Ten Reasons I Love Coosawattee River Resort Association and the North Georgia Mountains

As I sat down to write this I immediately asked myself – why today?  It is absolutely a gorgeous day outside and I’m going to spend part of it on the computer?  Well, to be honest, I started my day early with cleaning the decks and spraying some VERY persistent weeds in the driveway and decided to take a break for a spot of lunch.  It’s one of those days where you say to yourself “It could be like this year ‘round and I would never complain!”.  The breeze through the window above the computer is pure heaven.

I realized this morning that I’ve written quite a bit about individual topics about our area, but have never done an overview of why I love calling Coosawattee River Resort (CRR) my home.  I have been receiving a lot of e-mails lately from folks that are interested in the area (not just CRR) that are looking for information about the North Georgia area.   Many have expressed that they have been readers of my blog through their process of finding a new home in the mountains and are always looking for more information about and things to do in the area.  So, I thought I would create a list of the things that I love the most about this area.  Some are strictly related to CRR while others are unique to the North Georgia Mountains.

Now, if you have taken a look at the comments on some of my previous posts you may be asking yourself “Why does he bother with a blog?”.  The answer is simple:  I love CRR and the North Georgia Mountains and I love to share my experiences with others.  Fortunately, we live in a society that provides for freedom of speech and while we may not always like what others are saying they have the same freedom as us.  Everyone is entitled to their opinions and I allow them to share them even when they disagree with me.  I will be the first one to tell you that I DO NOT know everything about everything, but I am a person that enjoys sharing my insights and thoughts.  Please, take them for what they are – my personal thoughts, insights and observations.

On a sidebar - I received an e-mail from a reader last night asking me about deleted comments on some of my posts.  As I have said before I don’t limit or delete comments because everyone has their own thoughts – and in my opinion, they are entitled to express them.  Any comments on my posts that show as deleted read “this comment has been removed by the author”.  The ‘author’ is the author of the comment, not me.  I believe you can only edit or delete comments if you are registered with Google+ with a screen name.  I’m not sure if anonymous commenters are given the same privilege.  I have only deleted one comment and explained that in another post.  When I delete them they are simply gone.  Why do I work by a ‘no delete’ policy?  Credibility.  Hey, I’m human too, and will take my lickins’ if I step in it.  Deletion of comments would show lack of tolerance for another point of view.  I’m open to all points of view regardless of the side of my opinion they rest on – just please try to be civil.

So, back to my topic:  Why I love living in the North Georgia Mountains, and specifically Coosawattee River Resort.  I’ve detailed my personal Top 10 below.  It’s also my chance to audition as spokesman for the local Chamber of Commerce – just kidding.  These are listed in no particular order.

1. Natural beauty.  Coosawattee is a beautiful development.  I have never lived anywhere that had so much natural beauty within the limits of the development.  Some of my next items relate to the natural beauty, but I think we can all agree, as a whole, natural beauty sums CRR to a tee.
2. The people.  Yes, we can argue over topics and disagree about things from time to time, but that does not mean that CRR isn’t filled with good people (sorry for the double negative).  I have met many friendly people throughout the community and have met some great people through my digital interactions of this blog.  Now, don’t get me wrong.  These could be the same folks that skewer their friends on Topix, but I doubt it – for the most partJ  Everyone from staff to the residents that call CRR home have always been very friendly.
3. The river.  We have 12 miles of the Coosawattee River flowing directly through the middle of our home.  From fishing, kayaking, tubing and wading; the Coosawattee River provides a constant flow of enjoyment through the community for any outdoor enthusiast.  Owners and guests can enjoy this natural wonder at any one of five river parks.  All of the parks provide bathroom facilities, picnic tables, grills, and view to kill for.
4. Exclusivity.  OK, I have to be careful using that word….but what I mean is the freedom that ‘private’ provides.  During spring, summer, and fall (and sometimes winter) I can take my UTV to the mailbox, the pools, the river or any of the amenities and never have to start my car.  I can simply make a scenic and enjoyable ride out of it.  Believe me when I say that I enjoy driving my UTV MUCH more than getting in the car.  I also enjoy tooling around the community and exploring roads and areas that I had never known of before.  The roads in CRR are private and do not follow ‘rules of the road’ so recreational vehicles are a common mode of transportation inside our gates.
5. Pools and amenities.  I love to swim and enjoy visiting the outdoor pools in the summer and of course the rec center pool during cool weather.  All of the pools are equipped with restrooms and areas to change your clothes so you don’t have to jump in your car soaking wet.  Another reason to get that UTV – wet clothes are no problem!  We also enjoy the game room and exercise room at the rec center and the music at the General Store.  I’m not the best billiards player, but I try!
6. Seclusion with convenience.  It’s true that when you enter the gates of CRR you feel like you are leaving the rest of life’s stresses behind you.  However, depending on where you live in CRR, you are not far from the conveniences of East Ellijay.  Walmart and Lowe’s anchor the main shopping center in East Ellijay.  Think of ‘big box’ stores as you may – but they are nice to have close.  I do prefer the smaller shops of the downtown area, but there are just some things you can’t get there.  However, I must say that I am a HUGE fan of the Ace Hardware.  I just like the feel of the old hardware stores.  Not to mention that they have a huge inventory.
7. Wildlife.  Wildlife abounds in CRR.  (Let’s not go there – OK?)  Previous topics aside, you will see a wide variety of wildlife on any given day adding to the secluded, wilderness feel of the community.
8. Carters Lake.  Carters Lake is a 3200 acre recreational lake created by the Army Corp of Engineers and has approximately 62 miles of shoreline.  Boasting a depth of 480 feet deep at the dam, Carters Lake is formed at the end of the Coosawattee River after it exits CRR.  It has a fantastic beach and swimming/recreation area that can be accessed in just minutes from the Main Gate or Eagle Mountain Gate of CRR.  Here’s a great website that shows more about the lake http://www.carterslake.com/.
9. Neighboring towns.  Ellijay and CRR are surrounded by some great small mountain towns.  Consider visiting Blue Ridge in the fall and taking the train to Copperhill, Tennessee.  The fall colors are astounding and Copperhill provides another peek into the small towns of the mountains.  Or, take a day trip to Helen in the fall and enjoy all that Oktoberfest has to offer.  Better yet, head just north to Cherry Log and explore the secretive world of the Sasquatch at the Sasquatch Museum.  The North Georgia Mountains have lots of great places to visit.  Jump in the car and go exploring!
10. Great weather!  Let’s face it – we are spoiled.  Yes, it gets cold.  Yes, it gets hot.  But, all in all, we have some of the best weather around.  Warm days and mild to cool nights even in the summer make living in the North Georgia Mountains great.

So, what are some of the reasons why you love Coosawattee River Resort and the North Georgia Mountains?  E-mail me or post in the comments section below.

Decks are clean, weeds are sprayed, stomach is full – life is good along the Coosawattee River.

Til next time,

Chris