A few years ago, my family and I drove down to the state of Georgia to spend a week away from the hustle and bustle of life. We chose an out of the way destination, so that we didn't need to worry about crowds and other tourists.

We weren't that far from the quaint town of Helen, so we decided to drive over there one day to check it out. I had read that it was designed to be like a Bavarian Village, and while I didn't think it was possible, it ended up being true!

From the second we drove into town, I felt like we had been transported to another time and place. There were horses and carriages in the streets, taking people on adventures, and other visitors could be seen walking from one place to another. The streets were empty of vehicles, with the exception of those just arriving.

The town is quite small, but it contains a wealth of stores and restaurants! I was thrilled to be able to go shopping and much to the dismay of my family, I could have spent hours watching them create art in the glassblowing shop. I may have also spent a little extra time in the Christmas store...hey, it happens to be my favorite holiday! :)

We ate lunch at a pub that overlooked the river, and as we enjoyed our food, we watched people go past on inner tubes. Once we had explored every inch of town, we made our way back to our hotel. However, we made two stops along the way. The first was at the Romeo and Juliet attraction, which has an amazing legend about two Indian lovers and how they met their death.

The second stop was at Mark of the Potter, which sold amazing pottery. My kids were more interested in the pond with the fish while we were there, but that gave me more time to do some shopping!

This is quite the beautiful area, and I recommend that you stop there if you happen to be nearby. And if not, add it to your list of must-see destinations in the future!