Friday, March 15, 2024

ALPINE HELEN EXPEDITION!


Helen, Georgia is located in the northeastern area of the state.  The German flag on their sign below, reflects the fact that the city made an economic decision, several decades ago,  to brand itself like a Bavarian alpine town in the Alps Mountain Range, based on its proximity to the Appalachian Mountain Range.
The town is situated along the Chattahoochee River.

A lovely Riverside Park provides a respite for visitors to the area.
The photo below, of me with a round hay bale, painted to resemble a jack-o-lantern, should be a clue that I was visiting in October.
In keeping with Bavarian traditions, Alpine Georgia hosts an Oktoberfest that not only occurs in October, but also on the weekends of the month before and the month after!

The photo below shows one of numerous Alpine-themed murals that are located throughout the town.
The murals provide a wonderful photo opportunity to remind people they are actually in the USA, and not Bavaria!

The couple below is wearing the traditional ethnic attire of Bavaria.  The leather shorts with suspenders that the man is wearing, are called lederhosen .  The female is wearing a Dirndl, that consists of a closefitting bodice with a low neckline, a blouse worn under the bodice, a wide high-waisted skirt, and an apron.
I could not resist having my photo made with these four young fellas, sporting their lederhosen, as well as the traditional Bavarian head covering, called a Tyrolean hat (because it originated from the Tyrol area of the Alps). 
Even if you do not have the traditional attire, there is a photo opportunity where you can put your head into the opening of the sign below, and be a "Bavarian for a Day"!

Oktoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture, having been held since the year 1810.  It originally took place in the 16-day period leading up to the first Sunday in October.  The Oktoberfest in Helen lasts much longer than the original!

I read on Wikipedia that in 2014, 7.7 million litres of beer were served at the actual German event.  I have not seen any statistics for amounts served at the Helen, Georgia event, although it appeared to be substantial!
A 1969 zoning ordinance that was adopted in Helen, Georgia, mandated that all architecture must be a replica of that which would be seen in a Bavarian alpine town.  The street scene below illustrates this concept.


Besides the unique shops and restaurants a visitor can peruse, there is also a town plaza, where one can enjoy the tunes played by street musicians, such as the one shown in this photo. 
I did all my exploring on foot, but one can also choose a horse-drawn carriage tour around the village.
 
If you want a different type of "horse power", there is a miniature train to hop on!


Tourism is a key economic activity in Helen, catering mostly to weekend visitors from the Atlanta area.  Special arrangements can be made for parking motorcoaches.

The village is also very popular for motorcyclists, who enjoy the amenities of Helen, as well as the beauty of the surrounding mountain roads. 

Since I was exploring on foot, I had no trouble accessing a lovely mountainside park, that sits on a hill overlooking the town.  The picturesque gazebo provides a great meeting place!
Looking through the wreath of autumn leaves gives one a bird's eye view of the downtown happenings


The park is also a good place to enjoy the autumn colors of the many hardwood trees surrounding the park.
One can also take their picnic meal to enjoy in the park, if they prefer the woods to a restaurant!
The park gives a good view of a very unique building, built with a windmill!


Outdoor dining can also be enjoyed at this riverside restaurant in the downtown area. 
The stores stay open later during weekend Oktoberfest, as illustrated by this twilight street scene.


This bridge near downtown is a popular crossing used by pedestrians, and the lights add a festive atmosphere.
Portions of the walkway beside the river are paved, and serve as access points to those who want to enjoy a restaurant beside the river, as opposed to a restaurant that sits above the river.
 
There is also a lodging property located adjacent to the river, which would be very convenient for festival attendees coming from out of town
Another interesting feature along the riverwalk, is the section of "love locks", placed there by couples who want to "lock" this visit into their memories!


Because the main highway that goes through downtown Helen ( Georgia Highway #75) can be somewhat congested during weekend festivals, readers might be interested to know there is a bypass route, labeled Georgia 75Alt, that would enable a driver to avoid traffic jams one might encounter on autumn weekends. 
One can visit the website of www.helenga.org for information on activities available throughout the year.
I felt very blessed to be able to take a walking tour of this quaint location, and want to credit the Grace of God, and the encouragement I have received through a healthy living program, called First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) for still having the ability to walk.  One aspect of the program (besides encouraging exercise and healthy eating) is to regularly work at memorizing Scripture.  Something that helps me memorize, is to have a visual picture in my mind, of some aspect of the verse.  I found such a visual aid in the hillside park, at Helen, Georgia, when I saw this paved PATH.  The memory verse has the  word "path" in it:--Hebrews 12:12-13 says,  "So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees.  Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong."  (Week 5)
I hope YOU can mark out a straight path for your feet, that will lead you to visit the Alpine Village, of Helen, Georgia.  If you are like me, it will give you "MILES OF SMILES"!!  Tricia

Friday, March 1, 2024

OZARK ISLE EXPEDITION!

Ozark Isle started out as a Corp of Engineers campground within Bull Shoals Lake in northern Arkansas.  It was originally the top of a mountain that was made somewhat inaccessible, when it became surrounded by water, due to the dam across the White River, that led to the formation of Bull Shoals Lake.  For this reason, a "causeway" was constructed by the Corp of Engineers that would connect the isolated island, the short distance that would link it to the "mainland". 

 A photo of the causeway is shown below, that also shows the locked gate that keeps unauthorized vehicles off of the island.  Locals have known for years that the locked gate did not mean they were forbidden from walking on the island, but most visitors would not know this, since there are no signs indicating pedestrians are allowed.

