BUDGET TRAVELER

Vacation close to home in Dahlonega


For the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/08/08

If the decision to have a summer "staycation" could spark a household mutiny, consider a shorter and closer- to-home getaway:

• In the heart of Georgia wine country, Dahlonega's Mountain Laurel Creek Inn and Spa offers suite stays from $145 a night for two. The inn features the Oasis Spa, with an optional package (for guests and day visitors), for $195. It includes an hour-long full-body massage, a foot scrub and massage and an hour-long wine facial with a wine mask and a vino-therapy scrub hand treatment.

DAILY DEALS

Clara Bosonetto Maerz's column is published weekdays on ajc.com.


Most recent deals

NOTE: Good deals disappear quickly, so search immediately. Sale fares are subject to change and do not include taxes and fees.

MORE

AJC Deals To Go: Amazing vacation packages

Web Fares: Last-minute fares published every Wednesday

.

AJC Deals To Go: Amazing vacation packages

Web Fares: Last-minute fares published every Wednesday

Through the end of July, the package includes a complimentary glass of red wine from one of the local vineyards. Several wine makers are within a 5- to 15-minute drive. Frogtown offers a three-course Sunday brunch with wine pairings and homemade desserts for $35 per person. The village of Dahlonega is the gateway to the Appalachians and the Blue Ridge Mountains and home to the Chattahoochee National Forest. www.mountainlaurelcreek.com , www.frogtownwine.com , www.dahlonega.org .

• Two neighboring properties — the Riverlodge Bed and Breakfast and Tuckaseigee Valley Cabins, are near Highlands, N.C. Both offer on-site geocaching with, according to Geocaching.com , 1,147 public caches hidden within a 30-mile radius of the cabins and the lodge. This family-friendly outdoor sport lets participants use hand-help global positioning systems to seek a hidden cache, treasure hunt-style. What's the reward? Mostly geocachers will find a bucket that typically holds a logbook with notes from the last folks who passed this way. But some leave something behind such as a photo, a CD, a map or book, a game or other trinket. About the only rule to follow is to leave something in the cache if you remove an item.

The elegant Adirondacks-style Riverlodge offers a room for two with views of a waterfall, pines and a glimpse of the river from $125 a night. Three new Tuckaseigee Valley cabins are between Sylva and Cashiers, each on an acre of land. During 2008, get one to two nights free with stays of six to seven nights. Both properties are at the Tuckaseigee River, convenient for trout fishing, hikable mountain trails and other waterways for kayaking, rafting and tubing, and the Nantahala River for white-water fun. Visitors seeking a geocache adventure are given GPS coordinates. www.riverlodge-bb.com , www.tuckcabins.com .

Vote for this story!

Inside AJC.COM

Year in Review

Remembering Skip Caray, Bernie Mac, Isaac Hayes and those who passed away.

Atlanta Falcons

Can the surprising team make the playoffs? Here's what has to happen around the league.

Cookie of the day

We're rolling out a baker's dozen of holiday cookies. Get ready for a treat!

National Travel

Three ways to see Palm Springs: On a budget, moderate or splurge!

Top Music Downloads

iTunes' 2008 top-selling single. It is Rihanna, Coldplay, Lil' Wayne or Leona Lewis?

Atlanta Holiday Guide

More than 10 perfect dresses for the holiday parties you're attending this month.

Atlanta's Favorite Recipes

Here are 12 of the most clicked-on recipes by ajc.com readers, including baked ziti.

Private Quarters - Splurge

Former Braves catcher Javy Lopez and his wife Gina show us their Suwanee home.

Best of the Big A

See who's voted Best Liquor Store in Metro Atlanta. Plus nominate best drive-time DJ.

Search AJC Archives

1985 to present     1868 - 1939 Advanced search

Kudzu.com services Find the right people for the job

Keyword     Business Name

AJCPets » The community for Atlanta pet lovers

Do Good Search for non-profit causes near you