February 5, 2025 • 9 mins
Seeking surprising adventures on your Ellijay, Georgia getaway? Taste delicious local flavors at The Pink Pig and learn the history behind Brunswick Stew from female restauranteur Sam Callahan. Discover unique accommodations like the Lodge at Walnut Grove, where you can go hiking, have farm fresh eggs, and unplug in nature. Go mountain biking and toast with a beer made onsite at Cartecay Bike Shop Brewery. Explore Expedition Bigfoot! The Sasquatch Museum to uncover the legend of the famous sasquatch. Dive in with Darley Newman for expert travel tips, stories, and adventure in the Apple Capital of Georgia.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
During my recent travels to Ellijay, Georgia, I discovered that this scenic mountain town is full of hidden gems for curious travelers seeking to taste the local flavors.
(00:10):
But that recipe was handed down to my grandfather from his grandfather.
Stay in cozy nature retreats.
Unplug. It's a nice place to unplug.
Get active.
You do it a few times and your legs are burning.
They'll be burning for beer after this.
And explore unique museums where you may spot Bigfoot.
Come along as we uncover some of the most surprising experiences in and around Ellijay,
(00:31):
from trying locally-loved Brunswick Stew to picking fresh eggs from a lodge with a chicken coop,
a brewery that doubles as a bike shop and searching for Bigfoot.
It's the Travels with Darley podcast, where we travel with locals as the guides to reveal what's surprising and special
about locations across the USA and around the world.
(00:52):
We're starting just 10 minutes down the road from Ellijay in Cherry Log,
where female restaurateur Sam Callahan draws in local, loyal crowds to The Pink Pig.
You grew up in this business?
Yes, I did.
This is all I know.
I like "it ain't food if it ain't fried."
(01:13):
Yeah. And like all these light fixtures, I built out of just like old pieces of stuff out of my grandpa's barn,
and like, there's tons of stuff that was my grandparents' but then there's like a lot of stuff that I've added too.
A must try here is Brunswick Stew.
So, the Brunswick Stew is one of our most unique recipes.
That recipe was handed down to my grandfather from his grandfather.
(01:37):
It was very like rural Appalachia up here, very poor area.
And back then they were actually cooking it with squirrel,
bear, whatever they were hunting. So, they started making stew with leftovers.
So, if they had corn leftover, potatoes leftover, onions leftover, and any meats,
they're just kind of throwing them together and then simmering them in any kind of cast iron,
(02:01):
because cast iron is gonna give you that even heat and you're gonna be able to simmer it for a long time to thicken it.
What is in this? Am I having squirrel today?
Today you're not having squirrel or bear. Okay.
You're having pig.
Okay. So you're having, we're at the pink pig so, you're having some pork in there and you're having some beef.
That pork has cooked anywhere from 12 to 16 hours.
(02:21):
Wow.
Our stew cooks for six hours.
So, if you really take that into an account, you've got a 20-hour project going here.
Okay, I gotta try this.
Mmm. What do you think? Mm.
I like the tomato flavor. Uh-huh. And the corn makes it pop.
Yes.
It's very savory but a little sweet.
(02:41):
A little sweet, there's a little sweetness in there.
It's really good. Yeah.
And another thing about Brunswick Stew that made it so popular in these mountains is it was an entire meal.
That is a meal. Just right there, it's a meal.
Yeah.
You've got your vegetables, you've got your meat, and it's thick enough that it's almost like a starch in a way.
This is a meal that has been made with a lot of time, care,
a legacy of family recipes and love.
(03:04):
And lots of love. Aw.
Yes, because
we are all about love.
I love it.
Many people who come to stay and play in Ellijay rent cabins and larger groups may opt to stay together in lodges
like the Lodge at Walnut Grove.
Heidi George introduces me to their lodge before a hike on area trails.
Heidi, give me the lay of the lodge here.
(03:26):
First of all, the vision of Walnut Grove was to create a retreat.
We have Tails Creek that runs all along our property.
There's 265 beautiful, breathtaking acres out here
with plenty of hiking trails.
So everything you could want, including farm fresh eggs.
They're farm fresh organic from our own chickens
(03:48):
and we collect those the morning of our guests' arrival.
They can have fresh eggs in the morning.
Heidi takes me to see the on-site chicken coop.
Oh, my god.
Bougie. Bougie sort of chickens.
Bougie chickens.
And this is where we get our fresh farm eggs.
So this is Tails Creek and it runs the whole length of the property.
(04:13):
And now this opens up into a Walnut Grove.
So how the property got named.
