Plan a sleepover with the girls at a mountain cabin or relish a room all to yourself! When it comes to getting away, your biggest decision for the weekend will be picking where to stay – whether in a downtown Helen hotel, cozied up in a mountaintop inn, exploring a historic bed and breakfast or sprawled out in a spacious cabin in the Sautee Valley. Mountain cabins and lodges galore, many of which overlook the Chattahoochee River that also runs through Helen’s downtown, dot the landscape and provide the perfect resting place where, after stocking up on local fare like the famous Black Bean Dip from Betty’s Country, authentic Bavarian pastries from Hofer’s Bakery and local cider or wine, locally-roasted Jumpin’ Goat Coffee, girls can have fun spending time together or taking some time alone walking through the forest or by the river or creeks. Helen and the surrounding White County area lets girls unplug – you never have to leave home base except for occasional trips to town for shopping in boutiques and art galleries, visiting wineries or dining out.
If pampering and scenic views are your desire, relaxation comes naturally at Lucille’s Mountain Top Inn & Spa, a sybaritic retreat sitting in mountaintop splendor in Sautee-Nacoochee, offering two Southern-themed treatments among its menu of therapies: a Firming and Revitalizing Blackstrap Molasses Facial and a Brightening and Deep Moisturizing Peach Body Scrub.
Post-pampering, it’s time to shop Sautee, a metaphor for the community itself: artist-centric, distinctive and fun. Start with InsideOut Sautee, with its emphasis on home furnishings, pottery, jewelry, glass and home to a Local Artists’ Gallery. Find Native American art and crafts at Prairie Trails, and vintage goods at Another Time Antiques, which specializes in American antiques. Sautee is heaven for shoppers whose quest goes well beyond same-old/same-old. Next, meander back through history at the Nacoochee Antique Mall. Got gourd? Pop into The Gourd Place and see the highly decorative and functional kitchen, toy and gift items made from this versatile fruit.
Wander around the downtown Helen area, where cares are left behind as you gab with the gals alongside the Chattahoochee River. Peruse the shops where you’ll find hand-blown, fused and recycled art glass, handcrafted, glazed and painted pottery and hand-pieced and sewn quilts where the number of tiny, even stitches per square is still a badge of honor among practitioners of this age-old art form.
Tempt taste buds at downtown dining destinations and savor a sip at a locally-owned coffee shop or winery – all without ever having to pile into a car! Wineries including:
Habersham Winery
7025 S Main Street
Helen, GA 30545
(770) 983-1973
HabershamWinery.com
Yonah Mountain Vineyards Tasting Room
1717 Highway 255 South
Cleveland, GA 30528
(706) 878-5522
YonahMountainVineyards.com
Kaya Vineyards and Winery
5400 Town Creek Road
Dahlonega, Ga 30533
(706) 219-3514
KayaVineyards.com
CeNita Vineyards, Winery & Tasting Room
591 Dock Dorsey Road
Cleveland, GA 30528
(706) 865-7478
CenitaVineyards.com
The Cottage Vineyard and Winery
5050 Us-129
Cleveland, GA 30528
(706) 865-0053
CottageVineyardWinery.com
Serenity Cellars
265 Laurel Ridge Road
Cleveland, Ga 30528
(706) 348-1277
http://www.helenga.org/
Sylvan Valley Lodge and Winery
747 Duncan Bridge Rd
Sautee Nacoochee, GA 30571
(706) 865-7371
SylvanValleyLodge.com