🎂 Birthday Bonanza in Blue Ridge!
A recap of my 40th birthday trip to Georgia.
Triple Threat Life is an email newsletter with practical triathlon tips and mindset techniques to help everyday athletes succeed. Some installments are free. Some benefits are for paid subscribers only. Sign up here.
We’re taking a break from the typical triathlon skills and mindset tips, because my husband, Matt, and I took a really cool trip recently.
June 12th was my birthday… and it was a biggie (40!) We’d originally planned to visit my dad in the Keys, but once we saw the price of flights ($600 a piece) we quickly nixed that idea.
Matt had already taken a few days off work, so we decided to take a last-minute trip to Blue Ridge, Georgia. We’d already talked with our coaches about taking a little mid-season break, since we have such a busy fall planned with two 70.3 races and the 70.3 World Championship in Marbella, Spain.
That’s right, in case I forgot to mention, Matt qualified for the World Championship at 70.3 Gulf Coast! After some careful consideration, thinking about timing, cost, and time off work, we decided we could swing it. So we’re going to Spain this fall!
Brittany’s Blue Ridge Birthday Bonanza!
(What Matt called the trip.)
Day 1: Georgia Aquarium
After a 30-minute run and some strength on Wednesday morning, we hopped in the car and started the drive to Blue Ridge. It’s about 6 hours, so on the way, we planned to stop at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta.
Matt had been before, but I never have. I love animals, so I was very excited. One of the coolest parts about this aquarium is they have whale sharks, which are massive. They’re the largest fish in the world at 18-32 feet long.
They live in a 6.3 million gallon tank with Nandi the giant Manta Ray and Tank the sea turtle (both rescued) and a variety of fish and sharks. They were originally acquired from fisherman in Taiwan and flew over in a UPS plane. The Georgia Aquarium is the only aquarium in the world that has whale sharks.
There’s also a cool tunnel with a moving sidewalk that goes through the tank so you can see all different kinds of creatures. We also got up close and personal with a few African penguins. We saw sea otters, California sea lions, bottlenose dolphins, and Hammerhead, Silvertip, and Tiger sharks.
My favorite were the Beluga whales. They’re big, white, and super friendly. The large bump on their heads is used to help with echolocation, like sonar. They can mimic different sounds and are very fun-loving. They kept bumping against the glass to say hello.
After another two hours to Blue Ridge, we arrived just before the sun set at our beautiful cabin. Something to know about Matt is he’s a master of finding the most incredible Airbnbs. (Our friends say it should be his side job). We’ve stayed in a desert villa in Arizona, a glass-walled cabin in Maine, and cottages by the sea.
This cabin was beautiful with two different porches. It overlooked a clearing with Atlas pines and wildflowers set in front of the mountains in the distance. Matt was very excited because it also had a hot tub and a sauna!
Day 2: Hiking on Gahuti Trail + Massages + Birthday Dinner
On my birthday, we decided to go hiking. Matt and I both love the mountains and we’re pretty experienced hikers. (We hiked over 50 miles during our honeymoon trip to Utah where we visited Canyonlands, Arches, Capitol Reef, and Bryce Canyon! Come to think of it, I have 100s of amazing photos and should probably write about that some time).
The Gahuti Trail (Cherokee for “Mother Mountain”) is a loop in Fort Mountain State Park near Elijay, Georgia. We started at the Cool Springs Overlook and headed down seemingly endless gravel switchbacks through the forest. Then, the trail heads up to the multi-tiered cascades of Goldmine Branch Falls and over a few creeks. The trip back out of the valley was very steep, and it was pretty hot that day, but the overlook was beautiful.
We hiked 5 miles with 1,400 ft. of elevation gain in 2:45. We were starving, so we headed into Elijay to grab sandwiches at a local pizzeria before Matt’s afternoon surprise… After a quick shower, we both got massages at Tea Tree Spa, which is located inside a beautiful cabin.
The plan for dinner was Italian food (my favorite) so we went to Ferraro’s Italian. The chef is from Venice, and the food was amazing. We ate arancini alla ferraro- rice balls stuffed with green peas, Italian ham, and fontina cheese. Matt had pappardelle with wild boar, and I had burrata ravioli with cherry tomatoes and basil. We also had chocolate cake with hazelnut cream for dessert.
After some time in the hot tub, we did a video call with my friends, Claire and Mack. They’d just raced at 70.3 Des Moines and were both on the podium, so I wanted a full race recap!
Day 3: Swimming + Shopping + More Hiking
To start out day three, I wanted to go swimming. Yes, this was a no-training trip, but I enjoy swimming, and I’d had a fun workout planned that I didn’t get to do before we left town. Matt found an adorable, little pool with just four lanes at the Fannin County Center.
We swam 3,000 yards and met a nice older gentleman who was struggling to find a swim cap that would stay on his head. So Matt gave him one of ours. Now there’s a nice guy in Georgia who’s a honorary member of our local Gulf Winds Triathletes. ;)
I also saw a shark.
