I have heard that Dahlonega, GA is a really cool place to see around Christmas and that some of the Hallmark Christmas movies have been filmed there. I had mentioned to Jeff that I’d like to visit there at Christmas. He got to researching and found that there were several things to do and decides that we should go ahead and visit and do some of the things that are better suited for warmer weather. We planned a trip for mid-May 2025.

Did you know that Christmas in the Smokies, Christmas in Homestead, A Taste of Christmas and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire & Mockingjay: Parts 1 & 2 all have scenes that were filmed in Dahlonega, GA??? There are other movies, this is just a few. Did you know that Dahlonega was the site of the first gold rush in 1829? No, me either. These are just a few facts about Dahlonega. I just knew that some Hallmark movies had been filmed there and that I wanted to visit when the town was decorated for the Christmas holidays.

We drove over on a Friday. We made it there for lunch and knew that we wanted to visit the Classic Pizza Hut. Looks just like it did in the 90’s when we would visit our local restaurant. They still have an all you can eat salad bar, and it has the same toppings that it has always had. I had a personal pan pizza and salad bar. Jeff had a personal pan pizza and breadsticks.

After lunch we rode on into Dahlonega. We stayed at 27 on Park Boutique Hotel right in the heart of downtown. We were able to walk everywhere. We found our hotel and the public parking lots and we walked around the downtown area. We visited the Bear Book Market. I picked up 2 books written by the owner, his Dad was working the store that day. I have read both and they were really good. We visited an antique store, spice and tea shop, chocolate shop and the General Store. Then it was time to check into our room. We got settled in and just hung out until time for dinner.

For dinner we went to Spirits Tavern. There was a short wait, but it was pretty busy in that area as they were having their Arts and Wine Festival on Saturday and Sunday. They closed all the streets on Friday afternoon for the vendors to start setting up. There were lots of people just out and about.

I had a cherry limeade and the Dragon’s Breath chicken sandwich which had fried onion straws, bacon, Swiss cheese and horseradish mayo and Jeff had a burger and Mac and cheese bites. After dinner we stopped in at Connie’s Ice Cream shop and Jeff had a scoop of Oatmeal Creme Pie ice cream. It tasted like oatmeal creme pie. Then we headed back to our room for the night.

Saturday morning we got up and went to The Picnic Cafe and Dessertery for breakfast. I had the sausage quiche with fruit and Jeff had biscuits and gravy. We then went to the University of North Georgia bookstore, the campus is right there in downtown Dahlonega. Then we walked around the festival. The vendors had lots of cute things, but nothing that had to come home with me. Jeff was texting Tyler and decided that since they didn’t have the shirt he wanted in his size that we’d go back and get Tyler a hat. So we walked back to the bookstore on the edge of town. Then we went back to the room and decided to get ready for lunch.

For lunch we went to the Montaluce Winery. I had the Risotto Mare E Monti which was mushroom, zucchini, risotto and pan seared shrimp and Jeff had the Meatballs. It was just like a big pot of meatballs. Feels like the winery is just out in the middle of nowhere. Everything on the property looks Italian all of the buildings from the front entrance to the winery and restaurant at the back of the property. We ate at the casual restaurant, Trattoria Da Montaluce which is an Italian restaurant. There is another more elegant restaurant at the top of the hill. We did walk up there exploring the property after lunch. It is a straight up hill HIKE to get to the restaurants. You definitely work up an appetite just trying to get to the door of the restaurant. They do offer valet parking and handicapped parking at the top of the hill right outside the front of the restaurant. They also have tours of the grounds and other things like tastings, that you can choose to do to get more out of your time there.

After lunch we went to the Dahlonega Butterfly Farm. It is a small farm outside of town. It was not as advertised. They advertise 100+ butterflies and there were definitely not that many in the butterfly house. When we paid our admission she told us that there was someone in the butterfly house to tell us about them and to show us how to feed the butterflies, well that person was not in there. Some other customers showed us where the nectar sticks were and gave some pointers of how to catch a butterfly. But there may have been 30 butterflies in the tropical greenhouse. This tropical greenhouse is also kept very warm and I think was set at a temp of about 96 the day we were there. So you didn’t want to stay long. I did get some pictures of a few of the butterflies. I did catch one on my nectar stick. When we were done we took a quick walk around before we left. I also took pictures of some of the pretty flowers inside the butterfly house. We actually lost cell service as we were getting there and when we went to leave we just had to find our way back to the main road.

Want to know the best butterfly house we have found?? Ask me and I’ll share!!

When we finally made it back to the main road and had cell service again we headed back towards our hotel. There was another place we wanted to visit and it was the Red Oak Lavender Farm & Shop. So we were about to turn and I looked it up and it was less than 10 minutes in the other direction. So we headed there. We were too early in the season to pick lavender, so there wasn’t much going on at the farm. We visited the store and picked up a few things made with lavender that smells really good.

Then we headed back to our hotel and read and napped, just got in a little rest time. We had a late dinner at 19 Degrees North Seafood and Grill. They seated us upstairs in what was probably one time an upper porch on this old home. We ended up sitting beside a friend of the owner. So before the meal was over the owner and his friend had us in some of their conversations. Apparently this friend is from Florida and they fed him and his daughter everything on the menu. The daughter could only take a couple bites of the last entree they were brought and their dessert. I think she was pretty miserable by the time they left.

I had the grilled haddock with green beans and sweet potato fries. It was the first time that I had haddock and it was good.

On Sunday we had breakfast at the Bourbon Street Grill. They played only Elvis music the entire time we were there. We of course had to try the beignets. We both had the Same ‘Ol Thing which was eggs, Gouda grits, sausage and sourdough toast.

After breakfast we got packed up and headed towards home. On the way we drove over to Amicalola falls. (Check out the next blog about the falls, it deserves it’s own.) Afterwards we headed towards home and ended up eating a late lunch in Anniston at Besito’s Mexican. There used to be one on Highway 280 in Inverness. They have a good Mexican Street Corn. It was a little out of the way but definitely worth the drive.

Here’s a few more pictures from downtown Dahlonega.

Just an FYI, there is also a Holiday Inn in downtown Dahlonega. These are your only two hotel options in the downtown area.