A Georgia Wine Roadtrip

An Update

A while ago we spent a couple of weeks driving around the north Georgia mountains, doing some hiking and visiting wineries. Georgia wines are a pleasant surprise and deserve more attention. In general, their quality is good and the wineries are fun to visit. Having planned this trip for the spring but after having to postpone we didn’t update our information before heading out. Discovering too late that many of the wineries have reduced hours for summer or were closed. This discovery meant we had to modify much of our plan going forward. Be sure you update days and hours before you head out and pay attention to sample pricing, as each winery has a different charge for sampling.

We started out driving north through Atlanta stopping for lunch at the famous Varsity Hot Dogs next to the campus of Georgia Tech. We had heard a lot about this institution and it turned out to be much bigger than we expected and the food was remarkably good. After lunch we left Atlanta heading north to the small town of Oakwood and our first night on the road.

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Atlanta Botanical Garden in Gainesville
Amicalola Falls

Early the next morning we headed for the Atlanta Botanical Garden in Gainesville. The gardens are reasonably new and diverse featuring over 1,200 different plants including 80 varieties of magnolias, oaks and maples. There are some nice lily ponds and a mountain stream flowing through the plantings. The gardens are also home to an impressive concert series in the summer.

Sunset Amicalola Falls Lodge

From the gardens we drove to Amicalola Falls Lodge inside the state park. The lodge was great, with modern, well furnished rooms. It sits atop the tallest cascading waterfall in the Southeast (729 feet). The falls are paralleled by a staircase with 604 steps and the park is also crossed by The Appalachian Trail. That evening it was a treat sitting out on the deck of the lodge watching a mountain sunset. The Lodge also has a decent restaurant with reasonable prices.

Wolf Mountain Vineyards
Dahlonega, Georgia

While in the area we visited The Cottage Winery in Cleveland, and Cavendar Creek Vineyards, Montaluce Winery and Wolf Mountain Vineyards & Winery near Dahlonega, Georgia. Dahlonega is a quant mountain town that also offers tasting rooms for many of the region’s wineries – sort of one stop shopping and tasting.

Helen, Georgia
Tubing thru Helen

From Dahlonega we traveled over to the Alpine town of Helen. The town has been a tourist destination for a number of years. Our first stop in Helen was the Habersham Winery with a nice tasting presentation and gift shop. Years ago the town rebuilt itself as an Alpine village featuring Bavarian food and gifts and offers a number of interesting restaurants and accommodations. The town is also popular for the tubing stream that flows through it. We had lunch at The Old Bavaria Inn, an old-world tavern specializing in imported beers and classic German fare.

Helen, Georgia

After Helen we drove up Brasstown Bald, the highest peak in Georgia at 4,784 feet above sea level. While at the National Park Service facility at the top we got caught in a thunderstorm which brought a bit of excitement to the afternoon, with lightening, thunder and clouds rolling by. After the storm we drove to Hiawassee on Lake Chatuge , checked in to The Lake Chatuge Lodge and then visited the Crane Creek Vineyards in Young Harris for Friday happy hour. It appeared that we should have made reservations as it is a very popular evening event in the area. The staff, however, was very accommodating and we bought cheese, crackers and a bottle of their dry rosé making a great ending to the day.

The Chatuge Lodge is within walking distance of the Fred Hamilton Gardens and the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds. The Fairgrounds opened in 1978, and are home

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Crane Creek Vineyards

to several popular events throughout the year including the Georgia Mountain Fair, Georgia Mountain Moonshine Cruizin, Georgia Mountain Fall Festival, Superstar concerts, and Georgia’s Official State Fiddlers’ Convention. Any of those events have impact on room availability and rates so, if you’re planning on going, check dates and make plans well in advance. In the same area we also visited Odom Springs and Paradise Hills Wineries.

Red Barn Café

We left the lake early Sunday morning and headed for brunch at Tiger Mountain Vineyards & Winery which turned out to be the high point of the trip. The wine and food were delicious. Their Red Barn Café was selected as a top-ten winery restaurant by USA Today and our wine choice, Petit Manseng won a gold medal at the San Francisco International Wine Competition. We would highly recommend this Sunday Brunch.

After leaving brunch we made a brief stop at “Goats on the Roof” in Tiger, a throwback tourist stop featuring gifts, food, ice cream and yes – goats on the roof. We then headed for Tallulah Gorge and another long hike. This is a beautiful and rugged area and was the setting of the Burt Reynolds movie Deliverance as well as Disney’s The Great Train Chase.

