Morris Mountain ORV Park

All access roads are classified as class 1 trails.  All have views of the higher level trails, and will provide a good days ride.

Note: Many trails have yet to be named or rated

Booze Cruise
Level 2
 1 mile long natural trail with a few man made obstacles.  This trail is a good way to
take a break from the extreme trails, and is good for beginners.  There are multiple areas to stop and watch other vehicles,
eat lunch, and hang out.

Still Hill
 Level 4
 trail with mud,  ditches, and rocks, culminating in a long steep hill climb.

Copperhead
Level 4
Long trail that turns up and down the mountain,  filled with difficult rock gardens, steep ledges, and sharp off-camber turns.

Loop Springs
Level 4
Rough trail,  crossings two springs with rock obstacles and steep off camber climb
and decent.

Los Primos
Level 4/5
Canyon trail running up the entire mountain, with rock obstacles, wash outs, and nasty
double ledge (with bypass).
 

The Punisher
Level 5
extreme obstacle ending at a 7 foot vertical rock shelf
 

The Gauntlet
Level 4
Wide rockgarden trail with huge rocks and "tank traps".  This trail tests your crawling abilities.



De-Stabilizer
Level 3-4
Uphill rock garden combined with rock ledges

Turner Over
Level 4
Narrow rock crawl through tight forest.
 

V-Notch
Level 4
Bowl obstacle with V-notch exit

The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
 Level  3, 4, & 5+
Multiple line rock ledge obstacle

The Mud Pits
Level depends on weather
Large open field with light to deep mud and two straight
lanes for racing.

Hornets Nest
Level 4
Water fall stair steps culminating into large rock formation.

Hammer Down
Level 5
 Steep hill climb with rock ledges.

 

Rock Garden
Level 3
 Natural rock formations.

Crows Nest
 Level 4
Large Steep, Slick rock shelf.

Scenic Overlook
Level 5
Series of rock gardens and ledges up the steep side of the mountain.

Greenhorn
Level 2
 Trail with gulleis, washouts and berms.

Step Stool
 Level 3
 Stair step rock obstacle.
 

Lunch Box
 Level 5
 Tank trap style obstacles.

Hangover
 Level 3
 Hillclimb with washouts and man made obstacles.

Sunday Drive
 Level 1
 Trail that follows a creek through the valley

Information above pulled from morrismountainorv.com

 

#vanlife

Deep Retreat 2016

Location- Laguna Beach Florida 

Photographs by- Morgan Smith

http://riverstoneonline.org/dwellingplace

Orpheus Brewing

Where might Orpheus's name come from?

Orpheus  (OHR-fee-us or OHR-fyoos)

"Supremely gifted minstrel who attempted to rescue his dead wife from the Underworld. Orpheus had been taught to play the lyre by Apollo, and such was his skill on the instrument, together with the sweetness of his singing voice, that he could charm wild animals and even cause trees to uproot themselves and follow in his steps. Jason and the Argonauts took him along when they quested after the Golden Fleece, and Orpheus saved them from shipwreck by drowning out the treacherously alluring voices of the Sirens with his own musical stylings.

Orpheus fell in love with a nymph named Eurydice and blissful was their life together until one day she was pursued by a son of Apollo, the minor deity Aristaeus. In her headlong eagerness to escape, she stepped on a poisonous snake, was bitten and died. Disconsolate, Orpheus found a cave which lead to Hades and followed Eurydice to the Underworld. Here his musical charms were so persuasive that the King of the Dead permitted the minstrel to take his sweetheart home with him - on one condition.

This condition was so simple that it takes some explaining to account for Orpheus's failure to heed it. Perhaps he could not bear to keep his eyes off their beloved object for a moment longer. Perhaps he wanted to share his rapture at birdsong and sunshine as they approached the mouth of the cave. Or maybe he wanted Eurydice to hear the latest lick that he had worked out on his lyre. In any case, he did the one thing he had been forbidden. He turned around and looked at Eurydice, and she was lost to him forever.

