Going with the Garcias

For the past six months Helen, Georgia has been all of my social feeds. (Kudos to their tourism marketing team – whatever you’re doing, it’s working.) I’ve seen this cute town ready for all seasons including Octoberfest and decked-out for Santa’s arrival. The pictures caught my attention while scrolling because who doesn’t want a taste of Germany without leaving the United States?

When Thomas and I spontaneous decided to make a trip to Georgia, I knew I wanted to be somewhat close to Helen, as I wanted to check the city out for myself. We decided to take a drive from our cabin to Helen for a day. When we arrived, we were greeted by picturesque, colorful shops dotting the road and the smell of what I assumed was schnitzel, or maybe pretzels, in the air.

Quick tangent: we did not realize that this was “off season” for this area. Some shops in Helen, and even shops and restaurants closer to our cabin, are closed seasonally. Coming from a tourist town, this baffles us. When we started looking around the cute town, we were sad (me specifically) that some of the shops were closed either Mondays through Wednesdays or even until later until the summer (I’m looking at you BOTH Christmas stores). That being said, the town did not disappoint.

Thomas and I had a great lunch at The Heidelberg. I had schnitzel (breaded pork loin that is pan fried until golden brown), German potato salad (I love this stuff and actually don’t like traditional southern potato salad, sorry Mom for that bombshell), and a side salad (my attempt to balance this meal). Thomas opted for the Reuben House Special, which is shaved corned beef with cheese and Bavarian sauerkraut on rye bread and a liter (yes liter) of beer. (He says that’s the best Rueben he’s EVER had.)

After full bellies, we kept shopping. The shops are all a little different. You have your typical “eclectic” shops with random things, there’s a sock shop (I got the cutest Elf socks for when it’s cold for two weeks in Florida), a couple of candy and fudge stores, toy shops, and more. We were able to find some unique gifts that reminded us of friends and family.

After an afternoon of shopping, we opted for snack at The Troll Tavern which sits right on the river. The morning storms had brought in a cool breeze, so it was the perfect stop to eat a snack before our journey back to our cabin. (If you’re not into traditional German cuisine, this would be a good stop for lunch too. Their menu looked great.)

One note to mention: a recurring theme we found was that most restaurants and stores had a credit card processing fee (around 3-4%). That’s not typical where we are from in Florida, but it is what it is. (For those folks who swear by carrying cash on holidays, you’ll have no problem. For the rest of us, just keep that in mind for your budget.)

Overall, Helen was great. I would go back, especially when it’s decorated for the holidays. It’s a charming town that allows you to “escape,” even if just for a day. Prost!