Jenna and Benjie Shaw became temporary residents in Habersham County in December 2021. Their move required leaving a job in Memphis, selling their home, uprooting their children from schools and activities, and moving in with family (that would be us!) for seven months as they get ready to move to Athens, Georgia, for a new job.
Add all the stress of that much change at one time together, and it’s easy to see the needed a break –– from their kids, their giant-sized dog, and their parents/in-laws. They just returned from a short, two-night trip to Dahlonega, and their experiences might help you plan a couple’s trip or friends’ trip of your own to that amazing town.
Hiking up Preachers Rock
On their way to Dahlonega from Clarkesville, Jenna and Benjie stopped to go hiking up to Preachers Rock. Benjie explains, “It’s been a tough few days, so Jenna took me to a mountain. She is wise.”
The trail to Preachers Rock begins just twenty minutes north of Dahlonega from the north side of Woody Gap parking lot on Hwy129.
The two-mile round-trip hike climbs through the Blood Mountain Wilderness area along the Appalachian Trail and is a moderate hike with some sharp rocky inclines. The trail is mostly shaded, unpaved, and full of roots, so tread carefully.
Preachers Rock is a huge exposed rock face that provides some of the most stunning views of the Appalachian Mountains in Georgia. Jenna will quickly admit that she complained about the hike most of the way up the mountain but didn’t want to leave once she arrived. For Benjie, mountains and especially mountain tops, have always been a spiritual place for him.
Preachers Rock didn’t disappoint either of them. The view opens up miles of scenic mountains and valleys and creates a serenity all its own.
Finding food
A major part of any vacation or time away for Jenna and Benjie is trying out local restaurants and exploring every coffee shop in the vicinity of where they are. From their experiences in Dahlonega, they thoroughly recommend trying out these places.
Restaurants:
Shenanigans Restaurant is located at 87 North Chestatee Street in Dahlonega (706-482-0014) and provided their favorite meal. Benjie recommends the Guinness Chicken & Mash and says the Bailey’s Irish Cream Pie was to die for.
“We will be back,” he says. “It’s worth the trip to Dahlonega just to eat at Shenanigans.”
19 Degree North Seafood and Grill is located at 19 North Chestatee Street in Dahlonega (706-867-6602) and was their second favorite restaurant. Benjie enjoyed the Shrimp and Grits and highly recommends the Key Lime Pie.
Picnic Cafe & Dessertery is located on the downtown square at 30 Public Square North in Dahlonega. It was the only local place Jenna and Benjie could find for breakfast, so they ate there twice. Benjie enjoyed the spinach and mushroom quiche and Jenna was thrilled they had homemade gluten-free bread. They also brought back a sampling of the cafe’s cookies and I can attest they were delicious.
Coffee shops
It’s important to note that Benjie is a self-proclaimed coffee snob. So, not every coffee shop measures up to his standards. His favorite shop, and the one he went to more than once while in Dahlonega, was Jethro’s Coffee & Public House, located at 21 North Grove Street in Dahlonega (404-330-9068). Benjie enjoyed their signature drink, The Golden Nugget, which includes espresso, turmeric, honey and steamed milk. Benjie loved the welcoming atmosphere and the staff were nice and knowledgeable. Benjie spent 20 minutes discussing coffee with the barista. Yes, he is that kind of a snob.
His second favorite was the Canopy Coffee and the Roots, located at 53 West Main Street in Dahlonega. Benjie enjoyed the Nitro Coffee, a large cold brew.
Canopy is more than a coffee shop. It’s a trendy place that has a listening room for bands and performers, yoga classes, and is a unique multipurpose event venue. It’s highly regarded by locals and is worth stopping by for coffee and a chance to see the place for yourself.
Sweet places
While Jenna doesn’t care at all about coffee, she loves ice cream. She fell in love with Kilwins, an ice cream shop located on the Dahlonega Square at 40 Public Square South (706-525-7227). In fact, it was soooo good that she refused to try out ice cream anywhere else. That’s huge praise! Benjie enjoyed the mint chocolate cookie. He describes it as designed like a mint Oreo that’s covered in chocolate. I tried to check out the number of calories in the cookie but couldn’t find it. Benjie didn’t care and didn’t want to know. “Why ruin a good cookie,” he asked.
While in Dahlonega, Jenna and Benjie checked out two chocolate places. At Paul Thomas Chocolates, Benjie tried some of the truffles, including Maple Bourbon and Bailey’s Irish Cream, and said they were all really good. He got a King of Pops Banana Pudding Pop at The Fudge Factory and said it was amazing!
Shopping in town
Jenna’s not a foodie, but she does love to shop and found lots of places around the square to shop. They spent a good bit of time antiquing. She also found a couple of places where she spent money, a really good sign these are worth checking out:
Dress Up Boutique is a cute boutique that has local ownership but can be found in other towns, such as Athens. The boutique offers cute, trendy clothes at reasonable prices. The clothing is mostly aimed at younger consumers. It does have a photo wall for social media connections.
The Dahlonega General Store is a great place to find local products and souvenirs, along with an assortment of old-fashioned candy and drinks. Benjie enjoyed a butterscotch root beer there and Jenna drank a Mountain Dew. That, in a nutshell, shows how different they are.
Why visit Dahlonega?
Like the entire Northeast Georgia area, Dahlonega is steeped in history. The Cherokee walked these hills, fished these streams, and farmed these lands. Gold was discovered in Dahlonega and Helen, creating the first gold rush in North America. And the local mountains, the oldest in North America, have been rounded out over time. The local history is exciting and the local beauty outdoors just waits to be explored.
But Dahlonega is so much more than its history and its location. While the town celebrates its vast history, it now embraces the new. It’s become an area in which foodies can explore local, trendy restaurants and sterling chefs. It’s also an area in which wine enthusiasts can try out dozens of locally grown wines.
It’s a town that begs to be explored, experienced, and enjoyed for a day or a weekend.
