Georgia Backroads Adventure
Back Roads of Georgia
Day 1
Welcome to Georgia, home to Alan Jackson, Usher, Margaret Mitchell, Juliet Lowe, and Flannery O’Connor. Known as the Peach State, Georgia is the setting for “Deliverance”, “Driving Miss Daisy”, and “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”. The back roads of Georgia trip actually begins in the middle of the afternoon, crossing the North Carolina-Georgia border in Dillard GA on Rt. 23/441. http://georgia.com/
In Mountain City, we explored Black Rock Mountain State Park, the highest park in Georgia. It is a gorgeous park, making the high climb to the overlooks well worth it. A serene mountain lake is also a worthwhile trip. Picnic areas allow the visitor to linger. However, the washed steep, out road was a challenge for us and might be for others. A campground, visitor center, and Foxfire Museum and Heritage Center complete the park. A parking fee of $5 is admission to the park. The parking fee allows you admission to any other State Park that day. Allow at least 2 hours. http://gastateparks.org/info/blackrock/
Further on, the picturesque town of Clayton offers restaurants, shopping, and 19th century architecture. Allow some time for a short stroll.
Tallulah Gorge State Park possesses exceptionally magnificent scenery: waterfalls, rock formations, and cliffs. This is one of the more spectacular canyons in the eastern U.S. The gorge is 3 miles long, and drops 1,200 feet at its deepest point. There are several trails to views, from easy to very strenuous. We walked three trails and were rewarded by awesome views at each one. A permit is required to hike to the bottom of the gorge. Rock climbing requires a permit, but can be done. The Jane Hurt Yarn Interpretive Center offers history and wildlife exhibits. At one time, Tallulah Gorge was one of the most popular destinations in the Southeast. The town had 17 hotels in the 1880s. Today, it is still breathtaking! Allow at least 30 minutes, and more if you want to really hike.
http://ngeorgia.com/ang/Tallulah_Gorge_State_Park
Veering off onto Rt. 17, we saw old barns, hills, grazing animals, and an Indian mound in Nacoochee. A gazebo marks the spot – in the center of a cow pasture where the Council House of the Nacoochee Indians was.
Not far away is the town of Helen. Helen began as a gold rush town in 1828. By the 1960’s it was almost deserted. It has certainly bounced back, born again as an Alpine Village. Every building in town, including the fast food ones, looks like they are in a German mountain town. Shopping and restaurants abound. Some attractions include a tarantula museum, bear and reptile preserve, mini golf, and a huge model train display. Supermarkets, wine stores, old time photo studios, toy stores, a blown glass shop with demonstrations and bakeries cater to everyone. Polka music plays. Flowers are everywhere. The Chattahoochee River runs through the center of town. Helen is a little touristy, but fun, and surprisingly reasonable. If outdoor activities are more to your taste, there is camping, fishing, golf, tubing, and the beautiful Blue Ridge Mts. to explore.
http://www.helenga.org/
We stayed the night at Country Inns and Suites, for the price of $89. Our room had a coffee maker, fridge and microwave. An indoor pool and whirlpool are available. A full and delicious breakfast of eggs, grits, bacon, sausage, biscuits, gravy, Belgian waffles, dry cereals, oatmeal, fresh fruit and pastries was offered. All day, coffee, tea, fixings, cookies, and fresh fruit are on hand in the lobby.
Dinner was on the “Hooch” at The Troll Tavern. Like most restaurants, German fare is available, and it is Oktoberfest! We chose the combination wurst platter and the Weiner Schnitzel, served with cabbage and German potato salad, and a pitcher of beer. Quite tasty! Our tab before tip was $47. Without the beer, the price would have been $32.
Day 2
The historic Nacoochee Village has a winery, huge antique store, restaurant, pottery store, cabins, fly fishing, working grist mill and a shop that sells packaged teas and coffees to take home and assorted tea and coffee making apparatus. It’s just a few minutes from Helen. Habersham winery has tastings and a gift shop. The winery itself is visible behind a glass. Nora Mill, a 123 year old grist mill, has oatmeal, grits, jams and jellies, and other products for sale that are made on the premises. “Georgia ice cream” is their delicious white speckled grits. Jams, jellies, sauces, and kitchen utensils are sold. We didn’t leave empty handed. It’s worth the time! http://nacoocheevillage.com/
A flat tire took up some of our time, since we needed to then buy new tires. Certainly, not fun! Finally, back on the road!
Bessie Mae’s on Rt. 115 looked so interesting that we stopped to look at the antiques and gifts. A barn star caught our attention and left with us. Next door, Greg bought some bison jerky. MaryJo enjoyed looking at all the cedar furniture and Native American objects d’art. We both enjoyed the taste of switchel, an early American drink designed to quench the thirst of the field workers. It’s made with vinegar and either maple syrup, corn syrup, or other regional sweetener and served cold. Although it may sound unusual, it does satisfy!
