Showing posts with label Helen Georgia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Helen Georgia. Show all posts
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Good Food & Good Music in Helen
Bigg Daddy's in Helen has a reputation for being one of the better music venues in the north Georgia mountains..and with the huge deck and a full service bar, one of the better places to drink and mingle with both locals and tourists. Some good local and regional bands like Big City Sunrise, The Avery Dylan Project, Big Swig and others are regular performers inside..with ocassional Sunday shows on the deck. My son and I headed up to Bigg Daddy's a couple of weekends ago to see a Savannah band, Wormsloew. Since we had gotten up to Helen hungry and in need of some lunch..the decision was made to give the menu at Bigg Daddy's a shot.
We sat at the bar and ordered a burger for myself and steak quesadilla for the kid. I was immediately impressed when Zack, the bartender, asked me how I wanted my burger cooked. It has become a real chore with all the food scare paranoia to find a place that will serve a medium-medium rare burger the way I like them. The thick, hand pattied burger was cooked perfectly to order and served with Bigg Daddy's version of french fries-sliced into ovals rather than the everyday stick shape, and served nice and hot. Son devoured his quesadilla in record time and commented that it was as good or better than any he had ever had. A good lunch with good fast service. We left to explore a few other attractions in Helen and returned about 9 pm for the band.
My son had spied the Big Freaking Brownie on the menu earlier in the day and decided that would be a good dinner....he couldn't even finish it..the name is well deserved. The brownie comes topped with a hazelnut foam that really makes it a treat (I had to finish it-my duty as a father). The Wormsloew show was great (See Mountainfreak Music page). Bigg Daddy's derserves it's reputation as one of the best places in the mountains for music, beverages...and food.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Things we are working on for the August edition of Mountainfreak.net
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-Biltmore House & Gardens for our Borders page
-Horsetrough Falls and the Upper Chattahoochee Campground
-Live Music Reviews..Big City Sunrise & Royal Family
-T Dawg's Hootenanny Music Fest in August
-Jordano's Restaurant in Helen
-Go Karting in Helen
-Woody's Mountain Bikes near Unicoi State park
...and maybe some surprises
Friday, May 30, 2008
Camping Around Helen, GA
Camping Around Helen
Low Gap Creek and Andrews Cove
Visitors start flocking to the Helen, Georgia area this month as the weather improves and the kids get out of school. Helen has good restaurants, bars, shopping for the adults and amusement parks, tubing on the 'hooch, and a variety of other activities for the kids. Plenty of lodging accommodations are available throughout the area for whatever taste and budget you desire. The main attraction here is the beautiful setting in the Chattahoochee valley of the North Georgia Mountains, and there is no better way to enjoy the mountains than camping. All the campgrounds in the area will be open in May, and like other overnight opportunities, there is something for everyone. We decided to focus on some "real" camping this month-tent and small RV camping at Low Gap Creek Campground in the Mark Trail Wilderness, and Andrews Cove Campground just north of Helen on GA 75.
Low Gap Creek Campround
Waterfront Campsite on Low Gap Creek
Only about 5 miles from Helen, but a world away in the wilderness, Low Gap Creek Campground is a real jewel. 13 spacious campsites lie either next or adjacent to Low Gap Creek as it tumbles down to meet the Chattahoochee. This is "real" camping..no electricity, one water source, no showers. There are chemical restroom facilities on site. The sites here are certainly large enough for a big pop up camper to medium sized RV, but most of what I've seen here is tent camping.
Low Gap Creek
Low Gap Creek itself is a pretty good trout stream, and fishermen use the area as well as hikers setting out for Low Gap Falls upstream. Access is easy from Poplar Stump Rd. just west of the Chattahoochee off Alt 75 in Robertstown-across from Cool River Tubing and the Helen Flea Market. Poplar Stump Rd. turns into Forestry Rd. 44 (well maintained gravel) that will lead you to the campground. The fee for camping is $10 per night. The bathrooms and campsites are wheelchair accessible.
Andrews Cove Campground
Entrance to Andrews Cove Campground
Consisting of 10 padded sites along Andrews Creek and situated just off GA 75 a few miles north of Helen, Andrews Cove is a bit more known and popular than Low Gap Creek. Also the beginning of the Andrews Cove Trail, which leads 2 miles to the Appalachian Trail, this campground is a good jumping off point for many mountain activities. Amenities are very similar to Low Gap-chemical toilets, limited water water source and no electricity. These campsites are not RV friendly at all, anything larger than a pop up would have trouble with the fit and negotiating the roadway. For folks with larger campers I would suggest checking out Unicoi State Park, Moccasin Creek State Park, or Yonah Mountain Campground which is a privately owned campground about 4 miles south of Helen. The nightly fee for Andrews Cove is $10 per night, first come first serve.
