Celebrating Cinco de Mayo In Northeast Georgia Mountains

May 5th is Cinco de Mayo, and though most of us couldn’t exactly explain what the day commemorates, we are all for celebrating it! Where to go up here in northeast Georgia? Try one of the following casual places. You can count on with these restaurants to have friendly service, good food and—of course—tasty margaritas. Close to home is La Cabana Mexican Restaurant in downtown Helen. It has a covered balcony overlooking the park, which is a nice place to relax with a drink, chips and their chunky guacamole. A house-made flan makes a delicious finish to any meal. 8160 … Continue reading

Spring Art Festivals in the Northeast Georgia Mountains

If you’re looking for an excuse to head up to the mountains of northeast Georgia—other than a visit to Lucille’s, of course!—we’ve got several for you. The mountain towns of Blairsville, Dahlonega, Clayton, and Toccoa are each hosting arts fests. So grab your calendar, and start planning a getaway. April 21-22, 2018 Bear on the Square Mountain Festival, Dahlonega. It’s a bit last minute, but if you can make it, this is great time to enjoy a slice of Appalachia. Bluegrass and old-time music highlight the celebration that includes a juried art show featuring traditional crafts, storytelling, dancing, free music … Continue reading

Gibbs Gardens Blooms Big In North Georgia Mountains

It’s hard to imagine a more glorious place to wander than through the exquisite landscape at Gibbs Gardens in Ball Ground, Georgia. It’s well worth the little hour-plus jaunt from Lucille’s. Gibbs Gardens is the inspiration of Jim Gibbs, former president and founder of Gibbs Landscaping, a leading Atlanta landscape company for more than 40 years. His love of gardens was homegrown—his mother was a blue ribbon gardener—and building a world-class garden was his dream. Gibbs Gardens is an idyllic mountain setting with streams intersecting, 24 ponds, 32 bridges, and 19 waterfalls. There are 16 gardens, including three special features—the … Continue reading

A Georgia Mountain Original: Grandaddy Mimm’s Moonshine

The era of bootlegging is long behind us, but the legacy is alive and flowing at Grandaddy Mimm’s Moonshine Distillery in Blairsville, Georgia. Jack “Mimm” McClure was an Appalachian legend in the mid-20th Century. A noted local philanthropist, he made moonshine and bootlegged from the Depression era until his death in 1969. It’s his authentic recipe for corn whiskey that’s now being distilled and bottled by Grandaddy Mimm’s Moonshine Distillery. The company makes several varieties of moonshine, including Mule Kickin’ High Octane 100 Proof, the flagship of the line, made the same way ol’ Jack did. There’s also a 140 … Continue reading