Orpheus swore he would never love another, and it may have been the steadfastness of this vow which caused certain wild women of Thrace to tear him limb from limb in a fit of jealousy. They threw his head into a river, and it kept on singing all the way to the sea." 

http://www.mythweb.com/encyc/entries/orpheus.html

I went to one of their tastings with some friends. Which was a great time I remember tasting Serpent Bite- It was really great! I highly recommend going here! The beers were great! Located right on the belt line, and only .9 from Mellow Mushroom which we walked to after our beer tasting and tour! 

Normal Hours:
Thursday 6-9 p.m.
Friday 6-9 p.m.
Saturday 2-7 p.m.
Sunday 2-5 p.m.
We also have a comedy night hosted by Anthony Todaro the first Wednesday of every month from 7:30-10:30 p.m.!

About the brewery:
We brew on a 3 vessel, 20 BBL brewhouse from Criveller. It was custom built around our souring process, which takes place in our mash tun over the course of several days. It’s configured so that we can keep brewing non-sour beers in the meantime. We ferment in 40 and 60 BBL conical fermenters.

Some of our beers bypass the conicals and go to our 20 BBL open fermenters in the sour barrel room. At that point they either get a blend of souring bacteria and wild yeasts, or get spontaneously fermented from the yeast and bacteria in the air. After a brief stint in the open fermenters, the beer is transferred to barrels for extended ages.

Come find out more on a tour!

 

Cohutta Wilderness

The Cohutta Wilderness was designated in 1975, expanded in 1986, and currently consists of 36,977 acres. The Cuhutta has the state's second largest Wilderness, that lies in Georgia and within the Cohutta Wildlife Management Area. But a small portion runs over the border into Tennessee.  Unfortunatley loggers worked their way through 70 percent of the forest between 1915 and 1930, oak and pine have all but reclaimed the forest, and a rich growth of hardwoods now fills out the lower elevations: magnolia, maple, buckeye, hornbeam, sassafras, holly, silver bell dogwood, and chestnut, to name but a few. The Conasauga and Jacks Rivers, two of the state's most prolific trout streams, drop through rocky gorges and flash flood the Wilderness during periods of heavy rain. Anglers can try hooking trout in the many streams, too, while hunters train their sights on white-tailed deer, black bears, and wild boars. There are more than 100 bird species have been identified in the area (situated along the Appalachian Flyway), along with copperheads, timber rattlesnakes, and other slithering species. trails follow both the Conasauga and Jacks Rivers, and at least a dozen other footpaths provide access to the Wilderness. Many of the trails require getting your drawers wet through their waterways. The 15.7-mile Jacks River Trail, for instance, passes through water no less than 40 times.

McKinney Campground

 

This past weekend, 

  We camped out at McKinney Campgrounds near Red Top Mountain. We got to spring forward into the new time change in the bus, Daisy. It was a great weekend and we really enjoyed the campgrounds. We were in lot #37. Almost all of the lots were on the water. We were right across from the bathrooms as well. It rained a little bit through out the night. Which was nice and relaxing except we didn't plan ahead keeping any logs dry for mornings breakfast. Though somehow we pulled off breakfast. It was a great time and I highly recommend staying there. Next time we are bringing out the Kayaks. 

Night Vision

5 Dates every Georgian needs to put on their calendar

1. Arabia Mountain's Diamorpha April 12th

   Take a hike through Arabia Mountain, to find the vivid red Diamorpha. Changing from green, to red, to white. Its a sight to see. They are expected to reach their peak on April 12th this year. So be on the lookout! What is Diamorpha? Diamorpha is a genus of family Crassulaceae. It is monotypic, including only the species Diamorpha smallii, an endemic of the southeastern United States. It becomes active in late fall and winter, blooms in late March, then dies.