If you would like to plan a camping trip to the Helen area..or anywhere in the North Georgia Mountains... don't hesitate to email us if you have any questions we can help with -editor@mountainfreak.net. We have a good deal of experience in the area, and if we don't know the answer to your question it is very likely that we know someone who does. If you have a camping experience or advice you would like to share with our readers, use the same email link and let us know about it so we can share
Low Gap Creek and Andrews Cove
Visitors start flocking to the Helen, Georgia area this month as the weather improves and the kids get out of school. Helen has good restaurants, bars, shopping for the adults and amusement parks, tubing on the 'hooch, and a variety of other activities for the kids. Plenty of lodging accommodations are available throughout the area for whatever taste and budget you desire. The main attraction here is the beautiful setting in the Chattahoochee valley of the North Georgia Mountains, and there is no better way to enjoy the mountains than camping. All the campgrounds in the area will be open in May, and like other overnight opportunities, there is something for everyone. We decided to focus on some "real" camping this month-tent and small RV camping at Low Gap Creek Campground in the Mark Trail Wilderness, and Andrews Cove Campground just north of Helen on GA 75.
Low Gap Creek Campround
Waterfront Campsite on Low Gap Creek
Only about 5 miles from Helen, but a world away in the wilderness, Low Gap Creek Campground is a real jewel. 13 spacious campsites lie either next or adjacent to Low Gap Creek as it tumbles down to meet the Chattahoochee. This is "real" camping..no electricity, one water source, no showers. There are chemical restroom facilities on site. The sites here are certainly large enough for a big pop up camper to medium sized RV, but most of what I've seen here is tent camping.
Low Gap Creek
Low Gap Creek itself is a pretty good trout stream, and fishermen use the area as well as hikers setting out for Low Gap Falls upstream. Access is easy from Poplar Stump Rd. just west of the Chattahoochee off Alt 75 in Robertstown-across from Cool River Tubing and the Helen Flea Market. Poplar Stump Rd. turns into Forestry Rd. 44 (well maintained gravel) that will lead you to the campground. The fee for camping is $10 per night. The bathrooms and campsites are wheelchair accessible.
Andrews Cove Campground
Entrance to Andrews Cove Campground
Consisting of 10 padded sites along Andrews Creek and situated just off GA 75 a few miles north of Helen, Andrews Cove is a bit more known and popular than Low Gap Creek. Also the beginning of the Andrews Cove Trail, which leads 2 miles to the Appalachian Trail, this campground is a good jumping off point for many mountain activities. Amenities are very similar to Low Gap-chemical toilets, limited water water source and no electricity. These campsites are not RV friendly at all, anything larger than a pop up would have trouble with the fit and negotiating the roadway. For folks with larger campers I would suggest checking out Unicoi State Park, Moccasin Creek State Park, or Yonah Mountain Campground which is a privately owned campground about 4 miles south of Helen. The nightly fee for Andrews Cove is $10 per night, first come first serve.
If you would like to plan a camping trip to the Helen area..or anywhere in the North Georgia Mountains... don't hesitate to email us if you have any questions we can help with -editor@mountainfreak.net. We have a good deal of experience in the area, and if we don't know the answer to your question it is very likely that we know someone who does. If you have a camping experience or advice you would like to share with our readers, use the same email link and let us know about it so we can share
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Unicoi State Park Camping
March Camping at Unicoi State Park
I took my two sons and two of their friends up to Unicoi State Park for a couple of nights of tent camping, hiking and sightseeing just this past weekend, March 21-23. We started out setting up camp when we arrived on Friday afternoon and it couldn't have been nicer, probably 65-70 degrees. The boys had a lot of pent up energy from the ride up so we decided to hike the Bottoms Loop Trail that winds around the Unicoi Lake. It follows Smith Creek from near the camping area and winds its way on a wide path that made for an enjoyable hike.
