• Approximate Time: 3-4 days total

• Tellico Plains, TN - Blue Ridge Mountains

• Conasauga Falls

• Bald River Falls & Baby Falls

• Helen, GA - Blue Ridge Mountains

• Trahlyta Falls & Russell-Brasstown Scenic Byway

• Anna Ruby Falls

• Uhuburg Castle

• Babyland General Hospital

• Amicalola Falls

• More Fun Things to Do - Tellico Plains, TN and Helen, GA

• Travel Tips - Helen, Georgia

• Great add-on trip: Great Smoky Mountains

Blue Ridge/Appalachian Mountains

Tellico Plains, TN is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains which span 615 miles in length. And the Blue Ridge Mountains are part of the larger Appalachian Mountains at 2,000 miles long. Tellico Plains is within the Cherokee National Forest with about 700 miles of outdoor adventure hiking & biking trails. The picturesque Tellico River runs along the east side of town and it offers tubing, and if you're experienced some whitewater paddling thru the upper river sections.

Tellico Plains was originally a Cherokee town called Telliquah. You'll find it on google maps, a small plot of land with one building on it - the Harley Davidson store. I was curious, so I checked the Cherokee meaning for Telliquah - likely the old name for the Cherokee settlement Great Tellico. It's also where 2 old Cherokee trails intersected, the Warrior Path and the Trading Path. In 1911 Tellico became a logging town which was later purchased by the U.S. Forest Service.

Today, there's an impressive trail, the TAT or Trans-America Trail with over 5,000 miles of off-roading adventure thru all sorts of diverse terrain. It starts in Tellico Plains and ends on the Oregon Coast in Port Orford. See my 3 blogs about the gorgeous: Oregon Coast Adventures.

I'm still amazed as I drive thru various mountain ranges of the southeast. The single lane roadways somehow manage to maintain their ground (so to speak) without being overtaken by the heavily forested wilderness.

The greenery grows right up to the road's edge, and the canopy above glows yellow where the sun's rays are able to penetrate the foliage. It's just so beautiful. Photo left = Hwy 68 in the Cherokee National Forest.

Location = no address to Conasauga Falls trailhead. From Tellico Plains, head south on Hwy 68, go right on 341/Witt Rd for about 2.9 miles. At the "Y" intersection, go right on Conasauga Spur FS Rd to the dead end. Space is limited so please be kind when parking. No signal for GPS maps here. It's 1.5 miles roundtrip per the U.S. Forest Service and is considered moderately strenuous due to the steepness, boulders, and tree limbs. If you're in average shape - it's not a problem.

FYI: 341/Witt Rd - the road is narrow. The lower section has ivy like shrubbery everywhere.... like it wants to eat everything. As the road climbs higher into the forest, it twists & turns with barely enough room for 2 vehicles to pass. The road surface also gets a bit bumpy.

The trail starts out with an easy descent on a fairly even trail. As the trail descends, it becomes less even with tree limbs and small boulders. About halfway down, it get's steeper. You'll come to a large boulder on the right, and gnarly little trail down to the left - it's a little slick due to the gravel rocks. You can head down to access the Conasuaga Creek, but don't get excited.... it's not the falls. Continue on the trail for the last little section which begins with a big couple obstacles to maneuver around.

The final descent to Conasauga Falls has stones steps which I'm guessing are supposed to help with traction over the loose gravel, and in most cases it works. To be honest, I was slightly disappointed in the falls - but here's my 2 cents: You know they're going to be full roaring gorgeous if you go in the spring or early summer. Not mid-September like we did. t's still a beautiful area - just out in the middle of a lush forest. It could almost be a scene right out of the Jungle Book.

Location = Bald River Falls & Baby Falls. Tellico River Rd (FR 210), Tellico Plains, TN. From Tellico Plains, head south on Hwy 165 for about 5 miles. Turn right on FR 210 for about 6 miles to the viewing platform on the right. Parking is limited, so maybe go earlier or later in the day during summer & fall high traffic weekends.

FYI: restrooms are available just up the road on the left at Baby Falls. From the parking area along the road and a little left of the falls is a short trail up the hill so you can get a bird's eye view of the falls from above. Also, if you're looking to get in a workout - take Trail #88 and hike to Bald River Falls for an 11.2 mile roundtrip adventure.

