DEL.ICIO.USThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 04/30/08
Seduced by the scenery, engrossed in easy conversation, Lynn Whitten and Pam Brooks-Carump lost track of time. The two hiking buddies walked deep in the woods as daylight dimmed.
"I looked at my watch and said, 'Ahhh, we're going to be late for dinner,'" Brooks-Carump said Saturday night. " 'We're going to have to run back. ' "
 Photos by CLINT WILLIAMS/AJC |
| Smithgall Lodge has four guest rooms, the dining room for all guests and a deck that overlooks Dukes Creek. |
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| Lodge guests Lynn Whitten, left, of Decatur and Pam Brooks-Carump, right, have a picnic packed by lodge chef Marshall Parks while sitting overlooking Dukes Creek Falls. |
The food, happily, was worth the double-time march.
Shrimp Sea Island as an appetizer followed by a salad of organic greens. Pan-fried trout with a light lemon-butter accompanied by a mix of red rice, brown rice, wild rice and lentils with applewood bacon and sautéed green beans. Desert was a blueberry and peach cobbler certain to be served in Heaven.
That is the unique charm of The Lodge at Smithgall Woods: wilderness within walking distance of a great meal. And a hot tub.
The Lodge at Smithgall Woods is a cluster of five cottages tucked in the northwest corner of the Smithgall Woods Conservation Area, 5,600-acres of hemlock and hardwoods, trails and trout streams. Wealthy newspaper owner Charles A. Smithgall Jr. assembled the acreage in the 1980s and in 1994 sold the White County tract to the state for $10.8 million, half its appraised value of $21.6 million.
Four of the five cottages were built by Smithgall as a family retreat at the convergence of Dover Creek and Dukes Creek.
There is room for no more than 28 guests. Weekends typically see 14 visitors and Saturday night there were just four for dinner.
"We're a niche within a niche market," said general manager John Erbele.
The mainstay of the business is small groups. Six rooms must be reserved for the Lodge to open, Erbele said. Reserving 10 rooms gives you exclusive use of the retreat, he added.
That means arranging a weekend getaway for a couple takes a bit of luck. Reservations for leisure travelers are taken just 90 days out. You can't, for example, call now to reserve the second weekend in October. That's why The Lodge at Smithgall Woods has a reservation system separate from that of Georgia State Parks, Erbele said.
The cottages are more than a mile north of Ga. 75 Alternate, at the end of a narrow lane that winds smoothly along Dukes Creek, the blacktop deeply shaded by hemlock, pine, oak and rhododendron. Staff members driving a golf cart provide an escort to your cottage. Guests staying at Dover and Laurel cottages drive across Dukes Creek at a shallow ford.
Laurel Cottage — like Garden Cottage — is a one-bedroom cabin with kitchen and living room. The living room is furnished with upholstered chair with an ottoman and love seat for reading or watching cable television. At the center of the room is a small wood stove, a built fire awaiting just a flaming match.
The small kitchen seems superfluous — all meals are part of the package.
There are other special appointments — canning jars filled with chocolate nuggets and hard candies, an umbrella should it be raining when it's time to walk to dinner and flashlights in each room because, as a staffer advised, "back here in the woods, the power sometimes does go out."
The best spot in the cabin, though, is the front porch. A rocking chair there overlooking a meadow is an orchestra row seat at a whitewater symphony, the high notes of Dover Creek harmonizing with the deeper rumble of Dukes Creek.
The setting is sublime, but it's not really what makes this a special place. It's the staff.
When greeting guests before dinner Friday night, Erbele offered to drive to nearby Helen to fill any needs. "If it's legal, we'll go get it for you," he said.
"Everyone is so accommodating," said Whitten, of Decatur.
Brooks-Carump and Whitten mentioned it would be nice if there were rocking chairs on the deck of their creekside cabin. Done.
Another guest wondered aloud if juice might be available before an early morning hike and the 9 a.m. breakfast service. A carafe of orange juice was left in the cabin refrigerator.
Before preparing Eggs Benedict for brunch Sunday, chef Marshall "Mac" Parks asked each guest how they like their eggs poached.
Parks is a big part of what makes a weekend at Smithgall Woods worth the tariff. The man can flat out cook. The menu features vegetables, herbs and blueberries grown in the garden next to the main lodge.
It all makes dinner worth running to.
IF YOU GO
The Lodge at Smithgall Woods
Getting there: The lodge is about 90 miles north of Atlanta between Cleveland and Helen. Directions are e-mailed with your reservation confirmation.
Where to stay: The lodge has 14 guestrooms, 12 with king beds and two with two double beds.
Rates are per room, per night and include meals:
• Creekside, Dover and Smithgall cottages single occupancy $249, double occupancy $349;
• Garden and Laurel cottages, single occupancy $299, double occupancy $399.
Add 12 percent tax.
What to do: hiking trails, trout fishing. Dukes Creek Falls is a mile walk from the cottages. The kitsch and chaos of Helen is a 5-mile drive. Two wineries — Frogtown Cellars and Blackstock Vineyards — are 10 miles away. The staff happily provides printed directions.
More information: 800-318-5248; 706-878-3087; www.smithgallwoods.com
OTHER LODGES
The Lodge at Smithgall Woods is just one of seven lodges operated by Georgia State Parks. The other inns include:
Amicalola Falls State Park and Lodge: The 56-room lodge rises four stories near the top of the 729-foot waterfall. The lodge has a restaurant and wireless Internet access.
George T. Bagby State Park and Lodge: Located on the shore of 48,000-acre Lake Walter F. George near Fort Gaines in southwest Georgia, the lodge has 60 rooms, meeting space and an 18-hole golf course.
Little Ocmulgee State Park and Lodge: Guests staying at this 60-room lodge near McRae have access to a golf course, 265-acre lake, tennis courts, miniature golf and nature trail.
Red Top Mountain State Park and Lodge: Just off I-75 between Acworth and Cartersville, this 33-room lodge sits near the shore of Lake Allatoona. The park has swimming beaches, hiking trails and a mountain biking trail.
Unicoi State Park and Lodge: Just northeast of Helen, this 100-room lodge offers easy access to hiking and trout fishing streams. There is also a 53-acre lake for swimming, fishing and canoeing.
The Reynolds Mansion on Sapelo Island: This historic estate requires a two-night reservation with a minimum of 16 adults. The Atlantic Ocean is a short walk away.
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