Atlanta Magazine • Atlanta Magazine August 2025 • A Stone’s Throw Away

FROM THE MOUNTAINS IN THE NORTH TO THE PRISTINE BEACHES ON THE COAST TO THE LARGEST SWAMP IN NORTH AMERICA, GEORGIA IS ONE OF THE MOST GEOGRAPHICALLY DIVERSE STATES IN THE COUNTRY. AND IT’S ALL WITHIN EASY DRIVING DISTANCE. WE HAVE 13 ROAD TRIP FALL GETAWAYS GUARANTEED TO DELIGHT, INCLUDING BREATHTAKING VISTAS, OCEAN SIDE GOLF, AND FUN TIMES FOR THE KIDS—PLUS, A SIDE TRIP TO THE ICONIC BUC-EE’S, A STOP AT THE BIG FOOT MUSEUM, AND A CURATED PLAYLIST OF GEORGIA-BORN SONGS TO HELP GET YOU WHERE YOU’RE GOING.

BY JAMIE ALLEN, SCOTT FREEMAN, RACHEL GARBUS, AND LIA PICARD

Highway 5 Is Alive

A WRITER REFLECTS ON OLD MEMORIES AND NEW FINDS ON THE OLD STATE ROAD TO BLUE RIDGE BY JAMIE ALLEN

WAY BACK BEFORE THE TURN OF THE CENTURY (the 21st, that is), in the mid-to-late 1990s, my parents bought a cabin in Cherry Log. The unincorporated community, in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia, is adjacent to Cherry Lake, with access to the Benton MacKaye Trail.

My parents would visit from Florida, sometimes for entire summers. When they were there, we’d haul our kids and dogs up Highway 5 in the Isuzu Rodeo for weekends at “the cabin,” which, admittedly, was more of a house with cabin appeal. Back then, internet access was mostly dial-up, and in the mountains it was spotty at best. Cell service was considered an unnecessary luxury.

The three-story house, built in the 1980s, sat on one of the highest lots in the community. Stress melted away in the face of that mountain ridge looming silently in the distance, its lines against the sky an unmoving reliability and a point on which to daydream.

Often, we’d make our way to the small wooden chapel at the far edge of Cherry Lake. The chapel had a cobwebbed bell hanging over the front, and its peal sang across the lake water into the hills. Its rectangular interior was nothing more than wooden pews and a podium, worn Bibles, the occasional wasp bumping against the stained glass . . . It was always so quiet. You could hear your every movement echoing on the floors and walls.

The original State Route 5 runs for 155 miles through seven counties in northwest Georgia. It was established in 1919 as the main travelway from Marietta to the Tennessee state line, later expanding southwest to the Alabama border. In the ’80s and ’90s, routing changes and traffic density necessitated the merger of Highway 5 with Interstate 575 and Highway 515. Old Highway 5 still exists, often running very close (under local road names) to Highways 575 and 515 and at times merging with 515, but it’s this bigger, updated stretch that has become the gateway to the North Georgia mountains and its popular towns Ellijay and Blue Ridge.

Since those early days at the cabin, I have driven up Highway 5 more times than I can count. Along the way, I’ve watched the mountainsides bloom with suburban gentrification: Walmarts, Chipotles, and Taco Bells at first, followed by the craft breweries and upscale vineyards that are so common today. Just about everybody has the internet now, though cell service can still be spotty.

But the drive up Highway 5, past Canton and all the way to Blue Ridge, is still filled with whimsical, tasty, and unexpected finds—some old, some new, some timeless. Here are some of my favorites.

If escaping Atlanta traffic leaves you in need of a snack and/or a history lesson, I suggest starting your Highway 5 exploration with the little hamlet of Ball Ground. Like many towns in the area, this area was home to the Cherokee people before the Indian Removal Act of 1830 forced them from their homelands, along with other Southeast Native American tribes, in a devastating genocide often referred to as the Trail of Tears. A historic marker in the center of town commemorates another piece of local Indigenous history, the Battle of Taliwa of 1755 between the Muscogee/Creek and Cherokee tribes.

