Day 8 Tuesday March 25, 2025
A cool 39 degrees this morning at 8am but it is supposed to warm up to about 70. We ate breakfast and departed for Helen GA about 20 miles away. We were supposed to come here last June after leaving Stone Mountain State Park but we had to cancel after the lightning damaged our motorhome.
Helen was a town that survived on the lumber and textile industry but when the timber played out and textiles moved to China the town was destined to die out. But some of the business people in town looked for ways to save the town. There was an artist in the area that had been stationed in Germany and he sketched the buildings in town giving an Alpine look to the entire town. In January 1969 business owners and local carpenters began turning ideas into reality and all downtown store were renovated with the style of buildings in Germany. More than 2 million visitors come to town each year.
Most of the buildings in town look very similar to buildings that we saw when we lived in Germany. There are several restaurants, cafes, hotels and of course gift shops in town with German sounding names.
We stopped at the visitor center to pick up some information and talked to the ladies working there. After paying $10 to park in the town parking lot we did a walking tour of the town. We stopped at the Bodensee Restaurant to check out their menu. The lady at the visitor center told us the owners were from Germany. They have a lunch menu that is served until 3PM and then they serve from the dinner menu. Actually the same items just the dinner prices are higher.
Helen is not very large so we were able to walk most of it before we were ready for lunch. We stopped at Betty’s Country Store. They sold wine from various areas including some from Germany. We found two Riesling wines from the Mosel River area which is the area that we bought our wine from when we lived in Germany. One of the wines was from Bernkastel which was one of our favorite towns to visit in Germany. Right across the Mosel river was Kues so they were know as Bernkastel-Kues.
We noticed there are hundreds of locks on cables along the bridges and railings along the river and also there is a sculpture in town that is totally covered in small locks. We had no idea what they symbolized and failed to ask anyone but according to Google here is the story.
- Love Lock Tradition:
The practice of placing love locks dates back over 100 years to a woman in Hungary who lost her love during World War I and placed locks on bridges to symbolize her enduring love. - Helen's Solution:
The city of Helen has placed a balloon sculpture in MarketPlatz to house the many locks, helping to reduce the number of locks on the bridges.
We made our way back to the Bodensee Restaurant for lunch. We both ordered the Pork Schnitzel with Jaeger Sauce and German potato salad which was our favorite schnitzel in Germany. It was really good, maybe not quite as good as the ones we got at the Old Firehouse Restaurant in Landsthul Germany but close.
I asked our waiter what part of Germany did the owners come from so he asked the owner, who he referred to as Chef to come talk to us. Chef said they were from the Southern part of Germany.
With our appetite satisfied we drove out of town to Unicoi State Park to take the short hike up to Anna-Ruby Falls. We had to pay $5 for a Georgia parking pass and would of had to pay another $10 because the falls are actually located in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest but we have the Senior Pass which gets us into the National Parks for free. The best $10 we have ever spent. I think now the Senior Pass is about $100 but still a good deal if you visit National Parks.
The first section of the hiking trail to the falls was paved but was a gradual climb until we got to a foot bridge across the stream.
Then the trail was dirt and even more of a climb so we decided to stop at this point to rest a bit before returning to the Jeep. Lena was not feeling 100% so we decided to return to the campground. So we didn’t actually get to the falls but there was a lot of water gushing over the boulders where we were. When Lena got out at our campsite she spotted a large screw in our passenger side rear tire.
I found a tire repair shop about 4 miles away in Hiawassee so I guess I know where I will be going in the morning.
Lena had a bad night of coughing and feeling bad. I mixed some honey and wine and heated it in the microwave and that helped her coughing. I didn’t have whiskey and lemon juice or I would have used them to make the remedy.
Day 9 Wednesday March 26, 2025
I drove into Hiawassee about 4 miles away to Eller Tire Service to get the tire repaired. I found them on Google and they had really positive reviews. They did the paperwork and were working on the tire in 10 minutes of my arrival. They pulled the screw out and patched the hole from the inside of the tire and I was on my way in about 30 minutes.
