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North Georgia Mountains Historic Towns:

Blairsville
Blue Ridge
Chatsworth
Clarkesville
Clayton
Cleveland
Dahlonega
Demorest
Dillard
Ellijay
Epworth
Eton
Helen
Hiawassee
Jasper
Marble Hill
McCaysville
Mineral Bluff
Morganton
Mountain City
Nelson
Sautee-Nacoochee
Suches
Talking Rock
Tallulah Falls
Tate
Tiger
Young Harris

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Highlights:

• On The Square
• Habersham Theatre
• Restaurants
• Antiquing
• John Kollock
• Walking Tours
• The Mountain Laurel Festival
• Glen-Ella Springs Country Inn
• Mark of The Potter
• Sunburst Stables
• Lake Russell
• Moccasin Creek State Park

Clarkesville, Georgia is a small town with a slight sophisticated air to it in Habersham County.  On The Square is its downtown area and it is very quaint with antique shops, a coffee shop, a tea room, an old fashion soda-fountain shop, restaurants, pubs, real estate offices and a nice furniture store.  The restaurants in Clarkesville are eclectic and some are very nice like in more urban settings serving a nice wine list and gourmet food. 

The Attic is must for dining.  Steaks, fish, appetizers, wine, all incredible.  Zanzo's Italian Cafe is a good value for Italian food. Natalie Janes has wonderful gourmet sandwiches, awesome for lunch.  Sharky's has a fully-stocked bar for cocktails or beer, if you just need a place to hang out for a while.

You can get your culture fix at The Habersham Theatre, a wonderful theatre On The Square with locally produced plays and visiting musicians.  Have a cup of expresso across the street at Java Joe's Coffee Shop before the production.

The antique shops On The Square are numerous and offer an array of items.  Do not miss Dixie Galleries Antiques.  It is a small shop of antique estate jewelry and other unique finds.  The owner is a delightful lady, who is so sweet and witty.  I don't smoke, but bought a vintage antique pipe there.  If I had had some tobacco, I would have lit it up and enjoyed a smoke On The Square.

Right outside of town is the huge Old Clarkesville Mill where you can browse antiques from over 100 vendors and buy artist supplies and artwork in a half-acre former mill.  It also has a bowling alley, plant nursery and a nice little cafe.

John Kollock is a local artist who's artwork is cherished by art collectors of North Georgia and sold in many of the galleries in the region.  His specialty is painting local places as it would have been a hundred years ago.

If you like old-Southern plantation architecture, then you will enjoy a walking tour.  Don't miss The Charm House, Asbury-Green Residence, Porter-York House and the Gloaming Cottage.

The Mountain Laurel Festival is the third weekend of May each year.  It is the oldest mountain festival with a parade and many festivities, including a 5K run.  Stay at the Glen-Ella Springs Country Inn that weekend for luxurious accommodations, fine dining and relaxation.

One of my favorite places is 10 miles north of Clarkesville.  It is a visit to the Mark of the Potter.  It is a gallery/shop of locally handcrafted pottery in an old Grist Mill on the banks of the Soque River.  The shop is a curiousity shop with wonderful gifts that fit the area.  The shop itself is worth the visit alone.  From the balcony, you can feed the school of enormous trout in the river just below the shop.  Part of the river actually flows under the shop.  You will understand why the Soque River is world-renowned for its trout fishing.

If you enjoy horseback riding, the you must visit the Sunburst Stables. A full service stable that offers trail rides and private lessons through the Chattahoochee National Forest, as well as boarding and training services, camping facilities, and a children's summer camp.

Nearby Lake Russell is a scenic 100-acre lake with a National Forest campground, however there are no electrical hook-ups, but they do have several showers and a dump station. It has a beach area for swimming and hiking trails with pavilions and picnic tables.  Canoes and small fishing boats are allowed as well.  You can also camp at Moccasin Creek State Park, which is 20 miles north of Clarkesville on the beautiful Lake Burton.