Atlanta Roadtrip: Downtown Ellijay

North Georgia is full of remarkable little towns just waiting to be discovered. I am almost ashamed to admit that I lived about half an hour away from Ellijay when I was growing up, but we never once ventured to the town for a tour of the square. After apple picking until our hearts' content, Hunter and I needed to refuel, so we headed down the mountain to Ellijay's town center. 

What we found was a cute little town filled with antique shops & food stops. We checked out the menus at a few local establishments and decided to stop at  The 1907. Located in an old building just off of main street, the 1907 is Ellijay's answer to new south cuisine. We nibbled on brisket sandwiches doused in apple bbq sauce (sensing a theme here?) topped with coleslaw. Needless to say, it hit the spot. 

It was so neat to explore tiny Ellijay and all of it's nooks and crannies. The city even boasts a boardwalk which connects several local restaurants and antique shops. We peeked into a few shops, and I definitely could have spent hours perusing each and every one. 

Before heading back to Atlanta, we took a little detour up a winding mountain road to visit Engelheim Vineyard. The manager at The 1907 recommended we make a stop to see the views of the foothills. Of course, we were also curious about more north Georgia wine, too. We shared a tasting (totaling roughly half of a glass of wine) and noshed a few gold fish "to cleanse our palate". Most of all, we enjoyed the absolutely breathtaking views that surrounded the quaint vineyard. While I wouldn't compare this vineyard's wines to my favorites in Dahlonega, I thoroughly enjoyed the staff and the views. Just beautiful. 

If you make it to any of the local orchards in the north Georgia area, definitely plan to take a spin around Ellijay while you're there! It's too cute to miss!

Fall Bucket List: Apple Picking

What fall bucket list doesn't include a trip to an apple orchard? This past weekend, I put on my wellies and my cable knit and was off to the farm! Apple picking is something I've always wanted to do. Growing up in northeast Georgia, the apple farms were always within a short drive, but we never went to pick the apples ourselves. Once I got to be an adult, I realized pretty quickly it was an activity that I needed to participate in, and this year was the year I finally got to cross it off of my fall bucket list. 

This past weekend, Hunter and I braved the constant rain and headed north to Ellijay, the capital of Georgia apple farms. There are countless orchards in the area, and we vacillated back and forth trying to decide which to head to, but after reading several reviews, we decided on BJ Reece. BJ Reece is known for their family atmosphere with lots of kid-friendly activities, but we had a blast just the two of us. Most of the farms in the area require a tractor ride to get to the picking orchards but not BJ Reece. We were able to walk right into them from the parking lot. Pretty neat (and convenient)!  

As of Saturday, it had rained for several days, and the ground was super saturated, so I wore my Hunter boots paired with trusty denim and a thin cable knit sweater from Nantucket Brand. Nantucket Brand is your ultimate shopping stop for all things nautical and preppy; right up my alley for fall fashion and beyond. Having a staple sweater like this in your closet is key; you can easily layer it as the temperatures turn colder, but it's perfect for autumn days that are chilly in the morning and warm in the afternoon. I did bring a blanket scarf which turned out to be entirely unnecessary, but a girl can dream! 

cable knit sweater (c/o) // jeans // boots / blanket scarf (old - similar) // glasses // earrings // bracelet 

BJ Reece has two orchards along with a huge apple barn full of apple goodies and farmer's market treats. And, if you don't fill your bag in the orchard, you can go inside and fill-up with other types of apples. We scooped up a few more apples and lots of delicious apple-inspired goodies (like apple cider donuts) before heading home. Next farm-adventure? Pumpkins!