There’s nothing like a girl’s trip to recharge the soul. My sister, Christine, selected this year’s destination, Helen, GA which is also referred to as “Alpine Helen”. She and Sue were inspired by the beautiful little town when they saw it on the television show Seven Little Johnstons. Helen is located in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and is a charming little town made to look like a village in Bavaria. We decided it would be fun to go in the fall when they hold the town’s Oktoberfest. So 10 of us embarked on a fun-filled long weekend.
Here are the fun things we did to amuse ourselves.
1. Tour a Chocolate Factory
The first thing was – gifts! Yes! We each received a little gold box containing two truffles. Then we moved on to receive an explanation of fudge making, learning about the marble slabs, temperature, and technique.
Next we entered the truffle and dipping room. My favorite. What a complex procedure to make this wonderful confection. All of us got to dip a marshmallow, my Mom’s favorite thing covered in chocolate, in our choice of milk or dark chocolate. Normally you get to dip pretzel sticks, but hey, they were out, and marshmallows hold a lot more chocolate!
The tour of course ends in the chocolate shop. One of the “girls” treated each of us to a truffle of our choice. We were also given our marshmallow treats we made earlier. They have a huge array of chocolaty wonders as well as other sweets. I bought John some beer brittle. Two of his favorites meshed together.
There are some nice little tables to sit at right outside to enjoy the creations made inside.
Note: If you lose your room key, check with John, he may have found it like he did mine.
Hint: Make your reservation before you leave home. If you can secure Lauren as your guide, you won’t be disappointed. She is super animated and energetic. We had a blast during our tour with her!
2. Ride an Alpine Coaster
The Georgia Mountain Coaster is great! Even if you’re not a huge fan of amusement rides, this is something you need to try. You travel swiftly through the trees and mountain scenery. You can control how fast you go., but don’t go too slow or somebody will quickly be on your tail.
Note: Most of us rode twice as the second round is discounted.
Hint: Watch those curves, some are pretty tight. Some might leave a mark.
3. Eat Your Way Around the Area
- Picnic Cafe & Dessertary in Dahlonega
- Bodensee – authentic German cuisine – from schnitzel to Bauernpfaennle and Schöfferhofer grapefruit beer which two non-beer drinkers at our table enjoyed
- Hofer’s Bakery – yummy Bavarian Cream filled muffins
- Cafe International – on the river – you can enjoy sun or shade
- Wendell’s – yummy brunch and great coffee – You might even meet Wendell!
- Bodensee – yes, on here twice as we returned because it is that good! Most of us tried something our neighbor had the first time.
- Papa’s Place – Brunch at it’s finest in Dawsonville on our way back to Atlanta
These are just a few places we chose to go out of many that looked fabulous.
Hint: Try the German food. So tasty.
4. Take a Horse-drawn Carriage Ride
I always love a horse drawn carriage ride as long as the horses are healthy and the operators are friendly. Kaiser was the beautiful 16 year old Belgian horse that pulled our carriage. His dog pals, Rosco and Adrian rode along as well.
Hint: Always work out the rate ahead of time. We weren’t disappointed this time but I have been shocked in other locations.
5. Attend the Annual Oktoberfest
Every September Helen hosts a fun-filled Oktoberfest in the Festhalle. There is music, food, beer and even wine. The music changes throughout the fest. My sister Christine had games and fun things for us to do during our fun night there. The dare cards were the best. They were cards that we drew that involved or entertained the crowd around us. It was hilarious. We even passed a few around the festhalle and saw people “taking selfies with strangers” and some of the other activities.
Hints: Make sure to bring your ID with you. They check everyone’s. Even the three Jans. Arrive early to secure a good spot especially if you are a large group. Buddy up so nobody gets lost.
Note: I highly recommend dressing the part. Find a cute dirndl or a nice pair of lederhosen and you will increase the fun. Nothing like being pulled aside in the fake Bavarian town so people can take pictures with you fake Bavarian people.
