On Saturday, March 14, 2020, we had one of the longest drive days since we started RVing. It was supposed to be a simple journey. Take the Florida Turnpike and continue on I-75 into Georgia. In just four and half hours, we'd be at our campground.
Best laid plans.
After an accident closed the Florida Turnpike in both directions, we were left to the mercy of Google Maps to try and find us an alternate route. Apparently, Google told the entire State of Florida to take the same alternate route. After creepy-crawling to the state line, we finally arrived at our campground seven hours after departing our Florida camp.
We didn't do much on Sunday other than some grocery shopping. You'll be happy to know the toilet paper shelves are just as empty in Tifton, Georgia as they are in the rest of the country.
After our recovery day, it was time to log some more miles. We got an early start Monday morning when Ruby decided we NEEDED to be up at 5:55 a.m. While the traffic was heavy around Atlanta, it was manageable. We arrived in camp in plenty of time to set up and head into town for an early supper.
We don't usually go out on move day, but our friends, George and Nancy, recommend we make a point of stopping in Helen, Georgia, a small mountain town known for its vineyards and Bavarian-style buildings. It also boasts some pretty good German restaurants and biergartens! After a quick Yelp search, we decided on Bodensee.
After checking with the restaurant that they would be serving dinner, we began a short walk about town. Just across Main Street is the entrance to the Georgia Mountain Coaster. These self-controlled bobsled-type coasters are a lot of fun. Unfortunately, we only have a short time to explore the area and we really want to get up to Springer Mountain and the start of the A.T.
Oh, well, Mountain Coaster, maybe next time.
Helen was platted in 1912, and named after the daughter of a lumber official. The town was incorporated in 1913. A former logging town in decline, the city resurrected itself by becoming a replica of a Bavarian alpine town, in the Appalachians instead of the Alps.
We stopped to admire the Chattahoochee River as it flowed toward the Gulf of Mexico. It starts in the southern Blue Ridge Mountains, a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains. The vicinity of the Chattahoochee River was inhabited in prehistoric times by indigenous peoples since at least 1000 BC. Now it is inhabited mostly by tourists.
While it was a little late in the day for coffee, we decided to stop at Yonah Coffee Company just to see if they had fresh roasted beans to sell. We got very lucky left with three different light roasts, including one of Peruvian beans (our favorite), a very interesting discussion with the owner/roaster, and a promise that if we come back tomorrow, we can get a fourth type that has just about finished degassing after its roasting.
Shopping is the number one pastime in Helen. There are tiny shops tucked in all the little alleys, selling such things as toys, trinkets, candy and wine.
On the advice of our barista at Yonah Coffee Company, we stopped in the Old Bavaria Inn to pick up a couple of big, meal-sized soft pretzels.
We were not disappointed! Rather than ruin our dinner, we decided to save these beauties for breakfast. The Philly Girl in Kathy is doing a happy dance right now.
Unfortunately, we were too busy eating our potato pancakes, garlic sausage, smoked pork chops, sauerkraut and German potato salad to take any pictures of that scrumptious dinner, but you can be sure it was tasty.
We certainly enjoyed our glimpse of Germany in Georgia! Who knew?
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