BRIDGE CREEK INN Archives | Adventures in Atlanta

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 6/1/26

We took a long Memorial Day Weekend Road Trip up north to Clayton, GA, Tallulah Falls, GA, and to Sylva, NC. Let’s explore!

Stop 1

First stop is the beautiful Bridge Creek Inn nestled in the heart of North Georgia’s downtown Clayton. Being Clayton’s Main Street living room. It is THE place to explore local establishments and play in the mountains close by!

In the lobby, step into rustic-modern vibes that permeate the space to match the mountain town. A cozy fireplace in the corner, leather chairs and a couch for relaxing. There is also concrete floor, wood slats on the ceiling, and an unforgettable bear painting! A small coffee shop sits in the lobby for a caffeine boost or a snack during the day. And live music fills the air on Friday night and if you walk down the hall, they have an art gallery of local art!

The rooms are spacious and airy with touches of modern yet rustic headboards, moody dark accent wall, and lake, fishing, and mountain artwork on the walls. The bathroom is inviting, clean, and modern. And outside the windows is a view of downtown Clayton and the mountains surrounding the town.

The Vandiver is the on-site dining option in the lobby. It is an American-style tavern that is a regional culinary journey with dishes from steak to duck and craft cocktails. We got a couple of cocktails, a bread service and two entries, the Duck breast and steak frites.

We started with the corn bread and sorghum butter bread service is fluffy corn bread with sweet creamy butter! My first cocktail is the Auroral, a cantaloupe martini. It has boozy vodka, earthy and sweet cantaloupe, with bright lemon for balance, earthy basil. Our waitress recommended and was surprised by how much I liked it.

For our dinner I got the Duck Breast. It is tender and juicy with sweet sorghum glaze that perfectly pairs with the savory duck, comes with tender sweet potato gnocchi, earthy kalettes, and a tangy blueberry gastrique. I paired my duck with the Vandiver Old fashioned. It is boozy eagle rare 10-year bourbon, sweet bitters, cherry, and an orange twist for balance. John got the streak frites. The steak is charred outside, tender and juicy inside with a bright spicy peppercorn sauce. It is served with crunchy fries with a tangy blue cheese aioli and bright arugula salad!

Stop 2

Our second stop on our road trip was the Tap Yard at Tallulah Adventures. It is only .4 miles away from Tallulah Falls and just south of Clayton, GA. Newly rebranded, they have an outdoor yard for lounging, yard games, playground and climbing wall for the kiddos. Inside, the open-air restaurant has a large fireplace for the winter months, a long bar offering beer and wine, as well as an array of bites from sandwiches to bowls. The perfect stop after visiting the beach or the falls!!

We started with the tart yet refreshing Black Widow Cherry Cider. For our appetizer we got the smoked chicken wings. They were hearty and meaty chicken tossed in a spicy and sweet hot honey sauce.

For lunch we got the Shortline Sandwich and the Burrito Bowl. The sandwich is tender grilled chicken, earthy pesto, garlic aioli, roasted red peppers, tangy pickled onions, and arugula all served hot! It is delicious and served with seasoned fries. The burrito bowl is huge! It is filled with earthy black beans and creamy guac, tender chicken, sharp cheese and lettuce, tangy Pico de Gallo on a bed or rice. I paired the food with their crisp and cool Riesling.

Stop 3

Greetings from Sylva, NC and the Hotel Sylva in the North Carolina mountains! The hotel is in the perfect location to play in the mountains but also stay and enjoy the downtown vibes that Sylva, NC has going on!

Hotel Sylva is a newly renovated downtown hotel in Sylva, NC. It is a comfortable and cozy, a mountain retreat if you will. Outside each room is a pair of rocking chairs, a nod to Americana, leisure, and great for relaxation. The rooms are cozy and have large comfy beds, a beautiful leather headboard, dark blue paneled walls, and a relaxing bathroom. The lobby is also inviting, and they have everything a traveler needs in there if you forget something. Plus, everyone is so friendly from your neighbors to the front desk!

Sylva, NC really was a surprise to me! It is a small town with vibes of bigger cities like Asheville. Their courthouse is perched on a high hill next to the hotel and it is a spectacle! Long steps up to it lined in American flags for the holiday! And the views from the hill are breathtaking with the mountains behind the town! And they have so much to do from record stores and eclectic shops, tons of restaurants to choose from, three breweries, and a few bars as well! We had the best time exploring Sylva.

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 9/29/24

Nestled in Rabun county and surrounded by the majestic North Georgia mountains, Bridge Creek Inn is a brand new mainstay on Clayton’s Main Street! John and I took a weekend getaway for a leisurely weekend to Bridge Creek Inn. There we enjoyed the mountain views while exploring the wildlife, activities, and downtown shopping. Bridge Creek Inn is touted as Clayton’s Living Room, a community gathering spot. You can catch a game or enjoy a cocktail from the Vandiver, their on-site upscale tavern. And being in the middle of downtown, it’s THE place to stay and explore everything that downtown Clayton, GA has to offer.

The moment you walk into the lobby “living room,” the hotel greets you with natural wood beauty, soft wood furniture, darker wood ceiling, and plush and cozy seating areas that dot the lobby. It’s calming from the second you enter. Gather by the fire, grab a quick coffee or snack at their cafe, and people watch from their cozy lounge area. It’s the place to relax and unwind.

Rooms

Upstairs, our room was the spacious King Suite with 180 views of the mountains and downtown! Simple and clean, yet modern and new, it was a beautiful room. The bathroom was light and bright, large shower, and pristine vanity. Heading around the corner is a cozy seating area with leather chairs made for a fun reading nook. The bed area drew your eye with a dark blue accent wall, mountain decor, and a comfy, large, king bed. Plus, we could look at the Mountain View all day.

The Vandiver

As we mentioned, they have an upscale tavern restaurant on site, The Vandiver, a main street tavern. Only open for 5 days when we visited, the space has some serious casual steakhouse vibes. Think exposed wood beams and circular booths. We’re impressed with the delectable shared plates, sensational dishes, and elevated cocktails! Like the Venison Wellington that’s super tender and juicy deer, cooked perfectly without a hint of game. The meat is surrounded by a perfect pastry that’s crunchy on the outside, yet flaky and gloating in a moat of rich and deep jus around it.

They have a wide variety of delicious shared plates like the BBQ carrots and the Jalapeno Hush Puppies. Starting with the
BBQ carrots that are crunchy and sweet, tender carrots with a spicy jalapeño miso and creamy, tart yogurt. On the other hand, the Jalapeño hush puppies are crunchy and fluffy with a good spice on the end. It is paired with a divine honey sweet butter. On to the Roasted Tomato Salad with fresh and light, roasted tomatoes, tangy crispy shallot, earthy basil, and topped with cheese!

For dinner, we also got the stunning Pork chop. It is a tender and juicy, charred chop topped with a herbaceous and earthy chimichurri, creamy sweet potato puree, dotted with pinkie eyed peas and grilled peaches. On the side, we opted for the Bone Marrow Bread pudding, a savory bread pudding. It is super meaty and rich! Finally, paired it with the Vandiver Verde, a tangy and sweet cocktail with a good spicy back.