A Great Georgia Wine Drive

Looking for an opportunity to see some great scenery and sample some really good American wines? Try a few days driving in the north Georgia mountains, hiking and visiting wineries. Georgia wines were a real pleasant surprise. In general, their quality is very good and the wineries are fun to visit. Before you go it’s a good idea to check in with the wineries first, as many have seasonal reduced hours so be sure and update days and hours before you head out and also ask about pricing, as each winery has a different charge for sampling. Today most have websites you can check for information.

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Atlanta Botanical Garden in Gainesville

If you’re new to driving around Georgia or you’re flying into Atlanta we have suggestions on a good way to get started.

Amicalola Falls

Head north out of Atlanta on I-75 and for a great first stop check out the Atlanta Botanical Garden in Gainesville, Georgia. The gardens are beautiful 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

A couple of hours north from the gardens is  Amicalola Falls Lodge inside the state park. The lodge is great, with modern, well furnished rooms. It sits atop the tallest cascading waterfall in the Southeastern U.S. (729 feet). The falls are paralleled by a staircase with 604 steps and the park is also crossed by The Appalachian Trail. Spend an evening sitting out on the deck of the lodge watching a mountain sunset. The Lodge also features a nice restaurant with reasonable prices.

Wolf Mountain Vineyards
Dahlonega, Georgia

WNearby is 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.

Tubing thru Helen

From Dahlonega check out the Alpine town of Helen. The town has been a tourist destination for years. There you’ll find the Habersham Winery with a nice tasting presentation and gift shop. Years ago to save the town, Helen 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. Be sure to look into The Old Bavaria Inn, an old-world tavern specializing in imported beers and classic German fare.

Helen, Georgia
Helen, Georgia

Not far from Helen is Brasstown Bald, the highest peak in Georgia at 4,784 feet above sea level operated by the National Park Service. Not far from Brasstown Bald is the town of Hiawassee on Lake Chatuge. From there you’re near Crane Creek Vineyards in Young Harris. Friday happy hour may require reservations as it is a very popular evening event in the area.

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Crane Creek Vineyards

For area accommodations there’s the Chatuge Lodge within walking distance of the Fred Hamilton Gardens and the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds. The Fairgrounds opened in 1978, and are home 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 are also Odom Springs and Paradise Hills Wineries.

Red Barn Café

Down the highway forty miles is Tiger Mountain Vineyards & Winery famous for their wine and restaurant, the Red Barn Café. It was selected as a top-ten winery restaurant by USA Today. Their Petit Manseng won a gold medal at the San Francisco International Wine Competition some years back. They also offer a highly recommend Sunday Brunch.

For an off-beat tourist stop there’s “Goats on the Roof” in Tiger, a throwback tourist stop featuring gifts, food, ice cream and yes – goats on the roof. Nearby is also Tallulah Gorge for some serious hiking. 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. You can get them at the visitors center but only a small number are issued each morning so you need to be there when the park opens.

Another nearby stop is the Mark of the Potter in Clarkesville, an interesting store featuring local pottery and crafts.

Still, the main attraction in north Georgia is the wine. Growing in popularity and quality it offers a number of great wines that can hold their own aainst any other region. Following is a partial listing of North Georgia wineries:

Find More on Georgia Wineries Here

Surfs Up In Rotterdam

On a recent morning in Rotterdam we set out walking with our first destination being the city market*. Only two blocks from the market we stumbled across people actually surfing in the middle of the city.

Welcome to Urban Surf Rotterdam – RiF010 is the worlds firsts surf pool in the middle of a city! Here people come to surf or bodyboard on perfect created waves. From a location in the heart of Rotterdam, you can also paddleboard and canoe. From what we saw it’s a big hit

*We were surprised at Rotterdam’s market (MARKT HALL), because it wasn’t a typical European central market but primarily a collection of places to eat, most with just counter service. The assortment ran a wide range of ethnic foods

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher

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Exploring South America

with From Cartagena, Columbia to Ushuaia, Argentina the South American continent is an amazing land of natural wonders and human accomplishments. Explore the islands of the Galapagos or hike around Iguazu Falls, climb up to Machu Picchu or cruise through the Panama Canal. You can even cast off for a trip to Antarctica or walk…

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Todays Image • A Little Necessity

While spending a day in Warnemünde, Germany we kept finding these portable WCs around the town. Our first reaction was these were new permanent additions added to fix a shortcoming in this beach resort town. After a while we found a large lot where carnival rides were being taken down and realized that Warnemünde must have just finished up with a festival and these were a temporary need.

French EUROmodul public restrooms in Copenhagen

There is however a French company that is having some success with free standing WCs in a number of cities. Actually we think that’s a great idea considering how often we’ve gone searching for a WC in strange cities.

Read more on this urgent concern HERE.

From our blog

Todays Image – The Stellenbosch Mandela

Stellenbosch is the heart of South Africa’s acclaimed wine region and in this South African college town is a unique memorial to the country’s most highly regarded leader. It’s a intriguing design by local artist Strijdom van der Merwe, which sits in front of the Town Hall on Plein Street. Unveiled in October 2013, the Mandela Memorial Square exhibits a laser-cut steel silhouette of Mandela’s face, which appears on two sides of a concrete block clad in white marble. The remarkable thing about this sculpture is many visitors cannot see the face of Mandela but only abstract patterns. In every case, if they take a photo with their cellphone and look at the picture Mandela’s portrait is obvious.

