Hi, we’re thinking of spending the month of February 09 in Blue Ridge with our 3 dogs and I had a few questions. Will it be too cold to hike, we’re from New England so we’re pretty hearty but don’t won’t to freeze. Are the restaurants and stores open at that time of year? Are there things to do in February in the area. Most importantly are there trails that our dogs can run off leash on? Any info is much much appreciated - we have to make our minds up soon. Thinking of renting a cabin from Escape to Blue Ridge, has anyone rented from them before? Thanks again and enjoy the day!

No you will not freeze in February. There are plenty of trails in Blue Ridge to run your dogs as well. I have used Escape to Blue Ridge and they are wonderful, we have stayed in the cabin called Barely Behaving. Its a great house and great view of the mountains.

Thanks so much, now our plans have changed and we need to go in January. Will we freeze in January or will we still be able to hike? Barely Behaving was one of the houses we came across too and it does look wonderful. Thanks! Pamela

We are planning to stay in Blue Ridge May 30-June 6 with three chilren ages 4-12. We are looking for suggestions of activities to do while we are in the area. Is the train ride worth the dough? Should we spend a day at Lookout Mountain, Ruby Falls, and the Incline? Any suggestions of where to find discounts to local attractions? Any special events going on in the area? Restaurants that are kid friendly would be much appreciated. THanks so much for your help!

I recommend Big Bear Ranch for horseback riding. Kelly is wonderful. You may also want to rent a pontoon boat for the day at the Blue Ridge Marina. Pack lots of food to take along. Kids your ages usually love drive-in movies, so the Swan Drive-In is a must. http://www.swan-drive-in.com will let you know what is playing. We’ve owned a cabin there for 4 years and never taken the train ride because of the expense. Also never been to Lookout, etc. because there is plenty to do much closer. Hiking is abundant (and free). Our cabin is near the Toccoa River and there are always lots of tubers who look like they are having fun. Guided rafting is available from Jon-Ron on Aska Rd. Be sure to check out Mercier’s Orchards (even though it’s not the best season). Blue Ridge Mountain Arts Association puts on wonderful programs in the park, but I don’t see anything on their calendar for that weekend. Keep that in mind for future planning! As far as restaurants go, Toccoa Riverside Restaurant is a must for location and local flavor. Your kids will be welcome. Kids would probably like Bordertown (peanut shells on floor, very casual).

My friends and I booked a cabin with Escape to Blue Ridge hoping for a relaxing weekend in the mountains. I had spent several memorable weekends in the mountains in the past and convinced my friends to plan our next vacation there. I had never used Escape to Blue Ridge before, but their website looked promising, as it promises luxury cabins and concierge service. Unfortunately when we arrived, we walked into a cabin that was swarming with ladybugs. As they are an “endangered species,” we were told that there was nothing they could do about them. Fine - ladybugs don’t hurt anyone. They’re just annoying when they constantly fly into your food. We are also told that the lock on the front door is broken so we wouldn’t be able to lock up the cabin to explore without securing our belongings inside (very reassuring for a group of 4 young women staying alone in a cabin by the way). We try to make the best of it and begin cooking dinner…and find ants in the kitchen drawers. Following dinner, we open up the dishwasher to load up our dishes only to find a family of cockroaches living inside! Dozens of them came scurrying out into the kitchen - absolutely disgusting. We immediately call the management company to notify them and ask that they please be sure to bring bug spray when they come in the morning to fix the lock. Too disgusted to stay on the main floor that is now scattered with roaches, the four of us cram into one bed in the upstairs bedroom….only to wake up in the morning to find dozens of wasps buzzing above our heads! MORE bugs! This cabin was becoming a health hazard! We call the management company again to notify them of the wasp problem. The manager sarcastically replies “You’re just not used to this - this is how it is in the mountains. We have bugs.” When I ask if it is a normal occurrence for roaches to live inside your dishwasher, she has the audacity to answer “YES!” Unbelievable! We told them we do not feel safe in the cabin and refuse to stay any longer. As we are packing up, the owners arrive and inform us they will have to bomb the place to get rid of the bugs. Obviously the place is dirty and infested with bugs which says a lot about the cleaning company they use - definitely does not justify the outrageous $95 cleaning fee they charge! The management company is rude and condescending to their guests. They did not even try to assuage us in any way - they basically encouraged us to leave. Probably because they had already taken payment for the entire weekend plus the security deposit prior to our arrival. I DO NOT recommend booking with this company if you are wanting a peaceful and romantic weekend in the mountains. You will only feel sickened by their uncleanliness and appalled by their rude management. We are currently reporting them to the Better Business Bureau. There are other companies I’ve used that have been wonderful. Please do not book with Escape to Blue Ridge and get turned off by the beautiful Georgia mountains. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to convince my friends to make a return visit.

