N Georgia

Last year I had heard so many people say we HAD to go to Burt's Pumpkin farm to get our pumpkin and to Ellijay to get apples that we decided to take a nice day trip to see what everyone was talking about. Well we love it (even though we got a little lost at points driving). I have wanted to visit Dahlonega since Chad and Cherise lived there but we just never have really had reason to. This summer we sorta saw Dahlonega on a really bad day trip from Blue Ridge with my family (it wasn't too bad just a lot of misunderstandings about timing and things being open).

Well Chad, Cherise, Caleb and I (I'm the odd one out without a C for my first name) have been talking for over a year now about going to visit Dahlonega and while up there hit Ellijay and Burt's (well not literally, just visit them :p ). We thought for a while the weekend wasn't going to work and I was really disappointed because we don't get to see them very often and they are awesome to hang out with! Then I got the call that they actually did have this weekend off and were coming.

So they came down yesterday, we met Caleb at the $1 theater and saw Live Free or Die Hard...it was a really fun movie (though it did drag at parts). Then Cherise and I headed to my friend Kym's house to a Premiere Jewelry Show (she sells them and was kicking off her fall line). (The boys were a little mad with us b/c we decided to stay for the whole thing (not realizing the time) instead of staying for about 30 min. We watched some TV and then headed to bed.

Today we got up fairly early for a Sat., ate a yummy breakfast and headed to Dahlonega. Cherise had warned us it was the weekend of Gold Rush but I didn't think the whole town would be crazy :) I'm glad we went but I'd like to go back when it isn't so crowded...maybe Christmas...

We walked around, I replenished my lavender tea supply, we ate lunch at the Picnic Cafe where Cherise use to work, got some fudge and saw some of where Chad went to college, which is literally all up hill each way.

We left and headed to Frog Town winery which my fam had tried to go to this summer but it had just closed when we got there. We did a wine tasting and I decided this is my fav winery so far. We came home with a new stock of wines which I'm pumped about (including one of my fav ice wine!!)

After that we got on the road to Burt's but got behind some really really slow bikers (we decided it was a living oximorion...spelling?). we got to Burt's and it was packed compared to when we went last year. It was also hot in the sun which was sad b/c I had wanted to do another fallish pic with sweaters and the pumpkins...oh well maybe next year. We found some really good pumpkins and headed out after taking some pictures.

Then we headed down to Hillcrest Orchard. Which was also a ton busier this year that last but that was ok. The freeze had made some of the apples look bad so it was a task to pick through the good and bad apples but we left with 1.5 bushels of good looking apples on my part!

The drive home was uneventful and we had a yummy dinner of spaghetti, really really garlicky bread, and a Riesling...the sad thing is I just realized I totally forgot about the salad.

Well I guess I need to look at getting the apples out of the bags and heading to bed since we have had a long day and church is tomorrow....