There you go.
Walnut Grove.
There's four different trails ranging from three quarters of a mile to two miles.
We're hiking to a high point to survey the property.
The Eagle’s Nest view.
Here we go.
We have arrived.
(04:34):
That hike wasn't so bad, was it?
No, it's nice.
And now we can see the view.
It's a beautiful valley here and you look out and you see the mountains in the distance.
No, it's so nice to be able to get to places like this where you can take a breath
and you can look out at nature.
Unplug.
Unplug.
It's a nice place to unplug.
A bike shop that's also a brewery?
(04:58):
In downtown Ellijay, I'm prepping for a mountain biking adventure with Dondi Fontenot
at Cartecay Bike Shop Brewery.
So we have the Backyard Bike Park, five acres, and it is set up kind of as an instructional thing
so you don't have to fall too far if you fall.
Okay.
Yeah.
Before we enjoy a drink, I'm taking on the Backyard Bike Park to work on my skills
(05:23):
and get in a workout.
And that's where you put your seat up to climb up.
Okay.
Pretty much everything we're gonna do today is out of the saddle.
Okay.
This is a good workout for your inner thighs.
Yeah, yes.
It's gonna be real good.
Okay.
Yeah. You do it a few times and your legs are burning.
They'll be burning for beer after this.
Yep.
Gotta earn it.
So this is basically kind of like an obstacle course for mountain biking.
(05:45):
Well, we call it a skills course because it's made and designed to make you have to develop
these skills to go around it quickly and safely.
It's a challenge, though.
It's harder than you would think.
Yeah.
Even on something small scale like this, it's quite the workout.
I follow Dondi through the Backyard Bike Park, making sharp turns around trees,
riding over steep hills and ramps, and finishing the trail feeling the burn.
(06:08):
Ready for a beer.
Whoo. Brakes. Okay.
How was that?
I survived.
Thank you.
Good job.
Good job.
I kinda need your cheerleading along the way.
Alright,
is that my Blackberry Wheat?
That's your blackberry wheat.
Named after the Ledges bicycle trail because it's full of blackberries.
(06:30):
And you're making all of these beers here.
Right here on site.
Wow.
Yeah, we brew with a one-barrel system, so it's small scale, but we try to make primo beer.
That was the only way we could serve beer at the bike shop and have it consumed on site
was if we made it ourselves.
And I was like, challenge accepted.
Let's do it.
So you are trailblazers in more ways than one.
(06:52):
Yes.
Cheers.
One of the most popular attractions in the Ellijay area is Expedition Bigfoot! The Sasquatch Museum.
So we are going to be interviewing an expert on Bigfoot, but first we're gonna see this museum,
which there's also a research library and supposedly they have the largest collection of
permanent displays of the actual footprints of Bigfoot. Or maybe many big feet?
(07:17):
And they are large.
David Bakara, the owner of Expedition Bigfoot, moved here from Florida and started this museum
with his wife because of his personal experiences with Bigfoot.
What makes this part of Georgia a potentially good area for finding Bigfoot?
You can walk out of any cabin and you're in Bigfoot territory.
(07:38):
Anything north of Atlanta all the way to say Asheville is Bigfoot territory.
As I wander through this intriguing museum full of Bigfoot artifacts, exhibitions, and research,
I take a moment to look at a large Bigfoot tracking map on the wall,
marked with pushpins and meticulously handwritten notes.
(07:59):
This is wild. Look at all the Bigfoot sightings in this area, which is interesting.
We think of Bigfoot in the Pacific Northwest, but he's been seen a lot here.
A lot of people think Bigfoot's just a wild man, but what it really is, is a wild giant.
And they're so big that it reboots your whole brain.
(08:21):
It's very terrifying to see something that big.
This is sort of interesting. It's looking at the casts of footprints that they've apparently found
in different places, correlating the height and weight of Bigfoot to the feet.
He could be as big as over 1,000 lbs.
That's a big, big, big, big, Bigfoot.
(08:42):
It's pretty big.
Our mission here is to collect as many stories and data as we can
that we share, and I think that's probably one of the neatest parts of doing this, is from
all the different kind of people that we get to meet.
Whether you believe that Bigfoot exists or not, this museum is an interesting stop in this part of
woodsy rural Georgia. Thank you for joining us on this exciting Ellijay getaway where we discovered
(09:08):
surprising hidden gems with the help of local experts who have shown us that the Apple Capital of
Georgia is full of adventure. For more Ellijay travel tips, listen to our previous podcast
exploring Ellijay's agricultural roots and sustainability. And check out our series on PBS
"Travels with Darley" featuring Ellijay. If you like this podcast, please subscribe and stay
(09:30):
tuned for more expert travel tips from destinations across the USA and into Quebec,
and down to the Guadeloupe Islands in this electrifying season three of the Travels with Darley podcast.