Boys being boys (the 4 range in age from 12-15), they were hungry when we made it back to camp so we had a little lesson in fire building, which is when all else fails use charcoal lighter fluid! The wood we had brought from home was damp and I had forgotten kindling, so we gathered up some fallen twigs out of the woods and eventually got a fire going. After all the lighter fluid burned off we set about cooking some hot dogs and hamburgers, which were not as good as they would have been had we remembered to bring BUNS. Can you tell I don't camp very often? But it gets better. I had purchased a brand new Coleman multi fuel, top of the line lantern specifically for this trip. I had gotten a Coleman stove for Christmas from my wife (a hint?) that runs on small propane canisters. In my haste to pack and get ready I had purchased 4 canisters of propane and not a single drop of the liquid fuel required to burn the lantern. It was going to be a dark night spent with 4 boys who had just filled up on bunless burgers and beans. Fortunately we made it through and were able to buy some fuel at the trading post in the morning.
We had a lot of fun hiking some of the Smith Creek Trail, driving to Anna Ruby Falls and spending some time in Helen. While in Helen I was able to talk the boys into having a proper sit down meal inside a restaurant, and explain to them that the first camping trip of the year is kind of like a shake down cruise, or a dry run to make sure your equipment is working properly and that you have your packing list trimmed down to only what your need.
Michael (Clark W. Griswold) Allen
Flowery Branch, GA
I took my two sons and two of their friends up to Unicoi State Park for a couple of nights of tent camping, hiking and sightseeing just this past weekend, March 21-23. We started out setting up camp when we arrived on Friday afternoon and it couldn't have been nicer, probably 65-70 degrees. The boys had a lot of pent up energy from the ride up so we decided to hike the Bottoms Loop Trail that winds around the Unicoi Lake. It follows Smith Creek from near the camping area and winds its way on a wide path that made for an enjoyable hike.
Boys being boys (the 4 range in age from 12-15), they were hungry when we made it back to camp so we had a little lesson in fire building, which is when all else fails use charcoal lighter fluid! The wood we had brought from home was damp and I had forgotten kindling, so we gathered up some fallen twigs out of the woods and eventually got a fire going. After all the lighter fluid burned off we set about cooking some hot dogs and hamburgers, which were not as good as they would have been had we remembered to bring BUNS. Can you tell I don't camp very often? But it gets better. I had purchased a brand new Coleman multi fuel, top of the line lantern specifically for this trip. I had gotten a Coleman stove for Christmas from my wife (a hint?) that runs on small propane canisters. In my haste to pack and get ready I had purchased 4 canisters of propane and not a single drop of the liquid fuel required to burn the lantern. It was going to be a dark night spent with 4 boys who had just filled up on bunless burgers and beans. Fortunately we made it through and were able to buy some fuel at the trading post in the morning.
We had a lot of fun hiking some of the Smith Creek Trail, driving to Anna Ruby Falls and spending some time in Helen. While in Helen I was able to talk the boys into having a proper sit down meal inside a restaurant, and explain to them that the first camping trip of the year is kind of like a shake down cruise, or a dry run to make sure your equipment is working properly and that you have your packing list trimmed down to only what your need.
Michael (Clark W. Griswold) Allen
Flowery Branch, GA
Betty's Country Store/Supermarket in Helen
The Best Grocery Store In North Georgia
My husband and I recently rented a condo in Helen, Georgia for a much needed weekend getaway. I had found Mountainfreak.net as we were researching things to do while in the mountains and had decided to see if I could contribute to the site something interesting about our trip, hoping we would see many interesting things!
As it turned out, the weather did not cooperate and we spent most of our time in the condo instead of carousing all over the mountains as I'd hoped. We did find a real unexpected pleasure however. The condo we rented had a wonderfully equipped kitchen, even an indoor grill, which sent us off in search of steaks on a Friday afternoon. I asked a full-time tenant in one of the adjacent condos where to go in Cleveland to buy some decent steaks and was somewhat surprised when she told me the best steaks around were available within walking distance, at Betty's Supermarket. We were thankful for the tip yet still dubious about the information as we made our way to Betty's. My husband's comment upon parking in the gravel lot across from Betty's was that it looked like a fancy feed & seed store, boy was he wrong! I wish Betty's was within walking distance of our home in north metro Atlanta!
We went nuts. We purchased 2 huge, thick hand cut Black Angus strip steaks, fresh salad ingredients, freshly baked bread, wild rice and some cheescake for dessert. The selection of local favorites combined with items from all over the world really impressed us both. We found 2 of our favorite wines and my husband's favorite micro brew beer as well. I'm sure many of your readers are aware of Betty's but for people like us who are just now discovering the north Georgia mountains we wanted you to know about it!