Photo by- Taylor Daughtry

2. Loggerhead sea turtles nesting along the Georgia Coast

June 1st- July 31st

Photo source- Golden Isles

"Explore the beach at night, and learn about the amazing journey of loggerhead sea turtles nesting along the Georgia Coast. These popular programs begin with a 30-45 minute presentation at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center about the natural history of sea turtles, followed by a guided beach tour in search of a nesting turtle.

Turtle walks will be conducted June 1 – July 31* (*Except July 4th) with two nightly programs at 8:30 and 9:30 P.M. Reservations are required as group size is limited by DNR permit restrictions (25 per group maximum) and programs fill quickly.

Rates:
Walk Only-
$7 per person (Members)
$14 per person (Non-members**)
**Price does not include general admission into the Georgia Sea Turtle Center

Combo Ticket-
Sea Turtle Center admission + Turtle Walk $20 per person
**Includes 1 day general admission to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center & 1 Turtle Walk.

Additional Information:
* Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Due to the time and nature of these walks, we require that children be at least 4 years of age.
*Doors will open for Turtle Walks at 8:15 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. for their respective walks. You are more than welcome to arrive early and wait outside until the appointed time.
* Participants must provide their own transportation from the GSTC to the beach. You may follow your walk guide via caravan to ensure that you reach the meeting location.
* During the Turtle Walk presentation the hospital area will not be accessible. However, you are welcome to visit the Center during its normal visiting hours with a general admission purchase or combo ticket!
* While we try our best to find a nesting turtle on the beach, we cannot guarantee that you will see one.
* For the safety of the turtles and compliance with the Jekyll Island Lighting Ordinance, flashlights, camera and video camera lights are not allowed on the Walks. Infrared night vision cameras are allowed at the discretion of the walk guide and/or GSTC Staff. Walk Guides will have a special, turtle-friendly, approved flashlight.

All proceeds Turtle Walks help to offset operational costs, including the rehabilitation of our patients."

http://www.goldenisles.com/tour/turtle-walks

3. Sunflower Fields Peek- Mid June to the end of July

photo by- Taylor Daughtry

Here are two farms I recoomend-

The Anderson's Sunflower Farm in Cumming GA, has been going on for 20 years.Open 8:30 am -8:30 pm, 7 days a week while they are in bloom. Rain or shine! They only last 3-4 weeks so make plans to come on out soon! Professional photographers $35 per client/family. All other patrons $10 per car. Cut your own or pick from our pre cut selection. $8 per half dozen and $12 for dozen. THERE ARE BEES, SO IF YOU ARE ALLERGIC BEWARE! was officially opened last year on TUESDAY, JULY 28th at 8:30am to August 10th week. 

 

Sunflower Farm in Rutledge, Georgia, and the Sunflower Farm Festival each July. For only 30 days (June 15-July 15) each year, blooms are at their most statuesque height, and Wes Holt and his family open their 15-acre farm to those who marvel at these beauties.

Directions: 1430 Durden Road, Rutledge, Georgia; take I-20 East to Exit 105 and follow the signs
Cost: $8 for a weekend pass, $5 for kids (4-12), $12 for couples and $25 for families; children under 4, military and veterans get in free. Free parking with shuttles throughout the weekend.

 

4. Super Moon August 10th

Photograph by- Taylor Daughtry

When is the next Super Moon?

The next two will be on Aug. 10 and Sept. 9. The August full moon will be the closest full moon this year, with the distance separating the Earth and moon at only 222,000 miles. Native Americans refer to July's full moon as the Thunder Moon, The Buck Moon of the Hay Moon.