In the interim centuries, Ball Ground has grown into a popular entry point into the North Georgia mountains, with shaded park space, ample foodie stops, and a brewery. Park behind Rock Solid Brewing Co. and head down the main avenue, Gilmer Ferry Road. Your first stop should be Frankfurt Döner & Meats, where Detlev and Elke Werner and their daughter, Annette, have been specializing in homemade gourmet sausages, bratwurst, “life-changing sandwiches”—per the shop’s Facebook page—and other German fare since 2010. During local festivals, the staff has been known to dress up in German dirndl und lederhosen, don roller skates, and put on quite the show. That same freewheeling spirit is reflected in their selection of brats and sausages, free samples of which are frequently on offer: Along with traditional flavors, try a taste of Maui Wowi, Fruity Explosion, or Peanut Thai.

For a quick, kid-friendly road snack, walk a little farther down Gilmer Ferry and step into the shared office space that includes Mama Geraldine’s Cheese Straws (look for the mural, across from the golf cart warehouse). Someone inside will offer you free samples—but this is their office, not a store, so to purchase these delectable snacks, check out grocery stores nearby.

Next, I like to take the back roads—including Canton Road as it winds east of 575 and past Martin’s Produce in Tate—to Talking Rock, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town with a recent census count of 89 residents. Worth a visit in this small town is Talking Rock Brewery: It’s housed in a former train car, with additional seating outdoors.

Heading north toward Ellijay, families looking for a day of bucolic autumnal apple picking have a big choice to make: Which orchard? In Ellijay alone, at least 11 are open in the fall, most of them along Apple Orchard Alley, or State Highway 52, which runs east of Highway 5 from Ellijay.

The decision is a personal one. My family has been loyal to Hillcrest Orchards since the 1990s, in part because back in the day, when you entered the main store, you were greeted by an animatronic farmer on a broken-down tractor. His missive, a booming “Come on in an’ getcher load up,” became a family saying, often used when it was most inappropriate.

No matter the orchard, peak season (September to Thanksgiving) is crowded. But along with the apple picking, pig races, and associated fun, I realized early on that Hillcrest—open late August to the end of November—makes some of the best apple cider doughnuts. In fact, my fall visits to Hillcrest have become less about apples and more about heading to the cider doughnut displays, where I pile up as many packages as my basket can carry.

On the drive back toward Ellijay on Route 52, getcher load up with a bag of boiled peanuts at Gene’s Old Time Peanuts. Gene Padgett—the Boiled Peanut Man—has had his stand for 18 years, and he offers simple but delicious choices: first, quart or half gallon; second, Good ‘n’ Salty, Spicy Hots, or (yawn) Low Salt.

Before you cross 5 and head into downtown Ellijay, pull over at the big gravel lot by the Cartecay River Experience. Rafting is fun and fine, but I suggest that, instead, you make your way over yonder to the manic, gra tied statue of Early Cuyler. It’s time for a family photo with the star of Squidbillies, the long-running Adult Swim cartoon series that starred a family of idiosyncratic mud squids living in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

After apple picking, you’ll find a friendly meal at Ellijay Wood Fired Pizza in the busy downtown square. This memorable place is owned by Marcelo and Candace Sandrini, who also purchased the venerable Poole’s Bar-B-Q when it was set to close down for good in 2023. When I visited, my pizza server suggested the Col. Simmons 5 Cheese w/Heat, a 12-inch Neapolitan, and after experiencing its sweet, tangy, and charred flavors, I will be ordering it again.

But there is much more to find in downtown Ellijay and its somewhat peculiar madness. Outside the pizza place, turn right and head to the T-shirt shop a couple of doors down. Inside, you’ll see a door on the left-hand side. If someone is standing outside the door with a knowing (or perhaps suspicious) look on their face, say to them, with as much earnestness as you can muster, “I’m here to see a man about a horse.”

Nine times out of ten, that person will then let you inside, and you will enter The Door, a trendy speakeasy serving all kinds of classic cocktails. It’s owned by Matt Bond and Jason Boutwell, who also run The Roof on the building’s top floor. Populated by only the best people (secret drinkers), The Door has one-way mirrors so you can see when your partner is coming for you.