Contributed by Charlene Vecchio- Roswell, GA
My husband and I recently rented a condo in Helen, Georgia for a much needed weekend getaway. I had found Mountainfreak.net as we were researching things to do while in the mountains and had decided to see if I could contribute to the site something interesting about our trip, hoping we would see many interesting things!
As it turned out, the weather did not cooperate and we spent most of our time in the condo instead of carousing all over the mountains as I'd hoped. We did find a real unexpected pleasure however. The condo we rented had a wonderfully equipped kitchen, even an indoor grill, which sent us off in search of steaks on a Friday afternoon. I asked a full-time tenant in one of the adjacent condos where to go in Cleveland to buy some decent steaks and was somewhat surprised when she told me the best steaks around were available within walking distance, at Betty's Supermarket. We were thankful for the tip yet still dubious about the information as we made our way to Betty's. My husband's comment upon parking in the gravel lot across from Betty's was that it looked like a fancy feed & seed store, boy was he wrong! I wish Betty's was within walking distance of our home in north metro Atlanta!
We went nuts. We purchased 2 huge, thick hand cut Black Angus strip steaks, fresh salad ingredients, freshly baked bread, wild rice and some cheescake for dessert. The selection of local favorites combined with items from all over the world really impressed us both. We found 2 of our favorite wines and my husband's favorite micro brew beer as well. I'm sure many of your readers are aware of Betty's but for people like us who are just now discovering the north Georgia mountains we wanted you to know about it!
Contributed by Charlene Vecchio- Roswell, GA
Thursday, February 21, 2008
The Mysterious Gazebo (Feb 2008)
Many visitors to Helen, Ga. are curious about the Gazebo located adjacent to and just east of Hwy. 75 north of town. There is a little history surrounding the Gazebo and the Nacoochee Indian Mound upon which it was built.
The Gazebo was built by Captain J.H. Nichols in 1890. Captain Nichols purchased quite a bit of land in the Nacoochee Valley following the Civil War. His holdings included the land surrounding Anna Ruby Falls, which he named after his daughter. Across the road from the Gazebo and Indian Mound you can see the house that Captain Nichols built in the nineteenth century, which still stands and is known now as the Hardman-Nichols estate. The Nichols land holdings were sold to timber interests after his death, which led to Helen, Ga. growing up around the saw mills that followed.
The history of the Indian Mound that sits beneath the Gazebo goes back much further. This ceremonial mound is believed to be the center of an ancient Cherokee town known as Gauxule. Archaeological evidence uncovered during an extensive excavation done in 1915 indicate the Nacoochee Mound was in use in the late fifteenth century until sometime in the seventeenth century. Local legend even points to a visit by Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto around 1540.
A local Helen resident told me that the Nacoochee Mound site has been sold to the state of Georgia and will be included within a new state park-but I have not been able to verify that information yet.
When you visit Helen, stop by and enjoy the unusual setting of a 1890 gazebo sitting atop an ancient Mississippian earthen burial mound..it is one of the most photographed scenes in north Georgia, for good reason.
Contributed by S. Nunnally, Cleveland, GA.
The Gazebo was built by Captain J.H. Nichols in 1890. Captain Nichols purchased quite a bit of land in the Nacoochee Valley following the Civil War. His holdings included the land surrounding Anna Ruby Falls, which he named after his daughter. Across the road from the Gazebo and Indian Mound you can see the house that Captain Nichols built in the nineteenth century, which still stands and is known now as the Hardman-Nichols estate. The Nichols land holdings were sold to timber interests after his death, which led to Helen, Ga. growing up around the saw mills that followed.
The history of the Indian Mound that sits beneath the Gazebo goes back much further. This ceremonial mound is believed to be the center of an ancient Cherokee town known as Gauxule. Archaeological evidence uncovered during an extensive excavation done in 1915 indicate the Nacoochee Mound was in use in the late fifteenth century until sometime in the seventeenth century. Local legend even points to a visit by Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto around 1540.
A local Helen resident told me that the Nacoochee Mound site has been sold to the state of Georgia and will be included within a new state park-but I have not been able to verify that information yet.
When you visit Helen, stop by and enjoy the unusual setting of a 1890 gazebo sitting atop an ancient Mississippian earthen burial mound..it is one of the most photographed scenes in north Georgia, for good reason.
Contributed by S. Nunnally, Cleveland, GA.
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