Big Canoe

Brandon and I were fortunate enough to take a little weekend trip this past weekend.  We left on Friday evening (the boys stayed with their grandparents) and drove just a little way up the road (about an 1.25) to Big Canoe, GA.  I've heard nothing but wonderful things about this little spot of Heaven, so I was excited to visit.  We found the cabin on VRBO and were extremely happy with it.  It was exactly what we wanted - a homey little cabin - not too modernized, but not too primitive.  I will tell you that after our first trip up the mountain, I was a little concerned that I wouldn't be able to make it back down.  I'm not afraid of heights at all, but the road was sooooo curvy and "uphill" doesn't do it justice.  But in the daylight, the trip wasn't as bad.

Ahhhh - the screened-in porch called to me.  I could have stayed there all weekend with my books and my coffee.  The view from the porch was incredible and the sounds of nature were amazing - birds, crickets (LOTS of crickets), deer and even owls.  The two screened porches of the cabin both offered futons, so that you could sleep out there if you so desired.  If it had been about 10 degrees cooler, I might have considered, but even with the ceiling fans, it was warm.

Both mornings were hazy - I actually hoped it would rain, so that I could see the rain move in and then sit on the porch and listen, but alas it never happened.

The cabin actually sat down on the side of the mountain, so you had to park above the cabin and hike down to it.  It was pretty neat and the owners have installed lighting with switches at both the top and the bottom of the path.  I was glad that we didn't have more luggage, and I was also glad that I didn't have the boys.  It would have taken them FOREVER to make it up and down those steps with all the wonderful things to grab their curiosity.

Big Canoe offers lots of fun things to do - boating, canoeing, hiking, swimming, golf, tennis, etc....  We found our way to the hiking trails on Saturday and enjoyed walking around in the middle of the 8,000 acre wildlife sanctuary.  The deer must be accustomed to the hikers - they would let you get soooo close before running off.

We'll definitely go back to Big Canoe.  I would love to go in the fall, when the leaves are changing and it's a little cooler.  We may try to take the boys this fall...  It was a great trip.  Just what we needed - a slow pace, the quiet nature and the relaxation.

We were back to work today, and hopefully I'll be back tomorrow or Wednesday with a post about Will's first day of Preschool tomorrow - woohooooo!