About Fannin County, GA

L.&L. Beanery & Café in historic downtown Blue Ridge Georgia has done it again! Last year they expanded their unique coffee shop & bakery to include a very successful breakfast and luncheon café, and now, this: Great dining with fine food, libations and live music, set in an ambient atmosphere that reeks of high quality, but offers diners an affordable elegant evening.

We were seated right away. The accent lighting and live music created the perfect setting for a fine dining experience. It was a pleasure to finally be offered a wine list with dinner, as Blue Ridge is no longer a DRY county. By the bottle or by the glass, the prices were a pleasant surprise. We decided on a Riesling, and the entire bottle was $17.00. It was crisp and light, a great accompaniment to the vegetarian lasagna, which was a gourmet step above any lasagna I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying. We were left with no room for dessert, but the plethera of delectable offerings were tough to resist.

I know this new night spot will fill a niche that Blue Ridge area residents and visitors have been painfully aware of: someplace to have a lovely dinner with a bottle of wine and not end up spending a week’s pay. With the passing of the liquor licensing laws, it seems Blue Ridge will soon be the site of many quaint taverns and local breweries. There are two more evening establishments already in the works just around the corner, getting ready for an opening this Fall.

Little by little, places like L.&L. Beanery and Merciers Orchard & Café are offering later hours for those who like to stay up past sunset. Little by little, little Blue Ridge Georgia is stepping up with the times and expanding on what it offers visitors and residents. It’s actually an exciting evolution to watch. Bravo L.&L.!

P.S.- Dinner is ONLY offered Friday and Saturday nights, at this point. Due to the crowds we experience up here in the mountains during the Fall, be prepared to linger and enjoy the ambience, as home-made foods and persoanable waitstaff combined with high customer volume can create wait times.

Lot 23 Lakeview Road, Ridges Over the Lake, Blue Ridge Georgia

USFS road meanders along Lake Blue Ridge through national forest as it makes its way to the gated entry of the presitigous Ridges Over the Lake, nestled off the beaten path in the ever popular Aska Adventure Area. Private 2.2 acres with paved roads, underground utilities and community water ready to build your dream home in the North Georgia Mountains. Feel like you are a million miles away from it all but only 8 miles to historic downtown Blue Ridge. This upscale development is comprised of beautiful luxury log cabins and lodges, offering long range views of Lake Blue Ridge and layers of the famous "blue" mountain ridges. Priced well below other tracts in this development.

Price: $135,000 MLS #: 191105 VIRTUAL TOUR

Thank you Fred Carver, Victoria Real Estate for the tip to "Just Google"

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Early morning on Lake Blue Ridge

Donna Yates, Georgia Realtor
Coldwell Banker High Country Realty
706-633-0644 cell 706-632-7311 office
Blue Ridge, Georgia 30513
www.move2northgeorgia.net
donna@ellijay.com

I have a feeling that this is not going to be the most riveting blog I've ever written, but it is the first blog entry I've written in almost 3 months. Guilty as charged... Naughty me (TLW will have to whip me)! I have been incredibly busy with my real estate business, and as such, I have had no time to write.

For those who haven't heard, the activity in the market is on the rise, at least in this neck of the woods. I had 13 buyers in 1 week just a couple weeks ago, and I am still working on several contracts that are coming in from that week. In the mean time, there is no such thing for me as an "easy" deal. Every single contract I have put together that has worked out, has worked me out, that's fer sure. For every one that worked out, I wrote 5 or 6 that did NOT work out. I love being busy, but it would be nice to have a deal where everything just falls into place at least once in a while. No whining when I have contracts, I know.

With that said, my wife just opened a new business here in Blue Ridge. Well, it's not exactly a new business for us, it's our old business...a dance/yoga studio. It's been open a few weeks and the response has been fantastic. As for me, I oversaw all the build-out for the new space and even teach class a few nights a week to help out and keep in shape, but that has been a whole other task unto itself. I have been feeling pulled apart in every direction, so needless to say, my blog has suffered, and I just wanted to take a moment to start back to writing entries at least a few times a week.

I have been to some great new restaurants that have opened in town, and experienced some great local attractions that I am dying to share with my interested blogging audience, but that will be fodder for the rest of this months entries. In the meantime, the BIG NEWS is that the real estate market is up an running again, and the prices are inspiring buyers everywhere. If you have been thinking of investing in a mountain getaway...NOW IS THE TIME! I may be busy, but I'll always make time to show you around and help you in any way I can. I'm just excited to be back in the swing of things and adjusting to my new pace. This is more like it!

SEPTEMBER 2009

Sept. 1 – Oct 6 / Quilt Exhibit

Blue Ridge Mountains art Assn. Community Quilt exhibit (706) 632-2144 www.brmaa.com

Sept. 1 – Oct. 30 / Pickin’ in the Park

Downtown Ellijay/Horseshoe Bend park in McCaysville. Local Musician jam gathering. Bluegrass, country, Gospel and rock-n-Roll 6pm – dark. Free Family Fun! All are Welcome! (706) 635-5961 wilmar225@yahoo.com

Sept. 5 – 27 / Apple Picking

Mercier orchards. Growing apples since 1943, Mercier Orchards is celebrating 66 yrs. of business. Enjoy a wagon ride through the orchards and pick apples Sat & Sun from 10am – 5pm (706) 632-3411 www.mercier-orchards.com

Sept. 20 & 21 / Wildlife Art Festival

Downtown city Park, Blue Ridge, GA. 10^th annual festival. Showcasing works from over 75 of the finest wildlife artists in the southeast. Sculpture, painting and woodworking. Blue Ridge Mountain Arts Assn. (706) 632-2144 www.brmaa.com

Sept 25 – Oct 10 / Ruby Falls Haunted Cavern

Ruby Falls, Chattanooga, TN. Fri & Sat nights opens after dark. Terror 206ft underground. www.hauntedcavern.com