North Georgia mountains: an idyllic weekend getaway

It’s always been a toss-up which I love more — the beach or the mountains. Sparkling waves crashing on the shore vs. majestic vistas and quiet, serene beauty. They each inspire peace and tranquility and are a beautiful reminder of God’s infinite glory. Definitely hard to choose, so I’m glad I get to spend time enjoying both.

We’ve been heading to the ocean a lot lately but usually only get to the mountains during ski season. However, in August, Dan and I took advantage of a great Travelzoo.com deal to head to the North Georgia mountains for a weekend getaway. We stayed at the Kingwood Country Club and Resort in Clayton in the northeastern part of the state. I had never been up in that neck of the woods, which is part of the Chattahoochee National Forest and is quite beautiful. I highly recommend the resort, which has a spa and beautiful 18-hole golf course. The staff was very friendly and accommodating, the food in the lodge was excellent (free hot breakfast buffet) and the rooms were spacious and comfortable.

On Friday night, we ventured into downtown Clayton and found some great pizza at Zeppelin’s Pasta House on Main Street in the historic area. We then headed across the street to Universal Joint (or UJoint as it’s known) a restaurant/bar housed in an old commercial garage. How clever! We were lured over by live music out on the patio, which consisted of a man and woman with a guitar and synthesizer. They were very entertaining. It was great sitting outdoors under the beautiful full moon and being part of the locals’ Friday night out. Clayton, Georgia was hopping! 🙂

Outdoor entertainment in downtown Clayton under a beautiful full moon.

We planned to hike on Saturday, and luckily the weather cooperated since we had threats of storms all weekend. We headed about 25 minutes south to Tallulah Gorge State Park, which Dan and daughter Maureen had hiked years ago, and I always wanted to see. It was awesome! We hiked to the nearby waterfalls, which involved climbing up and down 878 steps as well as traversing a suspension bridge. It was tougher than it sounds! But I felt like you couldn’t really count it as hiking if you’re climbing stairs, so we decided to tackle the trail to the bottom of the gorge. It’s called, quite appropriately, Sliding Rock Trail. A quarter mile of nothing but rocks and boulders on a 45-degree slope. Yikes! You have to get a permit at the interpretive center before doing that part of the trail — that should have been warning enough. But it didn’t really hit me that it was kind of dangerous until I slipped and fell into a gully and smacked my side against a tree limb. So much for being the intrepid outdoorswoman.

When we finally reached the bottom, we saw lots of people enjoying the water around Bridal Veil Falls, where you’re allowed to swim. Some were daring enough to use the rocks as a slide, which actually looked fun. Dan took advantage of a cooling swim, but I didn’t feel like hiking back up soaking wet, so I relaxed and had a snack. Surprisingly, it was easier to climb back up the trail than it was to come down, but we were pretty tired when we finished. My ankles and legs really felt it later on. (Guess those stairs were more of a workout than I thought!) Back at the resort, I enjoyed some relaxing pool time, then we went to dinner at the lodge. Excellent crab-stuffed trout!

We hoped to go to the beach at nearby Lake Rabun on Sunday, but the weather was overcast and misty. We went to mass at St. Helena’s Catholic Church, then took a ride out to the lake anyway to check it out for next time. Lake Rabun is huge, and the part we traveled around was really pretty with lots of coves and inlets. Looks like a great place for a summer home! Dan? 🙂

Hiking in Tallulah Gorge.

Scenic view of the gorge and lodge.

Sliding Rock Trail was quite a challenge!

Lots of people were hanging out at Bridal Veil Falls.

Dan enjoyed a refreshing swim in the mountain pool.

Pre-holiday romp in the Rockies

Dan and I had never taken a ski trip in December, but we took a chance this year when we saw some great deals on flights to Denver for the weekend of Dec. 14-15. Boy, did we ever luck out! Colorado had a snowstorm that week, but by the time we got there it was sunny and clear and not too cold. We flew in on Friday and headed to Colorado Springs to visit with our friends Judy and Wayne Hayes and my sweet goddaughter Alex. We met in Germany when we were all stationed in the K-town area and have been skiing buddies ever since. It was nice to finally see their new home that sits on the edge of a mountain overlooking the city. Beautiful view of Pikes Peak and the valley!

View from Judy’s back deck — Frosty the Snowman keeping watch over the valley!

After a delicious paella dinner (very impressive — thanks Judy!) and a fun evening catching up, we all headed to bed so we could get up bright and early the next morning to drive to Breckenridge. The scenery along the way was awesome! We usually come in on the interstate from Denver so it was great seeing the back mountain passes, that is until we had to come down the mountain into Breck on snow-covered roads. We were just crawling in our little rental car and had to keep moving over to let all the SUVs and trucks pass us by. Not too embarrassing! So glad the rest of the roads were clear.

