Amongst the beauty of North Georgia, tucked away in the mountains, are a plethora of waterfalls that you can easily visit on a day trip from the city. The Georgia mountains are about an hour and a half to a two hour drive depending on where you're coming from in Metro Atlanta. This makes for an easy afternoon trip to get away from the city and into nature. Up until recently, I had only been to two waterfalls in Georgia and realized I was overdue to see some more. So this Labor Day weekend was the perfect time to head out and check another one off my list.

The drive from the suburbs was nice and easy and after about 1 1/2 hours we were at the Georgia Mountains. After coming off the main highway and onto a couple side roads, the GPS led us down a winding dirt road for a little over 3 miles. This part of the drive wound through a heavily wooded yet residential area in some parts. 

Once you start to see beautiful Lake Rabun and the homes around the lake, the parking at the head of the trail isn’t too much further. The parking area isn’t large at all. It can accommodate about 7 cars comfortably. Right behind the parking you see the small sign and stairs that mark where the trail to the falls begins.

From this point to the falls is only about a quarter mile hike. The path is well laid out to lead you straight there without confusion. It’s also well shaded by trees which can come in handy on particularly hot days. As you make your way down the short trail, you can hear the rushing sounds of the waterfall getting louder. Once you make it there, you’re greeted with the site of a gorgeous, step formation of cascading falls.

There’s a bench perfectly placed right in front of the falls where you can sit and enjoy the view. Or you can walk right in if you want to splash around in the water to cool off on a hot day. The sound of the falls is so soothing, so we hung around to take it in for a while. It’s also a nicely shaded area being that it’s tucked away between the trees. I highly recommend you spend some time outside and explore the beauty that Georgia has to offer!

When it comes to being plant-based, it can seem like the dining out options are limited. However, these days there are more and more restaurants that are offering vegetarian and vegan friendly options on their menus. In addition to that, there are more dining options popping up that offer fully plant-based menus that everyone can enjoy. One of these gems here in Atlanta is Herbanfix! They specialize in authentic Pan-Asian cuisine made 100% plant-based and they're located in Midtown Atlanta. 

The entrance

Georgia is beautiful year round, but Fall is my favorite time of year to get outside and enjoy nature. The cooler temperatures and vibrant hues of the changing leaves add something special to any outdoor adventure. My husband and I went to check out Arabia Mountain last weekend and we were not disappointed!

We parked at the Davidson-Arabia Nature Preserve which offered plenty of parking and trail access. From there we took one of the paved paths that led a little way down and across the street to the base of the mountain. From there we were met with a long, tree-lined boardwalk that led us to the Atlanta Wild Animal Rescue Effort (AWARE) facility. There they have another small parking lot (you can park here for quicker access to the mountain) and the entryway for the trail up Arabia Mountain.