We are on our way to Tennessee to gather with family and honor a very special person, hearts full of anticipation for the time together. Before crossing the state line, we treated ourselves to a few unhurried days in the Chattahoochee – Oconee National Forest, savoring the cooler mountain air and the quiet beauty of the woods.

If you know me, you know I am happiest with something green and growing nearby. That love of plants is a gift from both of my parents, who each nurtured their own little corners of creation. My dad, for as long as I can remember, tended a beautiful vegetable garden, neat rows of produce that fed both our table and our souls. My mom filled our home with flowers and houseplants, always finding room for one more bloom. So for this trip, I asked if I could bring along a few of my favorite plants, small pieces of home to enjoy as we travel.

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Our home for those few nights felt like a gentle retreat: a roomy site carpeted with soft grass, framed by generous shade trees, and conveniently close to the bathhouse—easy living tucked into the forest.

Not long after we pulled in, a soft rain settled over the campground, drumming on the roof while we lingered over an early dinner inside. Once the showers passed, we finished setting up under a freshly washed sky, and the pups happily trotted along the quiet lanes, noses to the ground as they explored their new temporary neighborhood.

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The drive into the mountains was a pleasure in itself, mile after mile of rolling farmland and tidy homesteads nestled along the road. Wide fields gave way to clusters of trees, then to hillside properties with wraparound porches and big front yards. Every time a log cabin came into view—tucked back in the woods or perched on a ridge—I found myself smiling; there is just something about a good log cabin that feels like it belongs in this landscape.

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With our spirits refreshed by the cool Georgia mountains, we’re turning the wheels toward Tennessee and the family gathering waiting there.

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Till next time,

Next stop, Tennessee! 🍂

Nancy