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6 I Wednesday, December 6, 2006 | The Red & Black
VARIETY
Helen offers close, inexpensive getaways for tired students
By RACHELLE HICKS
For The Red & Black
Is the stress of upcoming
finals collecting in your mus
cles? Have you been day
dreaming in class about pro
pelling yourself out a window
and into a place of fun, rest
and relaxation?
Well, little did you know,
there is an escape not far
from Athens that offers a
unique venue of excitement
and leisure in an Alpine set
ting.
Approximately 70 miles
north of the University lies
the small mountain town of
Helen. The winding roads
offer stunning portraits of
beautiful trees blanketing
the mountain until you reach
the quaint German town
picked right out of a
Christmas card.
However, don’t let the
cuteness of the town fool
you. Helen is known for its
wild beer nights, fun times
on the street and the infa
mous Oktoberfest.
Although Helen is a fre
quent destination for college
students during Oktoberfest,
the Christmas season offers
a great chance for visitors to
see the city decked out in
twinkling lights and
Christmas cheer. Plus, the
lodging prices are practically
cut in half.
For a nice place to stay,
try the Helendorf River Inn
or the Alpenhof Motel. Both
cost $30 to $60 a night for a
two-person room and are
conveniently located in the
center of the city.
For the more adventurous
travelers, Yonah Mountain
Campground near the city is
very impressive and costs
$25 for a lot with water and
electricity.
Although hotel showers
seem like a luxury that
would be missed while camp
ing, the heated marble show
ers at this campground are
much nicer than the ones in
most hotels. But keep in
mind that quiet hours start
at 10 p.m. at the camp
grounds, so make sure you
leave your drunken Mr. Hyde
at the beer halls before call
ing it a night.
If you do decide to brave
the wilderness, the necessary
camping equipment doesn’t
have to significantly lighten
your wallet. Target sells
tents for $10 to $20 per per
son, if the cost is split
between two.
Just remember, you aren’t
hiking up Mt. Everest. You
don’t need to purchase a
goose-down sleeping bag
that keeps you toasty at 10
degrees below zero.
Comforters, bed sheets and
common toiletries will do the
trick at no cost.
If you opt to make Helen
a day trip, parking at the city
lot is usually $2.
Helen is draped with
many nice restaurants along
the river. It may be tempting
to sit down and order tons of
food at a place like the Troll
Tavern, but beware — the
prices are geared toward
tourists and can be expen
sive.
Sample an appetizer and
then visit Hofer’s of Helen,
Edelweiss or even Betty’s
Country Store for more rea
sonable prices for your
entree. The first two are
restaurants. Betty’s is just a
grocery store, but has a
cabin-like atmosphere and
great prices.
Afterwards, stop by
Hansel and Gretel for some
samples of their delicious
sweets or, to make your
heart and sweet tooth con
tent, you could buy some
candy or chocolates.
Dotted along the main
street are hundreds of tiny
shops. The number of stores
can be overwhelming, but be
sure to look in all the nooks
and crannies of the side
streets because that’s where
they tuck away some of the
best shops.
And if you ever find your
self scrooging over the holi
day cheer, for $15 or special
group rates, you can visit
Haunted Helen, Helen’s year-
round haunted house.
For more outdoor activi
ties away from the city, travel
the beautiful trails that
snake around Yonah
Mountain, visit Unicoi State
Park, or see one of the top
tourist destinations, Anna
Ruby Falls, for free (aside
from the $2 parking price).
Yes, travel does seem like
an expensive affair, but if you
play it right, a weekend or
day trip to a town such as
Helen can be very inexpen
sive.
Eclectic eatery offers Italian, Mexican
Men’s clothing can be feminine, flirty
By BECKY HOWELL
For The Red & Black
What would you get if
Carrabba’s and On the Border
met on a grander culinary
scale? Girasoles.
Located in Watkinsville on
Greensboro Highway,
Girasoles serves food of
Mediterranean origin, but it’s
really a mix of fancy Italian
and basic Mexican fare.
The name Girasoles is an
Italian word meaning “sun
flower,” and the restaurant is
true to its name.
The inside of this small cor
ner restaurant is smothered in
the warm red and yellow col
ors of a sunflower, with sun
flowers in vases, sunflowers
painted on the walls and sun
flowers painted in pictures.
Though they border on
overpowering, the colors
blend well with the dim light
ing, making Girasoles a warm
and cozy place.
The menu is a bit pricey,
but offers a wide variety,
including pasta, beef, seafood,
burritos and fajitas that are
reasonably priced.
