Recently took the opportunity to spend a weekend up in North Georgia and I am so glad I did. Originally went up to celebrate Tom’s birthday and just go white water rafting but then (last minute) we decided to turn it into a FULL weekend.

We stayed at Rabun Manor in Dillard, GA and it was a fabulous Bed & Breakfast. Nancy is the owner and is just too sweet. She called saying she wouldn’t be there when we were planning to arrive and gave us perfect instructions on how to get to our room, which happened to be one of the cottages. The king size bed was a dream and the breakfast delicious. A bowl of fruit and a yogurt parfait were on the table when we got to table both mornings. On Saturday we had peach stuffed french toast with eggs and bacon. On Sunday it was carrot bread, pan-fried potatoes, and bacon.

On Saturday we rafted all day with Southeastern Expeditions in Clayton, GA. We did the class IV trip on the Chattooga river. It was my first rafting trip and I successfully only fell out of the raft once! The rapid was called 7 falls and you fall roughly seven feet (tip: when they say lean right actually lean right). Our river guide was Josh and he was beyond amazing. He told us all about the river, what to expect, and was a history buff so learned a lot about the Chattooga, which I honestly knew nothing about. Most importantly he told us about this BBQ place just over the state line in South Carolina…

I’ve never had BBQ in South Carolina so some might say I’ve never really had BBQ before. There is another saying in South Carolina that the less the place is open the better is it. Brasstown Creek BBQ in Westminster, SC is open 2 days a week for a total of 10 hours. There is no website and it is cash only. Now that I know what BBQ should and can taste like I fully agree that nothing compares. Tom & I shared the pulled pork sandwich with the Carolina mustard sauce, baked beans, apple sauce, and homemade pecan pie. Once we were done we promptly hopped back in line to bring home leftovers.

Our final stop on on the trip was at Fortify Kitchen in Clayton, GA. It is a farm to table restaurant near all the farms; a novel idea I tell you!! Having heard they were known for cocktails Tom and I decided to start with a Manhattan and Old Fashioned and since having BBQ only a few hours before we decided to skip the appetizers and just order mains. I opted for the Duet of Duck with farro and kale sauteed with sun dried tomatoes. Tom choose the 6 oz Filet with mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. I ordered a glass of cab-franc for dinner from Stonewall Creek Vineyards in Tiger, GA. And it was really good! I guess I shouldn’t be surprised but I certainly do like local gems. We wanted to check out the winery but it wasn’t open until later on Sunday so this just mean we have an excuse to go back. The dessert was an easy decision, chocolate creme brulee with two Irish coffees. Finishing up the weekend on a sweet (and boozy!) note was really kind of perfect.