Mountain retreat

AMICALOLA FALLS STATE PARK

Give your heart and legs a workout on the short, paved path leading from a reflection pool to the base of the park's falls. There are 175 steps leading to a second deck that gets you up close and personal with the falls, and it's worth the climb.

You can drive up to the park lodge and a view from the top of the falls, but it's at best anticlimactic.

A CAVEAT: The park brochure says the pathway is handicapped accessible, but the pavement has not been maintained and has large holes in places.

There's a $5 parking fee at state parks, but no charge Wednesdays. See gastateparks.org.

PUMPKINS APLENTY

Burt's Farm, just down the road from Amicalola, has long been a favorite fall destination of suburban Atlanta families in search of the perfect jack-o'-lantern pumpkin. There are wheelbarrows available to tote your pumpkin to the checkout counter, and all sorts of candy and popcorn products for sale. The pumpkin patch smells like the fresh pumpkin pies Burt's sells. Burt's also offers hayrides. See burtsfarm.com.

APPLE VALLEY

Georgia Highway 52 in southern Gilmer County is a focal point of the apple industry in the state. There are at least six apple houses along the highway. Expect to pay about a dollar a pound to mix and match, or $8 for a half-peck of your favorite variety.

You can make a day out of it. The apple houses entice with offers of hayrides, corn mazes and petting zoos. They also offer anything that can be cooked or squeezed from an apple. You'll feel like you're Bubba in Forrest Gump, reciting a litany of apple products: apple cider, fried apple pies, apple bread, apple butter -- you get the idea.

ELLIJAY

The county seat of Gilmer County has reinvented itself as a touristy getaway that's more authentic than Helen's Alpine facades. Check out the restaurants along the square for lunch.

FORT MOUNTAIN STATE PARK

Take your pick: One legend has it that the stone wall around the top of the mountain was built by lost Welsh explorers. Another has it that it was the work of a mysterious "moon-eyed" people who predated the Cherokees.

You can ponder the mystery on a short hike around the top of this mountain. The rocky trail is wide and the elevation gain fairly modest, making it open to all but the most out-of-shape flat-landers.

The observation deck on the west side of the mountain is worth the hike for a view of Chatsworth and the surrounding farmlands. There's a picnic area at the trailhead that offers a cool place to rest before the journey home.

GETTING THERE

Try this route to get there: Take Interstate 20 west to Thomson, then U.S. Highway 78 west to Athens. Take the east bypass to U.S. Highway 129 north, and continue to Gainesville. Take Business 129 into Gainesville, then turn left onto Georgia Highway 53 north to Dawsonville. Continue to Georgia Highway 183 and continue north to Highway 52. Turn right to Amicalola Falls State Park. From the park, retrace your route and continue on Highway 52 to Fort Mountain State Park.

To head home, take Highway 52 into Chatsworth, then U.S. Highway 411 south to Interstate 75 south to Atlanta, to return to I-20.