Home Sweet Home- Gilmer County GA

Nestled in the foothills of the legendary Appalachian Mountain Range, Gilmer County is a paradise of forests, rivers and streams, historic ambience and Southern charm. While away the days on a front-porch rocking chair as you gaze upon hillsides blanketed with wildflowers or stroll the quaint streets lined with homes that are the gracious grande dames of a bygone era. Shopping galore, fine dining, a seemingly endless array of recreational activities, our world-renowned Georgia Apple Festival - all within a physical world that will capture your heart.

Explore Gilmer County where the magic of our environment will entrance you, the warmth of our people will captivate you and the past meets the present in perfect harmony. Gilmer County is known for many things: beautiful, lushly forested mountains; crisp, fresh apples; meadows blanketed in wildflowers; incredible outdoor opportunities on land and on water; a serene way of life; and communities that welcome newcomers and visitors with open arms. Come…experience the magic of Gilmer County.

A Bavarian Paradise- Updated

As promised, here is my updated post on Helen, GA with a lot more detail on where you should go. Enjoy!

When most people think of Georgia, they think of old time southern hospitality, like in "Gone with the Wind". Where women are sitting on their front porches, sipping iced tea, and gossiping about the new family who moved into town. Even though you can still find that in Georgia, most people would never imagine that a recreation of a German Alpine village would be nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The name of my paradise is Helen, GA and it is considered to be the sister city to Fussen, Germany.

Now, in all honesty, who would love to travel to Germany and take part in the rich culture and heritage you can find there? I know I would, but in today’s economy, most people can’t afford it anymore. So why not go to the replica in your own backyard. Once you drive into the city limits, you will feel like you just entered into an old world German village. The buildings are adorned with murals and German architecture was kept in mind when building this wonderful treasure. Some of the shop owners even wear traditional German outwear like dirndls and lederhosen. They hold their Oktoberfest here as well and then you can see firsthand what Germany must truly look like.

There are a wide range of attractions here to see as well. As you drive into Helen, you can stop off a Nora’s Mill which is about 11 miles south of town where you can see a real running mill from 1876. There you can buy grits, cornmeal, biscuits, pancake mixes and much more. Directly across from the mill is Habersham Winery where you can sample and buy some of Georgia’s more famous wines. During the summer months you can tube down the Chattahoochee River, go horseback riding, golf, hike, or mountain bike. My personal favorite it horseback riding because the paths are cut through the mountains. The scenery is spectacular and what better way to spend a vacation than seeing nature firsthand?
Helen also has a wide range of restaurants, especially those with German cuisine. If you are a lover of baked goods, then stop off at Hofer’s Café and Bakery where they have delicious Bavarian pies and pastries, and even breads and cakes that are served with their traditional breakfasts and lunches served in the café.
While walking downtown, you can’t get too far once the smell of fresh fudge fills your nose from Hansel and Gretel’s Candy Shop. There they make fresh fudge everyday and you can even sample some for free. Just try one bite; you will end up buying two pounds! The chocolate is directly imported from Germany and the candies are everything from caramel apples to peanut brittle. It is a favorite attraction for kids and parents alike.

My favorite part of town, other than eating, is shopping. Here you can find a variety of German and Scandinavian shops filled with antiques, crystal, glass blown figurines, and lots for the kids.
Helen also has a lot of festivals like their Hot Air Balloon Race and Oktoberfest. If you are lucky enough to go in winter, they streets are adorned with lights while they celebrate Christmas.
The hotel arrangements are wonderful as well which include the Best Western, Days Inn, Country Inn and Suites and some smaller chains. When my family goes, we always rent a cabin from a cabin rental company. It is the best way to get a feel for North Georgia. Sitting by the fire, under a blanket, clutching a good book is priceless while the kids are downstairs in the play room watching movies.
The best part of it all is Helen is centralized in the middle of so much more. Down the road about 15 minutes is Cleveland, GA where you can visit the Cabbage Patch Hospital and see Cabbage Patch Dolls being born and delivered. Best of all, it’s free and lot’s of fun for the kids. And about 30 minutes away from Helen is Dahlonega where gold was discovered in 1828. There still stands to this day, a gold mining camp where you can pan for your own gold called Gold and Grubbin.
Helen is a short drive from Atlanta so if you have your traveling shoes on and want to see somewhere new, check Helen out.

