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Tara Gilmore
Atlanta, GA
rolandk@mindspring.com

���ϳԹ��� Adviser: Sounds like you may be talking about the Mountain Top Lodge in Dahlonega, Georgia, just off Georgia 52 about 65 miles north of Atlanta. Located at the top of a long, steep road in the Blue Ridge Mountains, it’s no big surprise that the inn occasionally is plagued by wintry inconveniences like icy driveways and frozen
pipes. Still, flukes aside, the 13-room, barn-like lodge is a great place to hole up on even the chilliest of days, thanks largely to its antique-laden rooms and 360-degree views of the surrounding hills. Although you probably won’t get much use of the wide verandah this time of year, you’ll no doubt appreciate the 40 acres of woods, pastures, and walking paths just out the
front door.

Not much farther afield–an easy 20-minute drive–is Amicalola Falls State Park (706-265-2885) and the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail at Springer Mountain. Bring your mountain bike and get your quads in gear on the 14-mile Bull Mountain Trail, part of a 94-mile network of knobby-tire trails in nearby Chattahoochee National Forest. Call the Chestatee District
ranger station (706-864-6173) for maps and information.

Back at the lodge, refuel with your own personal supply of the lodge’s homemade banana-nut bread in your room, or dip into the hallway cookie jar for a quick fix of chocolate chip cookies; the lodge serves up hearty, southern-style breakfasts, and on New Year’s Eve, a celebratory chili feast. Rooms range from $55 to $125 per night, including breakfast. Call 800-526-9754, or
dig up a copy of the December 1993 issue of ���ϳԹ���. The article, “Christmas Break,” is in the Destinations section.