Thanksgiving Weekend 2017

We had stunningly good weather over Thanksgiving weekend. It was brilliantly sunny and high around 60 each day (this is the kind of "cold" weather I can tolerate). I also try to "opt outside" (thanks REI- no they are not sponsoring me!) on or near major holidays as much as possible because I detest shopping and the general consumer frenzy that takes over after Halloween each year. We did have quite a few family/football obligations (and work for me, boo!) but managed to get in some quick local hikes and some of our favorite places. 

On Black Friday (make that green Friday for me thankyouverymuch), we went to visit friends in Northeast Cobb County, so decided to go to Roswell Mill and Vickery Creek afterwards since it was close by. The Mill has to be my favorite place in all of metro Atlanta. I haven't really been there very much during the winter but it is just so pretty no matter what the time of year. I love the City of Roswell for placing such an emphasis on parks and historic preservation. I really miss living there. 

The Mill was a little crowded and we had to circle the parking lot several times for a space, but eventually snagged one. Bear in mind, we were there right in the middle of the day so really not too bad all things considered. We didn't really go too far on any of the trails but leisurely walked up to the waterfall and then explored along the banks of the creek before heading out. 

On the Sunday after Thanksgiving, James went to the Falcons game but again the weather was so stunning, I decided to go to Sawnee Mountain after running some errands. It was later in the afternoon so I decided to use the trail from Bettis- Tribble Gap Rd since it is shorter. I have never hiked that trail before. It is much shorter and easier than the trail from Spot Road. I literally did not even break a sweat. There were several people on the trail but it really wasn't that crowded and the summit was peaceful (the last time I was here, I'm pretty sure there were people using drugs under the viewing platform). The view of the mountains was unreal due to the low humidity and extremely clear visibility. 

So that was Thanksgiving. No need to hike to burn off calories from eating too much because we've been vegan for a year now and everything we eat is healthy and doesn't weigh us down. 

Sawnee Mountain and a side trip 11-22-15

I apologize for the lack of posting this week. I have been on vacation (unheard of- I have not taken a real vacation in about 10 years) in Florida. I started this post before Thanksgiving and never finished it. More on Florida later :)

We decided to take a lighter hike on 11/22/15 because we planned to meet family in Dahlonega for a wine tasting and didn't want to show up tired, sweaty or both. Instead of heading deep into the North Georgia mountains, we just went next door to Forsyth County and visited a county park- the Sawnee Mountain preserve.

Sawnee Mountain is not an extremely tall mountain but it has amazing panoramic views of the mountains to the north. It also has an interesting back story relating to Chief Sawnee and native American traditions involving the mountain. At 4 miles roundtrip, with few steep inclines, it’s a pretty manageable walk for adults or kids. There is also a nature center and some outdoor facilities like a ropes course. The only downside is NO DOGS ALLOWED. This is posted in several places so we decided not to test it and left the dogs at home.

The trails is pretty mundane, but there is an entrance to a creepy old mine along the way which is pretty interesting. As you get closer to the top, there are more and more rocks, including the “Indian Seats” which are seat like depressions in the rock were reportedly used for meditation and ceremonies by the Cherokee.

As far as parks and recreation very close to the metro area go, Sawnee Mountain is a pretty neat place. It's in west central Cumming and easily accessible from GA-400. It's an easy ~2 hour or so hike and it would be fun to have a picnic at the top among the rocks. 

So after our hike, we went to Wolf Mountain vineyards in Dahlonega. We have been there many times over the past several years and we love it. I am not a wine critic but everything they produce tastes lovely. It's about $10-15 dollars for a tasting, which includes 6 or 7 different wines with healthy servings sizes. There is also food available to order.

The view was spectacular, as we were there in the late afternoon as the sun was starting to set. I had never actually been there in the fall before and enjoyed seeing the vineyards turning golden. One of the things I enjoy most about living in Georgia, is the seasons and seeing how different scenery changes throughout the year. But on a different note, expect a post about Florida and it's year round sunshine soon!