Stopped in after hiking at Tallulah Gorge state park. It's about a 15 min drive from there and…read moretucked away, not able to see from the road. I thought the set up of the museum and tour were fantastic. I happened on a day when a school was touring and they had a working blacksmith and musician. The exhibits in the cabin are fantastic and the artifacts are well displayed. I liked that the tour takes you on a trail to each cabin so you get a bit of a workout. They had a nice gift shop and clean bathrooms. Tour took me about 90 minutes. Only thing I would caution is to make sure you can walk on slightly steep inclines. I also liked that while it focused on Appalachian culture it didn't shy away from highlighting the impact of the Indian Removal Pact that impacted the region. Highly recommend.

Interesting history and structures. Nice gifts hopefully and very informative and friendly staffread more

Spent about an hour here and really enjoyed our visit!…read more We started upstairs (which I believe is only accessible by stairs, since I don't remember seeing an elevator anywhere). We watched a 15-minute video that plays on the half hour, about Dahlonega's gold history. After the video, an enthusiastic tour guide named JL showed us some of the rooms (office for the judge and deliberation room for the jury), as well as brick with gold specs in it. Then we wandered the rest of the upstairs which had discovery drawers with gems, tools, and other items in them. There were a few more displays and rooms downstairs including one with minted coins from Dahlonega, as well as a gift shop. While we spent an hour here, you could watch the film and get through the museum probably in 30-45 minutes of going at your own pace. Overall, I found it very interesting and would highly recommend!

Sweet little museum that doesn't take long to visit. The film is wonderful, but is on the second…read morefloor up a flight of steps. If you cannot make it upstairs I would say skip the museum. The first floor does have a nice little coin collection.

The hotel in Helen had a variety of flyers but this one caught my eye. It was for a local cultural…read morecenter performing a comedy by a local playwright. After checking the website, same day tickets could only be purchased at the box office. I made a brief call to the center and spoke with a very cordial lady, she explained the location of the center, parking accommodations, ticket costs and COVID protocols. Upon my arrival, I was warmly greeted by the same lady at the box office and purchased my ticket, given a playbill and given general directions around the theater. The play was wonderful and was a blend of Georgia history, humor and culture. This was a delightful experience. As a day hiker, I was passing through Helen for the picturesque landscapes but this experience made the area even more special.

The Sautee Nacoochee Center is a hidden gem that showcases everything wonderful about the north…read moreGeorgia mountains. The folk Pottery Museum tells the story of the indigenous pottery economy/production. Plays and performances are top notch. Events, festivals, classes and other community focused offerings make it the heart and soul of the Sautee Valle. Plus members are able to enjoy White County Rec Department membership for half price!

Birchwood is special for several reasons. First, there are the animals. The goats and their dogs…read moreare adorable, and they've added a guardian dog rescue to their farm. Second, the products are great!! I've started using their laundry detergent and appreciate ALL natural ingredients. Finally, their collaborations. They are always reaching out to other small businesses, bring them to the farm, and get more people involved in Oconee small businesses.