Happy Travels!
During my recent travels to Ellijay, Georgia, I discovered that this scenic mountain town is full of hidden gems for curious travelers seeking to taste the local flavors.
(00:10):
But that recipe was handed down to my grandfather from his grandfather.
Stay in cozy nature retreats.
Unplug. It's a nice place to unplug.
Get active.
You do it a few times and your legs are burning.
They'll be burning for beer after this.
And explore unique museums where you may spot Bigfoot.
Come along as we uncover some of the most surprising experiences in and around Ellijay,
(00:31):
from trying locally-loved Brunswick Stew to picking fresh eggs from a lodge with a chicken coop,
a brewery that doubles as a bike shop and searching for Bigfoot.
It's the Travels with Darley podcast, where we travel with locals as the guides to reveal what's surprising and special
about locations across the USA and around the world.
(00:52):
We're starting just 10 minutes down the road from Ellijay in Cherry Log,
where female restaurateur Sam Callahan draws in local, loyal crowds to The Pink Pig.
You grew up in this business?
Yes, I did.
This is all I know.
I like "it ain't food if it ain't fried."
(01:13):
Yeah. And like all these light fixtures, I built out of just like old pieces of stuff out of my grandpa's barn,
and like, there's tons of stuff that was my grandparents' but then there's like a lot of stuff that I've added too.
A must try here is Brunswick Stew.
So, the Brunswick Stew is one of our most unique recipes.
That recipe was handed down to my grandfather from his grandfather.
(01:37):
It was very like rural Appalachia up here, very poor area.
And back then they were actually cooking it with squirrel,
bear, whatever they were hunting. So, they started making stew with leftovers.
So, if they had corn leftover, potatoes leftover, onions leftover, and any meats,
they're just kind of throwing them together and then simmering them in any kind of cast iron,
(02:01):
because cast iron is gonna give you that even heat and you're gonna be able to simmer it for a long time to thicken it.
What is in this? Am I having squirrel today?
Today you're not having squirrel or bear. Okay.
You're having pig.
Okay. So you're having, we're at the pink pig so, you're having some pork in there and you're having some beef.
That pork has cooked anywhere from 12 to 16 hours.
(02:21):
Wow.
Our stew cooks for six hours.
So, if you really take that into an account, you've got a 20-hour project going here.
Okay, I gotta try this.
Mmm. What do you think? Mm.
I like the tomato flavor. Uh-huh. And the corn makes it pop.
Yes.
It's very savory but a little sweet.
(02:41):
A little sweet, there's a little sweetness in there.
It's really good. Yeah.
And another thing about Brunswick Stew that made it so popular in these mountains is it was an entire meal.
That is a meal. Just right there, it's a meal.
Yeah.
You've got your vegetables, you've got your meat, and it's thick enough that it's almost like a starch in a way.
This is a meal that has been made with a lot of time, care,
a legacy of family recipes and love.
(03:04):
And lots of love. Aw.
Yes, because
we are all about love.
I love it.
Many people who come to stay and play in Ellijay rent cabins and larger groups may opt to stay together in lodges
like the Lodge at Walnut Grove.
Heidi George introduces me to their lodge before a hike on area trails.
Heidi, give me the lay of the lodge here.
(03:26):
First of all, the vision of Walnut Grove was to create a retreat.
We have Tails Creek that runs all along our property.
There's 265 beautiful, breathtaking acres out here
with plenty of hiking trails.
So everything you could want, including farm fresh eggs.
They're farm fresh organic from our own chickens
(03:48):
and we collect those the morning of our guests' arrival.
They can have fresh eggs in the morning.
Heidi takes me to see the on-site chicken coop.
Oh, my god.
Bougie. Bougie sort of chickens.
Bougie chickens.
And this is where we get our fresh farm eggs.
So this is Tails Creek and it runs the whole length of the property.
(04:13):
And now this opens up into a Walnut Grove.
So how the property got named.
There you go.
Walnut Grove.
There's four different trails ranging from three quarters of a mile to two miles.
We're hiking to a high point to survey the property.
The Eagle’s Nest view.
Here we go.
We have arrived.
(04:34):
That hike wasn't so bad, was it?
No, it's nice.
And now we can see the view.
