Who: Charlie and Pat Brown

Where: Mountain High neighborhood in North Georgia's Mineral Bluff

Christopher Oquendo/Special (ENLARGE)

A deck opens to a mountain vista at Pat and Charlie Brown's 3,000-square-foot home, on an acre of land in Mineral Bluff.

Christopher Oquendo/Special (ENLARGE)

An open great room has a stone fireplace, an expanse of windows and wood walls and ceilings. The floors are Russian birch. Handmade craftsmanship is everywhere.

View more photos of this home GETTING THERE Take I-75 north to I-575 north, which turns into Ga. 515. Travel through Blue Ridge, and take a left on Ga. 60. Travel 2.8 miles, and turn right onto Hardscrabble Road. Travel 5.5 miles and turn left onto New Liberty Road. Travel a half mile and turn left onto Watson Gap Road. Travel .7 miles and turn left into Mountain High.

When purchased: April 2005

Their home: It has more than 3,000 square feet on more than an acre. The main floor has an open great room, dining room and kitchen, plus a master suite and guest bedroom. A loft area provides sleeping space for the grandkids. Downstairs, there's a game room and bar area, two bedrooms and a bathroom. A screened porch wraps around the three sides of the home. A deck across the front of the home on the lower level creates space for plenty of rocking chairs.

What they love about it: The view of the North Carolina mountains, and the overall construction of the home. The walls and ceiling are wood, and the floors are Russian birch. "The house itself is all handmade. There are no store-bought pieces of wood for doors," Charlie said. "These guys came and made everything that went in this house. They had a pile of wood and they made everything. You just don't get that anymore."

How far from home: About 1 1/2 hours from their primary residence on Lake Lanier.

Who else they're near: The Browns purchased a home on the same street as their son and his family.

How often they're there: Every other week, on average.

What they do when they're there: Enjoying the change in the view.

"With the mountains, you could wake up one morning and it's just bright and beautiful and the sun's shining through the valleys. Then the next thing you know a little cloud comes up and the mountains disappear. They keep changing," Pat said. They also explore nearby Georgia towns such as Blue Ridge and Murphy, N.C. There's also plenty to do outdoors, from hiking to horseback riding to river rafting. "You've got to be outside to really enjoy the area," Charlie said.

MOUNTAIN HIGH

Listings of new homes and resales in Mountain High, located in Fannin County, range from the high $300,000s to mid-$500,000s. Sales since mid-2006 have ranged from $363,000-$580,000, according to sales data provided by Pat Trainor, associate broker with Coldwell Banker High Country Realty.

RECENT SALES

$375,000, three-bedroom, 3 1/2-bath home built in 2006, with a full finished basement and situated on nearly 1 1/2 acres.

$437,500, new three-bedroom, three-bath home with granite countertops, a full bar in the basement, three levels of decks and an outdoor fireplace.

$529,000, new four-bedroom, three-bath home on more than an acre with granite countertops, two fireplaces, a wet bar and multiple decks.

RESOURCES

Fannin County Chamber of Commerce

www.blueridgemountains.com

Coldwell Banker High Country Realty

www.buyblueridgerealestate.com