If you have an hour or so to spare, type Ellijay Mushrooms into your preferred maps app and make a short winding drive north. The colorful metal mushrooms displayed at the entrance and around the property welcome you to Howard Berk’s vision: a store, education center, and working mushroom farm on 171 acres (including a Buddhist retreat up the hill).

Inside the growing houses, through which you can walk, Ellijay Mushrooms grows shiitake, blue oyster, golden oyster, king oyster, and lion’s mane by the tens of thousands, supplying more than 50 Atlanta restaurants, not to mention grocers and local establishments. As you leave, fill a cup of you-pick flowers for $10, plus a few boxes of your favorite fungi to enjoy at home.

A short drive away is Cress Creeks Farm, which partners with Ellijay Mushrooms to offer farm-to-table dinners on its 15-acre sheep and lamb farm. Run by Lee and Mindy Forbes and their son, Hayden Cress, Cress Creeks came about when Hayden was set to graduate high school and his parents asked him what he wanted to do next.

So in 2022, with zero farming experience, the family bought a weedy cut of land crossed by two creeks. Approximately 10,000 YouTube hours later—plus dozens of mama sheep, rams, chickens, turkey, geese, extra sheep for petting, and a large barn—they now breed Dorper and Katahdin sheep for lamb meat. “Lamb is good,” Mindy says. “It’s not what your mom cooked in the 1980s.” The farm also has a corn maze in the fall and a big Easter egg hunt, among other reasons to visit.

As you get back on Highway 5 and head north, you’ll come across what appears to be a small junkyard on your right. As you get closer, however, a certain order emerges from the madness, and you’ll find yourself turning into Smith Station Antiques.

It’s run by Neal Smith Jr., who says he has liked collecting junk—or, ahem, antique finds—since he was 15. Once a special education teacher, he was forced into early medical retirement 28 years ago, upon which his father-in-law told him, “You gotta keep active, or you’re going to stop moving and die.” And thus, Smith Station was born.

Among the thousands of finds, large and small, on the sprawling property are old signs, black-powder guns, license plates, old toys, and bottles of every kind. They’re all inventoried and piled in the yard—and on porches, tables, and shelves, and even next to the food dish belonging to Cher, a pretty Maine Coon who lounges about awaiting attention. Is there one thing he looks for when hunting for old things? Smith answers quickly. “Rust,” he says. “Rust is a must.”

A little farther up Highway 5, you’ll find Expedition Bigfoot: The Sasquatch Museum. As a former true believer in Bigfoot, who was let down time and again in my quest to find the famed cryptid, I was skeptical when I pulled into the parking lot. It is not uncommon, after all, for towns to promote local Bigfoot sightings to attract tourists.

But Expedition Bigfoot, the brainchild of documentary and reality TV producer David Bakara—himself a Bigfoot believer—is something else. Akin to a Steven Spielberg spectacle, this well-curated, self-guided museum greets visitors with epic movie- soundtrack music coming from speakers in the parking lot, Bigfoot sculptures, and a sign that reads “Research & Reporting Center.” It uses our natural curiosity regarding the legend of Bigfoot to promote other wilderness stories and celebrate the great outdoors. That, plus tickets priced from $6 to $9, makes this a pit stop worth pulling over for, especially for cryptid-crazy kids (and their skeptical parents).

Continue along Highway 5 to Blue Ridge, a busy mountain town whose latest boom follows a popular mantra: “If you build it—breweries, restaurants, plenty of murals— they will come.”

Grumpy Old Men Brewing pours strong craft brews, including an IPA called I Ain’t a Drivin’ (ABV 8.3 percent). Outside, the restaurant pop-up Scrappy’s Dog House offers tasty, low-commitment snacks.

If it’s the weekend and your Blue Ridge visit extends past dark, head over to Swan Drive-In Theatre and step back in time: Swan has been showing family-friendly silver screen classics since 1955.

After a visit to Blue Ridge, I often make a stop at the Cherry Log community where my family spent so many summers. My parents are no longer with us; those old times are only a memory. The property we sold is now a slick modern affair, overlooking a view cleared of trees.

