Helen, Georgia?

[Sirius]

Any recommendations?

I found this website http://www.helenga.org/ but was curious if anyone has ever been to Helen.

 

[padams]

Helen, GA is an enterprising town in north GA that turned itself into a little bit of Germany to attract tourists. Living in Atlanta, we spend a couple of hours in Helen every other year or so when we drive around that area looking at the fall foliage. It's like going to the Germany section of Epcot. Any specific questions?

 

[Sirius]

I was wondering if it is worth spending a night or two? And, if so, would anyone have any recommendations on places to stay, visit, dine, etc.

Thanks.

 

[MomofKatie]

Well, I haven't been there in a while, but it is pretty during Fall when the leaves are turning. There is a big Oktoberfest celebration there every year, and it is fun to go then. There is a restaurant there (I forget the name) that actually sits on a bridge over the river, and their Reuben sandwich is great. Amicalola Falls isn't too far away- it is fun to go and see. Also, Cleveland, Ga is pretty close- that's where BabyLand General is. If you are into Cabbage Patch dolls, you can go and see the actual "cabbage patch" they come from. Very fun for kids! Dahlonega, Ga is also fun to go to, and not far from Helen. It is where the Ga goldrush took place, and you can go pan for gold. There is also a famous restaurant there that has fried chicken and all the fixin's- good Southern cooking (Can't remember the name of that one, either, but it is right smack in the middle of downtown).

 

[laurie31]

We enjoyed our weekend there. We stayed at the Helendorf and also visited Anna Ruby Falls and Dalonaga.

http://georgiatrails.com/trails/annaruby.html

http://www.helenga.org/annarubyfalls/

We had fun. I think the restaurant MomofKatie means is LaPrad's (sp?) It was delicious!! It's very country, however. It's not a "fancy tablecloth" kind of place. They serve family style on long wooden tables. Definitely an experience.

We haven't been since we've had kids. We need to take our girls. They would like it It's sort of like Gatlinburg, but with a German flavor. The poster who described it as being like Germany in Epcot was right on. You "know" you aren't really in Germany, but you can pretend

Laurie

 

[richiebaseball]

Helen can become very crowded, especially in the fall. The main road through the town can get extremely congested. I think it's a fairly nice place. It seems a bit touristy but that's just me after many visits. The area around Helen is beautiful and there are plenty of trails, waterfalls, state parks, etc. in the general vicinity. Check these sites and have fun!

http://ngeorgia.com/
http://www.georgiamagazine.com/outdoors/mountain/

Richard

 

[raysnkaysmom]

It's great for people who love to shop...lots of little shops there. Fall of course is beautiful, but I love Christmas there. Lots of beautiful scenery and lights, horsedrawn carriages etc.
There's several places to eat there, dutch like food...but the big wood building by the river is good
It's a great place to visit for a little sightseeing town. There's also an outlet there with bigger shops as opposed to the tiny shops along the strip.

 

[tar heel]

Here's what I got when I asked about it:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=576227&highlight=+Helen

 

[stevenpensacola]

Neat little town. If you like the outdoors, there are a lot of hiking trails with pretty waterfalls not too far from Helen.

Make sure you stop at the Nora Mills Granary. http://www.noramill.com/
We love their stone ground grits.

I thought the name of the restaurant hanging over the river was "Pauls". They served an excellent steak when we were there.

There are lots of cabin rentals available also.

Helen is kind of like Gatlinburg with a German theme, without all the t-shirt shops.

 

[goin2disneyagain]

Fall is the perfect time of year to visit Helen. I don't have any recommendations for places to stay as we are only an hour drive from there so I have never stayed there overnight. It is a fun place to visit.