We discovered a place in Blue Ridge that we will visit every time we go to the North Georgia Mountains.  It’s called Brown’s Feed & Seed.   It is right in the downtown area at 55 Mountain Lane, close to the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway tracks.  Ever since we lost our Irish setter, Molly, we have sort of adopted all the wildlife that comes to our yard.  We live on a heavily wooded lot right on a lake.  I’ve always fed the birds, but recently we’ve had 5 deer and 3 families of Canada Geese.  They are so much fun to watch.  The goslings are about 2 weeks old now and we’re expecting fawns any day now.  At any rate, to make a long story short, we were vacationing in Blue Ridge and decided to search out some cheaper food for all our critters.  We came across Brown’s and were totally amazed.  It is a step back in time for me, as my father used to take me to a very similar store 50 years ago.  Brown’s is an old-fashioned pet store–filled from floor to ceiling in every nook and cranny with every kind of animal you could imagine (except for dogs & cats, that is.)  Of course they sell pet supplies and garden seeds and supplies, but it was the vast array of exotic animals and barnyard fowl that truly fascinated a city girl like me.

         A four foot iguana sits outside the front door to greet everyone.  There are also hens, roosters, chicks, baby turkeys, crested ducks and even a sleek black “Daffy” duck.  I’ve never seen such a variety of colors, sizes,and breeds.  Then there are the hamsters, guinea pigs, lop eared bunnies, ferrets, rats (some hairless-yuk!) and mice.  There is a whole wall of aquariums filled with exotic fish and graceful fantail goldfish.  They have beautiful fighting betas in reds, blues and purples.  We wandered around and met Sunny, the big yellow talking parrot.  A trained rooster was walking around the checkout desk, pecking at a box of feed.  There were parakeets of every color, lovebirds, cockatiels and other rare birds.  Then, Shadow, the old store dog, showed us the snakes–boas, pythons and even baby rattlesnakes.  There is a huge emperor scorpion, turtles, chameleons, skinks, lizards–all the kinds of things that appeal to kids–and to grownups, too.  The variety of hens and roosters was most impressive.  I’ve heard of Rhode Island Reds, but they also had silky white ones, fluffy ones, black & white ones, as well as the traditional red hens we all know.  You name it, Brown’s has it–or they know where to get it for you.

The animals were all well cared for and loved.  It must take a huge staff to clean and feed all of them every day.  The place is pleasantly noisy with the sounds of roosters crowing and baby chicks peeping.  It smells like a barnyard, but that’s to be expected.  We’re just happy that we stumbled upon Brown’s Feed & Seed.  We were guided straight to exactly what we needed for our critters back home.  I promise you, if you have kids or grandkids, you need to take them to Brown’s.  Just make sure they know not to touch any of the animals and don’t let them talk you into buying a bunch of new pets!

John and I spent 4 days at Rainbow Cabins’ WhiteWater this past weekend.  Our daughter and her 8 yr-old son, Ryan, came up for the day on Saturday.  He’s a great kid and just loves going up to Blue Ridge whenever we go.  This time since he was the only grandkid there, I wanted to concentrate on activities he would particularly enjoy.  The weather was clear, with cool nights and warm days–really nice after the tornado scare we had Wednesday night with the raging storms that swept across Alabama and Georgia.

