The hotel in Helen had a variety of flyers but this one caught my eye. It was for a local cultural…read morecenter performing a comedy by a local playwright. After checking the website, same day tickets could only be purchased at the box office. I made a brief call to the center and spoke with a very cordial lady, she explained the location of the center, parking accommodations, ticket costs and COVID protocols. Upon my arrival, I was warmly greeted by the same lady at the box office and purchased my ticket, given a playbill and given general directions around the theater. The play was wonderful and was a blend of Georgia history, humor and culture. This was a delightful experience. As a day hiker, I was passing through Helen for the picturesque landscapes but this experience made the area even more special.

The Sautee Nacoochee Center is a hidden gem that showcases everything wonderful about the north…read moreGeorgia mountains. The folk Pottery Museum tells the story of the indigenous pottery economy/production. Plays and performances are top notch. Events, festivals, classes and other community focused offerings make it the heart and soul of the Sautee Valle. Plus members are able to enjoy White County Rec Department membership for half price!

Spent about an hour here and really enjoyed our visit!…read more We started upstairs (which I believe is only accessible by stairs, since I don't remember seeing an elevator anywhere). We watched a 15-minute video that plays on the half hour, about Dahlonega's gold history. After the video, an enthusiastic tour guide named JL showed us some of the rooms (office for the judge and deliberation room for the jury), as well as brick with gold specs in it. Then we wandered the rest of the upstairs which had discovery drawers with gems, tools, and other items in them. There were a few more displays and rooms downstairs including one with minted coins from Dahlonega, as well as a gift shop. While we spent an hour here, you could watch the film and get through the museum probably in 30-45 minutes of going at your own pace. Overall, I found it very interesting and would highly recommend!

Sweet little museum that doesn't take long to visit. The film is wonderful, but is on the second…read morefloor up a flight of steps. If you cannot make it upstairs I would say skip the museum. The first floor does have a nice little coin collection.

Excellent! Michelle is awesome. My only mistake was not coming here sooner. This is a very relaxed…read moreand comfortable environment. Michelle knows exactly where to work to help ease your pain.

Michelle was the perfect massage therapist for me. She was calming and knowledgeable, polite and…read morepatient. She took the time to get to know me and my lifestyle as well as the activities that I regularly engaged in. She made me very comfortable! My massage lasted 75 minutes (Yes. OMG!) and was a mixture of massage techniques tailored specifically to my needs. The table was heated (so relaxing) and that, coupled with the calming music and scented oil, lulled me into a wonderful meditative state. I felt like an entirely new person almost immediately. It was glorious. I'll be back and I'm recommending her to friends!!

Wow, a lavender field and a beautiful variety of other colorful blossoms growing so that you can…read morepick flowers to make your own bouquet!! Walk the fields soak in the nature, watch the bees and butterflies that love their habitat in the Dahlonega mountains! When you enter the gift shop the lovely scent of lavender will immediately be apparent! There's a gift shop that is what I would label, "Everything Lavender!" Eye masks, balms, lotions, air freshener, dried flower bouquets, wreaths and much more. It's a dainty, cute shop sure to make you want to purchase something. I bought a special tea with all natural ingredients that I am look forward to drinking on a cool fall morning!

You can find me at all the flower fields this summer. Wow, what a stunning property to walk around…read moreand take in all the beauty summer wildflower blooms have to offer. Dahlias are my favorite, but it was hard to choose among the rainbow of colors and flowers in the gardens. There is a small parking fee, but well worth it. Their lavender fields are in full bloom beginning in June, so I have got to go back in a couple of weeks to see those! They offer one of the largest lavender fields in the southeast covering five acres. If you want to pick your own lavender, you must purchase tickets ahead of time on their website to reserve your spot. They also offer fresh flower bouquets for purchase in the cottage shop, as well as tons of handcrafted lavender products (made in house straight from field to jar). I wanted to buy everything as I am a huge proponent of clean, natural skincare ingredients and theirs are only made with the purest, highest quality ingredients. Can't wait to take another drive up to Dahlonega for a second visit!

We came up here on Mother's Day, and it happened to be the last day of their festival, celebrating…read morethe peak for rhododendrons bloom. Their owner/manager, Catherine, gave my mom and I a wonderful tour in their golf cart. Mom says it's her favorite place in the world!

Worth seeing! Beautiful gardens on the lake and the lady who runs it is so nice and helpful. They…read morehave live music/special events, I'll plan to come back

