This hike was the bomb Mr Donta was very knowledgeable of the woods we walked 5 miles and ended the outting with wine My friend and I was elated and very pleased with everything read more

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Four of us purchased the LivingSocial for the easy hike. None of us had been hiking in Georgia before, so we thought this might be a nice introduction. When I contacted the outfit for scheduling and requesting an easy hike on a Saturday, Dante (the guide and the person behind the company, I think) emailed back letting me know there would be an easy hike on the following Sunday. We figured that was fine, even though that meant skipping church and doing something that would take several hours on the day before we're all supposed to be back at work. I read these other two reviews and got a little nervous, so I tried to prepare everyone in the group. We brought additional food with us. First, I get really hungry. Second, I'm vegetarian and I figured that wouldn't necessarily be accommodated, so I didn't bother to ask.. Also, I had to not let the spelling and punctuation in the emails bother me. So I got over that. Thursday before the hike, we got an email letting us know we would be doing our hike at Virginia Bryant State Park in Royston, GA and the wine tasting at Boutier Winery, about 12 miles away from the park. He also told us what he was bringing for lunch, and told us to bring our own water. I thought that specificity was helpful. That state park is 90 miles away from Atlanta, so we carpooled and gave ourselves plenty of time. We found the group pretty easily (just drive toward the ranger station and look for a group of people). The guide is really nice and friendly. He had us all introduce ourselves. During the hike, he also walked his way up and down the line of folks, making sure to talk to everyone, and, I think, keeping track of folks so no one was left behind. We stopped twice so people could have water and a snack (that we brought ourselves - that wasn't provided) and so we could take some photos. Our group paced together pretty well, so staying together was easy. We had lunch together at a covered area in the park. He set out the food (wraps, turkey, mustard, carrots, arugula, kale, dates, pomegranates). It was the perfect hiker's lunch, light, not too much. I didn't really need to have brought additional food for the meat-eaters. I did have my own no-meat sandwich. We then drove over in a caravan to the winery. We got the six tastes, which were pretty generous pours. We could have paid for additional tastes or glasses of wine. The wine was pretty decent. Previous encounters with Georgia wines had been with wines made of muscadine, which is super-nasty. This stuff was all right. I would never pay $95 for this, but it was fine for $39. Now that we know about that park and winery, we can do it on our own. I would recommend this for folks who are hesitant about hiking alone or don't know the area. read more

We were lucky enough to find our about Skywater Georgia Wine Hiking by buying a discounted voucher from one of the prime deal-sites. The deal was for a 3-4 hour easy guided hike, including a light lunch, and then wine tasting at a nearby winery. We delayed until quite close to the voucher expiration, so we were delighted that Dante got back to us very quickly and was able to offer an additional hike date that wasn't showing on the website. On the day, we found our way very easily to the meeting point in Victoria Bryant State Park, GA. Not all the hikers arrived on time, but Dante waited patiently and we finally headed off with the latecomers in tow. The park is beautiful, and yes - you could absolutely hike it alone, if you have a good sense of direction and a map... but it is a lot more fun hiking with a knowledgeable, intelligent and experienced hiker who can tell you a little something about everything. It is a great way for new hikers to become more confident. The lunch provided was simple and tasty - including delicious salad vegetables and fruit from Dante's own garden, and good quality turkey and wraps. If you read the e-mail confirmation you receive, you'll remember to bring your own water - obviously one guy cannot carry water for everyone hiking (strange that another reviewer thought that would be the case!). The hike lasted around 3hr15. We convoyed in our cars to the winery - Boutier Winery, owned by a Dutch man and his Irish wife. They are as welcoming and warm as you can imagine any vineyard owners to be, and made us all feel at home, and comfortable asking questions about the wine. Note to wine snobs - these guys do buy in grapes from other parts of the US, as well as grow their own, so it's actually a pleasant tasting experience, unlike Chateau Elan or other Georgia wineries). Dante clearly has worked hard to find the "right" places to take his hikers, and he chose well with Boutier Winery. About an hour and a half later, and we were ready to head home. We chose to hike with Dante a second time, which was just as great as the first - and we look forward to doing so again in different locations. Thank you, Dante, for giving us such a great experience! Things you need to know: - This is a one-man outfit. That means he takes reservations, handles payments, picks out the hike location, works with the winery to get the tasting session reserved, and brings the light lunch ingredients BY HIMSELF. This means you get a much more personalized experience than with any other outfit. - Dante is friendly, knowledgeable and very socially adept, which means he can bring a group of strangers together and make sure everyone feels involved in the conversation, and comfortable with your new hiking buddies. - The hike will depend on the group of people who show up. If you come in hiking boots (or even tough sneakers or tennis shoes) and properly kitted out, you'll get a really great hike. If you come in flip-flops and without any water, Dante will have to change the hike to accommodate you, which means you will spoil the hike for everyone else. Think about why you want to hike and please, come prepared! - Dante is a fascinating guy, and has interest in everyone he meets, seeing the good in everyone and he clearly enjoys seeing what makes people tick. He is one of the most interesting people to talk to about everything from organic farming to process engineering, and many things besides. Show up and ask him a few questions about himself and you will not be disappointed. read more

we met Dante with a big hug at victoria Bryant state park. there were 8 of us. he had a lot of brain teasers for us. the hike was very delightful. A very nice organic lunch. pomegranate was a very good surprise. wine tasting at Boutier was the best. We will be doing the horseback later. susu read more

