What fun!! Monday was the Northeast Georgia day, with the main goal of visiting Helen, Georgia!
If you have not heard of Helen, it is a very unique little north Georgia town, settled in the Blue Ridge Mountains with the Chattahoochee River flowing through the middle of it, very picturesque. And a little bit tacky! But it is certainly worth at least one visit a lifetime, if not every decade or so. It is cute and strange enough to be a place I really like!
The first time I saw Helen (at least 30 years ago!), I was puzzled as to why a little town in Georgia would transform itself into a little darling German Alpine village.....at that time I was told it was due to President Johnson's Great Society program. When I was planning this trip and wishing to explain the history of Helen, I could not find this information documented anywhere. I feel almost certain that what I was told was true and now wonder if this background information has been lost, since it was such a long time ago?
On the way to Helen, we stopped by Dahlonega. This was an old gold mining village, in fact, this is where the saying "There's gold in them thar hills" originated. It sounds more like it would have been from California or Alaska, but it was Georgia!! I never came here the whole time I lived in Georgia, it was one of those places I always meant to visit, but drove by every time. And I spent alot of time in the North Georgia mountains!
We spent a while walking around the square and looking at the shops. Roxanne and Adarsh steered us to a music shop that was so perfect! Not only was it absolutely loaded with stringed instruments, but there were two guys sitting and playing guitars. Then they swapped the guitars for banjos. What an amazing experience, they were perfect! And it was so cool none of us even thought to take a picture of them!
We ate lunch in Helen at a restaurant sitting right on the Chattahoochee River. There was a chance for us to go tubing on the river, and it was very tempting! But not everyone would have been able to do this, and the water was also a bit too cold. Some people did go by while we were eating and it looked so fun. I do hope possibly the next time I am over we are able to do this, maybe not in Helen but somewhere, ideally also with Roxanne, Adarsh and anyone else who would like to join us!
no photos of the folks on tubes going down, but this is where we saw them
Studying the menu and enjoying the view!!
I have driven by this restaurant many times, nice that we actually ate here!
Bratwurst, sauerkraut, red cabbage, German potato salad and beer, yum!
a very tired and sweet boy!!!
After Helen, we stopped at Anna Ruby Falls. I had been here before and it is a lovely walk. However, I never realized how fantastic these falls are! As Alan and I were standing at the base of them, we started wondering just how high they were. They seemed almost as high as Niagara Falls. Honest! So, when I got back to an Internet connection I looked it up and.....they are 12 feet shorter than Niagara Falls! Fantastic!
Might not have the power of Niagara, but is pretty impressive anyway!
After another fantastic dinner, complete with cornbread, Roxanne took us to Sheridan's for frozen custard! I had only ever heard of Ted Drewes frozen custard in St. Louis, I didn't know they had this anywhere else. And it was so much fun to do this. Maybe not great on the weightwatcher diet, but so very worth it!
| “My advice to you is not to inquire why or whither, but just enjoy the ice cream while it's on your plate” | |
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