Weekend Wind-Down #22

So last weekend, we took our Canadian friends, Becky and Aitor, to Helen, GA - a.k.a. ALPINE HELEN, the faux German town nestled in the foothills of Northeastern Georgia. If you didn't already know, Becky and Aitor of THE SWEETIE PIE PRESS have been traveling all over the U.S., making and selling their wares, visiting with friends and making new ones, and most importantly, sampling regional delicacies and taking in the spectacle of the roadside attraction slash tourist trap wherever they may find one. Our roadtrip started with a sampling of a local southern snack: boiled peanuts. Or, as they say in these parts, "BALD PEANUTS". Becky and Aitor certainly had never had them before, and neither did I, even though I've been living here for almost three years now. Missy opted out of the snack attack, due to "texture issues".

First stop in Helen was CHARLEGMAGNE'S KINGDOM, a massive miniature kingdom and train layout, complete with it's very own Alpine mountain range:

















After visiting the tiny town we took in the rest of the cheesy good/bad sights and sounds of Alpine Helen:



Missy really liked this horse wearing a tiny red hat:











We watched as hapless tourists tried tubing in the drought-stricken river that runs through the middle of the town:







Aitor ponders the Museum Of Live Tarantulas And Reptiles:





There was this perplexing window display in a Dutch gift shop - I think it was supposed to depict Amsterdam's infamous red-light district but the "Basic Options" plaque on the side of the building screams "teen pregnancy counseling":





FAVORITE MOMENT OF THE PAST WEEK?
MISSY - Crafting with Becky and Aitor...our livingroom was like a factory!
RAOUL - Finally playing on the big stage at the Georgia Theater with Folklore.

WORST MOMENT OF THE PAST WEEK?
MISSY - Missing Becky's performance yesterday.
RAOUL - Finding out about our friend Lynn being sick.

FUNNIEST MOMENT OF THE PAST WEEK?
MISSY - Becky's photo of Nilla sitting like a person.
RAOUL - Hearing about Jay's boombastic morningtime farts.

WORD OR PHRASE OF THE PAST WEEK?
MISSY - "'ello guv'ner"
RAOUL - "girl puzzle - figure me out!"

FAVORITE MEAL OF THE PAST WEEK?
MISSY - Willy's was pretty good, I guess.
RAOUL - Loaded Nachos at The Grit.

THE GRILL, STEAK N' SHAKE, OR DAIRY QUEEN - BEST MILKSHAKE?
MISSY - The Grill.
RAOUL - Steak N' Shake.

FAVORITE YARD SALE/THRIFT STORE FIND THIS PAST WEEK?
MISSY - The 80's craft books from Jay's family's yard sale.
RAOUL - "Malcom X" dvd for five bucks from the antique mall in Woodstock.

PERSONAL SOUNDTRACK FOR THE PAST WEEK?
MISSY - Bjork, She & Him, Laura Marling, LAKE, Luna.
RAOUL - Hot Chip, Elf Power, Vampire Weekend, Dub Narcotic Sound System, LAKE, Yo La Tengo, Red Pony Clock, Cryptacize, Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five.