Ryan loved the Hydro Thunder speedboat arcade game at the cabin and he loved exploring Fightingtown Creek, climbing on the big boulders and wading in the icy cold rushing water.  As it was way too cold to go swimming or tubing yet, we hit the road and went on an adventure.  In my research for articles, I had run across a place called The Trout Pond.  It is in nearby Morganton, just up Hwy 515 towards Blairsville.  Ryan, having the attention span of a gnat, is usually not patient enough for normal fishing.  But, at the Trout Pond he got the perfect fishing experience.  It is a Mom & Pop type place.  Howard and Janet have run the business fo 20 years and were so friendly and helpful.  The pond itself is good sized, about 15-25 feet deep and extremely well-stocked with trout.  When we threw in a handful of pellet food, the fish swarmed to the top.  Most are 1 -1/2 to 2 lbs, but we saw some much bigger fish in there.  Ryan actually caught 5 nice ones in about 30 minutes.  He was thrilled.  This place is designed for everyone to have fun and catch fish.  It’s ideal for amateur anglers because The Trout Pond has everything you need right there.  They rent out poles, bait, buckets and pliers.  No license is required.  Their Superbait is neon pink and green and looks like Play Doh.  You must keep and buy all the fish you catch, but they clean them for you for free.  We had a tasty trout dinner that night.  And Ryan had a great story for Show & Tell at school on Monday!

The Trout Pond is only open during the cooler months–October thru May.  Trout are cold water fish and don’t do well in the summer heat in a “still” pond setting.  I’m so sorry we never discovered this place before.  But, we’ll definitely be going back with all the grandkids next fall.  If you have kids, I highly recommend it.  The elderly would also enjoy this excursion.

To reach the Trout Pond, take Hwy 515 north/east past Hwy 60 and keep going until you see Mile Marker 13.  Get in the left lane and start looking for Maple Grove Road.  It’s the first left turn after MM13.  Turn and go to the first gravel road on your right which is Wildlife Trail.  You’ll see the bright yellow sign for The Trout Pond.  They’re open every day during the cool seasons.  Tell them that Rainbow Cabins sent you.

Between Thunderstruck Mountain and Buzzard Roost Ridge, in the shadow of Brasstown Bald, lies a mysterious place known as Track Rock Gap.  Once covered by a great ocean, the gap is now dry land, containing six large soapstone boulders that are covered with over a hundred ancient symbols.  These petroglyphs resemble animal and bird tracks, crosses, circles and human hand and footprints.

No one knows for sure who first made the carvings.  It has been speculated that they could be at least 3,600 years old.  Others believe they were most likely carved during the Woodland Indian era, 1000 BC to 1000 AD.   Jannie Loubser, an expert archaeologist hired by the US Forest Service in 2009, believes that most of the symbols we  see today were carved in the last 1,000 years.  One thing all the historians agree upon is that the carvings were made by Native Americans during repeated visits over a long period of time.  These beautiful, albeit worn, examples of pre-historic Indian occupation are a record of lives lived many years ago, probably by different ethnic groups.

The Cherokee have a number of stories relating to Track Rock and it appears to have been a very important place to them.  They called the gap Datsu’nalsagun’yi, which translates to “where the tracks are” in their language.  It is likely that the Cherokee created at least some of the petroglyphs.  The carvings were made to symbolize both events that occurred in the past and events that would occur in the future.  It is also quite likely that ritual activities occurred here and that Track Rock Gap was a place of power on sacred ground.

The particular type of soft soapstone that the boulders are made of is common to the North Georgia Mountains.  It is soft yet durable.  This makes it easier to carve and efficient to use.  The earliest evidence of the carvings was the result of Native Americans removing pieces of the rock to make bowls.  Soapstone is particularly well suited to cooking, as it holds and radiates heat without breaking up.  Even though soapstone is considered a “soft” rock, it is still rather hard to carve.  It took a lot of time and effort to create these figures and symbols that have endured all these years.

Track Rock Gap Archaeological Area is a 52-acre park listed in the National Register of Historic Places.  You might have driven by it on your way to Brasstown Bald, not even knowing it existed.  This awesome exhibit is very close to the road, open to the public and free of charge.  The site has been totally redesigned and reopened as of January, 2011.  Track Rock is one of the most significant rock art sites in the Southeastern United State.  When planning your trip, try to go in the early morning or in the late afternoon, as the carvings are more easily seen when not viewed with the sun directly overhead.

