Sorry for the delay in writing about our last day in Helen, GA! Life has gotten busy since we’ve been back!
Luckily our last day in Helen was not quite so busy.
We spent a slow morning at the cabin, drinking coffee and relaxing. Brad got some pictures of geese on the river in front of our cabin!
We decided to go for a late lunch at one of the German restaurants in town. We were, after all, in a Bavarian town! We chose one called Bodensee. When we arrived, we saw most of the restaurant was an outdoor Biergarten with tables in the sun that had umbrellas on them. It was starting to get warm, and the tables were almost all full.
But as we approached, a kind server said there was more room inside. We decided to take a look and inside was really more of a patio. Sure it had walls and a roof, but there were giant windows cut into the walls with no glass in them. So it was really like you were outside, just with better shade. And since there was electricity inside, they could have fans going, so it was the perfect temperature.
They had picnic tables, which are not the best with wheelchairs, but the servers were really kind and removed one of the benches and replaced it with regular padded chairs which were so much more comfortable.
Our server was great! She was so friendly, as was everyone there. It was nice and quiet inside, since everyone else was outside. We felt like we had the place to ourselves! When we ordered, I decided since we were in a Biergarten, that I should try some German beer. But I didn’t know which one I’d like. So I asked the server, and she offered to bring me for free a few samples based on what I told her I liked in a beer. I was able to choose my favorite, which was a grapefruit beer.
Tam was asking about their dark beers, and they had one she was unfamiliar with. Even though Tam made it clear she wasn’t going to order a beer, our server brought her a sample to try anyway!
As we were finishing up our meal, our server came over and offered us a free slice of cake! We chose the Reese’s cake with peanut butter and chocolate. It was SOOOOOOO tasty! We really enjoyed our meal there, and it ended up being my second favorite thing we did our entire time in Helen! (First was Babyland!).
Brad got several pictures of us at lunch, and they are below. I am wearing a mint green dress, Tam has a black shirt, and Brad is wearing white iridescent sequins and a Bavarian hat.
After lunch, we went to a local granary and store to see what they were about. We weren’t expecting much, but it ended up being a fun stop. We didn’t get to see much of the granary works, but the store was interesting with lots of neat things to look at. And they had a balcony which overlooked a small waterfall that we really enjoyed. Brad got pictures of the millstones, us in the store, and the outside area with the waterfall. He got some great ones of Tam and I together that are just adorable, with Tam’s head above my head as I’m sitting in my wheelchair.
It was still pretty early in the afternoon after the granary, so we were trying to figure out what to do. I decided that Tam needed to look again and see if she found her special connection at Babyland, and I needed another outfit for Rose, so off we headed to Babyland!
It was magical again, though not quite as magical as last time. They had one tiny section of clothing that didn’t have any velcro in it for the dolls like mine that are handmade. Velcro will ruin Rose, so I have to be careful to avoid it. I found two more cute outfits with matching shoes for Rose!
Tam had to make a quick trip to the bathroom, so while she was doing that, Brad and I snuck over and bought this stuffed Emu that Tam had adored last time we were there. We were able to purchase it and throw it in the van before she returned. We were so excited to give it to her later on!
Tam was none the wiser, though we noticed she lingered in the stuffed toy section a bit before returning to us. Turns out she was looking for the Emu with the intent of purchasing him!
We got the clothes for Rose, and found a beautiful tie-dye tshrit for me as well! Brad got pictures of all this happening, and many pictures of the handmade Cabbage Patch kids!
After Babyland, we decided to make an early night and head back to the cabin to relax. Tam and Brad worked on packing their things, while I took a quick nap. Afterwards, we decided to play Farkle on the porch again.
I set up the stuffed Emu on a chair with Rose overlooking the river, and waited. Eventually Tam came out and saw the Emu and was so surprised! We were so happy we had done that for her! She decided to name the Emu Numi because Tam is a New Me. Well that and Brad tried to say Emu backwards was Ume and Tam heard an N on the front of it and loved it! He he he.
So both Tam and I ended up with new babies.
We farkled into the evening, ate dinner on the porch, and went to bed early. We were all so very pleased with our trip to Helen, GA. We thanked Tam’s mom for planning it initially, and my dad for funding it. It was exactly what we all needed. I know there will be many similar trips in our future, and I can’t wait to enjoy them with my family of three!