On the way back I stopped at Bojangles for two country ham and egg biscuits, then stopped at Dunkin Donuts for some donuts. Lena is feeling better this morning but we plan to hang around the campground today. I have a touch of what Lena has but not near as bad as her.
Day 10 Thursday March 27, 2025
Another cold 38 degrees start of the day but should warm up nicely. Lena is still feeling bad, maybe even worse than yesterday but I am no worse.
I washed the bugs off the motorhome windshield.
I picked up some lunch at Bojangles but Lena only took a small taste before returning to bed. I took advantage of the sunshine to set outside by the river for a while to read and watch a pair of mallard ducks swim by.
Day 11 Friday March 28, 2025
Lena is much better today and feels like she is back among the living again and was ready to venture out after we had a light breakfast. We returned to Helen just after noon to try the Jaegar Schnitzel at the Hofbrauhaus Restaurant in Helen. We chose to be seated outside under the Biergarten tent which overlooks the river behind the restaurant. The schnitzel was more tender than the one we got Tuesday at the Bodensee restaurant but it also cost twice as much but it came with two sides instead of one. The portions were way too much for one meal so we each got a takeout box so we will get two meals each.
The male waiters were wearing German Lederhosen but the female waitresses were not wearing clothing that looked very German. Lena asked one of the male waiter if she could take his photo and he was glad to oblige. But he was wearing an American style ball cap which didn’t fit with his Lederhosen.
After eating we drove out of town a few miles to the Stovall Mill Covered Bridge. It was built in the late 1800’s but washed away in the early 1890s but was rebuilt in 1895. The mill and dam was washed away in 1964 and not rebuilt. Even though there is an under surveillance sign on the bridge vandals have painted graffiti all over it. One of those things I don’t understand is why people think that it is okay to vandalize historical sites.
Our next stop was the Old Sautee Store. It was established in 1872 as a country store and post office for the local community. Several of the original cubby holes for the local mail is still in the building. The building was expanded a couple of times but finally the post office moved to a different building.
We got to sample some very good cheese and cinnamon crackers from Sweden and of course had to bring some home with us. We also bought a bar of homemade soap for dogs called Shampoochie. It is made from all natural ingredients. We don’t have a dog but our youngest grandson does so it will be for him.
It was desert time so we returned to Helen and went to Hofer’s Bakery and Cafe to try their Black Forest Cherry Cake and coffee. Black Forest Cherry Cake was my favorite when we lived in Germany. They didn’t serve lattes so we got regular coffee and two slices of the cake. It was okay but a long way from what we got when we were in Germany. Lena can make a better one than what they were selling. It was kind of pricey also. Two small coffees and two slices of cake $27.57. They had a large selection of bakery sweets and none of them had a price posted but they were doing a brisk business.
A couple set down at a table near us and I noticed he was wearing a leather jacket with buttons that looked like the buttons on some of my German shirts so I asked him if he was from Germany. He said he wasn’t but the lady with him (not sure if it was his wife or friend) was from Austria. He actually lived in the area near our campground. He had been to Germany and said he had about 50 German shirts with the same style buttons on them.
We returned to the campground after filling the Jeep up with fuel. We had the nicest weather today we have had since we left home on the 18th. We set outside by the river behind the motorhome. The campground has been almost totally quiet since we have been here except for the maintenance crew cleaning, etc., but now a few weekenders are arriving for the weekend.
Day 12 Saturday March 29, 2025
We returned to Helen again today via a different route to see some different scenery. We wanted to eat breakfast at the Crepe Haus. We like a good crepe and not many place serve them. We found a $5 per day parking lot not too far from the Crepe Haus. We both ordered a latte and a crepe with Nutella, bananas and I got blueberries and Lena got strawberries. The lattes were in a ceramic cup that was about the size of a regular coffee cup and they were $8 each. The crepes were $13, plus $4 for the strawberries, $4 for blueberries and $3 each for the bananas. So our bill was $61 plus tip. Ouch! We have had much better crepes and much, much better lattes for a whole lot less money. One and done.