6. Play a Round of Golf
Okay – Our group chose mini golf. It is much easier to walk between these holes in the humid southeast. 18 holes at Alpine Mini-Golf kept us busy laughing for a while. Sue made a hole in one for a free game on her next visit. When will that be Sue?
Hint: Split up into smaller groups to move faster.
7. Enjoy a Wine Tasting
Habersham Vineyards and Winery offers a great variety of wines. It is one of the largest and oldest wineries in Georgia and it is conveniently located right down Main Street outside of Helen in Nacoochee Village. You pay a small fee, I believe it was $10, for the sampling and can choose 5 from an extensive list to suit your tastebuds. You get to keep the wine glass as a souvenir. There was one wine that smelled exactly like cheesecake but didn’t taste as sweet as it smelled but paired well with the laughter of old friends in the room.
Oenophiles would be amazed at the variety and uniqueness of the wines produced along the Unicoi Wine Trail. There are numerous wineries with tastings, and you could tour some of the vineyards as well. There are even group tours that take you to various wineries and include lunch. No driving or finding a parking spot.
Note: The area is also full of breweries for those more unclined to enjoy a cold beer.
Hint: Wait until after your tasting to buy the wine. Otherwise you might have to buy another bottle. The gift shop is full of cute things, including wine items and imported cheese.
8. Venture to a State Park
The Unicoi Lodge happened to be where we stayed this trip. It’s not too far from the center of Helen. You can hike the 2 miles to town via a trail to avoid the parking hassles or there isa shuttle to and from Helen, well sometimes. Unicoi State Park contains Lake Unicoi which is beautiful as are the North Georgia Mountains. There is at least another 12 fun things to do in the park from hiking, to kayaking and fishing, to zip-lining.
Hint: Treat your shuttle drivers well and they will be happy to provide your transportation. Don’t disturb your neighbors at the lodge by laughing too loud or you just might get a knock at your door.
Hint: Set aside a full day to check out all the activities at Unicoi State Park. I wish we could have zip-lined and kayaked.
9. Peruse the Many Wonderful Shops
There is the Hansel and Gretel Candy Kitchen. Oops, did I already mention that one? No. I mentioned the one from our tour, there are two. This one is on Main Street. Also, there’s always Kopper’s Kettle Fudge Shop down the road so you can compare the chocolaty goodness. Windmill Dutch Imports on White Horse Square has so many cute souvenirs and food from afar. The Christmas Store was fun to visit with all the imported Christmas items. Betty’s Country Store on Yonah was where our shuttle stop was located. It was a grocery store with unique items from near and far.
Hint: There are costume shops in case you need to purchase trachten.
10. Visit a Local Coffee Roaster
We stopped and shopped at JumpinGoat Coffee Roasters located right on the Chattahoochee River. Samples are readily available and they have some wonderful flavors. I don’t think anybody left without a parcel from this place. They discount multiple pound purchases of coffee. I bought raspberry chocolate covered coffee beans and a unique tea timer. The beans did not make it all the way home. Too yummy!
Hint: Buy in multiples to save $$$
11. Check Out a Granary
Right next door to the coffee roaster is the Nora Mill Granary Grist Mill and Country Store. They use the Chattahoochee to energize the mill. Samples of porridge, grits, honey, mustard, jams and other things are made available throughout the store. You could observe the mill turning right in the store.
Hint: Taste a few of the items. You may just find something you have to take home.
12. Experience an Escape Room
The Mindscapes Helen Escape Room was a blast! Our group was placed in the Sherlock Holmes room for the duration of 50 minutes. The whole 50 minutes, as in, we did not succeed to escape. Only two of the 8 of us had ever tried to escape before so they had to be the coaches. Luck definitely played a part in some of the clues we did succeed to find and use. When the solution was revealed, we realized just how close we were though.
Hint: Don’t wait too long to use your hints. This may have been our downfall.
The summer season offers many more fun things to do that we couldn’t in September like tubing down the Chattahoochee River and enjoying a waterpark. There certainly is no shortage of fun things to do no matter the season, in the quaint little town of Alpine Helen.
Where to next Year?
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