If you visit South Africa don’t miss an opportunity to visit Stellenbosch and try South Africa’s great wines. Only 40 miles north of Cape Town with over a dozen great vineyards to visit and a number of tours to take.

Where In The World #5?

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Discovering Kruger National Park, South Africa

Visiting Kruger: The Ultimate Safari Experience For The Trip Of A Lifetime Rated as one of the world’s greatest wildlife experiences and reported to be the number one African safari destination, Kruger National Park is not to be overlooked when considering your travel plans. Larger than many countries and containing mostly undeveloped land, Kruger is…

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Port of Call Visby, Gotland Sweden

The island of Gotland, Sweden has been a popular holiday destination for Swedes and other Scandinavians for a long time. There is a good airport, frequent ferry service and it has recently become a Baltic cruise itinerary port of call.

Where Your Ship Docks

Gotland has good port facilities and cruise ships will usually tie up at a pier. While there are no facilities at the pier it is only a short distance into the historic town of Visby.

\Wheelchair Accessibility

Disembarking – This port has a cruise ship pier but the ease of disembarking varies by the individual ships gangway designs. For passengers using wheelchairs there can be a moderate ramp incline to deal with.

Port Characteristics – The port has a moderate to steep geography where there are typically elevations and inclines to deal with. There is a good sidewalk to take you into historic Visby but it is steep in places. Streets in town have curbs and some cobblestones.

The town wall and gates

Currency

The island uses the Swedish Krona (SEK). 1 USD = 10.19 SEK.

Transportation

Most cruise ships provide shuttle buses into Visby but the walk is under a mile. Tours are the best option to see more of the island but there are rental cars near the port.

Attractions

The medieval town of Visby is near the port and probably the island’s major attraction. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site known for the protective walls, gates and well preserved medieval buildings and ruins, making it the main attraction on Gotland.

Fårö Island – Located north of Gotland, Fårö is famous for its stunning beaches, unique rauks (limestone formations), and as the filming location for Ingmar Bergman’s movies. source

Lummelunda Cave – This impressive limestone cave, which features unique formations and an underground river, offers guided tours that showcase its natural beauty.

Christian History – Gotland is also famous for its rich Christian history that dates back to the Nordic Middle Ages, significantly influenced by Danish and Swedish missionaries. Many churches founded during this period still stand on the island and are the focus of popular excursions. The island is home to some notable medieval churches, like St. Mary’s Cathedral in Visby, along with the remains of almost a dozen other churches demonstrating the historical spread of Christianity in Sweden. Christianity has shaped Gotland’s culture, architecture, and festivals, reflecting the island’s long-standing religious traditions.

Port Of Call Tallinn, Estonia

The Baltic Port Of Tallinn, Estonia

The country of Estonia’s population is approximately 1.3 million people predominantly Estonian, but with a significant Russian-speaking minority.

One of the more famous cultural events in Tallinn is The Tallinn Song Festival.signature event in Estonia, celebrating choral music and the heritage of Estonia’s singing revolution. It typically takes place every five years, gathering thousands of singers and over one hundred spectators.

Recent History

Today Estonians are proudly celebrating this small nations new independence after over 50 years of Soviet control. The Soviet occupation of Estonia began in 1940, when the USSR annexed the country following a secret protocol of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. During the occupation, Estonia faced severe repression, including forced deportations and suppression of independence movements, particularly during Stalin’s rule. Estonia regained its independence in 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union, marking the end of a tumultuous period in its history.

Still today most Estonians harbor a dislike of the Russians that stayed behind after the countries emancipation.

Protest banners outside the Russian Embassy over the Ukraine war

Where Your Ship Docks

Tallinn boasts docking space and a new cruise terminal inside the harbor. Facilities are available in the terminal and shuttle bus service is usually provided into the Old Town.

Wheelchair Accessibility

Disembarking – This port provides a modern cruise terminal with built-in provisions for passengers using wheelchairs like ramps and elevators.

Port City Characteristics – This port has an average wheelchair infrastructure typical of large cities. The port area has moderate inclines in sidewalks. Intersection crosswalks may have curbs or other wheelchair obstacles.

Transportation

The focus in Tallinn is the Old City which usually can be reached by shuttle but is only about a 20 minute walk from the pier.

Taxis -There is also good taxi service in Tallinn and taxis can be found lined-up at taxi stands and can be ordered via various mobile apps or on the phone. The driver must be paid in euros; many taxis also accept payment by bank card. The driver must be able to provide a receipt from the meter.

Uber – You can use Uber, or if there are no ubers available, there’s a local app called Taxify. Both are good way to get around Tallinn.

Currency

Estonian Krooni at one time was the local currency with 14 Krooni being worth US$1.00. Today Euros have mostly replaced the Krooni. Most credit cards are welcome and there are ATMs available.

Tipping

Tipping in Tallinn is generally appreciated; rounding up the bill or leaving a 10-15% tip is common practice.

Major Attractions

The original back section of Toompea Castle

Toompea Castle – A historic castle that has been updated and is now also the government center of Estonia. It remains the seat of power in Estonia, and offers panoramic views of the city. The castle is a mix of styles and has great cultural significance.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral – This impressive Russian Orthodox cathedral features stunning architecture and intricate interiors, making it a must-visit site for visitors.

Tallinn Old Town – Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this area is known for its well-preserved medieval architecture, cobblestone streets, and charming atmosphere.

Kadriorg Palace – Part of the Kesklinn district or city center it is famous for the Kadriorg Palace, that was built by the Russian emperor Peter the Great and is today an art museum.

The Russalka Angel Memorial