Tree-lined street in Downtown Blairsville

Blairsville has lots of tree-lined streets. I hope they never get cut down and when they die, hopefully towns people will have the sense to replace them. This is Gainesville Highway heading south out of town. It's also called Cleveland Street or Highway 19/129 or Byron Herbert Reece Memorial Highway. All are correct. When you leave town on this street, you pass Nottely River Campground, Vogel State Park, and Turner's Corner. There's Blood Mountain to cross, the Appalachian Trail, and then you come to Cleveland, Georgia. A right at Turner's Corner takes you to Dahlonega, and there's various routes that lead to Helen, Clarkesville, Suches, Hiawassee, Dawsonville, etc.

Blairsville Restaurant

Here's a photo of Blairsville Restaurant. If you ever are in town on a Thursday, try their chicken and dumplins. As I mentioned before, their salad dressings are excellent. My favorite meal is on the Friday buffet- fish, mashed potatoes, cole slaw, roll, and lots of ice tea. They also have a good menu with all the regular southern staples. Hamburgers, chicken, pork chops, veggies, child plates, etc.

Blairsville, Georgia 30512

My home town, Blairsville, Georgia is situated in a valley with a backdrop of mountains. The town sprawls along a four-lane - Highway 515. The historical district is located around the town square with the old courthouse as focal point. Blairsville doesn't have a Wal-mart. The largest stores are Home Depot, Ingles, Bi-Lo, Rite Aid, and CVS pharmacy. Other notable stores are King's 5 and 10 cent store, Early Bird Antiques, Foodland, Radio Shack, Video Unlimited, Evelyn's Fabric Center and Quilt Shop, the Stress Free Store, and the Book Nook.

Not much choice around here for shoppers, there's not one place in town that sales plus size women's clothing. Thank God for online shopping! Blairsville has lots of restaurants. Here's the ones I can think of right off hand - Blairsville Restaurant, the Hole in the Wall, Nancy's Pizza, Papa's Pizza (the best Pizza due to thin, crispy crust), Downtown Pizza, Domino's Pizza, Grinds and Glazes, Huddle House, Waffle House, McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Blimpie, Subway, Monte Alban, Aviator Cafe (for fruit smoothies), JJ's Cafe, Mike's Seafood, Cobb's Mill, Muffy's, Rib Country, and a couple of oriental places. My favorite has to be Blairsville Restaurant just because it's the local hangout and the salad dressing can't be beat. Blairsville is a dry county which means no alcohol. We don't have beer, wine, or mixed drinks so not many large franchises come here (Blairsville).

OH YES. I forgot the Sawmill for country pork chops and mashed potatoes. Haven't tried breakfast there yet but hear it's scrumptous.

Brasstown Bald Mountain

This image of Brasstown Bald was taken around 1980. I remember the day was sunny down below but up here it was frosty cold. Brasstown Bald is a favorite tourist spot in Union County, being the highest point in Georiga. Recently it has been in the news because of a bicycle race, the Tour de Georgia. A guy was fatally injured when coming off the moutain when he rammed his bike into a rock enbankment. Brasstown Bald is a nature lovers paradise with wildlilfe around every bend. Trails branch off around the mountain and views are fantastic. Once a group of us walked quite a distance and were followed by a panther. It screamed like a woman but we never did see it. It made the hairs literally stand up on my arms and I'll never forget the sound. If I remember correctly, Debbie Harkins McCollum Fortenberry, her daughter, Amy McCollum, Shannon Dockery Bakos, and maybe one or two more were on the outing. I wonder if they remember it as well as I do?

Hometown 30512

Blairsville, Georgia 30512 is a good hometown except no one ever planned the streets for so much traffic. Our old historic courthouse is the center of town and has been restored by the Historical Society to its former glory. Every hour the clock tower bells ring. Nestled in the mountains, Blairsville has lots to offer. Clean water, friendly people, lots of trees...although they are disappearing by the truck load. Everyday I see loads of logs being hauled out of town to pulp mills, saw mills, etc. Our natural resources are being used up. Farms disappear and ugly clear cutting removes all plant life. Subdivisions sprawl right next to creek banks and the evironment protection agency does nothing. We have laws that say you can't build on top of the ridges, but I guess if you oil the wheels of justice with a big enough "tip" you can build anywhere you want. Money talks as always. I want to stop all progress, close the gates, keep things green. When I first came here myself in 1978 the landscape was full of mountain laurel, dirt roads, wild forests, crystal clear lakes and streams. You could drive for miles and not see another soul. There were no traffic lights or franchises. We had to go to the hospital emergency waiting-room to get cokes, candy and cigerettes if it was after 7:30 p.m. The Tastee Freeze and the Dairy Cone were our hang outs. Blairsville in the 70's couldn't be beat.

When all the trees are gone, and all the beauty is a thing of the past, then growth will slow down because everyone will move off to Kentucky. I will miss the wild herbs, the lady slippers, the hemlocks. I will miss swimming at Sea Creek Falls where the water is so cold that it takes your breath. I will miss riding through Cooper's Creek Wildlife Refuge (where I once saw it rain frogs). You can't stop progress, but I wish the leaders would quit waving the welcome flag.