Double SisAdventures - Helen, GA

Earlier this year, we had the chance to take a weekend trip to Helen, Georgia with our aunts - Linda (aka "Linki") and Joyce. Since it was only 4-5 hours from our starting point in North Alabama, it was the perfect distance for a little getaway and adventure! Of course we had to come up with a relevant hashtag, so since we had two sets of sisters, we went with two hashtags: #doublesis #sisadventures for the weekend!

And... we're off!

We headed east through the hills of North Georgia, where we passed through McCaysville and caught a glimpse of the Pearly Gates...

We couldn't have asked for a better day for our drive! Blue skies and beautiful scenery as we wound through the Blue Ridge Mountains.

We finally made it to Helen, just as the sun was setting. We didn't do much sightseeing that night, but we drove down the main street and made notes of the shops we wanted to come back to visit the next day!

After settling in at the hotel and asking for a local recommendation for good German food, we headed out for dinner. The receptionist told us that her favorite was a place called Bodensee - it was only a couple of blocks from our hotel!

When we arrived, we didn't have to wait too long to be seated, but the restaurant was obviously very popular and had a good crowd for Friday night. Link and Shelly ordered the pork schnitzel - don't let the name scare you, it's really just a fried pork chop! Aunt Joyce ordered the house sampler, and I decided to go all out and get the German sausage sampler (pictured below) with German potato salad and sauerkraut. The restaurant makes their own Garlic Wurst, and it was my favorite of the sausages.

Wurst sampler at Bodensee Restaurant

The next day we got up and started our day of exploring, shopping, and sightseeing. We went to the visitor's center to see if there were any "must do" events, and we were glad we did! They had a listing of all the local wineries and tour times. For the outdoorsy folks, there were local hiking trail maps and guides. It was a great place to start to see what was going on that weekend.

We also learned a little about the history of Helen, GA - how a couple of local townspeople got together in the late 1960's and came up with a way to attract tourists and re-invent their little mill town! It all started with one storefront, and then all the businesses slowly transformed into the "Alpine" village it is today!

Our first stop was Betty's Country Store - a cute little general store that had everything from groceries to souvenirs to a real live bee hive. We wandered around looking at all the old-timey coolers and local art. There was even a guy outside working on a batch of boiled peanuts!

Old-Timey Cooler at Betty's

Candy and Snacks by the pound at Betty's

Your choice of Pickled Delicacies at Betty's

Across the street from Betty's was The Heidi Motel- we didn't stay there, but it is one of the most photographed spots in Helen, so we had to make a picture! It was so cute, and I heard that there is even a room in the windmill! We will have to stay there on our return trip!

After exploring downtown for a little while, we decided to venture out a little and see some of the surrounding area. Not too far down the road, we found the Nacoochee Indian Mound. You can read a little about the history here. The mound is on private property, but we were able to get a good view from the road.

We stopped at the Nacoochee Village outside of town. There were some cute shops and we ate at the Nacoochee Village Tavern and Pizzeria. The wood-fired pizza was delicious, AND they served us fresh popcorn while we waited! YUMMO.

Half Supreme, Half Chicken pizza! and POPCORN!

Outside the pizzeria, there were a couple of art stores which featured local artists and items from the Nora Mill Granary - which was just across the road!

Back in town, we dropped the car at the hotel set off on a walking tour of the main drag.

Alana Falls - downtown Helen

Alana Falls

Willkommen to Helen!

We wandered through the streets and shops, and Linki and I couldn't resist this giant checker-board! We stopped for a quick (and very intense) game!

After a full day of sightseeing, we had dinner at Cowboys and Angels. There was live music (which was a little loud for the aunts), and Shelly and I thought it would probably be a fun place to hang out, especially in warmer weather when the patio was open!

On Sunday, we had one more item on the "to do" list: Hansel & Gretel Candy Kitchen! We stocked up on fudge, truffles and taffy for our friends!

All in all, it was a fun weekend, and I can't wait to plan a return trip - maybe for Oktoberfest! Do you have any Helen "favorites" or recommendations? I'd love to hear about them, for our next Helen #sisadventures!