Come visit our piece of heaven

" We love Rabun County. My family and I try to come up from Panama City, Fla., as often as we can. The people are so friendly and the views are the best. We love to go hiking in the woods and all the waterfalls are breath-taking. We stay at Lake Rabun Hotel as often as we can and at Lake Burton at Moccasin Creek State Park. We can hardly wait until we can come back to see you all. Every time I see this place I always say God did good. "

" You couldn't have picked a better title for this article. I lived in Rabun Cty for 4 1/2 yrs before spending my last year in Augusta. I have just recently moved back and I will NEVER move from here again !! This sounds strange, but it's true.....my dog & I could NOT adjust to the hustle, bustle, traffic or pollution of the big city. We were used to hiking the many miles of trails here in Rabun Cty and in Augusta we were limited to walking around the block and in the enclosed school yard of the nearby elementary school. I have never lived in such a noisy city. WE are soooooo glad to be back. We routinely hike the woods, visit our favorite waterfall and just praise God for all the beauty that abounds up here. We can't wait to get back out in the woods w/ our friends and do some camping again. I can now truly understand why the flat-landers come up here every chance they get. There attitudes to the locals here may seem a bit rude & rough, but I know now what they endure in the city & most of all, I would say that they may even be a bit jealous of us who are VERY FORTUNATE to not only make a decent living up here but that we truly are in a piece of heaven. I truly hope that our City & County commissions understand what we have up here & do their best to limit development that would otherwise just turn us into another noisy city. Give the development to Stephens Cty & leave God's corner of Georgia alone. Although.......a Ryan's would be nice. "

" I cannot explain the love I have for Rabun County. As a small child from age 6 to age 35, my family always spent out summer vacations at Lake Rabun. We were campers and stayed at Rabun Beach. We had friends that lived or had cabins on the lake. As a child, I knew every inch of the lake and trails. We had a ski boat and all of us learned how to ski there. Our children also learned how to ski on Rabun. Many, many fond memories of the mountain man bands that would play each Saturday night at Rabin Boat House and sometimes Hall's. I always wished we could had moved there. It's a piece of heaven and I can close my eyes and see it all as it was when I was a child. I could go on and on. I settled for living on Lake Jackson but my heart is in Rabun County. I am retired now and 55 years old or I would move there. If you are one of the lucky ones that reside there, good for you. "

" We currently own a second home in Rabun County. We hope it to be our permanent retired address one day. This article says it all and as the future moves closer to us, my hope is that officials and citizens of Rabun County will protect its uniqueness. Don't build an ethanol plant right off scenic 441 in Lakemont and destroy the entire mood of the mountains described in your article. Don't let an interstate move across the county and change it forever. Commissioners, citizens and local businesses should strive to protect what is loved and unique about Rabun. Don't let local politics push plans through on bad decisions. "

" My family and I come to Rabun County any chance we get from Tallahassee. We love the people, the mountains, everything about it. We hope to be able to call Rabun our home someday. We recently stayed at the Old Clayton Inn and loved being able to walk to the pharmacy for an ice cream, walk to Reeves for some spinners. I got back to Tallahassee, it's 80 at 8 in the morning and the humidity is horrible ... I want to get back up there NOW!!!! "

" When we retired to Georgia, our daughter had indicated she wanted a "north Georgia" place in the woods some day, eyeing the areas due north of Atlanta that she hiked through on occasion. I suggested we might look in Rabun County and some 15 years ago she bought some land. Over time, and with the help of the good folks of Rabun, we built a modest timber frame home that she loves, visits every weekend she isn't required to work, and will retire to eventually. This is a dream come true for her -- and for me! "

" For the last 15 years my brother in-law, a mutual friend and I have visited Rabun County to spend the first week of June camping on Warwoman Creek and fishing many of the surrounding area's streams. I hail from the Atlanta metro area while my friends live in Sylvania, Ga. We have watched Clayton and the county grow over the years, modernizing and even adding a WalMart. Even with all the changes, I still experience the same great feeling when I arrive each year. I make the final Walmart run for crickets, ice and the few essentials needed for camping, place a call to my wife, call my fishing partners (I always beat them to the creek by 3-4 hours) and I head into the mountains. As I travel out Warwoman Road, I am hoping yet again to claim our favorite camping site along the creek. As I turn on to Joe Speed road, I can hardly contain my anticipation and excitement as I prepare to relax, reflect and fellowship during the upcoming week. And even though the drought has affected the streams and the fishing the last few years, I start dreaming about next year's trip as I head towards Tallulah Gorge and onto Atlanta at the end of my week's visit. Already longing to return to my home away from home if only for a week, 51 weeks from now. "

" My wife Betty and I lived in Mtn. City during the summer for 14 yrs. We had to leave because of our age but we still miss it. It was always so nice to walk downtown Clayton as summer was turning to fall. If one was hungrey, go to the Clayton Cafe and get a wonderful home cooked meal. We will always remember the good people at Clayton Baptist church that treated us like family. "

" Locals-be careful to protect what you have. We had a cabin in Rabun county for 19 years and enjoyed the hunting, fishing, hiking, and all the rest. Be careful of too much development. "

" Great comments on a fine article. The caution as to "...too much development" is a wise one to remember. What attracts all these folks could easily be diminished in our desire to provide everything to all people. Please let us not replicate Atlanta, even though Rabun County is only within a 2 hr drive of it. The contrast between the two must be preserved. "