To reach Track Rock Gap from Blue Ridge, GA, drive east on Hwy 515/76 to nearby Blairsville.  Stay on US 76 east from Blairsville for about 5 miles.  Turn right onto Track Rock Gap Road and go 2 miles.  The site will be on your right.  Park in the gravel lot a short walk away.  This is just one of many day trips that can easily be taken from  our Rainbow Cabins.  Look for future blogs and articles to give you more ideas for interesting family outings.  We want you to get the most fun out of your stay in the North Georgia Mountains.

The Cherokee name for the region in the North Georgia Mountains where Helton Creek Falls and Wolf Creek Falls is located  loosely translates into “Land of a thousand waterfalls.”  I don’t know about a thousand, but this area seems to be teeming with enticing waterfalls just waiting for you to discover them.  These two waterfalls are very close together and would make an excellent daytrip when you combine them with a visit to Vogel State Park.

Tucked away in the Chattahoochee National Forest is one of Georgia’s lesser known falls.  Helton Creek  Falls is actually two different cascades known as the Upper and the Lower Falls.  Together they make an impressive 100 foot drop into a refreshing deep blue green swimming hole.  The falls are easily reached and very near to the parking lot.  From Blue Ridge, travel east on Hwy 515 to Blairsville.  Turn south onto US 19/129 and go 11 miles where you will see the entrance to Vogel State Park on the right.  Continue on Hwy 19 for another 1.1 miles to Helton Creek Road, which will be on your left.  Turn there and go exactly 2.3 miles, part of which is paved and part is gravel.  You will see several pull-offs for parking.  Make sure that you go far enough and park in the right one.  You should be able to hear the falls.  Walk back about 20 yards and you’ll find the trailhead on the right (west).  The trail is marked by a simple sign and an arrow.  Enter the woods and gently descend down to a mountain cove, fed by Helton Creek.  There are some worn wooden steps that date back to work done by the CCC (Civil Conservation Corps) in the early 1930′s.  A more modern boardwalk has been constructed to carry hikers over fragile vegetation along the stream.  Stairs on the left lead down to the bottom of the falls and a viewing deck where you can watch the tumbling waters of the Lower Helton Creek Falls.  There is a nice flat rock area perfect for a picnic.  The canopy of trees in this old hardwood forest is so dense that not much sunlight gets through.  If you decide to take a dip, you’ll need a towel and a jacket, even in the height of summer.  Remember, you’re in the mountains!

 To see the Upper Falls, return to the main trail and follow it around to the left, climbing the stairs.  Cross the wet-weather branch while heading upstream.  In about 75 steps you will see another observation deck with benches.  The Upper Falls are more spectacular, especially after a good rainfall, as they take a 50 foot vertical plunge.  Hiking to Helton Creek is great any time of the year.  The rhododendrons bloom profusely in mid-summer and the leaves are awe-inspiring in autumn.

The Falls on Wolf Creek at Lake Trahlyta are known by different names–Wolf Creek Falls, Trahlyta Lake Falls, and Trahlyta Falls.  Whatever you call them, they are well worth going to see.  Located within Vogel State Park in Union County, this is a stepping stone waterfall, fed by Lake Trahlyta.  The legend of Trahlyta has been passed down through the generations by Indian storytellers.  Trahlyta was a lovely Cherokee Indian princess who lived in the North Georgia Mountains many many years ago.   She was said to have drunk from the Fountain of Youth to maintain her beauty.

Wolf Creek Falls can be viewed from above by driving to Vogel State Park, but just before the entrance to the park, on the right, is a one lane pulloff.  From there, you can see the falls.  To reach the bottom of the falls and get the full effect, drive into Vogel  and park at the south end of the lake.  Take the Trahlyta Lake Trail either to the left or to the right to reach the dam at the far end.  It is an easy level one-mile loop trail.  When you get to the dam, take the Falls Overlook Trail and follow it to the observation deck near the foot of the falls.  The trail is short, but very steep.  I hope you enjoy discovering some of the wonders of the North Georgia Mountains.