“Falling for Ellijay: A Heartfelt Journey in the Apple Capital of Georgia”
This past weekend, Frankie and I had a wonderful trip to Ellijay, Georgia, known as the “Apple Capital of Georgia.” Located in the North Georgia mountains, Ellijay is about 90 minutes north of Atlanta and serves as the county seat of Gilmer County. The town is famous for its numerous apple orchards, apple-related events, and the annual Georgia Apple Festival. The leaves were beginning to change into their breathtaking fall colors of red, yellow, green, brown, and orange, which was a beautiful sight. We took full advantage of the opportunity to admire the foliage and paused to thank God for the beauty He has created around us.
It’s not our usual practice to drive straight through Atlanta, but this time we decided to do it. Our trip started smoothly until just south of Atlanta, when our journey, which was supposed to take 5 hours and 45 minutes, turned into an 8-hour ordeal. The traffic came to a standstill, and we inched along through the various Atlanta junctions. Will we ever learn? Nevertheless, we crept through, slow and steady. I was impressed with how well Frankie and I handled the delay. Usually, we fuss and grumble about things like this, but not this time. We were simply grateful to arrive safely at our destination and thankful for not having any major issues, such as car trouble. God is good!
We easily found our cabin and settled in for the night. The next morning, we decided to explore the town and visit little shops, boutiques, and thrift stores, not searching for anything in particular. We wanted to make the most of our time there because, by tomorrow, it would be hard to get around in Ellijay due to the apple festival.
As we explored, we found charming little trinkets here and there, and you know what? It made my heart so happy. Even small dollar items brought me joy, and I cherished each one.
One item that stands out is a little charm I found in a quilt shop. I am always on the lookout for charms to hang on my traveler’s notebooks. This charm was a small cabin that looked cheerful and seemed like it belonged in the woods. It immediately reminded me of my Uncle Sammy. Before I retired from public service, I would arrive at work to find an uplifting email from him in my inbox. He got to work much earlier than I did, and even though he worked in a different town, he never failed to think of me and send that morning note.
Uncle Sammy and I shared at least two things in common: we were both dreamers, and we both loved the mountains. In one of his emails, he described a trip to the mountains where he and Aunt Becky stopped for breakfast. While enjoying their meal, he noticed two small children across the road waiting for the school bus. It was cold enough that you could see their breath, and he could see a quaint log cabin up the hill behind them, which he assumed was their home. Smoke was curling up from the chimney, and a soft, warm light glowed through the windows. He had a way of telling stories that truly drew you into the scenes he painted, and this one did just that.
When I saw the little cabin charm, I knew I had to have it. It reminded me of cherished times and brought back memories of him and the stories he shared. He was a genuinely good person who could see beauty in the everyday things around him. Thank you for the memory, Uncle Sam I Am!
Now, every time I see this charm or hear it jingle on my planner, I will think of Uncle Sammy and smile, recalling the peace and joy that I found in the small moments during this trip.