Along the way, we stopped to look at Lake Zwerner at Yahoola Creek Reservoir. Very pretty and a good time to stretch our legs. Dahlonega is home to Consolidated Gold Mines, the site of America’s first gold rush. http://www.consolidatedgoldmine.com/ At the Gold Mine, visitors can take a tour of the mine, the only gold mine tour in the eastern U.S. Gold and gem mining are activities, too. We bought our pan, and mined for gold. The expert there showed us how, and we did find several tiny nuggets! Our two pans were $22, but other pan and bucket prices are available. Dahlonega itself is a quaint town with shopping, southern foods, and outdoor recreation. http://www.dahlonega.org/
We stopped for the night in Dawsonville, incorporated in 1859. A small town, Dawsonville has a laid back lifestyle. A Best Western offers an indoor pool and spa, coffee maker, fridge, microwave, and light breakfast for $59 plus taxes. Nearby is Amicola Falls State Park, with hiking, fishing, interpretive programs, and camping. http://www.stateparks.com/ga.html
A Longhorn steakhouse, just across the road, seemed a good choice for supper. We chose a 9 oz Pepper Filet with Portobello mushrooms in a Cabernet sauce and an 8 oz Renegade Top Sirloin. Our bill before tip was $ 39. The food was melt in your mouth good!
A swim in the heated pool felt good! No one else was in the pool, and so we had a good aquatic workout.
Day 3
Breakfast was a good start to the explorations of the day. Just a short drive down the road, we spotted a collection of buildings that might have been a tourist attraction. Signs declared it George Town. There was a schoolhouse, gold mine, houses, and restaurant, but all long since abandoned. We looked around a bit, and are trying to find out what it was.
Chateau Élan is a winery near Braselton. We detoured for a tasting, and found a charming host in Graeme Goodall. He shared his expertise with us and sold us several bottles of excellent wine which the family will definitely enjoy. A full gift shop and tours make this a good destination. http://www.chateauelan.com/
Key West Bar and Grill had a nice selection of foods. MaryJo chose the classic southern catfish, fries, coleslaw and hush puppies. Greg had the oyster po’boy, another typical southern dish served with cole slaw. $19 was our total before tip.
Bishop has a whole collection of “dummies” along the road that create a whimsical atmosphere and gave us something to look, certainly. What fun!
The town of Madison has many beautiful antebellum and Victorian homes and a charming town center. http://www.madisonga.org/
Midway between Madison and Eatonton at the Rock Eagle State 4-H Club center is the stone eagle. This artwork was created by pre-Columbian Indians. It’s viewed by climbing a stone tower, and looking down at the stones on the ground. Quite amazing!
The Uncle Remus Museum in Eatonton was delightful! If you are a fan of the Br’er Rabbit stories, visit here! The building is a combination of 2 slave cabins, with exhibits on Joel Chandler Harris, the author of these charming children’s stories. Br’er Rabbit is a tricky, charming character, who is always in trouble, but uses his wits to escape the clutches of Br’er Fox or Br’er Bear. Harrris heard these stories from plantation slaves as a young boy, and wrote in the dialect. Uncle Remus is a collection of 3 men. The Disney movie, “Song of the South” was based on these stories. On the grounds are also a blacksmith shop, garden, and covered town drinking fountain. A small gift shop is housed in the cabin. Admission is $1 each! http://www.uncleremus.com/museum.html
Some cabins or small houses were all boarded up a few blocks away. We were curious and discovered that the cabins were built as a community for a Mill. The Imperial Mill originally built in 1898 and was a cotton mill. Later the Mill was used to produce aluminum pots and pans and the cabins became known as Aluminum Hill. The village community had its own school, church and housing for employees. The mill closed in December, 1975.
A picturesque drive to Dublin concluded our day. Holiday Inn express proved to be a good value! For $94 a night, we had a king bed, sitting area with pull out couch, fridge, microwave, kitchen sink, coffee maker, 2 work/eating tables, and large TV. A pool and exercise room are in the hotel, and the breakfast included eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy, Belgian waffles, cereals, yogurts, etc. This is a good choice for a traveling family! Supper was at Buffalo’s, a place with a Tex-Mex bent. What a bargain! Greg had a large beer with 16 wings. MaryJo had the Navajo Chops and a cocktail. Tab, before tip, was $32. The food was very good, and so was the service. http://www.buffaloscafe.com/
Day 4
Time to go home. Lunch was at Jack’s BBQ at Exit 1 on I-95 in Georgia. Large barbequed sandwiches with 2 soft drinks and friendly service equaled $14 before tip. We were back in Florida in time for supper.