What Mountain did you stay on? Where was the cabin located?

Jennifer,

My name is Pamela Miracle and I am the President and owner of Escape to Blue Ridge.

I have reviewed your post here and first let me say I am very sorry and disappointed that you had anything less than a “fantastic” time while staying in one of our mountain homes.

We pour heart and soul into doing everything possible to exceed our guests’ expectations and it’s unfortunate that you did not leave feeling that way.

As I would hope you would agree, the allure of a relaxing weekend in the mountains is in large part enhanced by the beautiful natural setting of a cabin, and the surrounding forestry. Unfortunately, these surroundings are also home to all kinds of pests including wild animals and insects.

One of the very important aspects of providing a great experience for our guests is a strict and selective process of accepting homes into our program. We are very careful to only offer higher-end homes that are well maintained, and where the owners are as committed to excellence as we are. We require all of our homes to be on monthly pest control programs and we routinely conduct home inspections utilizing a very rigid quality audit review of our cleaning crews. Despite these efforts, we simply cannot guarantee that a guest will never encounter some type of insect. It is a common occurrence in the mountains, especially in the early spring time of the year.

What I would hope is that people don’t measure us based on our inability to control mother-nature, but rather, how we react to any problem encountered by one of our guests.

I have looked into the specifics of your recent stay and I must admit, I’m a little surprised that you failed to mention other aspects of your visit, and the efforts we put forth to try and make sure you had a great time……….

You may recall that this was not the original home you had reserved. We received a call from you late in the day Friday because your older Mercedez Benz car was stuck on the gravel road en-route to your original cabin. We reacted immediately by offering to come and help, or arrange for a tow truck. Ultimately, we upgraded you (at no additional charge) to a more expensive home because it was more accessible by your vehicle. Our Director of Guest Services drove to an agreed upon meeting location and led you to the new home. Upon arrival, she went in and inspected the home while her assistant helped carry in all of your luggage and groceries. She lit the fireplace for you and then showed you around to make sure you knew how to operate everything. Yes, there was indeed some confusion with the operation of the lock however, you insisted it was not a big deal, that you were not going anywhere that evening, and to just send someone out in the morning to check it. It’s my understanding that when we left, each of you seemed very pleased.

It’s not appropriate for me to debate whether or not you encountered the various bugs as you’ve stated, or whether there were swarms and families of them everywhere. I can only speak to the fact that we dispatched someone to the home the very next morning and our findings were much different than what you had reported then, and what’s been represented in your posting here.

In the end, you chose to check out early and we accommodated you on that by providing a full refund of the unused portion of your stay. It is my sincere hope that you’ll give Blue Ridge another try, whether it is with us or with one of the many other great providers of cabin accommodations in the area.

In closing I’d like to point out that this blog and other area forums are an invaluable tool for visitors to Blue Ridge, GA. They are relied upon as a great source of information whether it be research, activity recommendations, or yes, even helping to narrow down which cabin or management company to choose. As such, I believe anyone posting has a public duty to present information in a fair and accurate manner. It’s unfortunate that future readers of your post will now be left to question what hundreds of visitors before you have consistently and repeatedly had very high praise for.

I would encourage anyone with questions or any concerns whatsoever to please contact me directly. I welcome the opportunity to speak with you and I will personally make sure you are completely informed, comfortable, and confident about your vacation, prior to your arrival.

Escape to Blue Ridge is a great choice for cabin accommodations in North Georgia. We have built a solid reputation of service to our guests, and we offer a wide selection of well-maintained cabins that are fun, relaxing, and fantastic places to get away with friends and family. While I certainly can’t promise that you won’t see an insect during your visit, I can guarantee that everyone on our staff will bend over backwards to do whatever it takes to make sure that your stay is truly a wonderful experience.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Pamela Miracle
President, Escape to Blue Ridge
http://www.escapetoblueridge.com
Toll free - 866-618-2521
Office - 706-413-5321

Pamela,

I would not rent one of you cabins just from your reply.

Phil

Wow, Teatrees Boutique Spa is outstanding! Wonderful customer service and the best treatments in Blue Ridge. The owner Betty Jane Bruce has outdone herself, products and therapies are truly outcome oriented. 5 STARS all the way! As an RN, massage therapist I have high expectations and they were exceeded at Teatrees. Great last minute holiday gifts also!
I recommend it highly!