Weekend Getaway: Helen

If you like nature, relaxation and beer, Helen, Ga. might just be the answer to your getaway dreams. This quaint little German town gets a lot of press around Octoberfest, but it's got year-round charm and is less than two hours away from Roswell.

Helen was created in the 70's - that's the 1970's. The area was first inhabited by Native Americans, then the Gold Rush hit, then the timber industry, so by the 1960's the town was looking for some way to stay relevant. The local businesses decided to create their own Alpine paradise to attract tourists and the idea worked. Now, you can rent a cabin or stay in a hotel while enjoying beautiful mountain vistas and doing ridiculously touristy things, like having your picture taken as a Wild West outlaw.

Our family has had nothing but great experiences renting from A-1 Cabin Rentals over the years. The rustic cabins are well-kept and nestled in the woods, and even though they're within walking distance of the town, you feel like you're the only folks for miles around. Some of the cabins even have jacuzzis and grills.

Our favorite restaurant, the Nacoochee Grill, skips over the kitschy German thing for quality Southern food, including killer mushrooms. Of course, if you want to get your brau and schnitzel on, there are plenty of choices in the quaintly decorated downtown area, not to mention candy shops, souvenir stores and horse-drawn carriages.

If you're into nature, you can go tubing, horseback riding, mountain biking and whitewater rafting. Or hike to some amazing waterfalls, including Anna Ruby Falls and Raven Cliff Falls.

Finally, you can always do what we do: Eat, relax and enjoy the silence of a professionally cleaned cabin in the forest.