After swimming, we headed to lunch at a place Matt found called Rum Cake Lady. It’s a permanent food truck type set up with authentic Cuban cuisine. We used to live in Tampa and we’ve been missing the food, so Matt got a café cubano, and we ate cuban sandwiches, a spinach and cheese pastry, and miniature rum cakes.
We also picked up a rum cake for Mom and went off to do a little shopping, because she was watching our dog and two kittens at home and needed a thank you gift!
We spent some time walking the downtown section of Blue Ridge, which has a lot of fun stores, art galleries, and restaurants. Some of our favorites included Blue Ridge Mountain Outfitters with outdoor wear and gear, Pezrok with fossils, petrified wood, and geodes, and Huck’s General Store with every candy imaginable.
Then, it was time for our second hike of the trip- Amicalola Falls. We’ve actually been to this waterfall before, and it’s one of our favorites. We hiked it the day after the Six Gap Century Ride in Dahlonega a few years ago. (If you didn’t know, Matt and I met at Six Gap!)
Amicalola Falls is located within the Chattahoochee National Forest, just eight miles from the Appalachian Trail. It’s an amazing 729 ft. waterfall that’s the third-highest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi River. The fall’s name comes from the Cherokee word meaning “tumbling waters.”
It’s just a short 2-mile roundtrip hike, and most is on a paved trail, but it does have some steep sections. I love this hike, because you’re right next to the creek the entire time, so you get to listen to the peaceful sounds of the stream. There are a few wooden platforms to stop at along the way, and then the stairs start. There are 604 stairs to get to the top of the falls, but you don’t have to go all the way up to get some incredible views.
Also, there’s a brand new visitors center that’s amazing with history of the Appalachian Trail and a few live animal exhibits. We ate a quick dinner at the Amicalola Falls Lodge with sweeping views of the mountains.
Day 4: Mercier Orchards + Train Ride
On our last day in Blue Ridge, we headed to Mercier Orchards- the largest family-owned apple orchard in the southeast. They have apples, peaches, cider, pastries, and more, so we loaded up on all our favorites. We got Pink Lady apples, peaches, apple cider, peach salsa, sparkling apple cider, and apple cider doughnuts. Matt snacked on his apple fritter, while I ate an apple hand pie down by the lake.
Then, we headed to downtown Blue Ridge because we were taking an afternoon trip on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway. We grabbed lunch beforehand at The Pasta Market, a really cool place that’s half pasta market/half restaurant. They have small tables clustered together at one end of the shop, and each has a small vase full of fun conversation starters like- “What’s your favorite season and why?” or “Say something about yourself that others would find surprising.”
For me, it’s fall/winter, because I love cold weather, pumpkins, warm tea, fall leaves, and Christmas. Also, you might be surprised to know that prior to being a triathlete, I was an equestrian for 15+ years. I have 10 World Champion titles and wrote a children’s book. I don’t think it’s in print anymore, but here’s the link. There are a few copies floating around somewhere…
After lunch, we headed to the train! The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway starts at the historic depot in downtown Blue Ridge and travels 13 miles to McCaysville. We opted for the shorter 2-hour trip, so we didn’t get off the train, and just rode it back to town. The “River side” was definitely more scenic, and we chose one of the open air cabins. And yes, it had my name on it!
We saw the Toccoa River, mansion-style cabins, a few deer, and just enjoyed the peaceful rocking and rolling of traveling by train. Once back in town, we got some bourbon chestnut tea at The Spice & Tea Exchange and headed back up to the cabin where we read books on the porch swing as a thunderstorm passed through.
We’d been so busy that for the last night of our trip, we decided to cook pasta at home and relax. But before we left the next morning, we had to get one more session in the sauna!
This was a great trip, and we had so much fun. It was a nice reminder that it’s good to take some time away from training, work, and obligations, and just enjoy being in God’s creation, exploring the great outdoors.
Thanks to everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday!
You know I can’t leave without providing something helpful (even if it’s not triathlon-related). So here’s an itinerary you can use if you go to Blue Ridge.
Blue Ridge 4-Day Itinerary
Day 1:
Pick up a tea at Tea & Spice Exchange
Explore downtown Blue Ridge shops. Don’t miss Blue Ridge Mountain Outfitters, Pezrok, Blue Ridge Cotton Company, The Owl’s Nest, and Huck’s General Store
Eat late lunch at The Pasta Market
Spend afternoon at the cabin reading and relaxing
Day 2:
Visit Mercier Orchards for apple cider and pastries
Hike Amicalola Falls- 2 miles round trip
Eat dinner at Ferraro’s Italian
Day 3:
Hike a portion of the Gahuti Trail
Eat late lunch at Rum Cake Lady
Ride the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway. Pick from a 2-hour tour with no stop in McCaysville or the 4-hour tour with a 2-hour stop in town.
Day 4:
Head to Helen for the day to explore a quaint German town (a little over an hour drive)
Get a massage at Tea Tree Spa back in Blue Ridge
Pick up pasta at The Pasta Market and cook at home. Game night!
Let me know if you guys like this and I can share recaps of our many adventures.
A lovely adventure! Happy birthday!