Oktober Fest in Atlanta

10/15/11

After a relatively late night at the dance club, we slept in a little and missed Bill's road race. He told us that he ran well. By the time we rolled out of bed, Jayne was already busy preparing brunch. Nothing beats the smell of bacon frying on the stovetop! Mónica and I helped to prepare some scrabbled eggs. Gladys was able to join us for it and when the French toast casserole was ready from the oven, we took our plates full of food outside to their patio and enjoyed the beautiful day. Over breakfast, Jayne and Bill suggested that we might drive to Helen, Georgia, about an hour north of Atlanta, for their Oktoberfest. Lots of beer and good German food? Count us in! 

The weather was perfect and so soon after brunch we got in the car and made the trip to Helen. The roads were clear until we were about 3 miles outside of Helen, at which point cars were backed up and were moving at about walking speed. Evidently this Oktoberfest is pretty popular. The town had a German Alpine theme for all of the buildings, it was fun. We found a nice restaurant to stop at and have some German food and beer. They even had non-alcoholic beer for Jayne. Behind us at the restaurant there was a group of Germans who were signing along to the German music, it made the scene feel very authentic.

After eating lunch, we walked through the town and met Gladys and Ramon who arrived later as Ramon had to work that morning. We then went to a local chocolatier to sample some of the chocolate.

Finally, we stopped at a bar with live music and bought a couple 32 oz beers. And for some reason, we needed a bathroom stop on the way back to Atlanta!

Back in Atlanta, we grabbed some Thai takeout and went back to Jayne and Bill's apartment. We made it an early night since we were leaving early the next day for St Louis. Overall, we had a wonderful time visiting our family and friends in Atlanta. Thanks so much to Jayne and Bill for providing such great accommodations. Thanks so much to Gladys and Ramon to taking us around the city and making it a priority to spend time with us. We love you all!