February 25, 2026
The BEST day in Clayton as voted by readers of the Clayton Tribune. Buckle up, it's gonna be a long day!!
Start with biscuits and grits for breakfast at the Rusty Bike and make sure Lisa Sota is your waitress. Pop over to Josh Parker at Thrivent to see if you can afford the house you are buying from Jim Blalock at Poss Realty. Run over to Rabun County Bank and apply for the loan and say hi to Lisa Bonnette. Next, stop in at Stockton & Stockton to close the loan. Give Ed Grizzle a call to make sure your insurance is good for the house you just purchased and then zip over to Bethel & Co to report it on your taxes. Pop in and see Matt Holland for a quick personal trainer session and then treat yourself to a mani-pedi at Nails One and a new do at Studio B13. Feeling really good about yourself with all you have accomplished but hold on, things are about to get interesting. Can't decide what's for lunch so you start with the best lunch of wings at Friends Clayton Grill and grab something from Gabby Mangala at the bar to keep you going, cross the street for some tots from Universal Joint and roll on down to Rabun Social for a sandwich and Sunday Diner for a side of mac & cheese. Wow! That's a lot! The new home needs some work so now you have to visit Reeves Hardware and Reeves Building Supply for all your construction and painting needs, swing by Rabun Flooring for the all the latest options and then scoot over to Clayton Paint for the on-trend colors. Don't forget the outside so Home Depot Garden Center is next on the list. Dang, forgot to get the gas hooked up so Blossman Gas is a must stop. Need sustenance to make it through the day so a quick trip through Chik-Fil-A on the way to United Community Bank for funds before heading to Keller's Furniture Store. Oh, and need to run by Clayton Welding for the new wrought iron railings. Whew, time for a coffee pick me up from White Birch Provisions! Have to get it to go because next stop is Happy Jack's to have open house invitations printed. Now to get ready for the party, that means stocking up at Boles Meat Market, Ingles Bakery & Market and Smitty's Spirits. Got to call the fine folks at Eagle Cleaning before the party or, better yet, after the party! Maybe Rotary of Clayton could help with parking?? All this running around has the car making a funny noise so better make a stop at NAPA Auto Parts to be safe. Also, better slow down or you will meet Sgt Andy Beck and not in a good way! And safety first or all this will end at Beck's Funeral Home. Quick dash into Madison's on Main and the Faith Thrift Store for that special outfit to wear to the party. Wow, this has taken a toll so need to check in with Alana Dickerson and Shannon Robinson at Medlink and hit the drive through at Walgreen's for the meds. Almost time for dinner so a quick stop at Manriques's for a shrimp cocktail, head south for a refreshing beverage at Moonrise Distillery, circle back to town to pick up pizza at Bella's for the kiddos and then Stekoa Creek for a nice steak. Nice ending for the evening with a sweet treat or milk shake at Main Street Chocolates. Good thing Holloway Family Dentistry is here to fix this toothache and Christy Anderson can massage away the damage this day has done. Oh, and by the way, this whole day has been right in the middle of Ramshackle!! Too much fun has been had, now time to grab a room at Bridge Creek Inn before the body collapses! Now that's how you spend the BEST day in Clayton. Congratulations to all the winners!!!
Start with biscuits and grits for breakfast at the Rusty Bike and make sure Lisa Sota is your waitress. Pop over to Josh Parker at Thrivent to see if you can afford the house you are buying from Jim Blalock at Poss Realty. Run over to Rabun County Bank and apply for the loan and say hi to Lisa Bonnette. Next, stop in at Stockton & Stockton to close the loan. Give Ed Grizzle a call to make sure your insurance is good for the house you just purchased and then zip over to Bethel & Co to report it on your taxes. Pop in and see Matt Holland for a quick personal trainer session and then treat yourself to a mani-pedi at Nails One and a new do at Studio B13. Feeling really good about yourself with all you have accomplished but hold on, things are about to get interesting. Can't decide what's for lunch so you start with the best lunch of wings at Friends Clayton Grill and grab something from Gabby Mangala at the bar to keep you going, cross the street for some tots from Universal Joint and roll on down to Rabun Social for a sandwich and Sunday Diner for a side of mac & cheese. Wow! That's a lot! The new home needs some work so now you have to visit Reeves Hardware and Reeves Building Supply for all your construction and painting needs, swing by Rabun Flooring for the all the latest options and then scoot over to Clayton Paint for the on-trend colors. Don't forget the outside so Home Depot Garden Center is next on the list. Dang, forgot to get the gas hooked up so Blossman Gas is a must stop. Need sustenance to make it through the day so a quick trip through Chik-Fil-A on the way to United Community Bank for funds before heading to Keller's Furniture Store. Oh, and need to run by Clayton Welding for the new wrought iron railings. Whew, time for a coffee pick me up from White Birch Provisions! Have to get it to go because next stop is Happy Jack's to have open house invitations printed. Now to get ready for the party, that means stocking up at Boles Meat Market, Ingles Bakery & Market and Smitty's Spirits. Got to call the fine folks at Eagle Cleaning before the party or, better yet, after the party! Maybe Rotary of Clayton could help with parking?? All this running around has the car making a funny noise so better make a stop at NAPA Auto Parts to be safe. Also, better slow down or you will meet Sgt Andy Beck and not in a good way! And safety first or all this will end at Beck's Funeral Home. Quick dash into Madison's on Main and the Faith Thrift Store for that special outfit to wear to the party. Wow, this has taken a toll so need to check in with Alana Dickerson and Shannon Robinson at Medlink and hit the drive through at Walgreen's for the meds. Almost time for dinner so a quick stop at Manriques's for a shrimp cocktail, head south for a refreshing beverage at Moonrise Distillery, circle back to town to pick up pizza at Bella's for the kiddos and then Stekoa Creek for a nice steak. Nice ending for the evening with a sweet treat or milk shake at Main Street Chocolates. Good thing Holloway Family Dentistry is here to fix this toothache and Christy Anderson can massage away the damage this day has done. Oh, and by the way, this whole day has been right in the middle of Ramshackle!! Too much fun has been had, now time to grab a room at Bridge Creek Inn before the body collapses! Now that's how you spend the BEST day in Clayton. Congratulations to all the winners!!!