Did you know that Helen, GA is the Bavaria of the US? There is so much to see and do in the area. Tubing down the river, mini golf, eating German food, strolling through the themed down, browsing the shops, visiting an old mill, wine tasting, hiking, waterfalls, and more! This charming alpine Bavarian town has something for everyone!
Despite having lived in Alabama for 9 years of our life I had no idea about this place until recently. So while we were in AL this summer I was determined to get this crossed off our bucket list. One of the great things about the area is that there are a ton of cabins that you can rent for your stay. There are hotels too but we were going with 8 people and wanted to stay together. We also wanted to grill out at the cabin, have a hot tub, and game room so the cabin was the best option for us. Our stay at Kickin’ Back Cabin and had a great experience. The cabin decor was cozy and charming, plus it has screened in porches. Wifi was great too which helped me to research the local places to explore.
We knew we wanted to do tubing while we were there and used Cool River Tubing. Our stay was great because we were there right after school started GA and it really wasn’t crowded at all. I do recommend bringing your own push sticks if you have them as they are $5 each to rent, we took our own and used them. There are lockers there if you need them and they will hold your keys with photo ID. They also have straps if you want to strap 2 tubes together.
The river is quite low so it was good workout having to use the push poles and even jump off the tube a few times to get us unstuck. By the time we got to the end my tube had deflated and I looked like a taco, LOL! But we had a great time and I’d recommend it. It was $10 per person, and we chose to take the 2 hour route. The bus loads you up and you get off at the first stop if you want the 1 hour route or the second stop if you want the 2 hour route.
Walking through the charming Bavarian style town is a fun experience. Having been to Bavaria a few times I liked all the colorful buildings and architecture. Lots of shops with all kinds of things from home decor to yummy fudge.
Also make sure to check out the windmill at the Heidi hotel. This is down near the Country store and some other cute shops. If you visit the Country store at the back of the store you can see bees making honey.
There is also a working mill that you can visit and watch as well as shop for goodies. Next to it is a neat coffee place, Jumping Goat Cafe. Across the street is a 3 floor Antique store and a Wine tasting/store with fun gifts to the left.
Also make sure to visit the German restaurants for some german cuisine. I was so excited to have jaggerschnitzel!
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