Even so, I make the pilgrimage. Turning off Highway 5, the road curves to the right, where a stream quietly greets me, meandering alongside my car until I cross what used to be a covered bridge and pass through the canopy into the cabin community. Eventually the drive leads to “our cabin”—now owned by someone else.

But down by Cherry Lake, that little chapel is still standing, exuding its humble appeal—doors closed, bell quiet, reflective space ready for any visitors.

A short ode to Buc-ee’s

STRETCH YOUR LEGS, EAT SOME BRISKET, AND ENJOY THE OVERABUNDANCE OF THE POPULAR ROAD TRIP PIT STOP

DEPENDING ON WHO YOU ASK, Buc-ee’s can either sound like a road trip oasis or the ninth circle of hell. The enormous convenience stores—the chain’s largest location holds a world record, at 75,593 square feet—began in Texas, naturally, and have spread across the South, bringing their maximalist offerings and cult following with them. Georgia’s highways now boast two locations, with two more under construction.

Inside, the mammoth pit stop is filled with everything from kolaches to swimsuits and throw pillows. The grinning face of Buc-ee’s, the adorable beaver mascot, guides you to each location from miles away via a series of quirky interstate billboards. Each store is usually crowded. There’s nowhere to sit and eat. It boasts more tchotchkes than your grandmother’s living room. But I absolutely love it. Over the years, I’ve scored perfect last-minute Christmas gifts. Admired the artwork in the supremely clean bathrooms. Scarfed down a delicious pulled pork sandwich with a Diet Dr Pepper the size of my face. Indulged in birthday cake fudge, warm cinnamon-glazed cashews, and the addictive sugary Beaver Nuggets. Bought far too many neon “Buc-ee the Beaver” T-shirts—plus pajama pants, Christmas ornaments, and a beach bag. And added a solid hour to every trip because exploring this shrine to snacks and stuff is just too much fun.

A year ago, while visiting family in Texas, my husband and I made our regular stop at Buc-ee’s. I picked out a tiny, royal-blue onesie with three smiling beavers printed across the chest. It was the very first thing I bought for my son, who was born that fall. He’s since outgrown it and moved on to a bright-red Buc-ee’s romper—with matching socks. I can’t wait to take him for his first visit.

Sitting atop Lookout Mountain in the northwest corner of Georgia, Cloudland has much to offer: a championship golf course that features a dramatic 150-foot drop from tee to green on the 18th hole, an in-house spa, soundproof rooms for relaxed sleep, and on-site fine dining. The real draw, however, is the setting. It carries the “above the clouds” nickname for a reason; when clouds roll in, the resort sits above them. Yet that view is no more spectacular than the view of the surrounding landscape on a clear day.

The resort is a golfer’s paradise, with two golf courses to choose from. The McLemore’s Highlands course, renovated by Bill Bergin and Rees Jones, is a par 71 course that runs along cliffs. It has received awards from Golf Digest and Links magazine, and Golfweek named it one of the top 100 courses in America. The new course, The Keep, integrates the natural surroundings with streams that create multiple waterfalls, along with boulders and rock outcroppings that define the area of play. It sits in a natural 200-acre amphitheater with, you guessed it, spectacular views that can stretch as far as 60 miles.

A little more than an hour’s drive southwest of Atlanta, the World of Quercus is like an old European countryside estate that blends ranch life with luxury. The farm was built in 1977 by Duke and Duchess Visconti di Modrone, who moved there to escape political turmoil in Italy. They wanted to live on a working farm (quercus is the Latin term for “oak tree”), and friends from Europe visited often to hunt and relax. Now owned by their daughter, Chiara, and her husband, Angelos, the farm opened to the public last year, with four guest houses that are decorated with artworks, furnishings, and literature from the family that dates back as far as the Crusades. In homage to its woodlands setting, the rooms also feature organic mattresses, nontoxic finishes, and circadian lighting. Each cabin has a porch with an outdoor stone fireplace.

A major draw is the farm’s Uberto Restaurant, helmed by famed Staple-house chef Ryan Smith. The 30-seat restaurant, originally only for guests on the property, is now open to the public on Friday and Saturday evenings, wooing patrons who make the trek from the city. Quercus remains a working farm and ranch, and Smith has crafted a 15-course farm-to-table menu that changes with the seasons.

