Helen Georgia: a girls trip long weekend!
Oh my goodness, let me just say that if you have never been, this is a MUST do! We were there the beginning of March, so they weren't in the busy season yet! We were told the busy season is March 31-Dec 31. If you are taking the whole family, it might be worth it to wait until the summer and do some of the activities in the river like tubing and such!
We stayed at the Riverbend Cabins and hotel in cabin 3, and it was perfect for the 2 of us! It had a small kitchen, living room, a bathroom downstairs, and a kingsized bed in a loft upstairs with another bathroom up there. Our back porch over looked the river and it was so peaceful to sit out there in the mornings sipping our coffee.
Day 1: we arrived and unpacked, then we walked to the local grocery store which was only a few blocks away. Betty's Country Store is open every day of the week and is just the cutest little store. They literally have everything you need! They also have a little bar outside where some of the locals hang out and we had a peach wine slushy which was very refreshing! Then we decided to relax and cook dinner in the cabin. Brandy brought us a Hungry Root meal and so we had some homemade tacos and then watched a movie on Netflix and decided to turn in early to get ready for hiking the next day!
Day 2: we woke up, had some coffee and quiet time on the back porch watching the river flowing in our back yard. It was so nice! So peaceful! We cooked breakfast in the cabin and then packed up some snacks for the trails and hit the road. We decided on Raven Cliff Trail and it was only about a 6 mile drive from our cabin. The hike itself was round trip 5 miles. It as a beautiful day so we took our time on the hike up. Skipped some rocks, paused to enjoy the view, had a picnic lunch, and took a few cute pics!
After we got back to the cabin, we decided to explore the town of Helen. We went in Hansel & Gretel candy kitchen and had some free samples. We also popped into a wine tasting shop to taste some local wine made in Helen. There was an open market, called Wildewood that had some really neat things in there! My favorite was the wind chimes. So many of them and there was a big gust of wind right as we walked in that had them all going and it sounded wonderful! We stopped by Cowboys & Angels and checked out the menu while we had a handmade margarita. The menu looked good but we weren't too hungry yet, so we finished our drink and went out to explore some more. We ended up at the Troll Tavern which sits right along the river tucked under the bridge. It was a great place to people watch! Brandy had the hot wings and fries and I had brats and mashed potatoes with sauerkraut. It was ALOT of food!
Day 3: We had thought about hiking Yonah Mountain. But after reading reviews and looking at pictures we realized there were no waterfalls on that one and we really like waterfalls! LOL
So again, started off with breakfast in the cabin and coffee on the back porch. Then we ventured out and went to Anna Ruby Falls to see the "twin" waterfalls. This hike was more commercialized and had a paved path the whole way with 2 observations decks at the top. Don't be fooled though... the hike was still very steep right before you got to the point you could see the falls. It was beautiful and definitely worth it if you go! The hike itself is probably only a mile in and a mile out. They also have nice bathrooms there and a small gift shop! I should also add there is a fee to get in to the recreation area, I believe it was $5 per person.
These are the Twin falls
That afternoon we got back and went exploring in town again. Our cabin was so close we walked everywhere we went except we did drive to the hikes and the spa. The town kind of reminds me a little of Gatlinburg, TN with all the little stores and alleys of shops. Lots of souvenirs that the kids would love to buy! We walked across the bridge that we ate under the night before and people have put all these locks along the rails of the bridge. I need to research what it means. They had a few spots on the main drag that had live music and this town is VERY dog friendly. The weather was so nice and lots of people were out! So many dogs and lots of shops even had water bowls out for the doggies!
That night for dinner we went to The Old Bavaria Inn. Their dinner plates are a LARGE portion, so I recommend splitting a plate! We got the pork chops, mashed potatoes and 2 kinds of kraut. It was plenty of food for us to share, it came with 3 pork chops!
Day 4: I am so glad that Brandy and I both like to go to bed early and wake up early, but have a slow morning! I especially like to do that on vacation! Another peaceful morning with coffee on the back porch listening to the river. Today however, we decided to eat a later breakfast at Hofer's Bakery. We had heard wonderful things about it from one of the locals. We also scheduled us a massage at Valhalla Resort & Spa. The line to eat at the bakery was about a 30 min wait to be seated to eat in the restaurant. There was also a separate line for those waiting in line for just the bakery. Keep in mind this was a Sunday and it was after 10am, so I'm sure that's why the line was so long. But, I do have to say, the line was worth the wait! The food was very good! Brandy got the corn beef dish and I got the bacon & onion hash brown dish. After this filling meal, we headed to the resort to get relaxed and ready for our massages. It was a small resort but very nice! The staff that we interacted with was all very friendly and accommodating to help us have a very relaxing day there. We first check in to the spa and went to the locker room to slip into out robes. Then we went to the steam room and sat in there for about 10 min. It was such a beautiful day, that after the steam room, we sat out by the pool and had a few mimosas. It was a perfect end to our long weekend to finish off with a day at the spa with massages!
After we returned from the spa we were worthless, LOL! However we were hungry and in the mood for pizza. So we walked to town and looked for a pizza place with gluten free pizza. We finally found one but it was closed at the time, so we decided to sit and people watch while waiting for it to open. Thankfully it opened earlier than the sign said and we were the first customers in, so our pizza was nice and fresh and HOT! Brick House (which was not actually in a brick house) pizza, burgers and pasta did not disappoint. Very good for a gluten free crust! We took our leftovers and walked back to the cabin, and decided to enjoy our last night with a glass of wine on the swing out back by the river. It was the perfect end to our relaxing vacation!
We both agreed that we will come back! Next time with our family and in the summer to do some tubing down the river! There was also another waterfall hike we were told about that we did not do, so if you are going, check out Duke Creek Falls. It's a moderate hike and about 2 mile round trip. Until next time...
These pictures are taken in the same spot just one at night and one during the day!
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