GEORGEOUS GLEN-ELLA SPRINGS INN
By Gerry Hempel Davis
Georgia lures visitors with many attractions, from mountains to metropolitan areas and coastal attractions. On a recent visit, I wanted to go someplace lesser-known but just as rewarding as more common destinations. I had heard about The Glen-Ella Springs Inn, a marvelous, cozy inn tucked into the northeast mountains near Clarkesville. "That's where I'll go," I say to my-self, and so I pack up the car and head for the hills.
The general directions someone offered to me- turn off Inter-state 85 and then get on U.S. 17 and then U.S. 441- are all well and good for the area's cognoscenti. For the newcomer, though, lots of luck. As I drive along, I have an inkling of slight despair. I turn off of I-85 and go into a gas station for help. No one knows the road I am looking for!
"I can help you get there," a lady finally says. I jot her directions down carefully while realizing that I'm nowhere close to the inn.
I follow her directions carefully, but still feel somewhat lost. So while stopped at a four-lane traffic light somewhere in rural Georgia, I ask the driver in the car beside me how to get to Clarkessville.
"Follow me and when I turn off you go straight," he says. His uniform identifies him as a Corrections Officer, so his instruc-tions have to be correct, right? He vanishes all too soon.
I continue on, driving around while questioning if I would soon find the "old" highway 441. I'm thinking there is a good chance that I would be just that before I find it. In spite of the fact that I think I can always find my destination, I call the Inn.
"You're pretty close to us," they replied. "When the hard road stops, stay on the dirt road and you will get to us." They were right. I'm not far at all. But as my car's wheels feel dirt and the scenery becomes more woodsy and wild, I feel a tinge of discom-fort and doubt. Could this remote inn be a site for the Witness Protection Program? 'What have I gotten myself into?,' I wonder anxiously.
Suddenly, my destination comes into view and puts me immedi-ately at ease. The Glen-Ella Springs Inn, a wonderfully pictur-esque, house, framed by huge shade trees in a peaceful, bucolic setting. Flowers accent the long front porch, lined with rocking chairs that allow guests to leisurely admire the panoramic and peaceful setting.
Bobby and Barrie Aycock, who own and operate the Inn, obvi-ously do so with love and affection and knowledge as to how to do it right. The meals were all delicious. What a place to escape. If you're looking for a lesser-known place, the Glen-Ella Springs Inn would make a marvelous getaway- not only in spring, but any time of year.
For more information or reservations, contact the Glen-Ella Springs Inn, 1789 Bear Gap Road, Clarkesville, GA 30523;s www.glenella.com.
Footnote: Richmond, Virginia-based Gerry Hempel Davis is the author of "Curves on the Highways: A Self-Help Guide for Female Automobile Travelers," ($10.95), National Book Net-work. Her new book, "100,000 Miles: A Driving Diva's Guide to America's One-of-a-Kind Shopping, Eating, Touring, and Sleeping Places," should be on the shelves in early summer.
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