This area does get snow, so Bald River Falls can freeze in the winter. What a beautiful site that must be, covered in a blanket of snow with glimpses of water still able to flow in an otherwise still landscape. We might have to come back and spend a snowy white Christmas in the mountains.

Despite all the people wading & swimming in the pool below the falls, and those lined up on the viewing platform, Bald River Falls felt peaceful and powerful at the same time.

Bald River is a large tributary and falls over the cliffs as one waterfall at the top and then splits into 2 streams, cascading over the rock formations before flowing down into the Tellico River. It's just gorgeous.

If you continue driving past Baby Falls, you'll come to Green Cove Lodge. Trout fishing is one of their big draws, but you can also just enjoy the Cherokee National Forest or hike to the nearby Benton MacKaye Trail - a 300 mile trail.

Benton MacKaye was the founder of the Appalachian trail - a 2,190 mile trail crossing 14 states. I was curious and wanted to know some details about the hikers who finished the entire Appalachian Trail.

In 1955, a 67 year old grandmother hiked it solo, and was also the first person to hike it 3 times. That's like CRAZY.

If you continue down the road for about 1/3 mile, you'll come to Baby Falls. There's a small parking lot on the left with restrooms. You'll have to walk back on the road the way you came for a minute to access Tellico River and see the falls. There's several large boulders in front of Baby Falls and along the water's edge that you can hop onto for a good viewpoint.

You can be officially recognized as a "2,000 Miler" if you hike the entire trail straight thru within 12 months per one of their rules. Hikers take on average of 5-7 months to complete the trail, but most take brief stops to rest and resupply. Per the trail's ruling agency, only 1 in 4 people actually finish this incredible feat every year.

And get this.... the highest elevation is 6,643 feet at Kuwohi in North Carolina and the lowest is 124 feet in New York. That's some serious CRAZY. See the incredible views: Kuwohi, Great Smoky Mountains.

Sorry, I got off on a tangent. Anyway, if like fishing and/or a tasty trout for dinner - continue down the road for about 5 minutes to the Tellico Fish Hatchery. This is where the trout are raised for release into the Tellico River. So, let's make a deal - if you catch the trout, I'll cook them. What do you say bestie.... my pal?

Helen, GA is within the Chattahoochee National Forest and Blue Ridge Mountains. White settlers began flooding into the area after gold was discovered at Duke's Creek in the 1828 Gold Rush. Prior to that time, the area was a central location for Cherokee villages, and the Unicoi Turnpike was an ancient trail to connect various Cherokee regions. In the late 1700's an explorer named William Bartram documented 43 Cherokee towns in a large area around Helen.

After Georgia forced the removal of the Cherokee, the town developed around the logging industry in the early 1900's. The town finally got it's name in 1913 - Helen was the name of the daughter of the railroad surveyor. Logging began to dwindle in the 1930's as Helen's economy fell hard due to the Great Depression.

With logging gone, local businessmen wanted to boost the town's economy with tourism. In 1968 they began their plan for a total make-over into an Alpine village.

Towns people loved the idea and incorporated Bavarian & German details for their shops & restaurants. To preserve Helen's Bavarian theme - zoning laws were adopted that require Germain themed architecture.

Helen is reported to hold one of the largest Oktoberfest's in the USA. It's a quaint & charming town with plenty of outdoor adventures and surprisingly a little nightlife action as well. However, it's incredibly crowded during the festivals especially in late September & October. The Chattahoochee River runs thru town, so you don't even have to travel far to go tubing.

*Win a Prize = be the first to email a photo of you next to these lover's locks. Hint: somewhere downtown.

Location = Trahlyta Falls, 408 Vogel State Park Rd, Blairsville, GA. $5/vehicle Park entrance fee. Vogel State Park has a Visitor Center, miniature golf, a seasonal museum & sandy beach area, paddle rentals (canoe, kayak, aqua cycles at the Visitor's Center) and swimming & fishing. It's also has a tent/RV campground, cozy cottages, and several hiking trails. Vogel State Park has a map of their amenities & trails. Non-motorized boats only.