THE TOCCOA HARVEST FESTIVAL!…read more The Toccoa Harvest Festival takes place in downtown Toccoa in Stephens County during the last week of October. It is now in its 40th year. We decided to visit for the first time this year. We headed out before dawn and as the sun came up, we enjoyed the beautiful scenery and change of colors. As per usual, we had planned to get there at least an hour before the start of the actual event which was scheduled to start at 10 am. We actually arrived around 8:30 am and was surprised to see several vendors already set up as well as volunteers providing directions. These small town people don't play! After eating breakfast we set out to view the vendors' wares and to see what was "poppin". My first stop was at the classic car show where I met Kent and his classic blue Chevy truck, (see the photo). `I absolutely love classic vehicles, (especially trucks), so I always have to get the "back story". This truck was purchased approximately four years ago when it was seen on someone's property. Kent had asked about the truck but the man had said that his son was planning on purchasing it. Approximately one month later, Kent saw the truck and stopped by again. At that time he was told that someone else was interested in the car and had stopped by earlier in the day. Kent offered the man cash on the spot and sealed the deal. He then spent the next four years stripping the truck and rebuilding it. All of the work was done in his garage or yard, including the paint. I was blown away to know that he had completed all of the work, (except the welding) himself. He did a phenomenal job because he showed me his book that documented the process. Collectors always have a book to document their restoration process so just ask if you are curious. I really enjoyed talking to this guy! We met another guy who had this sick 1935 International "flower wagon" that was once used to transport flowers to funerals. It too had been totally stripped and restored with a beautiful red interior and custom additions. Incredible! I could have spent hours here but I needed to explore more. There were a variety of vendors selling a variety of items such as candles, holiday décor, homemade soaps, jewelry, toys, hair accessories, art leather goods and more. I ran into my favorite jewelry vendor who I tend to purchase sets from exclusively. She didn't have anything that I don't already own so I ordered a custom piece that I will pick up at the next festival, because we just tend to run in the same circles. I must confess that I am getting a great deal because I am a repeat customer and she wants a pound cake! She is one of the few vendors who actually uses sterling silver and genuine stones while the others will just tell you that those materials are too expensive. I also like her because she does the larger adjustable statements pieces with matching earrings. Enough about my favorites! They had a Christian choir singing in the square, an activity area for children, full service restrooms that didn't include a porta-potty, great food options including Lobster, Mongolian Beef and Thai, carriage rides, baked goods, and probably some things that I just did not get to see. It was a beautiful day for the festival and it all started with a beautiful drive up from Alpharetta and ended with a visit to see the falls. When you visit the festivals, take time to see the landmarks visit the local vendors and spend time in the community. Your visit is always appreciated! By the way, if you like the frequent sound of trains running through a small town, Toccoa is your kind of town!

Had a blast touring the museum with Luther, a great experience to learn about the first Americans…read moreand their culture and history.

This is a small museum-only a couple of rooms-with limited hours. Given that scope, it's still not…read morea bad idea to drop in and pay a small admission fee to see some interesting bits of history. The most notable finding for me was the notion that the local tribes apparently were not part of the Trail of Tears, and thus were not relocated away from here as many people in surrounding regions were taken from their homes. There was also some coverage of how the pre-Columbian societies worked, the various treaties that were signed in the area, and the scourge of smallpox. I was recommended to stop at some other sites nearby, but roamed around only briefly before hitting the road. I do think it's always worthwhile to stop and ponder the history of any place I visit, and particularly Native American history it is often not easy to learn about. So if you have the chance to do so, I'd say take it.

This festival was a blast! If you love Bluegrass you must…read moreattend this next year. The festival runs from a Friday to sunday. Friday evening you check in at the main stage tent. For 5.00 you get a bidding paddle for live and silent auction. All the food you can eat, this year provided by Bourbon Street. Shimp, cornbread, deserts. Fab! All the wine you can drink. Yes you read that correctly! Plus you can purchase your Bear on the square tshirt! Bid on wonderful items! Listen to live music. I got to meet Ugly Cousin! Definitely go to the festival on Sunday. This is when the gospel music is until around 1pm Then, this year headlining the event was Becky Buller. Amazing song writer, singer and fiddle player. I got to meet her also and she signed all my stuff! Food, food, and more food. Everything you want. I got a gyro. It was awesome. A bit pricy but it's a festival. Basically if you enjoy Bluegrass go to this festival. You will get to meet some amazing artist that are very willing to speak with you and appreciate that you are a fan. Definitely going back next year.

WHERE IS THAT BEAR?…read more This is the twentieth year for the "Bear on the Square" Festival and I thought that it would be interesting because of the emphasis on Appalachian music and culture. We love all genres of music and enjoy being able to hear something different and speak with the various artists. Storytelling, workshops and demonstrations were also featured. This festival is a huge favorite of the locals and the highlight on a Sunday morning is the gospel jam which is held in a tent overflowing with attendees. This jam should have been held in the local park because of its size and the interest that it generates. During the Gold Rush Festival, the Sunday service is held in the park and it is wonderful and accessible to all. As a rule, we always attend the festivals on opening day (Saturday), because it has a fuller and more varied schedule. On this day, many of the acts were not scheduled to perform until later in the day around 1pm but since we were there at 9 am, we would love to have seen musical acts performing at that hour. The cool aspect of this festival was being able to talk to artists such as the resident weaver who were working this very sophisticated weaving machine that was making cotton wash cloths. She had been weaving since the age of seven and had definitely discovered her passion. I also enjoyed talking to the dulcimer artist who carefully constructed custom dulcimers one or two at a time. The craftsmanship was impeccable and it usually takes a minimum of three months to create one from beginning to end. You get to totally customize your own design and whatever you want, he will make an effort to execute it. There were plenty of vendors who were showcasing personal wares such as jewelry, pottery, leather, wood products, instruments, clothing, food items and more. This was just a beautiful day to walk around, explore and mingle with vendors and visitors. It was also a great way to cap off the weekend after spending all of Saturday working in the yard. Next year we will be sure to arrive on Saturday so that we can take advantage of the full schedule.