Last year my sister-in-laws, sister, and I went on our very first girl’s trip together and flew to Waco, Texas. We shopped at Magnolia Market, ate cupcakes at the Silos Bakery, grabbed a coffee at Magnolia Press, and did all of the other “Chip and Joanna Gaines” things! We enjoyed the trip so much that we decided to plan another trip for this year, except this time we decided to do a drive trip that wasn’t so far away!
After tossing around a few ideas of where to go, we all agreed on Helen, Georgia. It’s a small, quaint, little town…but oh-so-cute! It was just perfect for the 2 night stay that we planned. You can easily walk through the town and shops of Helen within a few hours.
Where to Stay
We reserved the cutest little Airbnb cabin just a few miles outside of Helen. If you’re planning a trip to Helen, I highly recommend this one! The hosts had it decorated so nicely for Christmas – a Christmas tree, stockings, holiday coffee mugs and all! They even left us a sweet message on the chalkboard for when we arrived.
I’m blessed that a few of my sister-in-laws like coffee as much as I do! Haha We enjoyed trying out several different coffee shops while in town. Our first stop was the Sweetwater Coffeehouse, located just a few minutes outside of Helen. Not only was their coffee good, but they sell the cutest pottery!
My personal favorite coffee shop that we went to was the Yonah Coffee Company, located in downtown Helen. If you visit, you must try the “Crackerjack” coffee – it was one of the best coffees that I’ve ever had!
Last but not least, we visited the JumpinGoat Coffee Roasters located on the river in the historic Nacoochee Village. They also have a second location in Cleveland, GA where they roast their own coffee. So good!
Right beside the coffee shop is the Nora Grist Mill & Country Store. They have all kinds of kitchen accessories, canned jellies, apple butter, and fresh cornmeal that they make from the mill – it’s definitely worth stopping by if you’re in town!
Where to Eat
Sheilah’s Village Market: This is a little soup and sandwich shop located just a few minutes outside of Helen. I ordered the grilled cheese and basil tomato soup – so good!
Cowboys and Angels: This restaurant offers all American type food. It’s a little on the pricier side in my opinion, so I ended up ordering off of the kids menu which was still $10! With that being said, it was a large portion and really good Chicken Alfredo! I did enjoy it and would eat there again!
Dottie’s Kitchen: If you have ever heard of Pick O’ Deli, this is kind of what Dottie’s reminds me of. Dottie’s offer southern, country cooking. Everything on the menu sounded delicious, but I opted for breakfast. (Anyone else love eating breakfast for lunch or dinner?!) The portions were large, and food was wonderful!
Brickhouse Pizza: If you like pizza, (who doesn’t??) then you must order a pizza here – some of the best that I’ve ever had!
The Country Bake Shoppe: If you’re just feeling like something to snack on or have a sweet tooth, I highly recommend this bakery that’s locally owned by an Amish Family. This bakery is in Cleveland, just a few minutes outside of Helen. There are a lot of great sweet and savory options here including cupcakes, homemade salsa, cheeseballs, and much more!
Hansel and Gretel Candy Kitchen: This candy shop is located in downtown Helen, and has alllllll kinds of sweets, including fudge, caramel apples, and more!
Granny’s Famous Funnel Cake House: If you like homemade pretzels, you must stop here!
Christoff’s Caramel Corn & Coffee: This shop is a must for all the popcorn lovers – so many different flavors and options!
As far as shopping goes, all of the stores in the downtown area are nice for souvenirs. The Village Peddler and Betty’s Country Store are also worth stopping in!
From the shopping in downtown, to the spa/movie night we had at the cabin, we all had the best time in Helen!
Until our next girls trip…
LM