The Allure of Mt. Desert Island, Maine

Mt. Desert Island is comprised of many different towns including Southwest Harbor, Northeast Harbor, Bar Harbor, Seal Cove, and Frenchman's Cove. Southwest Harbor has a haunted feeling to it and if you look close enough, you will notice why. It was the town used in the filming of Stephen King's "Storm of the Century". To this day you can still see the original buildings that were used in the movie.
Seal Cove is a small community nestled in the mountains that is the home to everyone's favorite homemaker, Martha Stewart. This is where she gets most of her ideas and the best places to eat lobster.
Bar Harbor is a magical and romantic town on the east side of Mt. Desert Island that has welcomed visitors for over one hundred years. From Cadillac Mountain to Acadia National Park, the beauty of this coastal village is remarkable.
Included in every town, there are beautiful fishing ports where boats are docked all day. Anyone who is not from the coastal north will appreciate just looking at the beauty of nature here. There are lobster pits on almost every corner and you can't fully experience Maine until you have tried a fresh lobster. And right down the main road, which is Coastal 1A, you can find Ellsworth and Bangor. In Bangor, you can even see Stephen King's House.
Coastal Maine has an alluring charm to it because of all the diversity. From the mountains, to the sea, to the rivers, and to the snow topped trees in the winter, Maine has it all. Maine's slogan sums it up the best- Maine: Vacationland.

Again, this is another general post to show the attraction to Coastal Maine. My next 2 posts will be more in depth and focused on where to stay and eat for Helen and Mt. Desert Island.

A Bavarian Paradise

When most people think of Georgia, they think of Old Southern Charm like "Gone with the Wind", but little do many people know, there is a small town in North Georgia called Helen that is a replica of a German Alpine Village. From the beautiful majesty of the Blue Ridge Mountains that surround the town to the cobblestone roads and old world architecture, Helen is one of the most unique and beautiful towns in North Georgia.
Helen has strong ties to the Cherokee Indian Tribe and the settlers who came to mine for gold, another North Georgia tradition. Mining for gold still occurs here for tourists everyday. The attractions in this wonderful community are endless arraying from import shops full of German memorabilia and antiques, whitewater rafting, horseback riding, carriage rides, canoeing, fishing, mountain biking, gold mining, and down the road in Cleveland, the Cabbage Patch Doll Hospital is a must for family vacations.
The restaurants vary from German meals with schnitzel to Southern meals with grits and biscuits. There are also a few American restaurants as well for the not so daring.
Helen is also full of festivals including a Hot Air Balloon Race, Winefest, Oktoberfest, Volksmarch, Christmas parades downtown, Fourth of July fireworks, and Bavarian Nights of Summer.
There are numerous hotels in the area to stay at or you can rent a cabin to stay in as well. Cuddle up in front of a cozy fireplace or hike to a waterfall, it's your choice. And it can all happen here in Helen!

This is a general post to show the attraction of Helen, GA. I will post a more in depth post with information about where to stay, eat, etc.

Traveling the USA

One of my favorite things to do is travel in my spare time. I have seen a lot of places and done so many great things that the travel books will never tell you about. Most of the time, travel books or sites only have information about the bigger cities, but what about the small towns outside them? Sometimes you find the best places to eat, stay, or fun stuff to do in them, but how will you ever find out about them? From a personal review, that's how. And that is what you will receive here. Here, I will blog about my travel experiences and also my own small town that I live in. There are so many things to do in the area that I live that it is crazy! Sometimes I can't even keep up!

I have lived all across America during some point in my life so I can give great advice on almost all the states. I will blog about that as well.