Ellijay — North Georgia's Apple Country, Antiques & the Cartecay River

Ninety minutes southeast of Chattanooga, the mountain town of Ellijay is the undisputed apple capital of Georgia, where dozens of family orchards blanket the ridges of the southern Blue Ridge and roadside stands sell cider, fried pies, and just-picked fruit from late summer through the fall. This unhurried day pairs the orchards — anchored by the century-old Mercier Orchards, a sprawling farm market and cidery — with the walkable antiques district of downtown Ellijay, where brick storefronts around the old courthouse square are packed with dealers and coffee shops. The afternoon slows down along the Cartecay River, a gentle mountain stream popular for lazy tubing, and closes at a ridgetop North Georgia winery with long views over the apple country. It's a classic relaxed loop of orchards, small-town browsing, river air, and a mountain glass of wine.