Just past the entrance booth and across the creek, you can find 2 parking areas and the Visitor's Center. Two more parking areas are around the lake to the right. The Civilian Conservation Corps' (1930's and 1940's) Museum is also located on this side of the lake.

If you're only there for Trahlyta Falls, it'll be a quick visit for you. Vogel Park is worth spending an afternoon hiking, testing out an aqua cycle, and maybe relaxing in the sunshine with a picnic.

Russell-Brasstown Scenic Byway

Location = Russell Brasstown Scenic Byway, Hwy 348, Helen GA. About 5 minutes drive from Helen is the beginning of Hwy 138, a national scenic road about 41 miles long. Below is RBR Hogpen Gap lookout. Don't confuse it with Hogpen Gap which is about 2 blocks further uphill - no views from this pullout, but the Appalachian Trail continues from across the street and then disappears into the forest.

The views at RBR Hogpen Gap lookout are breathtaking. Photo left - see the green mountain in the right foreground - look to the left of that to see the tallest mountain in the background.

That's Brasstown Bald, Georgia's tallest mountain at 4,784 (or 94) feet high depending on the source.

The reviews say the 1/2 mile hike up to the top of Brasstown Bald has some stunning 360 views.

You can access Trahlyta Falls trailhead from the lake trail on either side of the lake - on the opposite end of the lake from the restrooms & Visitor's Center. The short trail is to the left of the water spillway and literally takes about 5 minutes to walk down to the falls.

It's a nice waterfall, however, we both felt the viewing platform should have been built further back so you could get a better view of the entire falls. Don't bother climbing down to the rocks below - what could have been a beautiful view is obstructed by the platform. Very poor planning on their part.

From Helen, and before Hogpen Gap, there's several other awesome stops you can make. Dukes Creek Falls & Recreation Area - short road on the left. Raven Cliff Falls Trail that follows beside Dodd Creek - short road on the left. And past a loop road on the left is a Scenic Hwy Lookout with more amazing views.

Location = Anna Ruby Falls Visitor Center. 3455 Anna Ruby Falls Rd, Helen GA. $5/person to enter for ages 16 and up. * See FYI below. The Visitor Center has a gift shop, ice cream and snacks. There's also restrooms at the base of the trail.

It's a .9 mile roundtrip hike on a paved trail. It's uphill on the way to the falls, with a couple slightly steep sections. The falls got it's name from a Civil War Colonel who owned the land around the falls, naming the falls after his daughter Anna Ruby.

The scenery is beautiful and about halfway up, you'll see Smith Creek which you'll cross over next to a couple large boulders.

Anna Ruby Falls is actually 2 waterfalls created by two different creeks that merge into one at the bottom of the falls. Curtis Creek is the taller waterfall on the left and York Creek is on the right. The trees at the top left are eventually going to block the view of the upper falls. Where's the forest service guys with their chain saws?

FYI: Seniors who are 62 and over can buy an America the Beautiful Pass (also called Interagency Pass, formerly the Golden Age Pass) - $20/year or $80/lifetime.

Seniors receive free entrance into National Parks, Recreation areas & Day Use areas for both per person and per vehicle fees. For vehicles - the free entry is for vehicles with up to 4 adults.

Location = Uhuburg Castle. 571 Ridge Rd, Helen GA. $35/adult with discounts offered for seniors, military, and children. Book your Saturday or Sunday visit online. You can arrive anytime between 10 am and 2 pm. Closing is at 3 pm. Free parking & shuttle up to the castle. They also have special events if you can plan your visit accordingly.

FYI: The ticket includes the outdoors, which is pretty amazing and the Great Hall inside. Everything else is reserved for lodging guests only. Uhuburg Castle closes at various times times during the year and sometimes don't include both Saturday & Sunday. You can also book lodging in one of their royal chambers.

A Renaissance Design

Uhuburg Castle is not an ancient structure, but in fact had it's grand opening in 2023. Construction took much longer than the projected 2 years - it began in 2008 when they started clearing the land.

The castle design was fashioned after the values of wisdom, truth, and beauty of the Renaissance era. In it's design, they also wanted to represent the area's Appalachian Mountains - it's animals, plants, and customs of the region.

