7 minute read
Michael on the Map
Michael on the Map presents Michael at the Lake
By Michael Deitrick
Take 7: Exploring Lake Burton via Scenic Highway 197 In this series I will be traveling to the towns of northeastern Georgia and western North and South Carolina, sharing my adventures and discoveries as I meet the locals who make up the area. Hop in my Jeep and let’s hit the road!
Going into my seventh column documenting my travels throughout this area, I hope you are not yet weary travelers. For those who have been my fellow journeyers since the beginning – and for those who may have jumped on the ride somewhere along the way – we have so far made some pretty great stops in Hiawassee, Franklin NC, Tallulah Falls, Clarkesville, Lake Rabun/ Lakemont, and most recently the part of Lake Burton known as Timpson’s Creek. Here in the hot summer sun of July, I am taking you to the other side of Lake Burton, where strong history is matched with true backwoods wilderness. Far removed from the steep and narrow (European comes to mind) winding roads along the serpentine coast of Lake Rabun and travelling further away from US Hwy 441, you enter wider, grassier territory; a hinterland with (almost) zero service. Here in many places, you are forced to disconnect from your devices and leave the rest to nature. And on this day, I was in the mood for some raw British Invasion rock, so queue up The Animals and let’s take a backcountry ride. Lake Burton, which covers 2,775 acres, was once so remote that it was not accessible by automobile. It now boasts one of the most impressive collections of upscale lakeside homes in the nation, but we won’t be doing a tour of homes today. My first stop, instead, has been essential to the lake and the area in general for some 102 years, long before luxury homes and fancy speedboats (though it caters to them now). Sitting proudly on the Wildcat Creek Cove of Lake Burton, the site that is now home to LaPrade’s Marina was first created to house the men who built the dam that created Lake Burton, complete with an elbow-to-elbow dining hall where folks celebrated the end of the oft-grueling workday, and made merry. It was thereafter used as a fishing camp.
General Manager Katie Long, born and raised in Rabun County, remembers going there as a child. “My dad worked at the fish hatchery, and we lived on this side of the lake my whole life. I remember going with him to the restaurant up on the hill.” The old dining hall.
“When I first started driving, I saw this new building being built. The timbers were going up and I was drawn in. You could see straight through what it was becoming, but these huge timbers… Nothing else around here looked like that. I wanted to work there.” And so she did. In a fun twist of fate – which illustrates the interwoven history of the area – Katie is related to John Wright Burton, who oversaw the original dam workers. Her dad still has some of the original ledgers about the operation stowed safely in boxes; timestamped relics of a bygone era. This part of Lake Burton has come a long way from handwritten ledgers (and tooth-pulling, as an example of one of them), and LaPrade’s is today one of only two marinas to service this beautiful North Georgia retreat. “We have a lot of Atlanta people that are back and forth throughout the summertime, but we also have slip tenants from California, Florida, Colorado… People who come here every year. The continuity of seeing the same people here over the years is incredible. You never know when somewhere is going to impact your life the way Parade’s has mine.” And those of so many others. LaPrade’s also has four restaurants, full marine sales and service, and beer and wine sales to satiate most anyone coming to check them out for the first time.
Leaving LaPrade’s I was ready for a bite and beverage myself, so I headed over to Bleu Canoe, who also has strong roots in the Lake Burton community.
What was once long-ago Laurel Lodge Restaurant and Cabins is now Bleu Canoe Restaurant and Campground. Keeping the original concept, but reenvisioned by current husband and wife owners Jim White and Lee DeLeo, when I asked Jim what he likes most about his unique spot near the banks of Lake Burton, he rightfully boasts about his 36 year-history in the Cajun food canon. Right after he adds, “We have rehabbed 3 original cottages from the 1940s, and also have 8 tiny homes on site, each with their own fire pit.”
Quaint. Rustic retro. Oysters on Wednesdays. Live music on Thursdays. Interest piqued. I’ll be back. On this hot July Saturday, I asked my server Cierra what the best thing on the menu was. She quickly responded with absolution, and I did not hesitate to order her recommendation of Mahi Thibodaux. I paired my blackened mahi-mahi covered in crawfish étouffée and served over white rice with a Hurricane cocktail (that was not light on the rum). Cierra was a little concerned the bartender had made it too strong for me because “he’s writing about us!”
I’m no Hemingway, Faulkner, or Fitzgerald, but if my cocktail tastes like a child’s birthday party, the printed message will be critical and clear. Cierra and I took a photo together later. If you come around the bend (from any direction) you’re sure to come upon another longstanding famous spot on this side of Lake Burton. Brooks Lil General Store – affectionally known simply as “Brooks” – is referred to by those who know it as “somewhere you can hear the stories summers past in the walls.” Stocking everything from sundries to live bait, the walls are littered with pictures of celebrities from erstwhile times through today. Upon asking the locals about this unimposing artifact, most responses elicited made me think of the Joyce Carol Oates short story title Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? (That story had supernatural elements. This place may not be haunted, but it is indeed a haunt.) There are a couple other spots worth mentioning about this sprawling side of the great Lake Burton. To visit Mr. Bud’s Camp Ground is to step into a vintage vestibule RV and camper park, where you can visit with their owners of these mobile compartments under the shade of sheltering branches. Some travelers stay for a day; some for a season. Such is the nature of such a crossroads. And lastly, priding itself on being “where spring meets the summer”, Moccasin Creek State Park is also a necessary stop for all of the naturists out there. I get most of my kicks tubing down and climbing waterfalls and climbing most things I shouldn’t, but this 32-acre park is relatively flat, offering a great easy-moderate hike for adventurers of all badges. The payoff is the small but beautiful Hemlock Falls, which is a great place to just sit and take it all in. Take a deep breath. Enjoy the earth and negative ions. And in closing my visit to Lake Burton’s backside – until next time my hitherto companions – I will leave you with a song originally recorded by Nina Simone and since covered by other artists I love such as Elvis Costello and Lana Del Rey. But playing in my mind right now is the version by Eric Burdon and The Animals… “I’m just a soul whose intentions are good. Oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood.”
