Dirndls = Discounts

Just two gals enjoying Oktoberfest in Helen, Georgia! 

Day 1

Last November, my friend Mara and I spirited away to Chattanooga for some hiking and relaxation. Nearly everywhere we went, we saw flyers and posters for Oktoberfest in Helen, Georgia. Helen was about an hour away, and the event had just ended, but we began asking ourselves, "What is the big deal about Oktoberfest in Helen? Why are there posters about it everywhere?"

So, when we got back home, we started Googling, and we learned that the Oktoberfest in Helen, Georgia, is lauded as one of the best in the United States. It starts during weekends in September, and it goes on every single day during the whole month of October. (It's one of the longest-running Oktoberfests in the U.S.)

Pretty Greek church in Birmingham

Intrigued, Mara and I got our dirndls ready and booked a precious AirBnb for a long weekend. We hit the road early on a Thursday, because Helen is a pretty good drive from home. We had gorgeous weather, and Mara's fancy SUV made for a comfy trip! 

By the time we were closing in on Birmingham, we were jonesing for lunch. A little research beforehand told us that Birmingham's 50th Annual GreekFest was in full swing, and that sounded like an awesome place to grab some food. 

We parked the car, walked over, ordered a wide variety of things to try and got down to business. (How do you know the food is really good? Mara and I finally stop talking!) I tried the lamb souvlaki, and we got an assortment of cookies to taste and take with us. (We loved the almond crescent cookies with coffee, but the melomakaronas were our favorite! They tasted just like Christmas!) 

After eating, we strolled a few festival booths and took a quick tour of the lovely church. Then, it was back on the road. We drove pretty continuously for the rest of the way, arriving at the cabin just at nightfall. (We even saw a family of deer on the way in! We frequently saw deer right near the cabin when coming back to the area after a day of exploring. A lovely welcome!) 

We got settled in, then had some cheese, crackers, charcuterie, and wine that we'd brought with us for dinner. (Honestly, it's no fun hustling to the grocery store that first night/morning after a long day of driving. We'd planned ahead and packed munchies for that night and some breakfast items for the mornings.) 

After a little unpacking, we sacked out! 

Day 2

In the dusk and hustle of the night before, we hadn't had time to properly appreciate our rental. We'd chosen it for several reasons - excellent reviews, charming architecture, and plenty of room inside. (We even had an extra bedroom!) But mostly, we'd chosen it for its lovely outdoor space. The rental had an expansive back deck (with a hammock!), two fire pits with seating, and best of all, it backed up to a babbling creek. You were situated in the woods, with plenty of privacy. But there were neighbors nearby, so you weren't totally isolated. The best of both worlds. 

Sweeping views atop Mount Yonah

That first morning, we made a lovely breakfast and took our cups of hot coffee down to the side of the creek, where we sat on a bench and watched the water bubbling by. Just a refreshing, restorative way to start the day.  

After soaking in the nature a bit, it was time for a hike! We navigated to the Mount Yonah Trail, which is 4+ miles of pretty steep out-and-back elevation. It was a gorgeous day, and the woods and mountains were beautiful. We saw cool mushrooms and tons of neat plants on this hike! The trail had other hikers on it, but because we were there on a Friday, it wasn't too populated. There were plenty of opportunities for solitude. 

Trail Nicole is Happy Nicole

AllTrails labels this hike as "hard," and they aren't lying! Bring your hiking boots and plenty of water. But the views at the top are lovely, and I can see why this is a favorite hike for Georgians. 

After our hike, we were hungry! We made our way to Clyde's Table and Tavern for lunch. This great little place was perfect for burgers and fries! We sat upstairs, and I was even able to take a work call in a quiet hallway while we waited for our food to arrive. 

Tired, full, and happy, we were ready for a rest after lunch, so we headed back to the rental, hit the showers, and took quick nap. Upon awakening, we enjoyed the creek a bit, then gussied up and went out for a snack and a drink at nearby Creekstone Winery. (There are lovely wineries dotted all over north Georgia. Some are small and quaint, and others offer an experience more like you'd find in Napa or Sonoma.) That night, the Creekstone kitchen was open late, so we ordered a flatbread and flights of wines, then took them out to the terrace, where they had live music. 

It was so nice to sit out there, listening to the acoustic guitar, sipping our wine, munching on our yummies, and hearing the crickets start to chip as the sun went down. Just a lovely evening. Before we left, I bought a couple of extra bottles of wine for the cabin. 

Day 3

It was chilly the next morning when we woke up! We enjoyed another lazy morning (I made good use of the hammock.) before getting dressed and heading into Helen for lunch. We paid for parking on the lot of a sweet little church, then started walking the cute downtown area. 

Alpine Helen! 

We'd originally planned to eat lunch at Hofer's Bakery and Cafe, but the line was insane. (I am so not about standing in a line on my vacation.) Nonplussed, we found a quick table at the Alpine Cafe across the street. This place had a lovely outdoor courtyard with a fountain and live music. (The food was ok here, but atmosphere and quickness of service was what paid off.)  

After we ate, it was time to explore! We took goofy selfies in an on-street photo booth, marveled at the alpine architecture of Main Street, sampled some fudge, did a bit of shopping, and listened to some polka. We thought we might ride the Georgia Mountain Coaster, but again, the line was ridiculous, so we skipped it. 

Are we goofy? Yes. Do we mind it? No.