As for the name, Uhuburg - first they took the Eagle Owl which represents wisdom and philosophy. Next, they used the German word for that owl: Uhu, and the German word for castle: Burg. Therefore Uhuburg = Eagle Owl Castle.

Scavenger Hunt

When you arrive, you can opt to do the Scavenger Hunt. Clues are given around the property to help with the answers. The prize is little, but still - it was totally fun.

Atrium Tour

The Atrium Tour - although it's a quick 15 minute tour, the room is small and really warm. The plants were types we'd seen many times before, and felt the tour wasn't worth it - the only disappointment at Uhuburg.

What I was expecting was a large array of unique plants in a lush garden setting.... almost jungle-like. Maybe a stream flowing through with a small pebbled walkway and colorful, exotic blooms scattered around. Yeah, much better.... at least in my mind.

Castle Walls & Towers

Despite not being able to see more than the Great Hall inside, which was a stunning room, there's so much more to explore outside. If I had designed the Great Hall, I would have said skip the lavender painted walls and go with a stone wall - something you would expect in a Renaissance castle.

By far our favorite thing to do was walk along the tops of the castle walls which ran around the entire property, and to climb up the towers to see what we could see. Our velvety long skirts fluttered as we hurried down long corridors. We gasped for air because of the tight bodices which didn't allow our lungs to expand to take in more air. Yet, we were eager to reach the highest tower where I had lost an emerald earing the night before - a gift from the visiting Prince. Yes, I know. Totally corny, but a girl can daydream once upon a time!

Statues, Gardens, Lawn Games

The grounds are amazing, especially the statues standing amongst the greenery & flowers. It reminds me of ancient Rome with their statues and water features. Oh, and we can't forget the lawn games: archery, hatchet throwing, and super-sized chess game. We spent a good 2 hours walking all over, and finding little gems of beauty & cuteness - and I have to say I had a hard time choosing which photos to show.

Location = Babyland General Hospital. 300 NOK Drive, Cleveland GA. $ Free. Open 7 days/week, but closed on some holidays. This is where the Cabbage Patch Kids were born.

It all began in 1976 when Xavier Roberts happened upon "needle molding". He was 21 at the time, attending College as an art student and lived right there in Cleveland, GA. Needle molding is technique in Germany to make fabric sculptures that originated in the early 1800's.

Xavier's mom had taught him the art of quilting, so he combined his love of sculpture and quilting to create his first fabric "little people". He started selling his fabric dolls all around the southeast USA at venues like craft fairs. He founded the Original Appalachian Artworks to produce his soft dolls & toys in 1978 which evolved into what you see today: Babyland General Hospital.

Babyland General Hospital is a little bit of museum and a whole lot of Cabbage Patch kids. Pictured right is my cabbage patch kid! Did you know you can adopt one or more of these Cabbage Patch babies?

This huge store is a magical kind of place with trees so big they reach the high ceilings. The live "birth" event is definitely cheesy if you're over the age of 10, but your kids will love it.

It's absolutely worth the visit, even if your kids are all grown up. And if you're getting gifts for your grandkids, there's an abundance to choose from.

Location = Amicalola Falls State Park, Visitor Center. 418 Amicalola Falls State Park Road, Dawsonville, GA. $5/vehicle entrance. Photo up top = views from the top of Amicalola Falls. PLEASE: DON'T bring dogs on the metal grate stairs - there's too many stairs and their paws can get very painful, and often bloody. If they're small dogs, throw them in a backpack over the stair sections. The sign at the grated steps says: Strenuous.

FYI: If you're here for the 2,200 mile journey to Maine via the Appalachian Trail, you can pick up the Appalachian Approach Trail at the end of: Top of the Falls Road. The other option is to go thru the stone archway behind the Visitor Center for the official start of that trail.

This is one reason I devote extra time to working my leg & butt muscles - climbs like this. If you do moderate workouts or outdoor activities like hiking or biking, then this is more of a moderate challenge. Although, the 425 steps to the top will add a bit of a high-intensity cardio punch to the leg workout. From the parking lot by the Visitor Center, you have several options. See the Park's trail map (not to scale).

