A “yurt” is a sort of circular-shaped, portable house invented and mostly used by nomadic peoples of Central Asia. Although the piney woods and the Appalachian Mountains of northern Georgia are hardly reminiscent of the wide-open Mongolian steppe, the fearless and eco-determined owners of the Cedar House Inn and Yurts decided to include them as a lodging option because they make less of an impact upon the Earth. This is just one small example of the Earth-friendly philosophy followed by the couple who owns this cozy bed and breakfast. Other examples are visible as soon as one enters the beautiful gardens in front of this eco-getaway just 70 minutes north of Atlanta.
Artwork made from recycled materials can be seen in the garden and a closer look at the gardens themselves will reveal the carefully planted swales designed to capture rain, rows of naturally grown, pesticide-free vegetables, a wide diversity of native plants that typically get removed from other gardens, and a small mound of cardboard boxes, logs, and other organic materials that are busy making compost.
Blue, plastic containers that catch rainwater are visible below the rain gutters of the main buildings. A close look up at the roof shows a thin, metal cover. This was put into place because the owners deemed it to be greener than tearing off and throwing away the old tar shingles. The metal sheet on the roof also reflects the sunlight and thus reduces temperatures in the main house during the blazing hot summer months. For the cold, winter months, storm windows were put into place for better insulation and heating bills are reduced by using a silicone-based fluid that heats the baseboards.
Taking into account the very Earth-friendly scheme of the place, it should be no surprise to learn that toilets are of the composting variety and that the sumptuous breakfasts come from an organic garden. Eggs also come from free-range chickens that roam naturally landscaped grounds planted with over 300 trees and shrubs.
It truly seems as if the people behind the Cedar House Inn and Yurts have thought of every possible way to function in a sustainable fashion and since they keep thinking of new and improved ways to do so, visitors might learn some new tricks for living green during their cozy stay in one of their Georgia yurts.