Situated halfway between Savannah and Jacksonville, Sea Island is one of the most unique places on the planet: a private island with luxury hotels, fine dining, golf courses (including two that host the PGA Tour’s RSM Classic tournament), and more activities than a family could possibly do in one stay. The centerpiece is The Cloister, described by Travel+Leisure as “a European palace tucked away on a private island.” The Mediterranean-styled hotel, with 265 lodging options, from single rooms to three-bedroom residences, was built in 1928, then torn down and rebuilt in 2006. For golfers, staying at The Lodge (on nearby St. Simons Island) offers the ultimate convenience: The hotel not only sits by two championship golf courses but also boasts an 18-hole putting course outside the back door. There is also a nightly bagpipe performance to signal the end of the day.

Dining options on Sea Island include the elegant Georgian Rooms, the cozy and casual Oak Room, and the kids-friendly lunch spot Snack Shack. Of course, the Atlantic Ocean is the main draw, and Sea Island has five miles of private beach to roam, along with umbrella and lounge service. There are options for hunting, fishing, tennis, pickleball, falconry, archery, boat tours, and a host of other activities. The island also is a kids’ haven with playgrounds, family pools, the Sea Turtle Dawn Patrol, and Camp Cloister during the day. —Scott Freeman

Eddie Owens Martin, better known as St. EOM, grew up in rural Georgia but escaped to New York City in the ’20s, where he discovered a passion for painting and drawing. While living in New York, he received visions telling him to build Pasaquan, a word that combines Spanish and Chinese and essentially means “bringing the past together.” Martin returned to Georgia in the ’50s after his parents’ deaths and began to transform his family home near Columbus (about two hours south of Atlanta) into a surreal and whimsical wonderland.

On the seven-acre grounds you’ll find six structures, colorful totem poles, adorned walkways, and larger-than-life sculptures clad in bright patterns. Inside the home are rooms painted in psychedelic fashion—no surface was left untouched. Pasaquan, which began falling apart after Martin’s death in 1986, has been lovingly restored over the past several years and is now managed by Columbus State University. Pasaquan is considered an important site of folk art and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Finding the property requires driving into a remote part of the woods and down a dirt road, and you’re rewarded with free admission (though a donation is appreciated) and a house unlike one you’ve ever seen before.

The great American novelist Flannery O’Connor grew up in Savannah, but she spent her final 13 years at Andalusia Farm in Milledgeville. The 520-acre property was once a cotton plantation, until her uncle, Bernard Cline, purchased it and used it as a meat and dairy farm. O’Connor moved on to the property in 1951 after her lupus diagnosis and lived there until her death in 1964. Her stories are beloved for their sense of place, and it’s evident where she drew inspiration from when she wrote the novels Wise Blood and The Violent Bear It Away, along with 32 other short stories.

The farm was gifted to Georgia College (her alma mater), which built the Andalusia Interpretive Center, located near the entrance of the farm, which houses artifacts of the property. The center also displays O’Connor’s artworks. The exhibition Hidden Treasures runs through the end of 2025 and displays previously unseen artwork, including still lifes and farm scenes. The farmhouse still stands and is open to the public Tuesday through Sunday; hourly group tours are available with a reservation. The house invites visitors to wander and imagine a typical day when O’Connor lived there and catch a glimpse of her personal life (the bed she slept in and the porch where she swayed on rocking chairs).

It’s not every day you can come into contact with a memento of ancient times, but you don’t have to go far to find it; the Ocmulgee Mounds sit about 90 minutes south of Atlanta in Macon. Visiting the mounds, a National Historic Park, is a powerful reminder of the people who came before us. Native Americans built the mounds, with artifacts dating as far back as 900 CE. In the 1930s, an extensive archeological dig uncovered such items as jewelry, tools, pottery shards, metal, and even seeds.

The park contains a museum with more than 2,000 artifacts, as well as information about the different peoples that called the area home over the years. When you visit the park, eight miles of trails lead you around the mounds, and other hiking trails wind through the woods and wetlands. You also can’t miss the Earth Lodge, a partially preserved but mostly reconstructed meeting space inside one of the mounds, with clay flooring that dates back to 1015 and earthen seating where council members of the Mississippian culture once met. There are seven mounds all together, including the Funeral Mound and the Great Temple Mound (which offers a great view from the top).