It's a beautiful valley here and you look out and you see the mountains in the distance.
No, it's so nice to be able to get to places like this where you can take a breath
and you can look out at nature.
Unplug.
Unplug.
It's a nice place to unplug.
A bike shop that's also a brewery?
(04:58):
In downtown Ellijay, I'm prepping for a mountain biking adventure with Dondi Fontenot
at Cartecay Bike Shop Brewery.
So we have the Backyard Bike Park, five acres, and it is set up kind of as an instructional thing
so you don't have to fall too far if you fall.
Okay.
Yeah.
Before we enjoy a drink, I'm taking on the Backyard Bike Park to work on my skills
(05:23):
and get in a workout.
And that's where you put your seat up to climb up.
Okay.
Pretty much everything we're gonna do today is out of the saddle.
Okay.
This is a good workout for your inner thighs.
Yeah, yes.
It's gonna be real good.
Okay.
Yeah. You do it a few times and your legs are burning.
They'll be burning for beer after this.
Yep.
Gotta earn it.
So this is basically kind of like an obstacle course for mountain biking.
(05:45):
Well, we call it a skills course because it's made and designed to make you have to develop
these skills to go around it quickly and safely.
It's a challenge, though.
It's harder than you would think.
Yeah.
Even on something small scale like this, it's quite the workout.
I follow Dondi through the Backyard Bike Park, making sharp turns around trees,
riding over steep hills and ramps, and finishing the trail feeling the burn.
(06:08):
Ready for a beer.
Whoo. Brakes. Okay.
How was that?
I survived.
Thank you.
Good job.
Good job.
I kinda need your cheerleading along the way.
Alright,
is that my Blackberry Wheat?
That's your blackberry wheat.
Named after the Ledges bicycle trail because it's full of blackberries.
(06:30):
And you're making all of these beers here.
Right here on site.
Wow.
Yeah, we brew with a one-barrel system, so it's small scale, but we try to make primo beer.
That was the only way we could serve beer at the bike shop and have it consumed on site
was if we made it ourselves.
And I was like, challenge accepted.
Let's do it.
So you are trailblazers in more ways than one.
(06:52):
Yes.
Cheers.
One of the most popular attractions in the Ellijay area is Expedition Bigfoot! The Sasquatch Museum.
So we are going to be interviewing an expert on Bigfoot, but first we're gonna see this museum,
which there's also a research library and supposedly they have the largest collection of
permanent displays of the actual footprints of Bigfoot. Or maybe many big feet?
(07:17):
And they are large.
David Bakara, the owner of Expedition Bigfoot, moved here from Florida and started this museum
with his wife because of his personal experiences with Bigfoot.
What makes this part of Georgia a potentially good area for finding Bigfoot?
You can walk out of any cabin and you're in Bigfoot territory.
(07:38):
Anything north of Atlanta all the way to say Asheville is Bigfoot territory.
As I wander through this intriguing museum full of Bigfoot artifacts, exhibitions, and research,
I take a moment to look at a large Bigfoot tracking map on the wall,
marked with pushpins and meticulously handwritten notes.
(07:59):
This is wild. Look at all the Bigfoot sightings in this area, which is interesting.
We think of Bigfoot in the Pacific Northwest, but he's been seen a lot here.
A lot of people think Bigfoot's just a wild man, but what it really is, is a wild giant.
And they're so big that it reboots your whole brain.
(08:21):
It's very terrifying to see something that big.
This is sort of interesting. It's looking at the casts of footprints that they've apparently found
in different places, correlating the height and weight of Bigfoot to the feet.
He could be as big as over 1,000 lbs.
That's a big, big, big, big, Bigfoot.
(08:42):
It's pretty big.
Our mission here is to collect as many stories and data as we can
that we share, and I think that's probably one of the neatest parts of doing this, is from
all the different kind of people that we get to meet.
Whether you believe that Bigfoot exists or not, this museum is an interesting stop in this part of
woodsy rural Georgia. Thank you for joining us on this exciting Ellijay getaway where we discovered
(09:08):
surprising hidden gems with the help of local experts who have shown us that the Apple Capital of
Georgia is full of adventure. For more Ellijay travel tips, listen to our previous podcast
exploring Ellijay's agricultural roots and sustainability. And check out our series on PBS
"Travels with Darley" featuring Ellijay. If you like this podcast, please subscribe and stay
(09:30):
tuned for more expert travel tips from destinations across the USA and into Quebec,
and down to the Guadeloupe Islands in this electrifying season three of the Travels with Darley podcast.
Happy Travels!
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