We did some more exploring of shops we had not been in and sat for a while and watched all the people. We had just sat down on a bench when one of my high school classmates and her husband walked up and we talked for a while. They are staying in a nearby hotel.
We noticed coming into town there were dozens of people in the river fishing. They are have a fishing tournament in town this month.
We had read that some local musicians play at the Old Sautee Store on Saturday mornings so we decided to return there. And they were playing. There were twelve playing, 7 with guitars, 2 mandolins, 2 banjos and 1 up right bass.
Then we went back in the store to taste a product called Good Health. It is made from raw organic vinegar, 20 herbs and spices and 5 fruit juices. It is recommended to take 1-2 ounces each morning to put some ‘Pep’ in your step. Maybe it will help with this ‘crud’ we picked up last week. We think we got the crud at the rally we attended.
The lady at the checkout told us they have a YouTube channel and gave me a card with the channel name. So if you are curious about the store go to YouTube and search for Old Sautee Store. The store has a long history and probably was the center of the community many years ago and now it is a very popular stop for tourists in the area. They also have a small cafe but we didn’t try it but many people were. They get visitors from all over the world.
We returned to the motorhome for some leftovers for lunch and relax the remainder of the day.
Day 13 Sunday March 30, 2025
Today looks like it will be a cool overcast rainy day and tomorrow will be total rain out based on the weather forecast.
It cleared up around 1PM so we decided to get out and go to Hawg Wild BBQ & Cafe House of Hiawassee for lunch. It has good reviews and was only about 4 miles away.
I ordered the Sunday 8oz pulled pork special and Lena got a catfish fillet meal. My meal was a very generous 8oz pile of pulled pork. It was the best BBQ I have had in a long time. Lena’s catfish was also good. We couldn’t eat it all so we got carry out boxes to take back with us. Too good to waste.
The Hamilton Rododendron Gardens was just down the road so we went there to do some walking even though we knew they would not be in bloom. They have 33 acres of a variety of plants, 3,000 in all including 400 varieties of rhododendron, native azaleas, etc. A few of the azaleas were in full bloom and a white rhododendron was in full bloom. And one pink bloom was trying to bloom on another one. They were walking trails throughout the 33 acres covered in mulch so it was fairly easy walking but very hilly.
On the way back to the motorhome we stopped at the Hiawassee Fruit and Vegetable Market to get some fresh fruit and some small white potatoes for a meal I plan to make on the grill when we get to Stone Mountain State Park.
Day 14 Monday March 31, 2025
As predicted today looks like a rainout. Sure glad it is not a travel day.
This campground has 165 campsites, many of them are what we call seasonal. The entire row we are on backs up to the Hiawassee River. To us a seasonal site is where the campers leave their camper on the site long term but don’t live full time in the camper. They probably live in the general area and come to their camper on the weekends and holidays. Some campgrounds that have seasonal sites or long term site don’t make the campers keep their site clean and tidy. We try to avoid those campgrounds. This campground is very well maintained and very quiet and has great views of the mountains around us.
We stayed in, Lena did the laundry and I got some paperwork caught up.
It did clear up late in the afternoon.
Day 15 Tuesday April 1, 2025
Today is travel day. We had breakfast and packed up and departed at 8:30 headed for Stone Mountain State Park North Carolina. The weather prediction is for a nice day with no rain for our 264 mile trip. We crossed into North Carolina just a few miles outside of Hiawassee Ga. We climbed up and down hills, some 3,600’ above sea level.
We had a nice drive and arrived at Stone Mountain just before 2 PM, had a quick lunch of leftovers and setup for our month stay here.