The price for an appetizer
ranges from $2.50 for home
made chips and salsa to $8.95
for seafood dip.
Though the place doesn’t
serve alcohol, customers can
bring their own wine for a
small fee.
Of the two meals that I
have eaten there, the most
appetizing was the Capellini al
Pomodoro, a simple pasta
dish made with garlic and
marinara.
The chef jazzed up the
everyday pasta by adding sun-
dried tomatoes that give the
dish a much-needed boost of
flavor.
The portion could satisfy
even the heartiest of
appetites, and at only $9.95, it
is one of the cheaper items on
the menu.
For the lover of basic
Mexican cuisine, the restau
rant offers chicken, steak and
vegetarian fajitas and burri
tos. The prices range from
$8.95 to $12.95, and the meal
includes rice and beans.
The warm, flour tortillas come
wrapped in foil, and
the chicken, peppers and
onions arrive on a sizzling iron
skillet.
The flavorful chicken com
bined with the perfectly
cooked onions and peppers
easily made these the best
fajitas I’ve ever had.
However, the sides were a
different story.
The bright yellow Mexican
rice arrived at my table cold,
and it tasted like it came
straight from the frozen food
section of a local grocery
store.
The whole black beans
would have been really good,
except they, too, were ice cold.
Hopefully, my sides were plat
ed too early and not intended
to be this way.
What really makes this
restaurant stand out is the
brunch that is served from 11
a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays. For
$12.95, customers can eat all
they want from the buffet.
The buffet menu includes
cheesy garlic grits, sopapillas,
eggplant parmigiana, pep
pered pork tenderloin,
bruschetta salad, an enchilada
casserole, garlic and parsley
home fries and assorted
pound cake.
The sopapillas, mixed with
honey, cinnamon and mango,
were deliciously sweet and
spicy, and the peppered pork
was full of flavor.
The highlight of the meal
was the pancake and omelet
bar. Chef Zambrano, walking
around the room, takes
requests and suggests the
chocolate chip pancakes.
It was the best advice I’ve
ever been given — the pan
cakes were amazing.
Eating brunch at Girasoles
should be high on anyone’s to-
do list.
S hacking may once
have been the reason
girls wore their
boyfriend’s clothes, but this
is no longer the case
according to today’s fash
ion designers.
It has become uber-
trendy for women to yearn
for the clothing in their
man’s closet.
Fashion leaders have
designed menswear for
women, and according to
New York Magazine this
trend is taking over for the
winter season.
Starting with outerwear,
it is clear why men’s cloth
ing has an influence on new
designs for women.
Belted trench coats and
tweed jackets are suitable
in cold weather yet have
details that make them flir
ty enough for women to
wear. Such jackets are tai
lored slimmer for women,
but still allow the wearer to
exude a powerful and influ
ential vibe.
Tailored and sweater
vests are popular looks
for women this winter, both
influenced by the ever-pop-
ular three piece suit.
While women who wear
this look often choose to
go without a suit, the addi
tion of a vest spices up a
Emily Samuels
esamuels@randb.com
plain outfit.
Oxford shirts have
always reigned as popular
for women who steal their
boyfriend’s favorite top,
but with a twist and a belt,
girls can make this shirt
memorable.
A simple yet classic
twist that women can add
to the Oxford shirt is gold
cuff links. These do not
have to be expensive and
creativity is key, so experi
ment with jewel tones and
faux diamonds, something
the men in your life surely
do not take advantage of.
Going along with updat
ing men’s formal wear, the
tuxedo coat or tailcoat is
fabulous on a woman.
Although you may think
that Diane Keaton is the
only girl to ever don the
tux, many fabulously femi
nine celebrities have been
spotted wearing tuxedo
tops and black slacks.
Tuxedo pants are also
great on women, and fitted
blouses perfectly accentu
ate this look.
If accessorizing yourself
in your man’s closet sounds
appealing, then make sure
to look out for big and bold
face watches. The bigger
and bulkier, the better
when it comes to picking
out watches for women this
winter.
Silver, gold or white
(think Chanel-style) links
with black or white faces
will make your wrist visible
from miles away.
Men’s shoes are also in
style for women this winter.
Black or brown flat riding
boots are flattering on any
woman and a classic style
you could hold onto for life.
Frye cowboy boots are
durable, high-quality boots
that are mal- inspired, but
popularized by stylish
women.
Next time you are in a
man’s closet, check out
these items, or just hit the
stores this winter for a full
selection of styles.
— Emily Samuels writes
a weekly fashion column
for The Red & Black
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