Tallulah Gorge

Tallulah has an interesting visitors’ center and a number of trails with steps that go to Tempeste and Hurricane Falls and then further down into the gorge. To go beyond the main trail into the creek to slide on the rocks, you need a permit. Only a small number are issued each morning so you need to be there when the park opens.

After a day in the gorge we headed for Mark of the Potter in Clarkesville, an interesting store featuring local pottery and crafts. If you’re looking for additional information on Georgia wineries click on each name below:

Tallulah Gorge
  • CAVENDER CREEK VINEYARDS AND WINERY 3610 Cavender Creek Road, Dahlonega, GA 30533           Phone: 770-823-9255
  • CENITA VINEYARDS, WINERY AND TASTING ROOM     591 Dock Dorsey Road, Cleveland, GA 30528                    Phone: 706-865-7478
  • CHATEAU MEICHTRY VINEYARDS . 1862 Orchard Lane, Talking Rock, GA 30175              Phone: 706-502-1608
  • CRANE CREEK VINEYARDS 916 Crane Creek Road, Young Harris, GA 30582 Phone:  706-379-1236
  • ENGELHEIM VINEYARDS 127 Lakeview Road, Ellijay, GA Phone: 706-635-9463
  • FAINTING GOAT VINEYARDS                     201 Vineyard Way, Jasper, GA 30143
  • HABERSHAM WINERY  7025 S. Main St., Helen, GA 30545                                    Phone: 706-878-9463
  • HIGHTOWER CREEK VINEYARDS, LLC   7150 Canaan Drive, Hiawassee, GA 30546      Phone: 706-896-8963
  • MONTALUCE WINERY & ESTATES      501 Hightower Church Road, Dahlonega, GA 30533          Phone: 706-867-4060
  • ODOM SPRINGS VINEYARD      637 Odom Rd, Blairsville, GA 30512                                   Phone: 706-745-3094
  • PARADISE HILLS WINERY RESORT AND SPA       366 Paradise Road, Blairsville, GA 30512         Phone: 877-745-7483
  • SERENBERRY VINEYARDS   Morganton, GA 30560           Phone: 706-623-8463
  • SERENITY CELLARS  265 Laurel Ridge Rd, Cleveland, GA 30528                           Phone: (706) 348-1277
  • SHARP MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS   110 Rathgeb Trail, Jasper, GA 30143                Phone: 770-735-1210
  • STONEWALL CREEK VINEYARDS  323 Standing Deer Lane, Tiger, GA 30576
  • TIGER MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS & WINERY  2592 Old Hwy 44, Dahlonega, FA 30533       Phone: 706-782-4777
  • WOLF MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS  180 Wolf Mountain Trail, Dahlonega, GA 30533           Phone: 706-867-9862

Find More on Georgia Wineries Here

The Sensational Utah National Parks • A Seven Day Roadtrip

Sensational Utah has the largest concentration of National Parks anywhere in America. Featuring The Intentional Traveler’s essential itinerary for a killer Utah driving adventure.

Click map to download
Seeing the National Parks of Utah. Arches, Zion, Bryce Canyon
Roadtrip through the canyons and mountainous terrain of rugged Utah

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Canyonland with vistas challenging the Grand Canyon

Out of the way Hogs Back hwy and Anasazi excavation
Ideas on visiting Utah parks
Walking the trails of Zion National Park
A map of Utah showing a park itinerary. Pictures of petroglyphs
Red Rock Inn B&B
Moab Utah

Links To Additional Information On The Parks Of Utah

Arches National Park
Canyonlands National Park

Bryce National Park .
Capitol Reef National Park
Zion National Park

Spectacular vistas greet you at every turn as you travel through the parks of breathtaking Utah. A road trip is the best way to experience this place so get packing…

Pub Hopping in Dublin

The Temple Bar Pub

Temple Bar in Dublin is famous. Many people mistakenly think it actually was a bar but that’s not the origins of the name. In the seventeenth century a famous Dubliner, Sir William Temple  was the provost of Trinity College. Sir Temple owned property along the river Liffey. In the river in front of his land was a sand bar and around that time a breakwater was built at the mouth of the river. That resulted in the sand bar growing and as it built up it became part of the real estate of the city. Locals began to refer to this land as “Temple Bar” and the districts name survives today.

