North Georgia

As you travel north from Atlanta, you'll start to notice a gradual change. The foothills sprout up near Canton, Georgia, and as you drive through Jasper, Georgia, you can see the mountain ranges gradually popping up one by one. By the time you reach the city of East Ellijay, you know you are in the beginning of the Blue Ridge Mountains. As you continue north through the city of Blue Ridge and then Blairsville, the mountain ranges may remind you more of North Carolina than Georgia. Once you reach Hiawassee, you really feel like you are far enough away from ordinary city life that your troubles are far behind. The air is fresh, the water is clean, and America is truly beautiful.

Because North Georgia is surrounded by national forest land, it will continue to be a place of beauty and wildlife with just enough convenience to keep tourists visiting and retirees relocating each year. Because the scenery changes with the seasons throughout the year, but the summers aren't too harsh and the winters are mild, North Georgia makes for a great place to settle down. There is a very limited job market, so the demographic is not representative of the average area in America; you'll see retirees and families that can afford luxury second homes mixed in with farmers and craftsmen.

There is plenty of farmland dotting the northern Georgia landscape, and two of the more popular types are chicken farms and apple orchards. With Ellijay being the Apple Capital of Georgia, there is a noticeable increase in tourism in October, at the height of apple season. There are orchards producing a wide variety of apples, and the apple barns do quite well in the fall months. Two weekends each October, the city of Ellijay plays host to the Georgia Apple Festival, which draws in and entertains a diverse crowd of people from all around Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and even Florida.

Other industries that have thrived in the past in North Georgia are real estate and land development as well as new home building. It became evident during the economic downturn in 2008 that North Georgia was in need of more business opportunity, and most of the business organizations like the Chamber of Commerce are now working on attracting new industries to the area.

Tourism is a big asset in North Georgia, and many visitors enjoy the area for the wide range of activities. From the scenic tourist railroad to whitewater rafting, there is always something to do for the adventurist. Horseback riding and hiking through the forests and mountains is also very popular. For those that prefer less physically demanding activities, you would be hard pressed to find a better location to go antique hunting than North Georgia.

If you have never been to one of the Blue Ridge Mountain towns in Georgia, then you owe it to yourself to plan a trip here. I highly recommend that you rent a luxury cabin for a week or weekend to get the full effect of the area — a feeling of old America with just enough modern comforts to make it an enjoyable vacation.