawassee

Thinking their dad could use a little vacation, our boys gifted him with a weekend getaway.
A little bed & breakfast in the Georgia mountains was the destination and, lucky me, I got to join him.
Having driven through Georgia several times, it had never occurred to us that there were mountains in this state.  But, now we know up near the NC border there are many mountains and in Hiawassee, GA sits a charming destination that offered rest and relaxation for both of us.
We have enjoyed bed & breakfast travel throughout our marriage.
It all began with this show.  In fact that show inspired us to plan a fall trip to Vermont and several other New England states.  We stayed in bed & breakfasts all along the way.  That trip took place in 1984 and still stands out in my mind as one of my favorite trips ever.


I know that this type of travel isn't for everyone, but we enjoy it for a variety of reasons.
One of my personal favorites is the homemade breakfasts.  Waking up to the smells of breakfast cooking and then coming down to this is worth the price of admission in my book :).  Of course not having to clean up after breakfast is nice too.
On this morning we enjoyed a vegetable frittata, fresh fruit salad with Greek yogurt and warm from the oven biscuits with blueberry butter.
After eating this substantial breakfast we felt a bit of exercise was in order.
Which brings me to another reason I like staying at B&B's...
the host(s) are always very helpful in assisting you in making your plans for the day.
We said we'd like to take a hike and see some waterfalls too.
They provided us with a backroads map and told us what to expect as we drove to our destination.
We zigged and zagged up that mountain and even drove through a small stream.  Had we not known to expect this it could have been a bit daunting.  That mountain driving isn't for the faint of heart.  Good thing Brett was at the wheel.  Ha ha.


Traipsing through the forest on the way to the falls I spotted this mossy little abode.
I fully expected to see a little mouse in an apron with a broom in hand.
Can you tell I spend too much time with children's storybooks?

While the hike was only 1.2 miles each way, it was a good workout as it was mostly up hill (mountain) on the return trip.
The sights and sounds of a waterfall are something I always enjoy. 
In case you like them too, I made a little video.  However, I'll have to share it next time.
I loaded all the pictures for this post last night and forgot to add the video.
Now I'm at work and don't have my pictures on this computer.
Just so you know I don't normally blog while on the job.  I'm doing so today because it is s.l.o.w. here today as we are bracing for a BIG snowstorm.  They say we could get 6-12".  In fact I hope to leave for home soon as it's really starting to come down out there.


For some reason I didn't take any pictures of our room.  Interesting how I took several of the food though :-).  I guess you can see where my priorities are.
Anyways, the walls and floor in the room were knotty pine.  The ceiling was white bead board.  Very charming and perfect in a mountain setting.  The first photo above is the bathroom window.  I thought it was so pretty with the sun streaming in.
In case you're interested, breakfast #2 is a puff pancake filled with fresh berries, bacon and an egg (not pictured).  Interestingly the first time we ever had a puff pancake was at the very first B&B we stayed at in Vermont.  When we told this to our hosts they said that the puff pancake originated there and they call them "hootin anni's".  Have you ever had them and if so what do you call them?
I used to make them often, but it has been a long time ago now.
Maybe I'll give them another try as they do make a pretty presentation and are delicious too.






Speaking of pretty and delicious...
we found this in our room upon returning from the hike.
Just one more reason to love those B&B's.





10 comments:

  1. What a fun little getaway! Good food, good hosts and pretty scenes along the way. I hope that you are home safe and sound while the storm blows around you, Kim.

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  2. There you are! What good boys to send you on a little journey to the mountains. I am in agreement with a B&B experience...the way to go for charm and a more personal experience. This one certainly looks delightful. Hope that you have been safely home for hours. It looks crazy down there.

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  3. Kim, your pictures are beautiful! My grandmother was from that area and I heard her talk about it many times.

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  4. I am with you Kim. I enjoy a well planned road trip and staying at cute b&b's. Especially in a beautiful season, like fall. xo

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  5. I love, B&Bs and this one looks like a winner, like you, food is what I love about them, they always remind me of having breakfast at my grandmothers!
    We are having sleet, freezing rain on top of about 8 inches of snow tonight, with power outages predicted! I am so looking forward to Spring,. Thanks for sharing.
    Blessings,
    Sue

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  6. I've never really stayed at a B & B! The food looks absolutely wonderful and I've never heard of a puff pancake, interesting. Looks yummy! Sounds like you had a very relaxing trip! Great pictures!

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  7. Sounds and looks like a remarkable vacation. The photos are so beautiful! The waterfalls make me wonder how superbly lovely things must have looked when the Native Americans roamed freely among the landscape. And, by the way, yes...one can spend gloriously too much time in children's books, but it's oh so worth it...your imagined scenario was the first thing I thought of, too.

    Thank you for sharing, and have a glorious day,
    Marianne

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  8. That sounds like a wonderful trip. The hike to the waterfall sounds great.
    Oh all that food looks delicious. I'd better stay away from B & B's, I'd gain 5 lbs each place I stayed!!
    I've never heard of a puff pancake.
    So how much snow did you get down there? That same snow is now falling on us - we have about 6 inches more so far. There was about a foot already on the ground here!

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  9. That looks like a wonderful B&B and it sounds like they treat you royally with the lovely food and treats! Beautiful pics, Kim!

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  10. What a special gift! What a lovely place to stay! My husband and I enjoy B&Bs and we do for some of the same reasons you mentioned. The food looks so good! Someday I want to build a house by some waterfalls, because I am always drawn to the beauty of them. Thanks for sharing your excursion with us. I enjoyed it so much.

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