Live music at the Temple Bar Pub

The Temple Bar neighborhood today is an area famous for its nightlife and has dozens of pubs and bars. In 1840 an establishment opened named Temple Bar Pub and today it is still a popular institution. It features good food, libations and live music. Every new visitor to Dublin should put a stop at the Temple Bar Pub on their list of destinations. From early in the day to late at night it is full of energy, serves good, moderately priced fair and features live Irish music.

Dining room at The Bank

Dublin has a reputation for good food and we lean strongly toward pub fare. Corned beef sandwiches, fish n’ chips, Oysters & Guinness, Irish stew to name a notable few.

Anywhere you walk in this marvelous city you probably won’t be very far from a good Irish pub.

The Bank Bar and Restaurant opened in 2003 and located on College Green next door to H&M in the heart of Dublin. The name comes from the building originally being a bank and it still has its original character with lots of brass railings, tiles, and an ornate ceiling. It offers primarily a pub menu and features a live piano player to add to the atmosphere. The food deserved high marks.

The Grand Central Cafe

Murrays Pub located on O’Connell Street just north of the Spire. This pub has a good reputation for food and features live music and Irish dancers in the evening. It had a welcoming, comfortable feeling and they make a good Irish Coffee which is just the thing on a wet afternoon.

Grand Central Café Bar is also on O’Connell Street just south of the Spire. Located in a historic building that was shelled during “The Rising”, it offers a large collection of local beers and cocktails and an extensive menu of dishes, prepared in front of you in an open plan kitchen. It features music and dancing in the evening. Good food and attentive service at reasonable prices.

Dining room at The Bank

Dublin has a reputation for good food and we lean strongly toward pub fare. Corned beef sandwiches, fish n’ chips, Oysters & Guinness, Irish stew to name a few. During our recent visit we took advantage of a few and were pleased with them all.

Directly across the street from the Ha’penny Bridge on the south side is The Merchant’s Arch Bar which features live music and good bar snacks. We stopped in around happy hour time and joined in on a few Irish songs and a pint of Guinness. The atmosphere was lively and the staff was friendly and efficient.

The Merchant’s Arch Bar

For dessert and coffee look up The Wooden Whisk at 94 Talbot Street just a few blocks east of the Spire on O’Connell Street. It has a small deli and coffee shop vibe but after a few days of trying pastries and coffee around the city this was real find and the prices were more than fair.

And than there’s Starbucks. We’ve traveled the world in recent years and there is an American establishment that has become as ubiquitous as McDonalds – Starbucks! From Australia to Thailand to Dublin you will probably walk past several Starbucks in a day. While we prefer local we now carry our Starbucks card with us when we travel, often because we know we can access free wifi. We’ve been told we can pay with funds on our card at any Starbucks worldwide but for some reason we have been skeptical. In Dublin we broke down (I needed to reload a Google map) and were surprised at the transaction. First it was instant. Second the receipt spelled out the transaction in Euros as well as the dollars used and the exchange rate was exactly what the mornings quote showed. Lastly it also showed the balance on the card in Euros as well as dollars.. Two big thumbs up for Starbucks.

Only 8 Hours To See Rome

Want to see Rome in a day? A tour of the iconic and major sites of Rome, The Eternal City. Including information on using the Rome Metro and trains.

St. Peters and a Rome Metro Map
Pantheon, Trevi fountain, Colosseum
The Roman Forum
Rome tour map
DOWNLOAD A PDF COPY OF THIS ARTICLE
ROME TOUR MAP A PDF DOWNLOAD

Sampling Tapas in Palma de Mallorca

While Barcelona may be the gastronomic heart of the Spanish Mediterranean don’t overlook the Balearic Islands, and Palma de Majorca. Nowhere in Spain is tapas practiced with more imagination and flare. In 18th-century Spain tapas were served at guest quarters, taverns and bodegas, that provided meals for travelers. Since few people could read or write, inns offered guests a sample of the dishes offered on a “tapa” (Spanish for pot cover) as a sample. The tradition survives in the popular tapas bars of modern Spain.