We also got some great local treats at Betty's Country Store. (Hello, champagne mustard! This stuff was about $8 a jar, but it is HEAVEN on a crunchy pretzel.) We ended up at the Helen Art and Heritage Center, which was exactly our speed. In the little town history museum there, we learned all about how Helen became what it is today. (Basically, it had been a logging town that had fallen on hard times. When Unicoi State Park opened just north of it, a few locals got together to try and capitalize on related tourism for their town. A few discussions - and some sketches from a scenic designer - later, they converted Helen into an Alpine Village, and the tourists have been stopping by ever since.) This wonderful little place also has an art gallery featuring local work. Prices were very reasonable, and I picked up a painting and a gorgeous handmade mug! 

After enjoying most of the afternoon in Helen, we pointed our GPS toward Anna Ruby Falls. A short drive, a small fee, and a quick (but steep) walk later, we were standing in front of a rare, tumbling envelope of two beautiful double waterfalls. This place is popular, and the trail is short and paved, so you'll see lots of other tourists there. But still, it is wonderful - families, kids, dogs, all enjoying the forest and the waterfalls and being together. 

Gorgeous Anna Ruby Falls

Once we'd spent some time appreciating the falls, we backtracked to the visitor's center, where we browsed the gift shop and picked up some bottled water. 

Our plan had been to drive back to the cabin, change into our dirndls, and then return to Helen that evening for the Oktoberfest activities. But as we drove past/away from Helen to our cabin, the traffic to get back into town that night looked daunting. (Like, a mile or two of cars, easy. Yikes.)

We made a quick change of plans. We'd find other pursuits that night and return to Helen on Sunday afternoon/evening for Oktoberfest. (This ended up being a brilliant choice. More on that later.) 

Instead, we went back to the cabin and had a rest. 

Stunning sunset from the terrace of Montaluce Winery

Later that evening, we were interested in dinner, but had no definite plans. A quick internet search revealed that Montaluce Winery and Restaurant in nearby Dahlonega was close, convenient, took reservations, and appeared to have some availability. We made a quick phone call to set up a reservation, then gussied up (This place is on the nicer side.) and headed out. 

What a happy surprise! First of all, this winery is located within an impressive tract of property - vineyards, event venues, etc. After driving through the gorgeous landscape a bit, you park at the bottom of a hill and begin your climb up to the top! (Valet parking is also available, but a bit of walking never hurt anybody.) There are two restaurants here - a more casual quick service place, and then the formal restaurant where we'd booked our reservation. 

Did someone say bolognese?

We arrived at the formal dining option and were quickly seated. Though we were given the choice of indoor or outdoor dining, we opted for indoor, as it was a bit chilly out. We did, however, make our way out to the terrace for sweeping views of the sunset over the vineyard. Amazing. 

We started with an appetizer special and glasses of wine, and then I moved on to the decadent filet bolognese. Divine, divine, divine. The service was prompt and knowledgable, the atmosphere was wonderful (with window views of the sunset and the vineyard), and the food was delicious. The price point at this place is high for the area, but I'd put it up against most of the places I've visited in the Napa/Sonoma region. Just a wonderful experience. 

On our way out of the restaurant, we stopped briefly at the winery's gift shop, where we bought some gourmet macarons to take home. Back at the cabin, we lit a fire in one of our outdoor fire pits, cozied up under some blankets, and ate our treats under the stars! A perfect ending to a fantastic day!

Day 4

We were lazy the next morning! I made myself some breakfast, did a little work from the cabin, and enjoyed some coffee and creek time. By the afternoon, we were ready to get going, so we ironed our dirndls and navigated back to Helen, where we parked the car and queued up to get into Oktoberfest! 

Let's FEST!

Unlike the day before, there was no traffic to get into town. (On Sundays, Helen hosts Oktoberfest 1-7 p.m., and there's no fee to get into the Festhalle, so it's apparently when the locals show up - AFTER most of the out-of-towners have gone home.) There was a bit of a line to enter the Festhalle (maybe about 20 minutes). Once inside, Mara and I decided to divide and conquer - She waited in line for beers and snacks, and I waited in line for our dinner plates. (This was another 30-40 minutes or so. Something I did notice, though - by 4 p.m., there was no line anywhere. Not to get in, and not to get food. So, my advice? Show up at 4 p.m. on Sundays, spend three glorious, line-free hours Oktoberfesting, and then bounce. That's the pro tip.) 

But by then, we got a great seat in the Festhalle; enjoyed our beers, wurst plates, spiced nuts, giant pretzels with beer cheese; and sang and danced along to the AMAZING live band.  Mollie B., the singer, played about a million different instruments and had the voice of an angel. The band did traditional polkas, songs from The Sound of Music (and you know I was singing along at the absolute top of my lungs), and the Chicken Dance! (Did Mara and I run up there and do the chicken dance? Do you even need to ask? We have still got it, people!!)

When I tell you we Oktoberfested, I mean we OKTOBERFESTED. And we learned something important - cute, nice ladies who show up to this Oktoberfest in pretty little dirndls get discounts. (Frankly, if Mara had only left her bra at home, I bet everything we ordered would have been FREE!) So, get you a dirndl and enjoy a few dollars off some tasty treats! Heh. 

After chicken dancing our little hearts out, it was back to the cabin for showers, relaxing, and bed!

Fireside chats

Day 5

We awoke on Monday, packed up, cleaned up, enjoyed one last good breakfast at the cabin, and bid our sweet little creek out back goodbye. Then, it was on towards home. 

We had another gorgeous day for driving, and the going was pretty easy. We made a stop in Atlanta for lunch at a fantastic Mexican place called La Parilla. I had a delicious shredded chicken bowl that made me think I need to be making bowls at home a WHOLE LOT more. 

Mara deposited me at home before dinner time. What a fun trip! We loved our visit to the Helen area - the hiking, the wine, the festival, the food - and there were plenty of other things to do that we didn't get to! I'd recommend it to anyone!