Small Towns We Love
These small towns evoke the best of what Southerners are as a culture. They’re places with a beating heart, where tradition is the lifeblood, a helping hand is a given, and neighbors gather on front porches to watch the sun dip below the horizon.
Along with Southern Pinning, I also run a page called, Escape To North Georgia. Being a Northeast Georgia native, I wanted to create a travel & leisure page for our area with local events, scenic photos, places to visit and more!
North Georgia is home to the University of Georgia “Bulldogs”, the Cabbage patch babies, wonderful vineyards and orchards along with lots of fine dining, lodging, camping and seasonal events.
Nestled in the Northeast Georgia Mountains is a little town called Helen , GA. It is a mock German town and home of the famous Oktoberfest every year from September to mid November. Filled with plenty of accommodations, there is always a nice motel to stay at or a nice cabin to rent. Summer time is full of tubers on the Chattahoochee River which is about an hour ride if the water is at normal flow. Very relaxing. Helen is becoming famous for car shows, bike rally’s and they put on a pretty good Christmas parade and light display each year.
So if you hadn’t made it to this little quaint town, please come soon!
See the image below for a glimpse of Helen Georgia
Another exciting little town is Dahlonega , Ga. In 1828 Dahlonega was the site of the first major gold rush in the United States. The Dahlonega Gold Museum Historic Site stands in the middle of the town square, housed in the old Lumpkin County Courthouse built in 1836.
From its steps in 1849, Dahlonega Mint assayor Dr. M. F. Stephenson tried to persuade miners to stay in Dahlonega instead of joining the California Gold Rush, saying, “There’s millions in it,” famously misquoted as “There’s gold in them thar hills.”Corey Smith wrote a song about the town of Dahlonega. It is the first track on his second album In the Mood. Dahlonega is home to a campus location of the University of North Georgia. ( Dahlonega square) see image below.
Where do we go next? Maybe the town of Blue Ridge! Blue Ridge, Ga. is located on the North Carolina – Tennessee line, only 1 ½ hours north of Atlanta via I-575- GA Hwy 515, within easy reach of the best attractions the Georgia mountains, western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee foothills have to offer.
The Fannin County Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau is the place to visit to find out information about the entire Georgia Mountain region. Make sure our new Fannin County Chamber Visitor Center, 152 Orvin Lance Drive, in Blue Ridge, is your first stop on a vacation in Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains.
Renew your spirit on a day hiking to local waterfalls or horseback riding on forested trails in the Chattahoochee National Forest. Bring the family and discover the thrill of an Ocoee River whitewater rafting adventure, ride on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway or treetop canopy adventure.
Rent a pontoon or a jet ski on beautiful Lake Blue Ridge. Pick strawberries or blueberries at Mercier Orchards, a 65 year old family orchard. Catch a trout on the tailwaters of the Toccoa River or a clear mountain stream; Blue Ridge is the Trout Fishing Capital of Georgia. info via: http://www.blueridgemountains.com
These are just a few of the MANY great getaway towns of North Georgia. Stay tuned for more stories and photos of our beautiful ‘tip’ of Georgia!
BE sure to visit our hiking trip blogs where we’ve visited some great north Ga waterfalls!
Need a great place to stay in North Georgia? Click on Image below!