Our Active 2023 Christmas Vacation

Many years ago, when our kids were young, we traveled to Blue Ridge, Georgia for a family gathering on the holiday. This year, our daughter traveled to Europe with her fiancé and his family, and the rest of us decided to recapture those memories of Christmas past in a little cabin getaway nestled in the Smokey Mountains. It was the first time we would be away from our daughter for Christmas, and we didn’t want to sit at home missing her! And in typical Gibbs' family vacation fashion, it turned out to be quite active.

*Loaded up and headed to the mountains!*

As we were going through Atlanta we made a last-minute decision to pull over at Blankets Creek trailhead in Canton, which is just north of Atlanta and four minutes off the interstate. These trails are fast and flowy with lots of rolling hills. My son Dawson and I rode our mountain bikes for an hour while my wife hiked with the pup. I love getting in unexpected rides! The weather was perfect, in the mid-50s and sunny, and we had a great ride…definitely a great break from Christmas-time traffic.

After the break, we headed to our cabin, which was about an hour and a half further north. It turned out to be pretty spectacular and was poised with steps leading down to Fightingtown Creek. The owners had already decorated it for Christmas which was a welcome festive touch for us. The icing on the cake was an arcade console in the basement with over 20 games from the 80’s…Space Invaders, PacMan, Galaga, Donkey Kong. It was a bit of memory lane, going back to my skating rink days.

*Steps leading down from the cabin to Fightingtown Creek*

On this particular trip I brought a cyclocross bike. I typically bring a couple of mountain bikes and stick to off road trails when I travel within driving distance of my hometown. This time I wanted to enjoy the family time and not spend a lot of time driving to trailheads away from the family. My first full day in the cabin, which was a Saturday, I planned an early morning 38 mile route around the hills outside of Blue Ridge on a combination of paved and gravel roads and had an absolute blast. Traffic was light and the weather was mild with sunny skies. I even toured through McCaysville which is on the Georgia and Tennessee border. It was a spectacular ride. I determined that on family vacations I am now bringing a gravel bike or cyclocross bike, as I really enjoyed the convenience of pedaling from the cabin.

*On my cyclocross bike ride, stopping in McCaysville, GA*

*Beautiful weather for my 38 mile jaunt through the hills of North Georgia*

On our second day, my son and I drove over to the Stanley Gap trailhead to ride. We found some great enduro trails that had been raced the weekend before and were in great shape. We ended up doing lap after lap and had a blast together. When my son was a few years younger we did quite a few bike trips together. His riding style has deviated away from mine (with more dirt jumping and slopestyle) in the last couple years, so we don’t get times like this together as much. It was a huge pleasure for me to hang out with him and ride for several hours. I was a happy dad.

*One of my favorite activities…riding with my boy*

I was pretty tired by our third full day, which was Christmas day. With a cloudy and rainy day all day, it made for a cozy Christmas day together. We opened gifts in the morning and had planned to go hiking together in the afternoon. We waited and waited for the skies to clear. When there was a slight break, we made the 12 minute drive to a spot where the Benton McKay Trail crosses a road. It was close to dark so we only had about an hour. The rain came back but not too heavy. Though all the leaves were off the trees by now, the mountains were still beautiful. The trail went straight up the mountain, and then we found a dirt road to get back to the car, as it was getting pretty dark. Hiking is one of the activities that our entire family enjoys together.

*Christmas in a cabin…does it get any better?*

*I saw this old Massey Ferguson tractor just off the road in this old barn. If only this tractor could tell stories...*

The rain persisted on our last day of vacation. With a bit of cabin fever, my son and I went back over to Green Mountain trails to ride. However, this time those same enduro trails, which were dry two days earlier, were now slick with mud. I did my own ride on Flat Creek, thinking that the trail would be OK. But most of it was extremely wet with sections covered in water. I did the full lap but could not take the descents near as fast as I would’ve liked. I went back over to join my son on the Green Mountain side. I did one lap on an enduro trail and had decent traction despite the conditions. However, my next lap proved to be quite challenging. One or two times I had to stop, as my bike slid off the trail into the trees due to the mud. This type of riding can be challenging but really works on your bike handling skills. I gained new respect for my son as he pretty much pulled away from me on the slick down hills. He’s been practicing his rad cornering skills on the trail bike and it really paid off. Although riding in the rain is fun, cleanup can be quite a chore. It took us about two hours to clean our bikes and gear!

*Dawson, very happy to be riding in the mud*

*The bikes got a wee bit dirty on this ride*

On departure day, my wife and I did a short hike on the Fightingtown Creek trails near Blue Ridge. It was the first time I had seen those trails, and I was very impressed. Even though they were just a few minutes from our cabin, the rain prevented me from riding there. These cross-country style trails are smooth and rolling and built very well. I’m really looking forward to riding them when I get back up there. We headed back to the cabin, packed up, and barely made our 10 o’clock checkout time. The drive home was jam-packed with travelers returning home. But family time in the car is always better than hitting traffic alone!

*A cold but sunny morning in Blue Ridge*

*The Fightingtown Creek trails are built with mountain bikers in mind*

Hope you enjoyed the photos and thanks for reading. Here’s to a year filled with great adventures

Our Active 2023 Christmas Vacation

Kayak Camping on the Santa Fe River

Kayaking the Rainbow River