Georgia’s own “Little Grand Canyon” may be the result of agricultural malfeasance, not geology—but it’s no crime to enjoy the accidentally beautiful results. Providence Canyon was formed in the early 19th century when decades of poor farming practices in southwest Georgia eroded the soil to dramatic effect. Water carved gullies into the soft earth, and by the mid-1800s, the landscape had been transformed into a series of gorges up to 150 feet deep. Yesterday’s mistakes make for breathtaking hiking today, with the sunset colors of the gorge walls juxtaposed against the vivid green of Georgia pines and laurel bushes. It’s not an endorsement of poor land management when we say that Providence Canyon—named for a church that collapsed in the erosion, later rebuilt nearby—is worth a visit.

A steep, short half-mile hike will bring you down to the floor, where you can explore nine canyons. The Canyon Loop Trail, two and a half miles long, will take you through all of them; for a longer hike, you can add the seven-mile Backcountry Trail that peels off into a forested area, where several smaller canyons are visible but not accessible for hiking. Visitors can camp at designated sites inside Providence Canyon: The state park offers three pioneer campsites and six backcountry sites (carry in and out all your gear, including water).

This pristine, awe-inspiring preserve is the largest blackwater swamp in North America and one of the seven natural wonders of Georgia. The Okefenokee offers miles of water trails for canoeing, kayaking, or chartered motorboat touring. It’s bordered by native plants and trees and chock-full of birds, alligators, and other wildlife. Stay overnight at a cottage or campsite; some sites are simple platforms built deep inside the swamp for a truly immersive experience.

The Okefenokee—or “Land of Trembling Earth,” the name given this place by the native Muscogee/Creek tribe—covers a whopping 354,000 acres, so give yourself several days to explore its natural beauty. At each of the swamp’s five entrances, you’ll find a range of landscapes and options to explore. At the Suwannee Canal Recreation Area, on the preserve’s east side near Folkston, Okefenokee Adventures offers boat tours, kayak and canoe rentals, and guided excursions, including fully equipped camping trips; land lovers may prefer a bike tour around Chesser Island, where four generations of the Chesser family grew up inside the swamp, or a hike on the boardwalk trails. On the north end, Stephen C. Foster State Park offers campsites and cottages, as well as boat tours and rentals. You can launch your own vessel—canoes, kayaks, and small motorboats under 10 horsepower—from any of the preserve’s entrances. The Okefenokee is under constant threat from mining interests: Visit the wetlands to see why this natural wonder is worth protecting.

While there’s incredible fishing to be found all over Georgia, we’re partial to the unique exhilarations of river fly fishing—and for that, it’s hard to beat trout fishing on the Soque River, just north of Clarkesville. This idyllic river (approximately 30 miles), crystal clear and bordered by sun-dappled mountain laurel, begins on Tray Mountain and meanders through Habersham County, eventually spilling into the Chattahoochee. Its year-round cool waters are optimal for rainbow and brown trout, which are stocked annually by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and diligently stewarded by the outfitters and landowners that dot the Soque’s banks. Thanks to their efforts, and the catch-and-release practice encouraged here, you have a good chance of catching trophy-sized trout, even on a middling day.

Public fishing is allowed along a one-mile section of the river north of Jackson Bridge on Highway 197. But you may find more successful fishing—and smaller crowds—by paying to fish on private property. Several companies offer half- and full-day excursions on the water, with guided tour options for anglers of all experience levels. We recommended Fern Valley on the Soque for affordable day-use fishing on a breathtaking bend of the river; for a more deluxe experience, book a stay at the well-appointed Brigadoon Lodge and fish to your heart’s content on the lodge’s private water. —Rachel Garbus

When summer fades into fall, it’s time for Atlantans to head north to the mountains, where the apple orchards await. Reaching the orchards is easy. Drive about 90 minutes north of the city and you’ll find a pastoral landscape of gently sloped mountains dotted with apple trees. If you’re not sure where to start, go to Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge, which has been around since 1943. The orchard grows more than 40 types of apples, with certain varieties becoming available throughout the season. The U-Pick option costs $12 per person and includes a container that you and the kids can load up with the fruit. The market sells baked goods such as apple pie, as well as candy and produce.

