Georgia / North Carolina

Every autumn for the last 25 years, Noel and Kathie Griese have driven from their home in Atlanta into the mountains of southwestern North Carolina, a 130-mile trip one-way. Their first stop is in Gainesville for apples and pumpkins at Jae-Mor Farms where they head next to Toccoa Falls in the Chattahoochee National Forest where they can look down into the gorge to watch rock climbers, kayakers and hikers against a backdrop of color. From Highway 23 in Dillard, Ga., they follow Route 106 into the town of Highlands, N.C., dotted with antique shops, art galleries and quaint restaurants.

From there they head north on Highway 28 and pass several waterfalls on their way into Franklin, the Gem Capital of the World, with a museum and enough mineral shops to satisfy any rockhound.