Day 7 of the Southeast Rhombus Rally Caravan with Friends – Anna Ruby Falls, Helen, Tallulah Gorge & the Dillard House

Bully really wanted to see Helen Georgia, while we were spending a few days in Dillard. In Dillard, we are staying at River Vista RV Resort. They were at the 2016 Rally in Tally. We all visited their booth and spun the prize wheel. Between many of our friends, we ended up with coupons for two nights free. We are staying three nights, so we paid just under $50 for our three night stay. Gotta love a bargain!

We mapped out a circle of special places to see today. We started out by heading south on 441 toward Clayton. We turned west on US 76 and passed through downtown Clayton. This quaint mountain community is fortunate to have a beautiful downtown filled with upscale clothing, home decor and accessory shops.  They offer award winning chefs and are the Farm to Table Capital of Georgia. Enjoy eclectic antique shops and an educational museum. While in downtown, don't miss Reeves Hardware, the soda fountain at the Clayton Drug Store and wonderful shopping. Both the Southern Highroads Trail and US 441 Heritage Highway pass through Clayton. If you are adventurous, partake in white-water rafting on the nationally designated "Wild & Scenic" Chattanooga River. I recommend the Tiger Mountain Vineyard or the Stonewall Creek Vineyards as a great tasting place.

We turned off US 76 onto GA 197, traveling along Lake Burton. Lake Burton is an 2,700 acre reservoir with 62 miles of shoreline. It is the first lake in a six-lake series called the Tallulah River Watershed that follows the original course of the Tallulah River. The chain begins with Lake Burton as the northernmost lake followed by Lake Seed, Lake Rabun, Lake Tallulah Falls, Lake Tugalo, and Lake Yonah. The lakes are owned and operated by the Georgia Power Company to generate hydroelectric energy for Georgia's largest city, Atlanta. At one time these lakes were the largest producers of electricity in the state of Georgia. At present the lakes provide power only during periods of peak electricity consumption. The Lake Burton Fish Hatchery and Moccasin Creek State Park are located on the lake's west side. The lake is home to several species of fish, including spotted bass, largemouth bass, white bass, black crappie, bluegill, sunfish, white catfish, walleye, brown trout, rainbow trout, and yellow perch. The residents of Lake Burton are a mix of permanent residents and seasonal vacationers.

We turned onto GA 356 west and into Unicoi State Park. Unfortunately the fees for the Anna Ruby Falls Recreation Area and Unicoi State Park have nothing to do with one another. Since we were only visiting the falls, we drove through Unicoi State Park for free. And since Anna Ruby Falls is a US Forestry Service Park, we used our “America the Beautiful” park. These beautiful falls are located in the Chattahoochee National Forest and are readily accessible with just a little bit of hiking. We reached the falls via a half-mile paved trail that lead from the parking lot to the falls. 

Along the way, we stopped to read the signs and saw some unique features of this forest. The most interesting items were the yellow fungus growing on a downed tree. From there we got a nice view of both falls. The water cascading over the drop offs is created by two creeks. The Curtis Creek falls drop 153 feet and the York Creek falls are a much shorter but still spectacular 50 feet. The water at the bottom of the falls is then considered to be part of Smith Creek which flows into and forms Smith Lake, which is the centerpiece of Unicoi State Park. 

Another interesting trail that begins at the visitor’s center is The Lion's Eye Trail. It runs along Smith Creek and is designed to provide visually impaired individuals an opportunity to visit the creek and learn about the local environment. The trail has hand rails and braille signs.

Back onto GA 356 into Helen Georgia. How do you describe Helen ... It is a recreation of a Bavarian Alpine village. Pictures are a far better way to describe Helen. 

The Chattahoochee River flows gently through the village. 

The village is complete with cobblestone streets. Local history is linked to the Cherokee Indians and early settlers who came to mine for gold and work in the lumber industry. 

Wendy's in Helen GA

Helen now has more than 200 specialty and import shops offering everything from candle making and glass blowing to cuckoo clocks and quilts, plus the US standards like Wendy's and Dollar General. However, these staple businesses in many towns, don't look like these! Dining options range from traditional German fare to traditional Southern.

 


We enjoyed traditional German fare at Hofer's Bakery, for our late breakfast and coffee. Naturally, Charlie had Apple Strudel ala-mode and milk! We enjoyed leisure stroll through the village and poking around the shops.

We found two wedding chapels, with very different looks.

