hikes,  travel

Amicalola Falls: A Romantic Getaway

September 8, 2021 /

It had been way too many years (my best guess is 5 years) since my husband and I had planned an overnight trip without the children. With my youngest being almost 4, I knew that it would not be difficult to leave him and his brothers with my brother for a short 24 hours or so getaway. Once I made that decision, I told my husband to take a vacation day and started to look for lodging options. I originally wanted to stay at a bed and breakfast but they all required two nights stays and that was not the plan this go around. I also wanted to go to the North Georgia mountains because it is about an hour and a half drive for us and would be a little cooler than Atlanta and very picturesque. Amicalola Falls Lodge fit the bill!

We stayed at the Amicalola Fall lodge and arrived just a little bit before check in time. Turns out our room was already ready so we were able to check in and decided to go ahead and walk down to the falls. The lodge while somewhat outdated (the carpets and some furnishings really should be updated) has the most amazing views of the mountains. The view itself was worth the price of the room. All the rooms have a mountain view and are a nice size.

We stopped at the top overlook of the falls before walking down the steps. There are 600 steps! Amicalola is the tallest cascading waterfall in the South at 729 feet. The weather was cooler by a few degrees than at home and our walk was mostly shaded.

Of course we took some pictures in a few spots. We did decide to skip the majority of the steps and went back up by way of one of the hiking trails. The trail then meets back at the base of the fall and we took those 200 steps up.

At the base is a pretty reflecting pool and in the fall and winter you can see the waterfall when the foliage is gone.

That evening after a dinner in Jasper, GA we came back and hung out at one of the outdoor seating areas. There are 3 large seating areas with a couple of gas firepits. I really liked this spot and we went enjoyed it again the following morning.

Our dinner was at a restaurant called the Old Mule House and we enjoyed both the industrial decor and the food. I was very impressed by my husband’s choice as we had no idea where we would eat until he googled some places to eat. If you stay at the lodge, you have the option to eat there or restaurants are about 30 minutes in different directions (Dawsonville, Jasper or Dahlonega).

The restaurant had some views of the mountains, a patio (we did stay indoors) and can be used for rehearsal dinners or parties.

On Monday, we went ziplining but I will share that adventure next week.

A bientôt!

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