Current Listening: My Life on a Plate by India Knight
Current Reading:Cuba Diaries: An American Housewife in Havana by Isadora Tattlin
Recipe of the Day: Chilaquiles with Chicken and Cheese, Nopales in Chipotle Sauce, Dulce de Leche (Crockpot Recipe)

This was an okay weekend, considering the stress our family is under. On Saturday afternoon, my husband and I set out for North Georgia, with no particular destination in mind.

Okay, I'm lying. I like just setting off, with not destination in mind, but my husband needs a destination, so I said that we were going to the Lake Burton/Lake Rabun area, just to appease him. First, we fortified ourselves with some Wendy's hamburgers, and packed something for the dog to eat, then we set off.

We headed up Interstate 85, and then on to I-985 to Gainesville. From there, we took a small detour to the Tallulah Gorge Overlook, off of Old Hwy. 441. It was great - there's a porch in this old store that has been there for 80 years. I don't know how they are getting by, now that the highway has been re-routed. I think they have a website - here it is - they have really cute gifts and toys. Here's the view from their porch.

After a few false turnoffs, we managed to make it to Lakemont, GA. I wanted to check out a rustic inn mentioned in my new guidebook to the Southern Appalachian Mountains. It's called The Lake Rabun Hotel. Excuse me, the historic Lake Rabun Hotel. It looked cute, but had no air conditioning (sorry, but we are not far enough in the mountains yet for no A/C), excessive country decor, and bathrooms down the hall. At $79 - $89 a night, I would rather go camping, thanks. I would also be able to bring the dog!

After that, we found the Rabun Beach Recreation Area. Dogs were not allowed on the "beach," but the ranger told us about the hiking trails. We found them, and hiked up to Panther Falls, and then to Angel Falls. It was very slippery, and I worried about my doggie. She slipped a couple of times. She is twelve now, and it's not her fault that her owner is lazy and doesn't exercise her. She's not meant to be a weekend warrior!

From there, I decided that we were going to LaPrade's Restaurant. It's a family restaurant, part of a family-owned marina and cabin rental business on Lake Burton. I got us there, although we went the long way around. It was getting dark, and I was very lucky to actually see the sign, which was not lit up. We were also lucky enough to be seated, as you are normally supposed to make reservations, and to arrive on time for the whole production.

We sat next to a family from Marietta, GA, whose daughter and boyfriend were visiting from New York City. Yes, they were there when the lights went out. No, they did not panic. We ate fried chicken, great biscuits, white gravy, collard greens, string beans, sweet tea, and peach cobbler. It was yummy. After that, we drove home, which took almost two hours.