Fall Foliage in the Southeast
Cedar House Inn and Yurts – Dahlonega, Georgia
Visitors hoping to catch Dahlonega's 51st annual Gold Rush Days festival (October 15th and 16th ) would be hard pressed to find more distinctive accommodations than those offered at Cedar House Inn and Yurts. This eco-friendly bed and breakfast sits just six miles outside Dahlonega's historic public square in the Georgia Mountains and, as its name would suggest, features a type of lodging that's relatively unheard of in the eastern U.S.—yurts.

What is a yurt? First developed by Mongolian nomads over 2,000 years ago, a yurt is a traditional round home made of a wooden frame and nowadays is covered with felt and canvasses. The yurts at Cedar House Inn follow in this tradition with elevated wooden platforms which minimize their “footprint on the earth.” These “lattice wood structures covered in a colorful 18 ounce vinyl canvas.” are 16 feet in diameter and have 200 square feet of floor space.

Everything from the architecture to the food at Cedar House Inn is built around the themes of conservation and sustainability. The property is certified by the National Wildlife Federation as a “Backyard Wildlife Habitat.” The inn utilizes “passive solar principles,” reducing the need for conventional heating and cooling systems. And the breakfast typically features free-range eggs and other locally-sourced, all-natural ingredients, including herbs grown fresh from the Tanners' garden.

To catch the fall colors at their peak, innkeepers Beth and Fred Tanner suggest that guests reserve their yurt soon for late October or early November as fall is their busiest time of the year.

Cedar House Inn's location provides guests with more than enough outdoor opportunities to experience northwestern Georgia. Chattahoochee National Forest is located just to the north while Amicalola Falls, the highest waterfall east of the Mississippi River, and the start of the Appalachian Trail aren't too far off either. The area around Dahlonega is also the heart of Georgia 's burgeoning wine country where several area vineyards provide wine tasting and brunch. The AutumnFest celebration kicks off the fall season around the Historic Town Square. You'll be sure to find great food, pie contests, live Bluegrass and Gospel music, a scarecrow auction, farmer's market, wagon rides and other classic events.

Smithfield Farm Bed & Breakfast – Berryville, Virginia
Located in the pristine countryside of northwestern Virginia, just south of the West Virginia border, Smithfield Farm Bed and Breakfast provides guests with a welcome retreat to a bygone era. Dating back to 1816, Smithfield Farm, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, features farming practices that were close to extinction but are slowly making a comeback such as rotationally grazed livestock. Wander through 305 acres of chemical-free pastures where there are no confinement systems and the animals are not supplemented with antibiotics or hormones - just green fields, sunshine, and fresh air. On any given day guests can view cattle, chickens, lambs, goats, and hogs grazing, pecking, rooting in and about the fields.

The bed and breakfast is a classic Federal-style brick and stone manor house that dates back to 1824. An elegant staircase and grand hallway complete with old wood and antique furnishings greet visitors upon entering through the white columned portico. With commanding views of the Blue Ridge Mountains , orchards, meadows, streams, and forests, the house offers ideal lodging for foliage fans. Guests are welcome to walk about the farm, relax in the gazebo or hammock, gather apples in the orchards, bird watch, or tour the water garden.

See the leaves by bike!

The 100-foot-wide Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park has been called "the skinniest park in Virginia." But it is also one of the longest parks, 45 miles of paved trail for walking, running, bicycling and skating and 32 miles of adjacent gravel trail for horseback riding. Built on the roadbed of the former Washington & Old Dominion Railroad, the multi-use trail runs through the urban heartland and countryside of Northern Virginia.

The Blandy Experimental Farm, a 700-acre University of Virginia research facility and home to the State Arboretum of Virginia, is just twenty minutes away in Boyce. The Arboretum displays more than 8,000 trees and woody shrubs and its collection includes the Virginia Native Plant Trail, the Boxwood Memorial Garden , a grove of over 300 gingko trees, and an herb garden featuring culinary and medicinal plants.

An endless number of trails (upwards of 500 miles), including the Appalachian Trail, meander through the George Washington National Forest and Shenandoah National Park, leading to spectacular panoramic vistas from rock-cropped mountain tops, thundering waterfalls, and deep canyons. Hike, canoe, bike, or kayak on your own or reserve a local guide who can lead you to the best fishing holes. Or if you want to stay off your feet, hop in a hot air balloon, or let a horse show you the way on one of the many horseback riding tours.

For a natural and historic tour of Virginia 's countryside, Skyline Drive, a 105-mile long road that hugs the mountainsides of Shenandoah National Park , is just the thing. One of the most scenic by-ways in the country, the drive courses through the heart of America 's original frontier, passing centuries-old cemeteries, weathered stone foundations, cobblestone guard rails, and timeless forests of oak, maple, and hickory.

Typically, the Blue Ridge Mountains burst into full color in mid to late October. To reserve a room at the Smithfield Bed & Breakfast for the season, it is best to call a few months in advance. The bed and breakfast offers a four course gourmet meal and visitors are encouraged to take home some of the all-natural, grass-fed meats as a reminder of their stay at Smithfield Farm.