REVEAL Q3 2017 | Page 17

DILLARD, GA Distance from ATL: 115 miles / 2 hours About 100 miles from Atlanta, Greenville and Asheville – Dillard makes escaping the ordinary extraordinary! As the gateway to the Great Smokey Mountains, outdoor adventure abounds with white water rafting, horseback riding and zip lining. THE JOURNEY Every Fall my family and I would head to the Dillard House in Dillard, Georgia for a few weekends here and there. The restaurant at the Dillard House is everything you could ever want of some good ole country cooking. The Dillard House even offers horseback riding and has a petting zoo for the kiddos! A fun day trip to take from Dillard is to Highlands, North Carolina, which is a quaint town with no fast food restaurants, phenomenal waterfalls, and great hiking trails for all levels. If you prefer to stay in Highlands, the Old Edwards Inn and Spa has fabulous accommodations and a great spa. We used to always stop at Mountain Fresh Grocery to pack a picnic with great sandwiches and fruit before an easy hike up Sunset Rock for a breathtaking view of Highlands and the surrounding area. There are a lot of great waterfalls in the area that are worth checking out which have easy hikes like Dry Falls. One of my favorite waterfalls is Whitewater Falls, a short 30-minute drive from Highlands in Cashiers, North Carolina. Bridal Veil Falls is a waterfall that you can drive under—be sure to close your roof before you go under. My dad almost had a close call at Bridal Veil Falls once where he closed our roof just in the nick of time! Our favorite restaurant in Highlands is On The Verandah, which serves great seafood and offers lakefront seating. REVEAL | Q3 2017 17