We chose this route due to time constraints - from the Visitor Center we drove up Ranger Rd to the West Ridge parking lot, then hiked down Spring Trail, went left on Mountain Laurel, around the left side of the Reflection Pool, and then up the fairly steep section of the Appalachian Approach trail.

We stopped at the viewing platform before heading up the 175 stairs to the bridge in front of Amicalola Falls. To finish the loop, we walked to the other side of the bridge along a short .3 mile trail to get back to the parking lot. I'm guessing it's less than a 1.25 mile loop.

If you have the energy, just past the bridge on the left is the option to take the 425 stairs to the top of the falls. Because we had a 2 hour drive back to pick up my daughter's dog by 7 pm, we didn't have time to climb the remaining way to the top of the falls.

So, we hopped in the car and drove up. It did feel great though.... I mean my car's air conditioning!

The photo left is at the small foot bridge over the creek where the falls begin. The views of course were stunning. The photo up top is also from a spot by the foot bridge. Georgeous. We're looking forward to coming back again in spring.

Add words: Outdoor Adventure

This park isn't just a wilderness with the tallest waterfall in Georgia at 729 feet. This is an awesome park for outdoor adventure.

There's the Screaming Eagle Aerial Adventure Tour which sounds amazing as long as I'd have a solid walkway and none of that 8 inch plank stretched out a 1.5 feet apart. NO thank you very much. Heights are not my thing.

Amicalola Falls State Park also has a scavenger hunt, a birds of prey show on Saturdays, 3-D archery, a survival camp so you can develop some outdoor survival skills, and you can even rent a Go-Pro.

If you're going to stay overnight, the Lodge is at the top of the falls with a nice buffet on Sundays.

Tellico Plains, TN Area

• Pan for gold in Coker Creek's designated areas in Tellico Plains.

• Whitewater Rafting in the Middle-Ocoee River in Copperhill, TN.

• The Lost Sea Adventure - an underground lake in Sweetwater, TN.

• Fort Loudon State Historic Park - a British fort built in 1756/57 to recruit Cherokee for the 7 Year War. In Vonore, TN.

Helen, GA Area

• Hwy 138, hike Dukes Creek Falls trail and Raven Cliffs Trail which follows Dodd Creek in Helen.

• Tubing in the Chattahoochee River in Helen.

• Smithgall Woods State Park - sign in at the Visitor's Center, and get a trail map to find the waterfalls & gold mine. In Helen.

• Zipline Canopy Tours, Archery, and beach at Unicoi State Park in Helen.

• Hwy 138, Appalachian Trail in Helen.

Next Blog...

Vacation Travel Tips

• Average temps high/low = Average in Wilmington: Summer 89/74 degrees F. Winter 56/38 degrees F. Average in Great Smoky Mountains: Summer 79/56. Winter 43/20. Snow is expected in mountain regions.

• Backpack essentials - water, bug spray, sunscreen, whistle, flashlight, cell phone, pocket knife, and a light jacket.

• Winter Essentials - thermal blanket, waterproof boots, warm clothing.

• Hiking conditions - trails can be wet & slippery after summer rains. Prepare for snow in higher elevations.

• Vehicle safety – Keep a spare blanket, boots, jacket, gloves, and snacks in the car. Winter roads can be icy & snow covered - use “winter” tires. If you only have "all season" tires, take snow chains.

• Wild animals - black bears are becoming bolder in parks/campsite areas mostly due to food. Coyotes, red wolf, cougar, bobcat, and elk are also present.

• Trash - Pack out what you pack in.

• Rivers/lakes – river shoes really help on the rocky bottom. Heavy winter rains mean deep, ice-cold & fast moving water in spring.

• Poison oak & ivy - always know before you touch. The common Oak has 3 leaflets per stem but can have more. Ivy always has 3 leaflets.

• Poisonous snakes - 6 types, found on land, water, and trees. They generally prefer to avoid humans, usually biting only if threatened. However, these are aggressive: water moccasin (cottonmouth), pigmy rattlesnake & diamondback rattlesnake, and coral snake.

• Wilderness areas – take a buddy & tell someone your travel plans.