Finding the Comforts of Home in a Rental Cabin | Bearadise Chalet | Helen, GA

I lost count of how many times I proclaimed, “THIS PLACE IS AWESOME!” Amazing details were found around every corner of our cozy little chalet that delighted us to no end. It truly had a homey feel, and we found ourselves instantly comfortable with what would be our home for this weekend getaway. A hotel doesn't offer the same comforts as a well-lived in home that the owners willingly open to the public. This place was outfitted with amenities that other lodging options just can't compete with, which is why we stayed here instead of a hotel room. You're not only getting more bang for your buck, but you also have a lot more space, having the comforts of home was an added bonus.

Upon entering the darling domicile, we excitedly took a tour around the cabin. The house had the most beautiful light filtering in through the walls of windows, which prompted me to grab my camera before we began scattering our belongings throughout the house. Before we arrived, the place was immaculate. We could certainly see that this home is cared for a great deal with the special touches sprinkled around. 

Another thing you'll notice sprinkled around, well, not quite, more like scattered, or plastered, rather, are the cute little mascots the homeowners collect. A mascot derived from the name they donned upon the cabin they lovingly refer to as Bearadise Chalet. You will find them EVERYWHERE and on EVERYTHING; black bears, grizzly bears, brown bears, cuddly bears, big bears, little bears....here, there, BEARS everywhere! It bordered upon being too much, but I still thought that they were charming. 

Even with the massive amount of bears everywhere, the chalet was tastefully decorated. The bedrooms were adorned with rustic wood furnishing that complemented the neutral tones used in other areas. The master bedroom, where Cody and I slept, was a loft with a ton of space. Our bathroom was lovely with the sand colored tile and the rock covered vanity and accent wall. The walk-in closet was enormous, although we didn't get much use out of it. The second bedroom downstairs was nice and cozy as well. It was connected to the smaller primary bathroom and is adjacent to the kitchen, dining and living room areas. 

The couches were especially comfy with oversized pillows; it became a coveted place to sleep once our guests realized that the downstairs bunk beds weren't very comfortable. Our kitchen wasn't too large, but I'd say that it was just the right size with everything we needed to make meals and then some; they offered plates, cups, silverware, cookware and a coffee maker to name a few. We also had a small dining room table to sit around that was situated next to a really cozy bay window. It was a terrific place to pop a squat and stare out at the surrounding trees on the property. Even though the chalet was located in a neighborhood of sorts, it was still pretty secluded. 

While the main living spaces were all amazing, the real highlights were the recreational areas, namely, the sunroom with a pre-heated hot tub that was ready and waiting for us. The temptation to take a dip was too hard to resist, and we ended up getting in after about 30 minutes of touring the house. Seriously, can you blame us?! We followed up our soothing soak with a game of pool downstairs in the finished basement. Yep, they also had a pool table! And a Foosball table, too! There was also a room with those uncomfortable bunk beds I mentioned earlier. It's mainly because they don't have real mattresses, instead they use thin pad-like cushions similar to what you would find on a futon just not as cushy. That was the only complaint raised the entire time that we stayed, though. 

Overall, the Bearadise Chalet was impeccable and we all thoroughly enjoyed our time at this quaint cabin in the woods. Having a home base like this to kick back and relax in exceeded any expectations we initially had. While having a cabin helped us save money by offering cheaper (and better) accommodations than a hotel room, as well as a cute little kitchen to cook meals in, we were almost too uninterested in heading into the town of Helen, GA to celebrate Oktoberfest because we were too busy being lazy at the cabin. Not that it was entirely a bad thing, since we were on a mini-vacation of sorts and a little relaxation was just what we needed. It may have only been a 8 minute drive, but Helen, GA seemed like a world away when we were chilling in our chalet! 

We had a wonderful experience and would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking to hideaway in a vacation rental in the woods of N. Georgia. The owners were extremely responsive and definitely have this whole rental property business down to a science, which made the entire process stress free. To see the listing for Bearadise Chalet, follow the link below. Also, I have a few more photos to share that I will post later this week, so STAY TUNED!

Related Links:

• Bearadise Chalet | Vacation Rental Cabin in Helen, GA | Homeaway.com Listing or VRBO.com Listing
• Oktoberfest in Helen, GA (2008, previous post)

Oktoberfest in Helen, GA

At the beginning of October (on our way back from Atlanta)
we spent a couple of days in the charming town of Helen, Ga.



What you'll find to be special about Helen is that the whole town
has been recreated to look like an Alpine village.



It was a pseudo-Bavaria; no passport needed!
I fell head over heels for this quaint little knock-off, really, I did.



It was filled with so much energy,
especially since the Oktoberfest celebration was underway.
In an attempt to fit in with rest of those celebrating,
we ate like the Germans...



Asking a local for a suggestion on where to eat,
she sent us to a restaurant called The Troll Tavern.
I didn't care for those tangy German potatoes, but I loved the brat!
After dinner, by foot, we made our way to the end of town.

Earlier, we overheard someone telling a visitor about Festhalle, he described it
as the best place to go to get the most authentic Oktoberfest experience.
That was a no brainer, we wanted to go there!



This place was bursting at the seams with folks having a fantastic time.
Polka music was playing, and just as we were sitting down,
they finished the chicken dance.....
but, I wanted to do the chicken dance :(



After Cody and I had our Hefeweizen, we were itching to join in on the action.
You'll be happy to know, I got to do my chicken dance, and Cody did it too!
Festhalle closed pretty early (11:30), so we made our way back to the
campsite. We had plans to go for a hike the next day.

