ROAD TRIP - GEORGIA + TENNESSE

Exploring Northern Georgia & Tennessee: Trails, Lakes, and Adventures

This trip was a wonderful mix of adventure, family time, and bucket-list moments.

From hiking in the dense woodlands of Northern Georgia to relaxing lake days in Tennessee, we experienced both the wild and the laidback sides of the American South.

Hiking Highlights in Northern Georgia

One of the big draws for me was finally ticking off a bucket-list activity: walking a section of the Appalachian Trail.

• Woody’s Gap to Preachers Point

A 3-hour stretch of the famous trail, finishing at a stunning clearing with panoramic views of the Blue Mountains (which later become the Smoky Mountains as you cross into Tennessee). Hiking the whole trail is a huge undertaking, but this taste of it definitely whetted my appetite for doing longer sections in the future.

• Yonah Mountain Trailhead (near Cleveland)

A quieter alternative, not part of the AT, but no less rewarding. We climbed through dense forest before emerging at the summit to sweeping views. The area is used by the U.S. military for training, though our only company was deer keeping a close eye on us.

• Raven's Cliff Trailhead (near Helen)

A winding trail through the woods leading up to twin waterfalls. Beautiful, though spotting a snake at the water’s edge was enough to keep us from cooling off in the stream!

• Hardman Farm Heritage Trail (Helen)

A gentler option along a tarmac and wooden walkway by the river, ending at a historic farm. Accessible for most people and a nice contrast to the more rugged hikes.

What struck me most about these hikes was the density of the woodland — despite being close to towns, the forests felt remarkably untouched.

Helen; A Bavarian Town in Georgia

Helen is a Bavarian-themed town tucked into the mountains. With its timber-clad shops, themed restaurants, and famous Oktoberfest celebrations, it’s a magnet for tourists- year round so I could gather.

You can tube down the river on a hot day — though we didn’t have time, it looked like fun.

For us, Helen was more of a stopover to access the hiking trails. As a European, I'm not sure I'd feel the need to go to German themed town in the heart of the US.

Where We Stayed: Lucille’s Mountain Top Inn & Spa

Just a short drive from Helen, Lucille’s Mountain Top Inn & Spa was a beautiful base. (The view is the main picture of the blog).

Relaxing, welcoming, and with stunning views, it was the perfect place to unwind after long hikes. The spa treatments were excellent (deep tissue massage highly recommended!) and the staff shared great insider tips on lesser-known local trails.

A Taste of Local Georgia

We stopped in Clarkesville for dinner at The Attic, which gave us a more authentic, small-town feel, with local musician playing and friendly staff.

Later, a brief stop in Atlanta allowed for family time and a bike ride along the Silver Comet Trail — a converted rail trail stretching from the city almost to the Alabama border.

Tennessee: Lakeside Leisure

From there, it was on to Tennessee for a change of pace. Instead of hiking boots, it was swimsuits and BBQs.

Our few days can be summarised as

• Enjoying a wide selection of water based fun including - jet skiing, rope swinging, rowing, and cruising around Tellico Lake
• Yoga on the deck overlooking the lake (view below)
• Fresh pastries and a nostalgic vibe at Tellico Plains Bakery  and surrounding area
• A not-so-fun encounter with local law enforcement (another international speeding ticket to add to the collection!).

Tennessee: University Town Knoxville

Knoxville may not be high on the list of places to go for Brits in the US - but if you're in the area it's a really interesting place.

I've used the term vibe a few times but it had the charm of a southern city with some great bars and restaurants coupled with a vibrant University. We've hoped to go to see the 'Vols' (Volunteers) Football team at some point but timings haven't quite worked out. Felt like a fun place for sure though...

Local people really showed a lot of pride showing us around their town...it certainly felt different from the places we've visited previously on the west coast.

Worth the trip and good to do something different

Needless to say - we had a great trip; time with just Shannon and I, time with friends and family whilst also keeping active in a multitude of different ways. Whilst not a regular destination for Brits - certainly an interesting one to get off the beaten track.

I may need to work on Shannon to do the Appalachian Trail....I think it may need to be done in shorter chunks rather than in one go (after all it would take over 3 months to do!).