July 6-8, 2026
As our time in Ellijay, Georgia, came to an end, we decided to take one last drive through the area and check out one of the RV resorts we had originally hoped to stay at—Talona Ridge RV Park. Before our trip, we had tried to make a reservation there, but the park was completely booked for the busy Fourth of July weekend. Based on its excellent reviews, we were looking forward to seeing what all the excitement was about.
Driving through the park, we found it to be very nice, clean, and well-maintained. One thing that stood out immediately was the price. Talona Ridge’s nightly rate is about twice what we paid at Apple Country RV Resort. I’m sure the higher price includes additional amenities and activities that many RV’ers would enjoy, but when we thought about how we spend our time, we realized we probably wouldn’t have taken advantage of most of them.
We made a quick stop at the R&A Orchard Market. It was a nice country market filled with fresh vegetables, jams, jellies, fudge, and other local goodies. It reminded us a lot of Panorama Orchards, where we had stopped earlier in our visit. Both markets were worth a stop.
For lunch, we headed to Cartecay River Brewing Company and found a table on the patio overlooking the river. What a beautiful setting! We shared an order of Nashville Rub Wings, which had just the right amount of spice. Ken enjoyed a cold beer while I cooled off with a refreshing Coco Lemonade. It was the perfect way to spend a relaxing afternoon.
On our last day, we made one final trip into downtown Ellijay to buy my souvenir magnet. I learned a lesson on that little adventure—when you see something you really like, buy it! I was sure I remembered which shop had the magnet I wanted, but after visiting several stores, we ended up right back at the very first one. It was a tiny purchase in both size and price!
Tomorrow, we will pack up and move to Tennessee.