Many people, especially those who live in the Oakland area, have continued to use the island as a place to walk, bicycle, and view wildlife, especially birding enthusiasts.  Photo below shows Mary Beth Piorkowski (Ozark Isle Nature Preserve 501c3) and Roy Stovall (North Central Arkansas Master Naturalists), who led a walk, open to the public, that occurred at Ozark Isle, on January 1, 2024.  Shortly after January 1, 2024, the Corps approved a plan submitted by the two nonprofit organizations they represent, to restore Ozark Isle as a day-use park, for hikers, bicyclists, dog walkers, birders, and paddlers.  It is called OZARK ISLE NATURE PRESERVE, and you can see photos of the progress they are making on this project on the Facebook (www.facebook.com) page, under the same name. 
Mary Beth ( who lives very close to Ozark Isle ) had the idea that the abandoned Corp of Engineers campground could be salvaged and made into a Nature Preserve, and she had faith that it was within the realm of possibility.  For this reason, I am using this blog as my visual aid to help me learn one of my First Place 4 Health ( www.FirstPlace4Health.com ) memory verses that says, "For we live by faith, not by sight."  2 Corinthians 5:7  .   A map of the island is shown below.
The AllTrails map below, shows the areas suitable for walking/biking/hiking/strolling.

Photo below shows the group that enjoyed this "FIRST DAY 2024 HIKE".  I had no trouble getting in my 10,000 steps on this outing, because Ozark Isle consists of 462 acres!  There is no drinking water source on the island, so each person carried the fluids they would need for the day. 

This photo shows Roy Stovall, who heads up the Trail Patrol, for the North Central Arkansas Master Naturalists.  When Mary Beth talked to the Corp of Engineers administrative staff in Mountain Home, Arkansas, they told her they might consider her idea, but she would need to partner with a group like the Arkansas Master Naturalists, who are set up to do the volunteer trail work and trail maintenance, that such a project would involve.  Hence, she contacted Roy.  Roy gave a presentation to our Master Naturalist group, who endorsed the idea as a worthwhile project.

The "bump" you can see in the distance, in this photo I took while on Ozark Isle, is called Bull Mountain, located in the town on Bull Shoals, Arkansas.  The tower that is visible on top of the mountains, used to be a tourist attraction, which I climbed decades ago with my family.  It is no longer open to the public, but rather, is used as an elevated location for communication devices
One of the people in our group used their Garmin GPS device to show the location of Ozark Isle, in relation to where they lived, at a distant location on Bull Shoals Lake.  Unlike Bull Mountain, they determined there was no "line of sight" from the island to their location miles away. 
These two avid birders, Tony and Heather, had their binoculars on our First Day Hike, and alerted us to the bird species they were able to spot. 

Although you cannot tell it from the thick layer of leaves, there is actually a paved road that these folks are walking on. 

Besides paved roads, there are also some gravel roads on the island.  Notice the lady in the blue coat on the left is carrying a white bag.  That is because most members of our Master Naturalist group always have a bag with them when hiking, so we can pick up any litter that we find along the way.  If you are not doing this already, please do so!

On a chilly January 1 hike, there is a reduced risk of having one of those pesky ticks attach to your body!  However, as the weather in the Ozarks warms up, the risk of getting ticks and/or chiggers increases.  But, now, with the walkways on Ozarks Isle to be maintained by volunteers, one will be able to stroll on cleared and paved walkways in the summer, reducing the exposure to the itch-causing little critters!

These concrete picnic tables have withstood decades of exposure to the weather, and now their future is looking brighter, as they will be a pleasant rest area in the newly named Ozark Isle Nature Preserve.

The playground on Ozark Isle is still in tact, and some of our group took a quick swish down the tan slide.
 
The photo below shows the bathroom facility that was in use, at the time the Corps of Engineers closed the park to camping, in 2004.

The photo below shows what was probably one of the original rest room buildings that was built on the isle by the Corps.  I remember this style of bathroom, from when I first started visiting Corps of Engineer parks on Bull Shoals Lake, in the 1960's.

I was impressed by the efforts of the original park designers/construction workers, in the building of this "tree well", to protect this tree that stood beside one of the roads. 

This photo shows one of the First Day hikers, beside the sign pointing to Camp Area C.

This "Y" intersection shows the sign pointing to Camp Area D.

Besides the entry causeway, there is another shorter causeway, that forms one of two shallow lagoons that attract migrating waterfowl. 

This photo shows one of the former campsites, that included an RV parking space, concrete picnic table with benches, food preparation table, and grill for cooking with wood fire.  There are no plans to re-open the former campground to overnight camping. 
This photo shows the long walkway, as we leave the island, and start back toward the mainland, where our cars are parked.  The island has almost five miles of roads (mostly paved), and 8 miles of shoreline.
However, there is another Corps of Engineers park in the Oakland area, across from Ozark Isle, where a marina is located, as well as a playground, boat ramp, rv/tent sites,and picnic tables.  It also has a restroom building that is open seasonally.  You can find out more details about the Oakland park, by visiting the official Corps website at www.swl.usace.army.mil

The photo below shows why the area where I live is called the "TWIN LAKES" area.  On the east side of my home is Norfork Lake, and on the west side of my home is Bull Shoals Lake.  As you can see, both these lakes are predominantly in Arkansas, but they also extend northward into southern Missouri.  Thus, Ozark Isle Nature Preserve will draw regular visitors from both northern Arkansas and southern Missouri.  As it becomes more widely known, more visitors from other states will probably also enjoy activities there, when they are in the area. 

This is me, giving thanks to God, that I get to live in an area that values nature, and preserving spaces that encourage outdoor activities.  This place gives me "MILES OF SMILES"!!  Tricia