THE TOCCOA HARVEST FESTIVAL!…read more The Toccoa Harvest Festival takes place in downtown Toccoa in Stephens County during the last week of October. It is now in its 40th year. We decided to visit for the first time this year. We headed out before dawn and as the sun came up, we enjoyed the beautiful scenery and change of colors. As per usual, we had planned to get there at least an hour before the start of the actual event which was scheduled to start at 10 am. We actually arrived around 8:30 am and was surprised to see several vendors already set up as well as volunteers providing directions. These small town people don't play! After eating breakfast we set out to view the vendors' wares and to see what was "poppin". My first stop was at the classic car show where I met Kent and his classic blue Chevy truck, (see the photo). `I absolutely love classic vehicles, (especially trucks), so I always have to get the "back story". This truck was purchased approximately four years ago when it was seen on someone's property. Kent had asked about the truck but the man had said that his son was planning on purchasing it. Approximately one month later, Kent saw the truck and stopped by again. At that time he was told that someone else was interested in the car and had stopped by earlier in the day. Kent offered the man cash on the spot and sealed the deal. He then spent the next four years stripping the truck and rebuilding it. All of the work was done in his garage or yard, including the paint. I was blown away to know that he had completed all of the work, (except the welding) himself. He did a phenomenal job because he showed me his book that documented the process. Collectors always have a book to document their restoration process so just ask if you are curious. I really enjoyed talking to this guy! We met another guy who had this sick 1935 International "flower wagon" that was once used to transport flowers to funerals. It too had been totally stripped and restored with a beautiful red interior and custom additions. Incredible! I could have spent hours here but I needed to explore more. There were a variety of vendors selling a variety of items such as candles, holiday décor, homemade soaps, jewelry, toys, hair accessories, art leather goods and more. I ran into my favorite jewelry vendor who I tend to purchase sets from exclusively. She didn't have anything that I don't already own so I ordered a custom piece that I will pick up at the next festival, because we just tend to run in the same circles. I must confess that I am getting a great deal because I am a repeat customer and she wants a pound cake! She is one of the few vendors who actually uses sterling silver and genuine stones while the others will just tell you that those materials are too expensive. I also like her because she does the larger adjustable statements pieces with matching earrings. Enough about my favorites! They had a Christian choir singing in the square, an activity area for children, full service restrooms that didn't include a porta-potty, great food options including Lobster, Mongolian Beef and Thai, carriage rides, baked goods, and probably some things that I just did not get to see. It was a beautiful day for the festival and it all started with a beautiful drive up from Alpharetta and ended with a visit to see the falls. When you visit the festivals, take time to see the landmarks visit the local vendors and spend time in the community. Your visit is always appreciated! By the way, if you like the frequent sound of trains running through a small town, Toccoa is your kind of town!

Great museum to visit in Clarksville, Ga. It's only $16 and no time limit to visit unless closing…read morehours. I arrived at 10AM and had hours of enjoyment.

Ok so I am reviewing for my husband and son who are car people - they LOVED it. I went around the…read moreantiques mall - they were in the museum for an hour in think. They saw so many cool cars and loved the stories that were shared with them. This museum is a labor of love.

We came up here on Mother's Day, and it happened to be the last day of their festival, celebrating…read morethe peak for rhododendrons bloom. Their owner/manager, Catherine, gave my mom and I a wonderful tour in their golf cart. Mom says it's her favorite place in the world!

Worth seeing! Beautiful gardens on the lake and the lady who runs it is so nice and helpful. They…read morehave live music/special events, I'll plan to come back

SO SAD! This was one…read moreof the saddest festivals I have ever attended. It is the oldest festival in Georgia and is celebrating its 54th year. We thought that it would be fun to explore the small town and enjoy the festival at the same time. When we arrived shortly after 9 am, many of the vendors were in place and others were setting up in the center of town. We walked around for a while asking about places to eat in town. We were hoping for something small and intimate in the center of town but this option does not exist. We were surprised that the locals could not direct us to a breakfast restaurant even though there was only one less than a mile down the road, (cue Twilight Zone music). We made our way to the restaurant had a good breakfast and returned just in time for the parade. I immediately realize that something is off with this parade because there was no warm, fuzzy, excited feeling one gets when watching a parade. This parade had no bands, (which means no music), no performers and no flavor. It was a political parade designed to introduce the political candidates before the election next week. Ugh!! Are you kidding me? I was told the reason there was no band this year is because the band students were graduating today and therefore not available. There were a few vendors but nothing really new or interesting, (except one vendor reviewed separately). We attempted to walk around the square to visit some of the store owners but some of them were closed and others just weren't interesting. We left fairly quickly. I can imagine that after 54 years, the festival committee is starting to get tired and bored. However, instead of just giving up, perhaps they need to recruit some new members and pump some fresh blood into the committee. Next year the festival will mark its 55th year and it should definitely be their best year yet. Hopefully, it will be focused on family and community and not politics.

As far as festivals go this was pretty nice. I am kind of new to the small town in-the-square…read morefestivals. But this was nice. The parade was awesome, and they had a carnival this year to celebrate the 50th anniversary. The artist booths could have been a bit better. I think they need more of them. My son made out like a bandit though with candy. Fun time, I would recommend going if you are around Clarkesville. Its a very charming little town.