With some great road trip options in the surrounding area, renting a car makes sense. Without one, it’d be much harder to explore everything that Blue Ridge, 17 miles away, has to offer. Among your first few stops here should be Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, Blue Ridge Lake and Mercier Orchards. Locals will also probably point you in the direction of Cleveland, 18 miles away. If you can only see one thing here, make sure it’s North Georgia Zoo. (But we’re also big fans of Yonah Mountain Vineyards and Frogtown Cellars.)