The coolest days and nights are here in North Georgia. The smell of wood-burning fireplaces, occasional snow flurries, hot beverages of all types, quaint gift and craft stores, flea markets, hiking trails, good food everywhere, all this and more, invite and bring young and old to these mountains at the beginning of the Appalachian trail. North Georgia provides a real taste and sampling of the South in winter, and for many winter is the best time!
A one-day trip, a weekend, or a week, is good. A simple road atlas will get one to most places, but a GPS comes in handy, and works well.
Dahlonega (Cherokee for “golden color” or “yellow money”) is the famed Gold City and a gold rush territory of 1828. The city was founded in 1833, has a Gold Museum and the Corral and Carriage Co. Gift stores and good eating places are charming. There is easy access to the nearby Appalachian trail, and a short 4 miles down the road is Amicalola State Park and Amicalola Falls.
Rome, is a cultural and activity hub of North Georgia. This city of 36,000 is located where the three “rivers meet and the mountains begin”. Rome is the home of Berry College and Shorter College. Rome is abuzz with activity throughout February with several big events– 2 plays, 3 concerts, and an artistic exhibit event:
-Rome’s DeSoto theatre features “12 Angry Men”, February 5, 6, and 7th (706-295-7171).
-Feb. 8, 7:30 PM, is the Berry College Concert Series at Ford Auditorium. Concert pianist, Joe Chapman, plays Chopin and Schumann
-Punpkin Art Show runs February 5 to11th at All Things Artistic (706-205-0072).
-Shorter Chorus Spring Concert, Feb. 17, 7:30 PM, sacred and secular works (1-800-868-6980 ext 7288).
-Rome Symphony Orchestra, Feb. 27, 7:30 PM, presentations of Brahms, Mendelsohnn, and Mozart (706-291-7967).
-Callaway Theatre of Shorter College features Shakespeare’s beloved classic “Romeo and Juliet”, Feb. 25 to 28 (1-800-868-6980 X 7288).
Good dining and stores exist throughout Rome – a wonderful, historic area about 65 miles from Atlanta.
