Life along shore wasn’t in plan

Back in 1976, George Weese was looking for a farm. Originally from Fannin County, he was thinking about a place to retire.

“In those days, there weren’t any farms for sale, but my Realtor said, ‘How about a lake lot? There are some good buys on Lake Blue Ridge.’ I didn’t want a place on the lake, but he persuaded me to take a look. And you know, I bought a lot that day,” Weese said.

And so began 32 years of vacation time on Lake Blue Ridge. In 1980, he bought the lot next door, and he now has 200 feet of lake frontage that he enjoys with his wife, JoAnn, their daughter and now the grandchildren.

He designed and built their home: Nine years ago, Weese remodeled the home he had originally designed and built back in the ’70s. The house is two stories with three bedrooms and two baths, covered in rock and cedar shake siding. There are wide decks along the steep path down to the lake to the family dock. A swing set at the shore provides a great place to sit and enjoy the long views over the lake. A 22-foot Chaparral sports boat is used for riding on the lake or towing the grandkids on inner tubes and water skis.

Enjoying their time there: The Weeses split their time between their lake home and their home in Gwinnett County. “My wife enjoys native plant gardening; she exercises and walks. I play golf and fly fish and sometimes hunt. There are three golf courses within 20 miles, and they’re building one at a new resort near here,” he said.

Life on a dirt road: Weese enjoys the fact that the house is on a dirt road. “I can jog or ride my mountain bike,” he said. “For me, it’s all part of the mountain atmosphere. Some people want the road paved, but we’re opposed to that. I’m afraid pretty soon there won’t be any more dirt roads around here.”

The changes he’s seen: In more than 30 years on Lake Blue Ridge, things were bound to change. There’s certainly more traffic on the drive from Gwinnett County, and the streams with native trout are declining and getting harder to find. Still, the Weeses enjoy the new places to eat and the additional amenities such as the golf courses.

Can things stay like they were? “We’d love for it to stay like it was. It’s a beautiful place to live and the people are fantastic. They’re nice down-home people,” Weese said. The Weeses have enjoyed their time at the lake, and it doesn’t hurt that Weese believes buying there was one of the best financial decisions he ever made.

Lake Blue Ridge

Blue Ridge reservoir is 11 miles long and has 65 miles of shoreline, 25 percent of which is developed. The lake was formed when Blue Ridge Dam was constructed on the Toccoa River in 1930 by the Toccoa Electric Power Co. At the time it was built, the dam was the largest earthen dam in the Southeast. The Tennessee Valley Authority bought the facility in 1939 for hydroelectric power production. Today, the TVA owns approximately 18 miles of shoreline, including the Blue Ridge Dam reservation.

In her own words

Rachel Callihan of Georgia Mountain and Lake Properties thinks Lake Blue Ridge is one of Georgia’s most picturesque mountain lakes. “The 3,290-acre lake and surrounding area boast over 90 national forest campsites, several boat ramps, a full-service marina and public swimming and picnic areas. Eighty percent of the shoreline on Lake Blue Ridge is in the Chattahoochee National Forest, managed by the USDA Forest Service. The lake is home to bass, bream, catfish, perch and crappie, which make the area popular with anglers. It is the only lake south of the Great Lakes where walleye are caught and is also known for white bass fishing.”

Current listings

$925,000: Two lakefront lots for sale separately, lots 4 and 5, on Old Toccoa Road. One is 0.72 acres, the other is 0.91 acres.

$1.8 million: 171 Misty Mountain Trail, Lake Blue Ridge; 5.43 acres, small two-bedroom two-bath cottage that needs TLC; 250 feet of lake frontage.

Information

www.georgiamountainandlakeproperties.com; 706-258-8067.

Getting there

Take I-75 north to I-575/Ga. 5 north. This will turn into Ga. 515 and U.S. 76. Follow U.S. 76 into Blue Ridge.