If your family enjoys activities beyond apple picking, Hillcrest Orchards in Ellijay has you covered. Here, options include an apple tree maze, giant slides, mini golf, and a petting farm. To go all in on the apple festivities, consider visiting during the Georgia Apple Festival in Ellijay, held October 11 to 12 and 18 to 19 at the Ellijay Lions Club Fairgrounds. The popular event buzzes with live music, craft vendors and, of course, apple treats. During the festival, restaurants in downtown Ellijay also get in on the fun with apple-infused dishes.

If you’re looking to take your beginner paddlers out on water, the Etowah River is considered one of the best in the state to do so. It runs for 163 miles, but the 36-mile stretch through Bartow County is especially approachable. A Class I river, the Etowah is gentle, with few rapids, which makes it a great introduction to kayaking. It happens to be beautiful, too, as the river winds through wildlife management areas, the Chattahoochee National Forest, and other parks. Several boat launches are along the river, so you can bring your own kayak.

If you don’t have your own, there are companies ready to help with rentals, too. Euharlee Creek Outfitters offers first-come, first-served kayak rentals for small groups. The launch is near a charming covered bridge that spans Euharlee Creek, which connects to the Etowah River, and after your river journey, the outfitters pick you up and take you back to your car. Kids older than eight years old (and comfortable enough to paddle) can experience the magic of a moonlight paddle with Etowah Adventure Company (your ticket even comes with a headlamp). The tour starts right before sunset and allows paddlers to see the river in a whole new way. This company also offers daytime kayak rentals for self-guided exploration.

There are plenty of reasons to vacation with the family on Jekyll Island, and the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, among the island’s newer attractions, is one of them. The center opened in 2007 and houses a care facility for sick and injured sea turtles, as well as a museum with exhibits about turtles in Georgia and glimpses of prehistoric turtle skeletons. Visitors can also peek in on a treatment room, where veterinarians tend to and treat the turtle patients.

The best part, however, is found outside, where the open recovery tanks serve as a sort of sea turtle hospital. Kids can peer through the windows to see the turtles swimming along as they heal. The center serves as a reminder to the next generation that it’s important to take care of our beaches and oceans; so many threats to sea turtles are imposed by humans. More than a treatment and educational facility, the center offers special programs, too, such as evening turtle walks, during which groups look out for nesting sea turtles. Or, take a behind-the-scenes tour of the center, which includes up-close and personal encounters with the turtles. Children ages 10 and up are welcome to join these programs. —Lia Picard

A few miles from McLemore, CLOUDLAND CANYON STATE PARK offers more than 60 miles of trails, including 30-plus miles of bike trails. The setting is gorgeous, especially in the season of changing leaves, with hikes that will meet you where you are in terms of your fitness level.

For music and Southern rock fans, it doesn’t get better than a stop at the ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND MUSEUM, also known as the Big House. The historic Tudor house, in Macon, a few miles away from the Ocmulgee Mounds, was the home to some of the band’s members from 1970 to 1973. Now it’s a museum in their honor, filled with guitars and other memorabilia from the band’s 45-year career.

Before fly fishing, after fly fishing—any time, really, is the right time to visit the WHIMSICALLY STRANGE TOWN OF HELEN. This ersatz Bavarian village was built in 1969 as a bid to attract tourism, and it paid off mightily: Helen attracts nearly 2 million visitors every year. Fall is peak season here thanks to the beer-soaked Oktoberfest, which runs from September through early November. You haven’t experienced the full quirkiness of Georgia until you’ve experienced Helen.

RUM CAKE LADY CUBAN CAFE brings a taste of Miami to Blue Ridge. The casual counter service restaurant appeals to families with its laid-back atmosphere and flavorful dishes such as the classic Cuban sandwich and beef empanadas. There’s a small market, too, with jams and, of course, rum cakes, for the road.