Who: John and Nicole Mills

What: A two-bedroom, two-bath 800-square-foot cabin with a screened porch and covered deck, on just over three acres near McCaysville.

Christopher Oquendo/Special (ENLARGE)

The couple discovered a builder already 'constructing just exactly the kind of cabin we had dreamed of,' Nicole Mills says. She and husband John were sold. | View more images

When built: 2001

How long does it take to get there? A little under two hours from their home in Druid Hills.

How often do they get there? At least every month.

Why they decided to build: "On weekend visits to the North Georgia mountains, we would look at property and houses, but never bought because we weren't sure we would use it enough. A series of events led us to a builder who was constructing just exactly the kind of cabin we had dreamed of. We found this lot, and the builder agreed to work with us," Nicole said.

Was the construction a good experience? "Building was a wonderful adventure. The builder told us it would take three months, and it did. He gave us an estimate and came in to the penny on the price. The bank could not believe it! It all worked out perfectly," she said.

What do you do while you're there? "We're pretty quiet. Reading and hunting for mushrooms are favorite activities, along with forest walks and bicycling. Occasionally we have friends up. We're eight miles from Blue Ridge and about three-and-a-half miles from McCaysville, which has a small grocery store. We visit antique shops and art galleries in Blue Ridge, and McCaysville is right on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, with national forests and river sports."

The best part: "We have woods all around and good-size lots, so we have privacy. It's so quiet here that we can hear the creek 300 feet away from our back deck. We enjoy the birds and the trees. Waking up in the morning is a treat."

Would you retire here? "We don't think so. The neighbors are kind, welcoming and very friendly; but we really like living in the city. That's why we waited so long to buy. But we love the woods, native plants and the birds. It's a wonderful place to get away to."

McCaysville

J.B. Owens, real estate agent with ReMax Around the Mountains, says, "We have beautiful mountains up here with streams, fishing, lots of wildlife, and just an abundance of nature's creatures." Lots start around $15,000 per acre, with water frontage lots or lots with mountain views costing upward of $100,000 an acre. As far as developed property, Owens says, "We have everything from lots with trailers that can cost up to $150,000, to gated communities with homes in the millions. There's lots of property on the market right now, and you can probably find most anything you want." For more information, check out www.manofthe

mountains.com.

Recent listings:

Level lot, 1.73 acres, city water and electrical available, $30,000

Lot on Toccoa River with two-bedroom, one-bath mobile home, .66 acre, $75,000

Seven-year-old cabin with three bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, 181 feet of lake frontage, $284,900

Things to do:

Fall is prime time in the Georgia mountains. The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway takes a 26-mile round trip along the Toccoa River, with layovers in McCaysville and Copperhill, Tenn. Check out www.brscenic.com for schedules. The Ellijay Apple Festival spans two weekends, Oct. 13-14 and Oct. 20-21. There'll be arts, crafts, food and plenty of apples. Log onto www.ellijaygeorgia.com for more information.

GETTING THERE

Take I-575 north, which turns into Ga. 515, which runs through downtown Ellijay. Continue approximately 20 miles to Blue Ridge, and turn left onto Ga. 5, toward McCaysville, 10 miles north.

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