Fernweh, An Ache for Distant Places

Legend has it that a traveling preacher passed through what is now Blue Ridge, Georgia in the late 1790s and described the local settlers as a “distemperate bunch” due to moonshining, brawling, and other rowdiness. 

The emergence of communities like Hell’s Holler, Devil’s Den, Fighting Creek, and Snake Nation only seasoned that statement like years of hog fat in a cast iron skillet.

Cashes Valley was once a quiet settlement until a band of outlaws burned down their Church of Christ. If that ain’t lawless I don’t know how else to break it to ya. 

Add to that, the ATF had began busting a small fraction of the rapidly expanding moonshine operations, a feat that continued as late as 1983. 

Cherokee Indians, of course, first ruled this land until the signing of the Treaty of Echota and the Trail of Tears forced them out. After white folk settled in, the town was founded in 1854 and named after a war hero named James Walker Fannin who was murdered during the Battle of Coleto.

When the Marietta & Northern Railroad was built on into Blue Ridge in the 1880s, the current town layout was developed and Blue Ridge became officially incorporated.

It ain’t been nothing but chaos, belligerence, tomfoolery ever since.

1. THE MAYOR OF BLUE RIDGE IS A COCK
He holds court with whoever he pleases, whenever he pleases, and if he don’t like you he’ll just start pecking at you until you leave him alone.  

Blue Ridge has a long-standing tradition of roosters roaming its streets. There is a retail store called Roosters in honour of these scratchy little beasts, and the owners often feature photos of the more well-known crooners on their Instagram.

Years ago, a human incarnation of the mayor was busted for cockfighting. One can only assume the feller below’s origin story began when he won the battle and morphed into his final form as mayor. 

Look at ‘eem. 

2. EVERYONE IS GRUMPY, ANGRY, AND FIGHTIN’
Some of the most popular bars in town are Grumpy Old Men Brewing, Angry Hops Brewing, and Fightingtown Tavern. 

Truth be told though, the folks who own these places have been nothing but kind and gracious and hilarious. The locals at bars in Blue Ridge are usually very interesting and friendly, and physically active like mountain bikers and hikers, with lots of dogs and good energy.

Expect about half of any given crowd to be tourists. 

Fightin’town has signs proclaiming that their offerings are SCRATCH MADE which makes you wonder if the place wasn’t built by the claws of the devil himself.

3. BIGFOOT STALKS THE WOODS AT NIGHT (WELL, FROM 10 AM- 5 PM)
If you still ain’t seen a Bigfoot in real life, you won’t here either. You can learn all about other people who have though, when you visit Expedition Bigfoot. 

Browse the exhibits and watch the documentaries to learn how different cultures perceive and name him around the world. 

I can’t help but notice that some of these models look like boyfriends I had in the past. 

Maybe I was just so wrapped up in the newness of things, I did not even realize I was having real life Bigfoot encounters.

4. TANKTOWN USA JUST LETS PEOPLE GO AT IT
They do not even care about one’s past at Tanktown USA. You just show up, pay your dues, and get to crushin’ cars and digging ditches in one of their tanks or other heavy equipment vehicles. 

Tanktown USA is located over towards the Morganton side of things.

The grounds look like a scene from Mad Max that was cut out last minute because it dawned on the directors that places which look like this are real, and the film would no longer seem so futuristic or dystopian. 

5. THE RAT KING WILL FIND YOU
Now I have heard all kinds of gossip about this so-called Rat King that wanders the streets after dark.

The hem of his long coat and the tip of his scraggly ponytail drags through the sidewalk sludge as he moves from bar to bar, slipping lord knows what into the drinks of unsuspecting young ladies just trying to have a good time out with their friends.

Keep your dranks covered if you see someone making beady little eyes at you from the darkest corners or squeaking when they talk.

6. PEOPLE EAT AT THE OLD BUTT HOUSE
The Butt family owned the historic Butt House, circa 1914, which is now the Black Sheep Restaurant and my favourite place to eat in Blue Ridge. 

The Butts also owned the Butt Hotel, which was above the old Rexall Pharmacy where Mountain Man Comics operated for many years. Mr. Butt became Colonel Butt, alderman and eventual mayor of Blue Ridge. 

Colonel William Butt and his wife, Fanny Butt (oh lord I’m cackling), were prominent and beloved members of the community.

They frequently held social gatherings in their home, and their friend Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone With The Wind, visited the home on several occasions.

Fanny Butt hosted a tea in the home to honor Mrs. Mitchell and all those invited dressed in Gone With The Wind costumes.

The Butt House was one of the first homes in Fannin County to have indoor plumbing, and most of the marble steps and windows are original.

7. FISH… EVERYWHERE…
There are so many fish, jumping out of everything, every time you look around.

Blue Ridge is the Trout Fishing Capital of Georgia so this actually makes sense. 

