Helen Georgia ?

[dandelionwine]

Is anyone around? Taking a zero day and pretty bored.


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[HikerMom58]

You must not be hiking in a "hiker bubble"?

The weather in VA today is yucky but the :sun will be out tomorrow! :)

[Starchild]

Is anyone around? Taking a zero day and pretty bored.


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That was my impression of Hellen GA. Was glad to get back to the trail. Used shutter to advance pack to Blueberry pack so got a slack pack out of it.

[dandelionwine]

Ran into one other hiker here, otherwise everyone else went to hiawassee


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[MuddyWaters]

Helen is a nifty little tourist trap when it warms up a bit and people visit, go tubing, etc. I do agree that most hikers on AT would just continue to Hiawassee.

[Oak88]

Good German Food in town and a great German Bakery that has a excellent although expensive breakfast. Or try the frogs legs at the grocery store. I did carry out a nice sandwich from the grocery store, an IGA if memory serves me. Not many hikers go there as it is a shmaltzy touristy trap of a town. Cheap lodging in the motel just over the bridge on main street. Was a 12 mile hitch from the trail.

[sliderule]

Not many hikers go there as it is a shmaltzy touristy trap of a town.

Apparently, the vast majority hikers completely overcome their dislike of such towns by the time they reach Newfound Gap!!!

[Hill Ape]

if you plan to later hit gatlingburg, you may as well enjoy the Bavarian sights of helen. get the cheese factor out of the way. very little authentic in either town. they are a tacky eyesore to locals

personally, if i had resupplied at neel gap, i wouldn't even go into helen, and just wait for hiawassee

[flemdawg1]

Good German Food in town and a great German Bakery that has a excellent although expensive breakfast. Or try the frogs legs at the grocery store. I did carry out a nice sandwich from the grocery store, an IGA if memory serves me. Not many hikers go there as it is a shmaltzy touristy trap of a town. Cheap lodging in the motel just over the bridge on main street. Was a 12 mile hitch from the trail.

No IGA there, just a general store and a Dollar General (opposite end of town). But like said above, several good restaraunts, a laundromat, and cheap lodging. Unfortunately only25 miles north of Neels Gap and a long hitch into town, otherwise a good stop.

As far as fake/cheesy/touristy label, I'd prefer seeing a fake plywood windmill over a industrial/chemical plant anyday (Pearisburg, Erwin).

[perdidochas]

if you plan to later hit gatlingburg, you may as well enjoy the Bavarian sights of helen. get the cheese factor out of the way. very little authentic in either town. they are a tacky eyesore to locals

personally, if i had resupplied at neel gap, i wouldn't even go into helen, and just wait for hiawassee

Actually Helen is kind of understated compared to tourist traps in the Alps in Germany. My wife grew up in GA, and had gone to Helen many times in her youth. When we went to Ober-Amergau in the German Alps, she realized that Helen wasn't over the top, but was actually understated compared to German tourist traps.

[Hill Ape]

i live ten minutes from helen, i know exactly what it is. been through germany and switzerland on foot as well, if god smiles on me, i'll get to die sitting in a field in the lauterbrunnen, or at least my ashes spread there

[sink]

Not to nit pick, but Betty's is an IGA and has been there since the early 70's. My parent's have a cabin there (and are there right now, the jerks) and we go about every year now. The town doesn't offer much but we mostly use the cabin as base camp for hiking and whitewater rafting. There's a lot to do within a couple of hours of Helen but for those hiking north it's not too exciting.

[Just Bill]

Betty's is a great store, and gives free rides back to the trail.
I ended up in Helen by accident but I enjoyed it very much. The hotel in the middle of town had a decent hiker rate, onsite laundry and a swimming pool. Couple of decent restaurants in town. The Troll was a good place to sit by the river and have a few pints.

The touristy parts of the town were charming and not too overwhelming or in your face. It took a bit to get into town, but with the easy out from Betty's it's a nice stop imo.

[Teacher & Snacktime]

Is anyone around? Taking a zero day and pretty bored.


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Are you hanging out with Curious George?

[HikerMom58]

i live ten minutes from helen, i know exactly what it is. been through germany and switzerland on foot as well, if god smiles on me, i'll get to die sitting in a field in the lauterbrunnen, or at least my ashes spread there

That's very cool, Hill Ape! :)

[Hill Ape]

Reading thru this thread, saw something that led me to think you are planning to go to Helen from neels. Don't do it like that. Hitch from Unicoi, straight shot, everyone going that way is going to Helen, shorter drive as well. Enjoy neels, stay there a night. You'll hit unicoi at most, 3 days later, probably less.

[turtle fast]

Though touristy, Helen had everything we needed on a 08' jaunt as we needed a few days as my significant other Little Bear had badly twisted an ankle at Tesnatee Gap I believe. Betty's was great for a resupply with gourmet foods not found in other local stores. We did have a British hiker who hitched to town....only to do it to a Sheriffs squad! The officer looked at his passport and told him hitching was illegal...then asked where he was going..the deputy put him in the back with his pack...he thought oh no...then the deputy informed him he was already going that wayand took him to town.

[GrandCanyonWildflowr]

We enjoy ed Helen. Great little diversion.

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