I had the most wholesome fall weekend exploring parts of Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama—here’s a recap of where my adventures took me…

Technically, this was a “work” trip with my incredibly talented cousin-in-law Jessi, the owner of Jessi Casara Photography. I’ve been helping Jessi behind the scenes for a few years now, and her skills constantly blow me away. The weekend was so fun, it didn’t feel like work at all!

Things kicked off Friday evening at Cloudland Canyon State Park in Georgia, where Jessi photographed a gorgeous couple session. I’d been to Cloudland Canyon once before for the Georgia Canyon Climbers Club Challenge, and it was just as beautiful as I remembered it. We followed the Waterfalls Trail down into the canyon before heading to the Main Overlook for golden hour. I loved hiking around the park and watching Jessi do her thing—I can’t wait to see her pics from the day.

After the session, we headed back to our hotel for the night, The Groovy Nomad. This is an adorably quirky roadside motel in Trenton. The 70s theming was perfect, and our room had tons of cute Cuban-inspired elements.

Jessi and I freshened up and made our way to downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee for (very spicy but delicious) Thai food and the main attraction of the night: Harry Potter World at Unknown Caller Bar. Unknown Caller is a cool speakeasy-style bar you can find by looking for a neon purple light. While we had to wait in line for about an hour to get into the pop-up, it was 100% worth it. The entire bar was decked out with Harry Potter decor, and it had a special menu with drinks like Butter Beer (which was super tasty), a Nimbus 2000, a Golden Snitch, and more.

Once Saturday morning rolled around, it was time for the Fall At the Farm festival in Valley Head, Alabama. This was Jessi’s first time being a festival vendor, and I’m glad I was able to be there for the experience. The festival was hosted by Town Creek Field and Farm, a gorgeous property known for its you-pick flowers. There were a ton of cool vendors, pumpkins, flowers, food, coffee, live music, and (my favorite) a baby mini Highland cow! It was a huge success and Jessi met a ton of new people. The vibes were so wholesome, and all the festival-goers seemed to have an amazing time.

Big thanks to Jessi for inviting me along on this amazing weekend!