Helen… a tiny town nestled in North Georgia stretching just over 2 miles, is perfect for a day trip or even an overnight stay with lot of nature trails and hikes around the town. This little town is pretty much happening all along – beautiful cobblestone walkways, artists singing on the streets, horse rides, colourful German styled buildings, wineries, restaurants with delicious European cuisines; all this with the Chattahoochee river flowing thru the town… and if you happen to visit in the fall season, you get the amazing colors as a backdrop!
We started our trip at leisure – around 1015 hrs from Atlanta and our 1st stop was the Hemlock trail in the Moccasin Creek State Park, about 10-12 miles ahead from the town of Helen. The drive was absolutely beautiful with fall colors all the way and so was this quick hiking trail of around 2 miles.
Here is a small part of the lovely fall foliage along the trail…
Came across the lovely stream, a perfect setting for a long exposure shot! Clicked it with 6 Stop ND filter to get a 30 second exposure with f/13 aperture & ISO set to 100.
and finally the trail itself…
Our next stop was Helen, and as we were driving through we came across the Unicoi Lake. This lake was a must stop with the fall colors at its peak.
Finally we managed to reach Helen by 1500 hrs, totally famished! We had our lunch at Cafe International – Chicken Parmigiana and a Lemon Pepper Trout, needless to say both the dishes were lip smacking!
So after a sumptuous meal, we decided to walk along streets of Helen… trying my hands at street photography for the 1st time.
The European styled streets & buildings…
This windmill stands out just as you enter Helen, as if the town is greeting you and the fall colors adds a lot to the scene.
We missed trying these horse rides but would surely try next time. They seem to be the best way to enjoy this small town.
After around an hour or so we decided to visit the Unicoi lake again. We also visited a campground point near the lake to capture some more of the fall colors.
Soon the sun was behind the clouds and it started raining. We came back to Helen for a quick snack before starting our way back. It had stopped raining and believe me the town was much more beautiful in late evening…
The Oktoberfest fever still on…
A clock standing tall, old yet working perfectly! One of my favourite clicks.
and finally the last click of the day, in the night 😀
That was it… a quick day trip, rather too much to click in just a days trip! Tried my hands at street photography for the 1st time, do let me know how it has turned out. We have already decided to visit the place again, especially for the lights that are in process of being setup for the coming festive season, hopefully would do a trip with an overnight stay.
Signing off with a stitched Panorama of 4 images!
Thanks for reading. Let us know in-case of any corrections, queries, suggestions and we will be happy to respond.
For regular updates & information on wildlife subscribe to our FB page on the link below:
https://www.facebook.com/whistlingtrails
Join us in our upcoming wildlife & bird photography tours in Indian Sub-continent at www.wild-india.in
– Rudraksha & Shraddha
Next time you take this trip, give me a heads-up by sending me a note. At Unicoi Lake, you were 3 miles from my house. We hike the Hemlock Falls Trail at Moccasin Creek often and I take plenty of shots there. Your creek shot was taken at the footbridge crossing where I enjoy the rhododendron when they bloom in June. I’d love to show you some other local trails and waterfalls.
Thanks for the comment Mark. Would surely give you a buzz next time we visit the place.