North Georgia

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.
Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.
The winds will blow their own freshness into you...
while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.~~ John Muir

We spent this past weekend enjoying a variety of places in north Georgia.

We camped at Unicoi State Park this past weekend. We have stayed at Unicoi on various occasions. The park itself is beautiful but it is also a good central point to many places that we like to visit.


I wish we could’ve fit in a trip in October when the colors were at the peak time. But, our calendar was full with other activities. There was still some color on the trees but the leaves were falling quickly. Anna said the trees that had lost their leaves already were “naked.” We arrived late in the afternoon and decided to go to Helen for dinner. Helen is an interesting place if you’ve never visited the town. The town of Helen is a recreation of an alpine village. They have lots of shops and restaurants with a German flavor. We had dinner at Paul’s Steakhouse and then visited the Hansel & Gretel candy shop for some chocolate fudge for dessert. We’ve eaten at Paul’s before. The food is O.K. there. It’s not bad…it’s just nothing to rave about either.

Friday was absolutely beautiful weather wise so we decided to spend that day doing outdoor activities as the forecast for Saturday and Sunday was not quite as nice. Anna was in a foul mood on Friday morning and was protesting about walking; something that had become a regular event as of late. So, I took her back to the camper for an attitude adjustment while Rachel and Jeff hiked around the lake at Unicoi State Park. Anna was given the choice of sitting quietly with nothing to do in the RV or she could participate with the family without whining and ruining everyone else’s fun. She made the choice to participate with the family without any further whining. I’m happy to report that she did very well the rest of the weekend.


After lunch at the RV, we decided to hop into the jeep and drive around to different places. The first stop was Brasstown Bald. Jeff and I have hiked various trails over the years but we never have visited Brasstown Bald. We walked up the paved trail to the top. Brasstown Bald is the highest point in Georgia. Rachel and Anna enjoyed the walk and the views from the top. And, since the weather was so clear, we had great views of the surrounding areas.

Afterwards, we drove to Vogel State Park. We walked around Lake Trahlyta to view the waterfall at the opposite end of the lake. This lake is named for a Cherokee princess buried nearby just a few miles outside of Dahlonega at the intersection of U.S. 19 and S.R. 60. A large rock burial mound known, as Stone Pile Gap is the grave of a Trahlyta. She was said to be the fairest and most beautiful of all the Cherokee women. But as age came upon her, her beauty faded and she went to The Cedar Mountain Witch for help. The Witch told her of a spring of water in the mountains that held the power of The Great Spirit, and as long as drank and bathed in the water, her beauty would last forever. Then one day, a rejected suitor named Wahsega kidnapped Trahlyta and held her captive. Kept from the magical waters of the mountain, she faded in front of the young brave. Her last wish was to be buried amongst the mountains she loved so much. And there she lies, under a pile of stone, and they say if you place a stone on her grave good fortunes come to you. But it's also said if you remove a stone, you will suffer the curse of the Cedar Mountain Witch. Twice in history men have tried to move the stones to build roads. Both times horrible accidents happened, and people were killed. And that is why the roads were built around her grave.

After our trip to Vogel, we decided to go back to Helen for dinner again. This time, we chose a Mexican restaurant. The food was very good and it hit the spot after a long day of walking.


The weather forecast for Saturday projected rain and low temps so we sought out indoor activities. The first place we visited was the Cabbage Patch Babyland General Hospital in Cleveland, GA. There is no admission to go in and it’s worth a tour. But, they are a bit too proud of their babies. They start in the high 100’s and some top out around $400. They have an adoption ceremony for people who buy them. They did have non-hand made versions in the gift shop for prices ranging from $20-$60. They even have a “baby delivery” several times throughout the day. It’s a cute concept and the kids enjoyed it. Anna adopted one of the babies...well, one of the non-hand made types. It's name was "Yuka Sharon." We found out how each baby got it's name. After the delivery, they allow the children in the audience pick the first and middle names. It's birth date was Sept 3rd and it weighed 7 lbs 13 oz. Like the other dolls that she owns, it is now naked and collecting dust. Hence, why we would never pay a lot of money for a doll. After our Babyland Hospital tour, we ate lunch at a small diner in Cleveland and then drove to Dahlonega.

Dahlonega is one of my favorite towns in the north part of Georgia. They have awesome restaurants and lots of interesting shops. We toured the Gold Museum in Dahlonega first. When the news spread that gold had been discovered in North Georgia on Cherokee land in the early 1800s, thousands of gold seekers flocked into this area starting our nation's first major gold rush. The building itself is rich in gold as the materials used were from gold-rich Cane Creek. The tour guide showed us the flecks of gold in the bricks and mortar. We haven’t participated in a gold panning trip yet but will do that some time in the future. We decided the weather was not really the best for that type of activity on Saturday. After the visit to the museum, we walked through a few shops and then hit the road again. This time, we traveled to Amicalola Falls State Park.

Amicalola is a another beautiful state park in Georgia. It has several things that make it enticing to those looking for an adventure in the great outdoors. It is home to Springer Mountain, the start (or end) for those hiking the Appalachian Trail. It has a beautiful 729 foot water fall that is relatively easy to get to. And, it also has the Len Foote Hike Inn. Jeff and I hiked to the Len Foote Hike Inn years ago B.C. (before children). I think we’ll make reservations this spring to bring the girls up there. They could easily make the hike now.
I posted about our annual hike up Mt LeConte each September. Mt LeConte is older and more rustic than the Len Foote Hike Inn but it offers similar experiences. The hike to the Len Foote Inn is a little over 4 miles one way. They provide dinner, overnight lodging, and breakfast the next morning. Then, you have to hike back out. Mt LeConte does not offer many of the creature comforts that the Len Foote Inn does….showers are one example. Plus, their food menu offers a bit more of a variety. Mt LeConte is limited because their food is either dropped in by helicopter or brought up the mountain on llamas. Each has its uniqueness that make them worth the effort to hike to them. But, I will say that Mt LeConte is still my favorite. I just think that the hike to the Len Foote Inn would be easier for our daughters to endure for their first major hike. The trail is easier by far than any of the five trails to Mt LeConte.

After a brief visit to Amicalola, we drove back to Dahlonega for dinner at the Smith House. The Smith House is a bed and breakfast and it also has a wonderful restaurant that serves southern dishes family style. Dinner for adults is $14.99 each and for that you get all you can eat of fried chicken, ham, roast beef, mashed potatoes, green beans, black eyed peas, collard greens, cole slaw, corn, sweet potatoes, cornbread, and rolls. For dessert, strawberry shortcake. And, you know you are truly in a southern restaurant when you eat there because glasses of sweet tea are already waiting on the patrons when they sit down for the meal.

After a long day and a big dinner, we decided it was time to turn in so we headed back to Unicoi.

We had planned to return to our home town on Sunday but decided we would hike the Anna Ruby Falls trail before packing up. The hike to the falls is not that far but it is a steep walk. And, it’s paved. It’s definitely worth the time to visit. The bathrooms at the Visitors Center were a horror to visit though.

After a very busy weekend, we headed back home. We will not be traveling this coming weekend but will be on the road again every weekend after that. December is an exciting month. Lots of fun stuff on the agenda that I’ll wait to share with you as we make the trips. We wish everyone a blessed Thanksgiving and Christmas season.