Davind and Rookmin Maharaj both grew up in Trinidad and Tobago, so they never especially craved a second home along the coast. “We appreciated the flip side of island life,” says Rookmin. They considered buying a home in Breckenridge, Colorado, but a spring break trip to the North Georgia mountains in 2014 convinced them to stay closer to home. With their son Akshay approaching middle school, they knew the family schedule was likely to get busy. This past spring they settled on a cabin outside Blue Ridge, less than a two-hour drive from their home in Cumming and, just as importantly, a 10-minute walk from the Toccoa River.
So far the family has enjoyed hiking, making s’mores around a campfire, and savoring their wraparound porch (with hot tub and hammock), but they look forward to more adventurous outdoor sports, says Rookmin. Canoeing, kayaking, boating, and mountain biking are all nearby options. The cabin is as close as they’ve come to camping, she jokes.
The Maharajs have enjoyed the area’s unique range of activities—riding the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, tubing to Sandy Bottoms Recreation Area, and browsing quaint downtown shops. “And there are very good restaurants,” adds Rookmin. “We’re foodies, so we really like that. Blue Ridge is a good mix of busy and not busy.”
This article originally appeared in our Fall 2015 issue of Atlanta Magazine’s HOME.
