Travel | Family Trip To Georgia | Full Southern Charm

Jul 5, 2018 | Musings, Travel

We’ve been aching for a short getaway as a family. Somewhere we’ve never been, a place we could enjoy time together as a family and experience new things. I’m *slightly* obsessed with the south, can’t explain why (well, yes, I probably can, but that’s for later!), but I knew a trip to a cute southern area was just what we needed. Traveling with two small kids is nothing short of a really bad headache, so it had to be somewhere we could get to within one flight.

I’ve been following blogger, Addison’s Wonderland, for quite some time. If you aren’t following her, do yourself a favor and do so! She is based out of Georgia and has incredible design taste. She and her husband purchased a cabin in the Big Canoe area outside of Atlanta and I’ve been following along on their journey of renovating their family cabin. Once she announced they were opening up the cabin for rentals, I knew this was our chance! A little bit of the south, cute cabin in the woods, and easy flight from Denver to Georgia! Winning!

Once we landed in Atlanta, we had some time before we could check into our AirBNB cabin. We decided to explore the Virginia Highlands area of Atlanta. The CUTEST little town just on the border of downtown. We had lunch at Callie’s Biscuits (you HAVE to go there when you’re in town!). Seriously, some of the best biscuits we’ve had. Virginia Highlands was filled with tons of cute shops, coffee shops, restaurants, adorable old historic homes, and all the southern charm you could want. Oh yeah, and humidity, but hey, that’s the south for you.

Once we left Virginia Highlands, we headed north to the Big Canoe area. Thankfully our GPS took us through all backroads and no major highways, so we got the full Georgia backwoods experience, and holy cow, that did not disappoint. The countryside is so beautiful!

We entered the gate into Big Canoe and were so excited to get to our cabin, our home-away-from-home for the next 4 days. Our drive into Big Canoe took us past the lake, marina, swim club and all the trails you could ever want. We pulled up to our little cabin and instantly fell in love!

The cabin was everything we expected, plus some. Brittany of Addison’s Wonderland did an AMAZING job (along with her husband) renovating this home and the decor was right on point. Honestly, I really wanted to go and stay in the cabin just because I knew it would be adorable, but what we didn’t know is how much we would fall in love with Big Canoe.

Here’s the full link to the AirBNB cabin we stayed in at Big Canoe! Click here.

Big Canoe had everything we needed as a family of four looking for a fun getaway:

  • Swim club-for a daily fee we had full access to the pool, lake/beach, paddle boards, canoes, and more! This was by far our favorite place. The kids loved all the water activities and we practically had to pry them off the giant floats in the middle of the lake when it was time to go home
  • Hikes and trails
  • Stunning views and beautiful countryside
  • Awesome restaurant, Black Bear Pub. The food was incredible and the views weren’t too shabby either!
  • Marina and boat club
  • Quick access into Dawsonville (best BBQ dinner at Big D’s) and Jasper (grocery shopping, pizza dinner)
  • Quiet, laid back atmosphere. We actually felt like we could relax-and we did!

We explored, slept a lot, laughed, got sunburnt, and enjoyed our time together as a family. While we wish we could’ve stayed just a few more days, we know we will be back.

After leaving Big Canoe to head back to Atlanta for our flight home, I knew we needed to stop in Roswell, Georgia. I heard from others this little town would not disappoint, and boy were they right. A quick hour drive from Big Canoe and we were in Roswell. From the quaint main street, to all the old homes that have been converted to businesses, tree lined streets, and of course that southern architecture I dream about, I instantly fell in love. Our first stop was at Crazy Love Coffee in the heart of Roswell. As you know, I need my coffee, and I was on the hunt to find an adorable coffee shop. Success! The food was good (they are known for their waffles), coffee was great, and the cute little market in the coffee shop was just icing on top.

Once we were fully caffeinated and fed (a necessity after 4 days of travel), we headed out to explore and walk more of Roswell.

We stumbled into Linen and Flax and holy cow, thank GOD we were traveling by airplane and I didn’t have any room to buy any home decor because if I could have, I would’ve purchased the entire store. We met the owner, Chaz, and were totally welcomed into her beautiful store with open arms. The decor was amazing, her style was exactly what I love (think modern farmhouse) and the atmosphere was so fun. I can’t wait to stop back in next time we’re back in Roswell!

And a few more pictures of Roswell, because, well, it’s simply beautiful and oh yes, charming!

Big Canoe, Atlanta, Virginia Highlands and Roswell blew whatever I had thought in my head out of the water. From the beautiful countryside, to the architecture in the homes and buildings, southern charm, and the overwhelming feeling of feeling accepted and welcomed to this part of the country was exactly what we needed. To this day, Steve and the kids are still talking about our trip to Georgia and how we all can’t wait to go back.

I left Georgia with a thankful heart, open mind, and some really exciting ideas for things I want to pursue in the near future. I feel like I had my “aha” moment, and can’t wait to see where this all takes us next. I’ve been dreaming of ways to combine my love of real estate, interiors/design, and coffee ( I know, where the hell does that fit in?!). Exciting things for the Watne family!

One of my favorite things to do is explore new towns/states. I love that old charm, but can totally appreciate the modern touches. Where should be next on our list?

-Lindsay

Welcome

Welcome to your one-stop-shop for all things home in Denver. Buying, Selling, Investing, Decorating, and Design. Let me, and my team help you.

Subscribe

you may also like

Related Posts

Travel | All Things GULF SHORES, ALABAMA

Travel | All Things GULF SHORES, ALABAMA

Y'all! We just got back from our trip from Gulf Shores, AL and I can't wait to share with you all the details of our trip. By the questions and comments I got, it seems that Gulf Shores is unexplored territory for my Colorado people! Growing up in STL as a kid, Gulf...

read more
Reflection and Looking Ahead

Reflection and Looking Ahead

Ok, ok, no one needs any reminders of what 2020 was--but guys, we made it! We survived! (Barely, but hey, I'll take a win where I can get it!) It was one of my most challenging years for work, for many reasons. In March, I decided to switch brokerages. I was at my old...

read more
Life Lately // Two Months Living In Erie

Life Lately // Two Months Living In Erie

Life Lately. It's been two months since our move to Erie and I get asked all the time "is Erie as much fun as you make it on social media"....and the answer is YES! There were several reasons why we made the move to Erie (you can read more about that here), but one of...

read more