A forgettable experience except for my money being taken. I would not recommend this business unless you like to be grossly over charged for activities. First of all this cannot possible be worth $95 (I did buy a dealmob coupon for $39, STILL GROSSLY OVERPRICED). We did a beginner's hike to Tocca Falls and then needed to drive almost 30 minutes to the winery. Bad things: The guide did not seem to care that he was losing some people during the hike. He seems like a nice guy but still. Lunch was a joke, 2 bags of carrots ($2) for 14 of us to share, pita bread ($5), one package of turkey ($5), some green leafy things ($3) and mustard ($3). That is IT folks. No drinks offered. We could not even get seconds, not enough food. Remember I paid $39 for this. The hike was nice but I could had done this for free. We didn't get to see anything too remarkable. The winery was alright. Crackers and about of a short glass full of wine. We got to choose 6 (which by the was only worth $6). No discount on the wines either. Overall I am pissed that I wasted $39, I could had bought a skirt and a pair of shoes that I would had enjoyed for much longer. Good things: Nice waterfalls? read more

This is not a professional outfit and the customer service is horrible. I purchased a voucher through Living Social for an easy hike and had problems as soon as I contacted the company (really a one man show, it seems, of a guy named Dante). He was disorganized, which I learned after trying to sign up for a date that was posted on the website but was incorrect. Then, when I did book a date, I was told the hike would be in one location. Thursday afternoon before the Saturday hike, I received an email saying the hike would take place at a completely different state park, hours away from me. I asked about a refund twice through email and was ignored, receiving responses that only said he looked forward to seeing me in the future. Not happening. read more

Great experience. Fun activity and very friendly staff....recommend!

Dante was awesome and so accommodating especially with my slight knee injury. We took tons of photos and it was nice that we had a small group because it allowed a lot of flexibility. I had a fantastic time on the hike. I thought it was perfect just the way it was. read more

Waste of money - avoid - scam. Contacted multiple times and told that they have no availability if using a Groupon. No availability over several months. Company uses multiple names to hide from bad reviews. Do your research, look for another deal. read more

Dante seemed nice and upfront when we spoke with him. We were traveling from S. Florida and the day we flew into Atlanta to drive to NC we thought this hike with Dante and the wine tasting would be a great start to our vacation ( also discounted price through either groupon or Living Social). Well we were wrong! We were delayed leaving Atlanta, tried to contact Donte numerous times via phone and email to let him know we were coming but running late, but he never did return our calls. We were 45 minutes late and we were told he waited only 30 minutes, but he had our money already for a 4 hour tour. When we finally spoke on the phone (after he saw we disputed his services on PayPal) we agreed to remove the dispute and he would refund us the amount we paid minus the cost of the lunch. We did our part, but he didn't do his and only refunded us a small amount and not what we had agreed upon. Now we are out of $150. DO NOT TRUST THIS PERSON! Do your own hike at the park and contact the Boutier Winery on your own and you will have a great experience! We all recommend the Winery highly as the couple who runs it is fabulous and the wine is excellent as well. read more

My husband and I hiked at Victoria Bryant State Park with Dante and others in our group. The hike was good with the group deciding on how strenuous of a hike we wanted. Dante brought a light lunch with fresh items from is own garden which were very tasty. We would take another hike with Dante as he is very friendly and accommodating. Oh, yes and the winery trip was a fun way to end the trip with those who you have hiked with. Offered time to relax and get to know each other! read more

I bought a deal for me and my girlfriend from Living Social and really enjoyed ourselves. I was in town on a trip and thought it was definitely worth $39. I would try it out for yourself. read more

Michael and I had a wonderful time yesterday on our Wine Hike. I loved the trails at Victoria Bryant State Park, the lunch you provided was delicious and the tasting at Boutier Winery was really fun. I enjoyed meeting and talking with Mary and Victor. Thank you so much for a great day and a memorable birthday for Michael! Happy week to you! Aliwine read more

Terrible experience. Do not prepay. We explained to Dante up front that we were flying to Atlanta, we were to meet at approximately 1. At noon when we knew we would be late we called, he did not answer, and left a message that we would be late. We also text and sent an email. We got to the park at 1:40. Dante was gone. We prepaid, he should have waited. We took a hike and went to the wine tasting on our own When Dante finally returned our call he said he had no signal.Well how come he was able to call and cancel our wine tasting before we got to the winery? He promised us a refund minus 50 for the money he spent on our lunch. He only refunded $90, and promised $190. We filed a complaint in paypal and he said that we need to close the complaint we did and he never refunded us the amount he promised. He kept mentioning his boss; guess what it is his business and he is the boss. He is dishonest. We are going to file complaints with the better business bureau and the Attorney General in the State of Georgia. DO NOT TRUST THIS BUSINESS. read more