 

 

5. Wild Flowers in Cloudland Canyon March 16- April 17th

Photo source- artofgardening.com

Photo source- Atlanta Trails

 "Take a walk through Sitton's Gulch to observe the abundance of blooming wildflowers in our limestone rich soil. Using a checklist and identification books, we will identify and record many of the species in bloom. We will hike 1 mile on a flat trail by the river. Ages 10 and up. Advanced reservations required."-gastateparks.com

Location
Cloudland Canyon State Park 
122 Cloudland Canyon Park Road
Rising Fawn, GA 30738

Dates-

Wednesday, March 16th 2016 (3pm-5pm)

Sunday March 20th, 2016 (3pm-5pm)

Saturday, March 26th, 2016 (10am- 12pm)

Monday, April 4th, 2016 (3pm-5pm)

Saturday, April 9, 2016 (3pm-5pm)

Sunday, April 17th, 2016 (10am-12pm)

Arabia Mountain

 

A closer look at the diamorpha at Arabia Mountain. Changing from green, to red, to white it's a sight to see. They're expected to reach their peak on April 12th this year, so be on the lookout!

    Arabia Mountain is a monadnock in DeKalb County, Georgia. The peak is 954 feet above sea level, rising 170 feet above Arabia Lake reservoir. It is now part of the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve, a DeKalb County park. It encompasses approximately 12 miles of nature trails and 30 miles of paved bike paths that snake through woods, pass over wetlands, and run through historic barns, ultimately linking the different sites. 

Elevation-955' 

 

Kennesaw Mountain Battle Field

 

Sope Creek

Helen, Georgia

The Smokeys

Blue Ridge Mountains + Daisy

Wolf Gang Man & Beast

American Made

From leashes, collars, and harnesses for dogs they make very unique and high quality products. 

"As we laid the plans for what would become Wolfgang, we sought to combine two of our favorite things; our beloved dogs, and the process of creating world-class products.

Wolfgang was created to celebrate the unique relationship between a dog and his people. We offer American-made leashes and collars for your pup using only the finest American leathers and textiles, plus a distinctive collection of wallets, belts, t-shirts and hoodies for you.

We build our products locally, transport them minimally, and they’ll be replaced rarely."

 Last Christmas we adopted our pup Mumford, he was only eight weeks old. His whole liter was rescued from a kill shelter. He is from whats called a gypsy liter, which is where the mother is in heat for two weeks and is able to have multiple pups from different dads. There was a liter of six, all different colors but the same markings above their eyebrows. Going into the adoption we thought we were getting a girl. We didn't even know males were available. So Mumford was the first pup we picked up and from then we knew. He is now a year he is huge, he is protective and has so many quirks to him. He loves our VW bus daisy and for the life of him will not get out of it, if he hops in it. If he runs away, we just start up daisy and he comes running! He loves pizza, if we are eating it he jumps into our laps and trys to snag a piece (we are still in the process of training lol) He loves going on an adventure, he seriously is the perfect pup. Now he's a styling pup with his new leash and collar from Wolf Gang! Check out their website for all of their products! 

http://wolfgangusa.com

North Georgia Canopy Tours

North Georgia Canopy tours was one of the neatest places we stayed, it was definitely one for the books. We slept in Tepees under the stars and roasted marshmallows and listened to the fire crackle. The property up here is super stellar. They have a disc golf course, which they host tournaments. It stretches throughout the property, and really gives you a tour while playing disc. If you want a tour from a little higher up, the Canopy tours are so awesome and a must! Wether you have zip lined before or are a beginner, they do an amazing job easing you in. Prices vary depending on which tour you are looking at, as seen below-

Adventure Tour ($89)

Allow 3 hours for this twelve zipline Tour with over one mile of cable. The Adventure Tour includes two sky bridges, three nature walks, the fastest zips on the course, zips over three ponds, two zips over the North Oconee River, and a rappel. Race a partner on the thrilling finale - a 695-foot dual zip over the Hilltop Pond in front of the Observation Deck.
MAKE RESERVATIONS

Sky Bridge Tour ($69)

Allow two hours for the nine zipline Sky Bridge Tour. The Tour includes two sky bridges, two nature walks, and the “Continental Divide” - the longest zip on the course. The Sky Bridge Tour concludes with a thrilling race on the 695-foot dual zip lines over the Hilltop Pond.
MAKE RESERVATIONS

Add GoPro Rental ($35)

Memorialize your experience with video taken from your canopy tour. Rent a GoPro on-site for only $35 and bring home your SD card. Check on GoPro availability upon arrival. Limited supply available. 

