It was a cool 33 degrees in the mountains this morning when I started planning my ride. I decided to go a little further east this trip and check out the little town of Helen, GA. I'd heard that Helen was set up as a sort of "Bavarian Alpine Village" in the North Georgia Mountains. I thought maybe the Beemer would like to experience a return to the fatherland.
Fortunately I had picked up a thermal neck protector at Cycle Gear and decided to put that baby on under my helmet to help stay warm. 40 degree air shooting down my neck is not a good thing. It worked great.
So I suffered through the awful ride from Sandy Springs on Highway 400 until the end of 400 where it intersects Highway 60 to Dahlonega. I kept going straight thru Cleveland and then up to Helen. So as I'm rolling into Helen I start to see some really cheesy tudor style buildings on the outskirts. I think I even saw a Wendy's fast food restaurant with a Tudor exterior. Wow -I hope it gets better than this. People were telling me things like "It's so beautiful -as if someone dropped an old German city from the Alps right into Georgia!" Of course, these folks are the same ones who think that going to Disney's Epcot is a cheap way to experience all of the cultures of the world while getting a Florida suntan. Trust me -it's not the same thing.
I rolled into downtown Helen and frankly thought "Ok, it's quaint, it's Octoberfest and maybe the 3 blocks of downtown do look like a Hollywood stage for the Sound of Music or something." Lots of people walking around the streets and enjoying themselves. I just rode on through town and headed North to Hiawassee. Since I don't drink and ride I wasn't going to stop and have a German beer or walk around some souvenir shops.
The ride from Helen to Hiawassee was actually the best part of the entire ride. Some spectacular scenery, a few nice curvy, climbing sections of road and thetraffic was not too bad. Peak Fall color is behind us but it is still nice. The skies were clear blue and despite the lower temperatures in the mountains it felt comfortable. And this is the time of the year when the heat blowing off the K Engine is a blessing!
Click the link below to see the Google maps of the route
To HEL-en and Back Route
Stopped in Hiawassee, GA for lunch and then had a smooth and uneventful ride thru Blairsville, past Morganton and then through Ellijay on the way back top Atlanta. The total trip was about 225 miles, and the roads are generally straight with some curvy sections. This would be a good choice for someone riding a big cruiser or Wing. I would not consider this a very challenging ride -just some easy scenic miles.
No comments:
Post a Comment