If your cruise offers you the opportunity to spend some time in Palma, tapas should be put near the top of your list. Four of the cities more famous offerings are:

Forn de Sant Joan is the place to go in Palma for inventive tapas, this family-run venue is also one of the city’s best and most popular restaurants. Located in an old bakery building in an older neighborhood, the restaurant features bread ovens and classic tiles. It has four floors and an open kitchen that prepares tapas with a hint of Asian fusion. An extensive wine list and neighborhood feel adds to the appeal. Located at Calle Sant Joan 4, Palma de Mallorca.

Wineing Bar is a great modern wine & tapas bar located in the beautiful setting at the Marina Port De Mallorca. Featuring over 48 different wines from the Balearic Islands and Spain to order by the glass and an excellent selection of tapas. Located at Calle Apuntadors 24, Palma Marina, Palma de Majorca.

Bar Día has the reputation as the best tapas bars in Palma. Not noted for a fancy atmosphere but rather its homey, casual atmosphere and traditional tapas like tortilla and garlic prawns. Its popularity is founded on quality, large portions and great value. In the evening expect some wait time as this popular tapas bar attracts locals and tourists alike. Located at Carrer dels Apuntadors, 18, Palma de Majorca.

Located in Palma’s historic quarter near the cathedral, Taberna de la Boveda offers authentic tapas like escargot, bread and olive oil and mini chorizos. Featuring a tavern atmosphere with big wine barrels and heavy wood tables with an attractive outdoor terrace. This popular tapas bar gets crowded so be prepared to wait some to get in. Address Paseo Sagrera 3, Palma de Mallorca.

Rome’s Trimani Enoteca, a Wine Bar

After a long day walking thru Rome and a late lunch on the Via Veneto finding a wine bar for happy hour would be just the place to unwind.

Trimani Enoteca

A good choice would be the highly rated Trimani Enoteca which genuinely deserves the praise it gets. Trimani has been a name in Rome for a very long time, with its founding family selling wine for over 175 years. It is one of the best known enotecas in Rome. It features wines from all over the world at remarkably fair prices.

The atmosphere is welcoming and comfortable and the staff knowledgeable and friendly. Plan on spending a while over some good glasses of wine, maybe a generous cheese plate and a small bite or two off the menu.

Trimani Enoteca

Trimani Enoteca

Italian wine bars are called Enoteche, an Italian word derived from a Greek word which literally means “wine repository”. The word is used to describe a particular type of local or regional wine shop that originated in Italy and recently has spread to some other European countries.

Trimani Enoteca is located at via Goito 20, Rome, Italy not far from the Termini.

A genuine enoteca is intended to give locals, visitors and tourists the opportunity to taste wines at a reasonable price before buying the bottle. Regionally an enoteca is often run in collaboration with wineries and tourism organizations in an area. They were created as a source of information on local wines rather than as regular retail outlet.

There are a number of these wine bars in Rome with many serving snacks and light dishes. If you are not looking for a full meal these are good choices. Three additional ones that are highly rated in other neighborhoods in Rome are:

Enoteca Regionale Palatium

Located across the Tiber from the Vatican and south of Villa Borghese is Entoca Regionale Palatium. Highlighting regional quality is at the heart of this enoteca, located only steps from Piazza di Spagna. Because it’s a true regional enoteca it focuses on the wines and tastes of Lazio. All the best of local producers of both food and wine are showcased at Palatium, making it a must visit for every wine loving tourist spending time in Rome.

Enoteca Regionale Palatium via Frattina 94, Rome, Italy

Enoteca del Frate

Located in one of Rome’s Prati neighborhoods north of the Vatican, Enoteca del Frate is an historical wine bar and enoteca which is a meeting point for local and foreign wine lovers. With continuous efforts to bring only the very best to Roman customers at discounted prices, and with offers ranging from wine to liquors, this enoteca, along with the nearby wine bar, will have something for every palate and every occasion. On the menu there are a series of appetizers to accompany the wine as well as other more elaborate dishes for those who are seeking a great meal.

Enoteca del Frate via degli Scipioni 118-122, Rome, Italy

Advice On Tipping • Contrary to Roman custom it is expected to leave a tip at wine bars in Rome. Not sure how this began but normally people in Rome are not in the habit of tipping and it usually is not customary. In recent years, in Rome, more and more service people are expecting foreigners to leave a tip. The custom has always been that you don’t need to tip in Italy as you’re probably already paying a supplement through the servizio (service charge) on your restaurant bill and/or a coperto (cover charge), and sometimes both. At this point I am not sure what Fodor is saying but I would appreciate an thoughts on this?