Dahlonega

Living in Cherokee County, I have been to the quaint,small village of Dahlonega before,but I have always gone with family, until this most recent visit with my gal pal. With the town being only a couple hours north of my house,I had never spent the night there. Truly, this time I felt like going to this gem of an area was reminiscent of Napa.We stayed at Mountain Laurel Creek Inn and Spa,for adults only,and top notch comes to mind, because the " Dancing Bear Cottage" was first rate, with lovely and thoughtful appointments and amenities, and the spa ladies were wonderfully skilled. You should check out their website.We ate at Monteluce Winery, with spectacular views and superb wine and food. I drank the super Georgian red and devoured their Foie Gras; both were delicious. We also ate at the charming Corkscrew Cafe, and their duck salad and local Pinot Noir did not disappoint. The downside of Dahlonega is the shopping hours, which the shop owners view rather arbitrarily. If the store's hours are 10 to 5, it may be open by 11 and may close by 3, depending on the whim of the manager. The inconsistent times were frustrating, but then again, shopping wasn't a priority for me.Dahlonega, site of the first Gold rush in the US, has many touristy options- panning for Gold, Gold museum, etc., but we avoided doing those.(Things I already did with my kids). Consequently, my husband and I are going to do a wine hike at the wineries for our upcoming anniversary in August and spend the night at the above mentioned B&B. The village is so close for a lovely, serene, adult getaway. Nixing the tourist traps made all the difference, and I am now enamored with the place. The above message is your free travel tip for the week.