We enjoyed two great days of skiing (I even did a few black runs!) and Judy and Wayne spent Saturday night with us at the Holiday Inn in Frisco. They headed back Sunday after skiing, while we did a little apres-ski in town, then drove out toward Denver to spend the night. We had a nice brunch Monday morning before heading to the airport and had a smooth flight home. It was definitely a great weekend getaway and a nice break before all the holiday craziness set in!

Dan (in the Army jacket) tackling the moguls. I even did this one, but one black mogul run was enough for me!

Sunshine and blue skies — couldn’t ask for a more beautiful day for skiing!

What happens in Vegas . . .

Labor Day weekend found us jetting off to wild and wonderful Las Vegas. Fortunately — or unfortunately depending on your view — we have no wild and crazy stories to share. (I’m sure Dan’s rugby buddies will find that hard to believe!) Although if I hadn’t carried my cellphone during a very hot run along a “desert” trail, Dan might have spent a day searching for his lost wife, à la The Hangover movies. But that’s another story. As it was, we survived our trip to Sin City none the worse for wear. Thanks to a great Travelzoo deal, we spent four nights at the beautiful JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort and Spa, about 15 minutes from the Strip. We rented a car, which enabled us to see the area as well as get away from the glitz and glamor when we needed to.

Picture perfect day at the Marriott Las Vegas Resort and Spa.

The grounds were beautiful with lots of quiet areas to relax.

Of course, the resort featured its own lavish casino, which you had to walk through to get to the restaurants, so we couldn’t resist throwing a few dollars into the slots every time we went by. For the record I came out ahead and Dan did not. He hit some decent jackpots, but as is usually the case, those greedy machines stole it all back. I did better at Blackjack and managed to have some fun for a while before calling it quits with my massive $45 winnings. As you can see, I’m not exactly an adventurous gambler. 🙂 Highlights of the trip: Vegas show. We saw the comedian/impressionist Gordie Brown at the Golden Nugget. He did a fabulous job impersonating singers — everyone from Elvis and Frank Sinatra to Coldplay and Eminem — using his own hysterically funny lyrics. If you don’t want to shell out big bucks for the top entertainers, he’s a great alternative and I highly recommend his show. We got an online deal ahead of time for dinner and the buffet so it was even more affordable.

We had a great time at the Fremont Street Experience.

Plus it got us down to Fremont Street, the original Vegas strip, which was pretty cool in itself. You don’t want to miss the Fremont Street Experience. Part of the street is under a dome, which features music videos flashed on the overhead screen. On this particular night, a live band was playing as part of their summer music festival, and we rocked out to the music of Journey, Boston, and Led Zeppelin. I’m sure my kids were sorry they missed that! Vegas Strip. We spent a day walking around the infamous Strip, mostly on the south end. Handy tip: all the casinos offer free parking so just pick your favorite, park in their garage, and head out from there. Our concierge recommended the Bellagio, since it’s more or less centrally located, and walking through their lobby is certainly a nice way to start your day! We missed the famous fountain show, but it’s a great treat if you can time it right. We spent some time at the New York-New York resort (great roller coaster!) and the Nine Fine Irishmen pub. Not quite as exciting as the real Big Apple, but a fun place nonetheless.

Night view of the beautiful New York-New York casino.

We ended up returning to the pub Sunday night for some wonderful Irish music and dancing. Before that I wandered through The Shops at Crystals, part of the fabulous new City Center — an upscale collection of hotels, restaurants, and stores —  while Dan checked out the PBR Rock Bar & Grill. We also walked through Excalibur and Mandalay Bay. A free tram travels between those two resorts so be sure to look for it. I’m sorry we didn’t get down to the other end of the Strip as I especially wanted to see the new Trump Hotel, but there’s only so much you can fit in! Red Rock Canyon. To take a breather on Sunday, we drove out to the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, which was only a few miles from our resort. The area is absolutely breathtaking. We drove the 13-mile scenic route, which made me slightly nervous as there were thunderstorms in the area and the news kept warning us about flash floods (one reason I didn’t want to drive out to the Hoover Dam/Lake Mead area). But the storms stayed away, and we even got out and hiked one of the trails. The sandstone landscape is really amazing and totally worth a side trip.

The red rocks in the canyon are sandstone formations created over millions of years.

We hiked one of the trails but didn’t see any wild horses or burros that populate the area!

On Monday, we enjoyed the pool and casino before taking the red-eye home that night. Although I know Vegas isn’t for everyone, I think it’s an exciting city with lots to do and see. (Not to mention lots to eat — we definitely overdid the buffets!) It can be as wild and crazy as you want to make it, but it’s all up to you. Keep in mind that some people actually do survive Vegas without getting married, getting lost, or completely forgetting everything they’ve done!