The Trout Art Trail is a wild way to gather your bearings downtown and it purposely leads past many of the main tourist sites in the process. 

Right when you think you’ve seen them all, another one jumps out at you.

Some of the fish have even MORE painted fish on them, a fishception if you will.

Here is a map from Blue Ridge Arts to help you prepare for where to watch your back:

8. CHAINSAW MAN
On many occasions I have rolled into town just in time to see this talented monster start hacking into a tree stump, only to pass by hours later to find him delicately wrapping up some incredible monument.

I don’t know what kind of magical power he wields in that chainsaw but I would not want to be a dying tree in the night. 

Turns out that he actually goes by Saw Artist. 

9. MIRRORED STREETS & MYSTERIOUS VESSELS
I would like to pen this question to anyone that knows: who decided to name BOTH streets on either side of the railroad tracks “Main Street” and then name BOTH streets on either side of BOTH Main Streets “First Street?” 

You know what’s worse? Both streets on the other side of both First Streets are called Second Street. 

Holler at me if you find out because I need to write a letter to their mother.

The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway sets the pace and schedule of the whole town. If the train is not running, you will be hard pressed to find many of the local businesses open.

Trying to plan a visit downtown can be frustrating with the ever elusive train schedule and mirrored street layout. 

If you miss the train, rest assure though, different and mysterious vessels will appear. It may be a golden caboose made of two trailers hitched together, offering you a ride to the rodeo.

It may be a vintage mini carousel you find resting on the sidewalk at 3 am, with a power outlet conveniently located nearby. A truck full of guys may appear out of nowhere to offer you a handful of quarters so you can finally set things into motion.

I won’t give too many secrets away, but don’t be surprised if you hear someone hollerin a rendition of  “Wild Horses” in the distance when you are walking home from the bar late at night. 

10.  AN IRISH PRIEST OWNS THE LOCAL LATE PUB
The Boro Inn is an Irish pub owned by an actual Irish Priest, possibly former, but everyone calls him Father Brennan, or Father B.

A group of gentleman slowly accumulated around our ladies night out, calling us the Hot Girl Table. We had an all-around great time in the colourful, quirky environment and enjoyed our drinks, even though we had to arm-wrestle the bartender to get them. 

11. A TERRIFYING TOOTHBRUSH TYRANT THREATENS YOU TO BRUSH TWICE DAILY
I shit thee not, my sister and I pulled over to gawk at this thing when we first noticed it. We made a U-turn to take a photo and lo and behold, a man was lying on the ground taking photos already.

He had a car full of costumes after leaving a sci-fi convention, and we spent about half an hour helping him pose a life-sized skeleton for photos with the Toothbrush Tyrant and for other scenes. 

I ended up dating that man. The real one, not the Toothbrush Tyrant.

You don’t have to tell me, I know. 

12. THE LOCAL ACE HARDWARE MOONLIGHTS AS A TAXIDERMY MUSEUM
Buddy I have never seen so many taxidermized animals in all the places I have been, combined, let alone in one place. 

This place. 

13. EVEN THE TOWN BOOKSTORE IS LASCIVIOUS
Blue Ridge Booksellers are always putting signs up in the winders to trick ye into going inside, seducing you into reading one of those banned books, and opening your mind.

Just look at this salacious smut!

AND ONE MORE THING!
Blue Ridge is very closely connected to, and often grouped together with, the twin towns of McCaysville and Copperhill located directly north of town limits. It is only about a 5-10 minute drive tops between most places in either town, and a typical day of errands or night of shenanigans involves driving or walking back and forth across the TN/GA state line multiple times.

We have gotten into some hijinks in the midst of all that, as you might be able to tell from my list above. The local karaoke bar, JJ’s can be fun if you know how to navigate it right up front.

My friends and I met a guy at The Boro Inn who invited us to join him and his crew, advising us that it “ain’t the kind of place y’all ladies wear your good bras to, on account of all the cigarette smoke.”

What an angel. What an ally. 

Another night we were exiting Bar 21 right as the Copper Express street train was passing. We were invited to hop on, so we did without hesitation, and ended up hee-hawing at the yard party of some locals who lived directly across the from the field where the rodeo was happening that night.

Talk about crushing some Bud Light and an amazing rendition of Garth Brooks’ song “Rodeo.” After that night, I have truly understood what a wild, wild place this is.

You never know what will happen next, even if you are the one ringleading the chaos.  

Anyways, I have been visiting my sister in Blue Ridge on a regular basis for about four years now.  If you can not tell, this blog is mostly satire in both vernacular and content. It was written with absolute respect to one of my favourite, weirdest little towns in the South.

In the area for a while? Follow me to the twin towns of Copperhill and McCaysville, take a tour of Ocoee Country, or see what’s good to eat and drink in Blue Ridge.