Nisheet and I were supposed to spend our anniversary this year on an Alaskan cruise. I spent hours researching the trip, and we booked almost a year in advance. And then the pandemic happened. Sound familiar? Yep. This was the second year in a row that our Royal Caribbean cruise was cancelled because of Mother Nature. (Last year our cruise plans changed because of a hurricane.) But, since we are pros at making the best of it when things get crappy, we ended up taking an amazing trip to Northern Georgia Mountains and the Great Smoky Mountains.

First stop was a cabin in the northern Georgia mountains for our anniversary. When planning this trip, Nisheet and I made a list of our “must haves” for the cabin. We aren’t very extravagant people, so our list contained just two items: a deck and being surrounded by trees. That’s exactly what we got and then some.

It was the quintessential cabin with everything made of wood inside and out. There were 3 bedrooms with 4 poster beds, and the bedroom on the top floor had its own small balcony and hot tub. There was a small kitchen with everything you need to whip up scrumptious meals, a dining room overlooking the forest, and a homey living room complete with a fireplace. But best of all was the deck.  It was lined with rocking chairs with cozy throw blankets and surrounded by trees. All you could hear was chirping birds, crickets, and a babbling brook. Every morning started with a steamy cup of pumpkin coffee on the deck, and every night ended at the same spot with a cocktail in hand. I couldn’t get enough of the peacefulness and relaxation that our cabin provided.

The cabin was the absolute perfect place to spend our anniversary. Happy Anniversary, Nisheet! Cheers to 100 more years! 🙂

Can it get more romantic than spending a weekend in a cabin in the woods? Actually, it can. This area is brimming with cute little wineries, and we made it our mission to visit some every single day.

The first one we checked out was The Cottage. The best part of The Cottage (besides the wine) was the outdoor seating and the views. There is seating on the patio right next to the tasting room overlooking the vineyard, and when we were visiting, they even had live music. But, I suggest walking around to the back. They have outdoor games such as Cornhole, and best of all, there are swings. Grab some wine, take a seat on the swing next to your love, and take in the views of sunshine and rolling hills.

Another one of my favorite wineries in the area is Cavender Creek Vineyard. Just like The Cottage, they have a great outdoor seating area. There are tables, rocking chairs, and fire pits which must be awesome to gather around on a chilly autumn evening. The views are a little different though, and there isn’t a sweeping view of rolling hills. Instead, you look over a farm complete with donkeys and alpacas. Super cute!

All of the wineries we visited were fun, but my absolute favorite winery during this trip was Serenity Cellars. They specialize in Italian style wines which was fitting since we went to Italy for our honeymoon. Also, the staff was beyond amazing. When one of them found out it was our anniversary, she took us on a photo shoot around the winery taking pictures of us in all the best locations. After that, we sat on the patio, soaked up the sun, and enjoyed the views of the vineyard.

Although wineries made up 99% of our outings, we did make time to stop at one other place. Mark of the Potter.  It was the coolest pottery shop located right on the Soquee river. In the basement you could even see where the water ran through the building and powered an old gristmill, and the main floor was full of pottery from local artists. I couldn’t resist and had to buy a couple of pieces! The deck in the back provided a wonderful view of the small waterfall and the trouts swimming below.

Nisheet and I had an amazing weekend in the Georgia mountains, and I was honestly surprised at how fun the area is. I never thought about visiting the area before and am rather glad that the pandemic cancelled our cruise and forced us to visit an area closer to home. And although I was super sad to leave our cute little cabin in the woods, I was looking forward to the next part of our vacation in the Great Smoky Mountains!