Now for the equally amazing part the Tepees! 

"Experience "Glamping" in a north Georgia Forest from the comfort of an authentic native-American teepee.  You’ll be surprised to see how glamorous camping can be!  Our teepees have the comforts of home, including heating and air conditioning, lighting, and electrical outlets.

Our campsites are named after the Seven Clans of the Cherokee Indians (Wolf Clan, Panther Clan, Wind Clan, Bear Clan, Buffalo Clan, Red (War) Paint Clan, and Bird Clan) – part of the rich history of north Georgia.  Each teepee has been custom painted with authentic Cherokee symbols, themes, and patterns relating to the specific clan camping area in which it is located.

For those that actually enjoy “roughing it,” North Georgia Canopy Tours also offers 15 rustic camping sites. 
All campers share the nearby Comfort Station with separate men and women facilities."

Deer Teepee

 (Buffalo Clan - Brown Section)

This teepee is 18 feet in diameter, designed for two on a queen bed, and is more secluded than the other teepees. Linens are provided and breakfast can be ordered at check-in for an additional fee. 
Make a reservation

Sunday - Thursday: $90/night 
Friday, Saturday & Holidays: $110/night

Dream Catcher Teepee

 (Bear Clan - Green Section)

This teepee is 22 feet in diameter, sleeps up to five in a queen bed and a bunk bed (twin over full). Linens are provided and breakfast can be ordered at check-in for an additional fee.
Make a reservation

Sunday - Thursday: $119/night
Friday, Saturday & Holidays: $139/night
                 

Hickory Teepee

 (Wolf Clan - Red Section)

This teepee is 26 feet in diameter, sleeps up to 10 on twin bunk beds. Linens are not provided for the Hickory Teepee and breakfast can be ordered at check-in for an additional fee.
Make a reservation

Sunday - Thursday: $179/night 
Friday, Saturday & Holidays: $199/night

If you want to just camp out, tent camping is available! 

This experience was amazing and I totally recommend staying in one of their teepees! Around the area is Talulah Gorge which is absolutely breath taking and is one of the seven wonders of Georgia. It has a suspension bridge over top of the gorge. What perfect trip to plan! 

 

Vogel State Park, Georgia

  This past weekend we took a trip up to the good ole Blue Ridge Mountains. We took our 1977 VW Bus up there. It drove nice and we brought Mumford our pup up there. He had plenty of roaming space in the bus. While our stay we hiked up Blood Mountian, at Vogel State Park. There was a beautiful waterfall. There was a lake where in season you can fish and kayak on. There are three different trails one being .8, 2.8, and 8 miles. Bear Hair trail was the one we took which was the 2.8 mile trail. 

Travel Song

Short Clip of a Super 8 Video we shot while traveling this past summer. 

Check out more at Hippie Kid's Youtube Channel! 

Song- Fleet Foxes "Blue Ridge Mountains" 

Blanche Manor

Yurt Living 

The first day of fall was spent up here at Blanche Manor. It was a nice trip away from the noise of everyday life. We took off just for the night, the drive was easy. It was 15 miles past Downtown Blue Ridge. Then we escaped to our own yurt for the night. The property here is so beautiful, I love being surrounded by nature. The property has so much to offer, from yurts to cabins to fun horseback riding. 

  This was our first time staying in a yurt, it was a completely amazing and great first experience. We had everything we needed in a movable space. We didn't realize how big the yurt was. There was a queen bed, pull out bed and pull out couch! So next time we are definitely bringing some friends along. There is a hot tub close by accessible to both yurts and lodge. 

 

Blanchemanor.com