There were many murals, including a wonderful Oktoberfest themed mural. I was surprised by the amount of murals that are painted in the village! I found some German Stein style salt & pepper shakers with Helen on them. It was amazing how quiet the village was!

GA 17 toward Clarkesville. Clarkesville was named after General John C Clarke, governor of Georgia from 1819 to 1821 or for his father, General Elijah Clarke, a revolutionary war hero. It was chartered on 1823 as the county seat of Habersham County. It was the first major resort town with wealthy families escaping the heat of the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia. Clarksville is still offers abundant opportunities to view Greek, Gothic, Victorian and Plantation style homes in their historic district.

Driving north on Highway 441, where the Georgia Piedmont meets the rolling hills of the Southern Appalachians, it would be easy to drive right past one of the most legendary and historic areas in Georgia – The Tallulah Gorge. Our first stop was at the Georgia Power Picnic and Recreation Area at the end of Tallulah Lodge Rd. Just above the falls on the Tallulah River is the hydroelectric dam that was built in 1912 and 1913 by the Georgia Railway & Power (now Georgia Power). It needed more electricity to power Atlanta’s streetcars. This free recreation area offered an unobstructed view of the water behind the dam. 

We also got to take a glimpse into the past, a 1915 passenger car that was once used there. Built as part of Georgia Railway and Power Company's Tallulah Falls hydroelectric development of 1911-1914, the 1,200-foot incline railway connects the Tallulah Falls power station at the bottom of the gorge with the rim above. The 5.5-ton car, which could carry up to 20 passengers. The 6-foot gauge operation carried construction workers and materials on an average slope of 63 percent with an elevation change of 609 feet. It is still in use today for maintenance of the plant.

The Tallulah Falls and Gorge, once described as the “Niagara of the South”, was considered the premier vacation destination for travelers. At its peak in the 1920’s, seventeen hotels served the tourists. The three mile long Tallulah Gorge features six powerful cascades as well as many smaller waterfalls, making it a source of awe and wonder for many centuries. The lore of the Cherokee, who lived in this area long before European explorers discovered it. Is full of legends where the gorge itself figures prominently. In the late 19^th century, the glories of Tallulah Falls and Gorge were becoming well known. With the completion of the rail line to Tallulah Falls in 1881, the tourist industry showed a marked increase. What had been a difficult journey on foot, by horseback or by wagon was now done in comfort and relative speed from the safety of a railway car. Many guest houses started springing up. As a result, the town grew almost overnight. In 1921 a fire destroyed most of the stores and hotels. Little was rebuilt. Large numbers of visitors are again coming to view the splendor of the gorge. The modern day, Tallulah Gorge State Park is an over 2,600 acre park surrounding Tallulah Gorge. It offers camping, lake swimming, fishing, rock climbing, hiking and viewing of the spectacular waterfalls.

We took a short hike from the Jane Hurt Yarn Interpretive Center to view four of the falls.

Our first stop on our hike offered us a panoramic view of the gorge floor, including the suspension bridge just above Hurricane Falls.

Oceana Falls below Bridal Veil Falls at the far end of the gorge. 

Tightrope walker Karl Wallenda walked from this overlook to his tower on the south rim in 1970. Another aerialist, Professor Leon, made a similar walk from the north to the south rim in 1886. 

Remnants of the Wallenda walk are visible in the form of the north tower tipped off its concrete base.

Our third stop offered a view of L’Eau d’Or (French for “water of gold”), top of the Tempesta Falls, Hawthorne Cascade and pool. Also here are the 310 steps down to the 200-foot long suspension bridge perched 80 feet above Hurricane Falls & 221 more steps down to the base of Hurricane Falls. We wanted to get to The Dillard House before 4:30 pm, so we opted out of the stairs today.

Our final stop on our hike today was another view of L’Eau d’Or (pronounced LaDore) Falls, Hawthorne Pool and 1910 remains of a water compressor plant used in building of the Tallulah Falls Dam.

The most interesting thing we learned about this gorge, they still release the water from the dam. Water releases are scheduled annually during the first two weekends in April and the first three weekends in November. Kayakers have access to these rapids during these times. 

Pattye also said on our walk, that we had not seen any snakes ... then what do we see!

Goats on the Roof is along Highway 441. It is a great stop to watch the antics of the goats as they traverse their roof top habitat.

As we finished our circle of fun for the day, we stopped at The Dillard House for a late lunch or early dinner. 

The food is served family style and there is plenty! Miss Jackie turned us onto this place a few years ago, when she took us there with our framily, Karen & Wayne!

It was another great day with friends that we consider family!