Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 16
Hiawassee, Georgia
Trail Town on the Rise
Home to both the highest lake and the highest mountain peak in Georgia,
Hiawassee draws thousands of visitors annually with a well-developed plan.
BY JOAN VANNORSDALL I PHOTOS COURTESY TOWNS COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE CITY OF HIAWASSEE
T
here are a lot of reasons that tiny Hiawassee
should be a drive-through place. It
has a population of just 990. Seventy-five
percent of the city (yes, city) is surrounded
by the waters of Lake Chatuge, a 7,000-acre TVA
project. Its past story includes familiar chapters in the
book of hard mountain times, most notably timbercompany
clearcutting and abandonment. Hiawassee
is off the beaten track, pushed up tight against the
North Carolina border, over 100 miles north of Atlanta
and 100 miles south of Asheville.
But then, there are these facts:
* Hiawassee has the 2,900-seat Anderson Concert
Center, where Tanya Tucker, Clint Black, Travis Tritt,
Jo Dee Messina, Trace Adkins, the Oak Ridge Boys
and many more are on the 2023 concert schedule.
* Hiawassee is home to the Fred Hamilton Rhododendron
Garden, one of the largest collections of
rhododendron and native azaleas in the southeastern
United States. The gardens are located on the
Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds, " the premier event
venue in North Georgia, " where since 1950 the annual
Georgia Mountain Fair and other festivals have
brought millions of dollars to the local economy.
* Hiawassee has 14 pickleball courts at the Towns
County Pickleball Complex, where two major tour16
BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
naments are held annually.
* Five years ago, the national Bassmaster Elite
Angler of the Year Championship was held at Lake
Chatuge, bringing the experts to fish and spend.
* Hiawassee has a sprawling Ingles grocery store, a
Starbucks, a new outdoors store, a lovely town square,
stately churches, restaurants, boutiques, art galleries,
a hospital and a lot of plans in the making.
How does a faraway town of 990 make all of this
happen, I wondered. And so I went to Hiawassee.
Liz Ordiales is in her seventh year as mayor of
Hiawassee, and she knows every corner of her town.
She narrates her place with precision and clear pride.
" When I took office in 2017, we had 27 empty
storefronts. Now we have five. The city was $4.6 million
in debt. With the help of some good-sized grants,
we're now debt-free. "
That's a lot of progress in a short time. " What's
your secret? " I ask.
" A really strong strategic plan, " she says. " It's our
Bible here-it's made a lot possible. "
She tells the story of approaching the Appalachian
Regional Commission (ARC) for a project grant.
" They asked me how that project fit into the city's
strategic plan, and I had to say that we didn't have
one. 'That's where you need to start,' they said. "
http://www.BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - Cover1
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - Cover2
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 3
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 4
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 5
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 6
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 7
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 8
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 9
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 10
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 11
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 12
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 13
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 14
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 15
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 16
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 17
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 18
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 19
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 20
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 21
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 22
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 23
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 24
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 25
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 26
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 27
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 28
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 29
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 30
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 31
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 32
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 33
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 34
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 35
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 36
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 37
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 38
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 39
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 40
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 41
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 42
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 43
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 44
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 45
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 46
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 47
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 48
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 49
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 50
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 51
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 52
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 53
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 54
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 55
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 56
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 57
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 58
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 59
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 60
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 61
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 62
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 63
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 64
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 65
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 66
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 67
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 68
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 69
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 70
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 71
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 72
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 73
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 74
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - Cover3
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-march-april-2025
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/brc-jf-2025
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-nov-dec-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-sept-oct-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-july-august-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-may-june-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-march-april-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-january-february-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-november-december-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-sept-oct-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-july-august-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-may-june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-march-april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-january-february-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-november-december-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-september-october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-july-august-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-may-june-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/BlueRidgeCountryMarchApril2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/leisuremedia360/leisure/blue-ridge-country-january-february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/BRCND21
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/BRCSO21
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brcja21
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2021_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2021_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2021_0102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_11_12
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2020_0102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_1112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2019_0102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_1112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2018_0102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_1112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_0910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_0708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_0506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_2017_0304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20170102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_201612
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20160102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20151112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20150102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20141112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20140102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20131112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20130910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/leisure/brc_20130708
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com