Quick Facts

• In 1969 it was decided by some local Helen business men, that the town needed sprucing up.
  
• They had a vision to transform their town into an Alpine village to promote tourism.
• Each shop owner paid to have their own buildings renovated.
  
• Interesting tidbit: Festhalle is run by Helen's own Chamber of Commerce - built in 1979.
  
• The first Oktoberfest was held in 1810 in Munich, Germany.
• Helen had their first Oktoberfest celebration in 1970.
• Helen claims that they are home of the longest running Oktoberfest in the world!
• Nearly 30,000 people come to celebrate every year.

Posted in Wordful Wednesday

Quick Getaway : Clingmans Dome

I told you about our stay in Tennessee a few weekends ago. Although I mainly focused on our outings within the city, and left out what we did during the day. Since we only had one day to check out the National Park we wanted to make the best of it. Upon waking up, and having a bagel breakfast at the campsite, we began to make our way to Clingmans Dome.





Along the way we picked up a set of hardcore-outdoor enthusiasts, who were trying to make their way to a place that happened to be along our route. They were very nice fellows who, by 10 or 11 o'clock, had already biked like 14 miles, and were planning to do a loop hike of an equally astonishing number of miles. I mean we were half their age and couldn't imagine keeping up with the likes of them! Despite their best efforts to get us to try another hike, after dropping them off, we continued on our way to Clingmans Dome.




One of the primary reasons the hikers were attempting to deter us from going to Clingmans Dome was due to it's popularity amongst tourists. I didn't really care how many other folks were going to be there, I just wanted to go and see for myself. We dealt with a large amount of tourists in Gatlinburg, it couldn't be that bad!




The "trail" was a very steep 0.5 mile concrete walkway to an observation tower that was constructed in 1959. To be honest, I can't see why it's such a popular destination amongst tourists because that hike was mighty strenuous. I mean, you didn't get any switchbacks, you went straight up! Cody and I were troopers, and left the rest of the tourists to eat our dust as they stopped to take breaks every 20 steps. Cody even reprimanded me when I stopped to snap a quick photo because it messes up our momentum.......he's a slave driver I tell ya'!



At the tip-top of the 54 foot observation tower, you are standing at the highest point (6,643 ft.) in the smokies, and the second highest east of the Mississippi. Thankfully, we went on an especially clear day, and had panoramic views that went for miles.



The serpentine ramp coiled it's way to the top.



Slowly, I made my way to the deck so that I could enjoy the vistas with the other sightseers.
It was magnificent, those views never cease to amaze me.

Making your way back down, believe it or not, is rougher on your body.
Towards the end, I had to walk backwards because my knees were killing me.
Walking backwards did really help.
At the end, we had a picnic on a grassy island at the head of the parking lot.

Though this is a high traffic area of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, it is definitely not something you want to miss. I highly recommend seeing this modern marvel if you're going to be visiting the park. If not, I hope you enjoyed the photo tour of Clingmans Dome.

Quick Getaway : Gatlinburg, TN

Friday evening we packed up the car and headed to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Instead of staying in a hotel, like normal tourist, we opted to camp out in the Great Smokey Mountains. This was somewhat of a special little trip for me because I have been to the town once, but that was when I was 12. From what I do recall, the Great Smokey Mountain National Park was not a part of those memories, which was one reason why I wanted to stay there.

I made reservations through the website a few days prior to the trip since I read that July was one of the busiest months of the year. After a few hold ups, mainly traffic related, we made our way to the Elkmont Campground. As late arrivals we skipped checking in and headed toward our campsite. Elkmont is the biggest campground in the park with 220 sites, however, we managed to find our plot of earth.

You would think that after setting up our tent, and a 3 hour drive, we would be ready to relax.......but nooooo.....I was ready to head straight to the action! I never imagined exactly how much traffic we were in for, but I hardly cared because I was thrilled to be there. Has there ever been a time when you were happy to be in bumper to bumper traffic?! It's sick. Speaking of traffic, at any given time, whether walking or driving, you were constantly surrounded by 360° of chaos. Not that I don't pay close attention usually, but you had to be on high alert to get around that town.



Walking the strip reminded me so much of our Las Vegas vacation last year.
I have my mind made up that Gatlinburg, TN is like the Hillbilly Las Vegas.
Not that I didn't have a great time, but if it walks like a duck......
We didn't pay to do the space needle, but it reminded me of the Stratosphere where we had dinner at the "Top of the World Restaurant".
Although, the Stratosphere was 5 times as tall.



Saturday evening took us on a ride up the mountain on the Sky Lift.
The view was spectacular!



Walking through the souvenir shops was about the only other thing we did while we were in town.
The Village was a set of shops that were tucked in a nook off the main road.
The different shops were all done in various styles of architecture,
the Bavarian styled building was my favorite, but I didn't really get a good photo to share.



For dinner, I wanted a soft pretzel......so that's what I had!
It was delicious :)



Aside from the plethora of airbrushed t-shirt stores, olde tyme photo huts,
and pancake houses, candy stores were also plentiful.
We bought a 1 lb. box of Aunt Mahalia's Salt Water Taffy.
The box of taffy has been hit pretty hard, it's almost gone!
It's Cody's fault, he eats 2 to my 1......don't lie, you know you do :o)





I'll leave you with this cause it makes me laugh.
Giddy up!