Commercial Truck Insurance in Dahlonega, GA

Nestled in the breathtaking North Georgia mountains, Dahlonega is a hidden gem that recently earned its place on Travel + Leisure's coveted list of America's Best Small Towns. Specifically, the town was honored as America's Best Small Wine, Beer + Spirits Town. But what sets this picturesque town apart is not just its stunning natural beauty; it's the unique blend of history, libations, and Southern charm that beckons travelers from near and far.

Dahlonega is more than just a pretty face; it's also a haven for wine enthusiasts and craft beverage aficionados. With eight wineries, twelve tasting rooms, and a handful of craft breweries and distilleries, it's no wonder the town was honored as America's Best Small Wine, Beer + Spirits Town.

The wineries in Dahlonega offer a diverse range of flavors and experiences. From the exquisite Wolf Mountain Vineyards to the rustic charm of Cavender Creek Vineyards, each vineyard tells a unique story through its wines. Don't miss the chance to sample award-winning vintages at Montaluce Winery & Restaurant, or explore the scenic beauty of Kaya Vineyard & Winery. Other wineries include Accent Cellars and Three Sisters Vineyards & Winery.

Step back in time as you wander through Historic Downtown Dahlonega, where a picturesque square beckons with its quaint shops and inviting restaurants. At its heart, the Dahlonega Gold Museum resides within the beautifully restored 1836 Lumpkin County Courthouse.

Dahlonega's history is deeply intertwined with the allure of gold. In 1828, this charming town sparked the nation's first major gold rush, a full two decades before California's historic rush. The Gold Museum vividly recounts these tales, from the dreams of fortune seekers to the painstaking process of extracting the precious metal.

Dahlonega's downtown offers a delightful shopping experience. From traditional Appalachian art to trendy clothing shops and home decor boutiques, you'll find a diverse array of souvenirs. For a step back in time, visit the Dahlonega General Store, an old-fashioned country store that stocks everything from homemade jams and candies to marbles and nostalgic metal signs.

Dahlonega's culinary scene caters to all tastes. Whether you crave Southern comfort food, barbecue, Chinese, German, Italian, Mediterranean, Mexican, or vegan delights, Dahlonega has a restaurant to satisfy your palate. For a unique twist on Cajun cuisine, don't miss Bourbon Street Grill, housed in the Historic Hall House building.

19 Degrees North Seafood & Grill offers fresh seafood, steaks and more at great prices, including a $9.99 lunch menu between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Friday.

Shenanigans Restaurant & Irish Pub features a family-friendly dining room upstairs and an authentic Irish pub atmosphere downstairs. It also has a covered patio and is pet-friendly.

Chocoholics and ice cream lovers rejoice! Dahlonega boasts a sweet selection of chocolate shops, including Paul Thomas Chocolates, Dahlonega Fudge Factory, and Kilwins Chocolates. If you plan your visit right, you might even catch the annual Dahlonega Chocolate Crawl, a week-long celebration of all things cocoa.

Dahlonega knows how to throw a party. The Bear on the Square Mountain Festival in April immerses visitors in old-time and bluegrass music, traditional mountain art, and mountain cuisine. In May, the Dahlonega Arts & Wine Festival offers a blend of fine wines, arts and crafts, and live jazz performances.

Come October, Gold Rush Days rekindles memories of the town's golden past with over 300 art and craft exhibitors, mouthwatering food vendors, and live music. And when the holiday season approaches, Dahlonega's Old-Fashioned Christmas, complete with thousands of twinkling lights, Santa Claus, and a festive parade, is nothing short of magical.

But Dahlonega's charm extends beyond its downtown area. Nearby attractions like the Dahlonega Butterfly Farm, Chestatee Wildlife Preserve & Zoo, Consolidated Gold Mines, Inc., Amicalola Falls, the North Georgia Astronomical Observatory, Red Oak Lavender Farm and Shop, and the Lumpkin-Union Loop offer endless opportunities for adventure and exploration.

In Dahlonega, history, culture, and nature converge in a harmonious blend that will leave you enchanted and eager to return to this gem of North Georgia. So, what are you waiting for? Discover the allure of Dahlonega for yourself, and you'll find it's a treasure trove of experiences waiting to be unearthed.

Dahlonega is located about 60 miles from Atlanta via U.S. 19 North. It's about an hour and 15 minutes.

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A brand new Whataburger is on the way to downtown Dahlonega. If all goes according to plan, the corner of Riley Road and Morrison Moore Parkway, known mostly for a longtime empty lot and plenty of kudzu, will be home to the popular fast food eatery famous for high-stacked burgers and “fancy ketchup.” Though Whataburger representatives have made no public announcement about the franchise, a deal involving the City of Dahlonega and the real estate group of BW Dahlonega LLC seems to confirm the upcoming development. On Monday, council members approved a deed which will transfer a .02 acre right-of-way to the City of Dahlonega. “We’re asking you to approve the deed and approve acceptance of the delivery of the deed when it is executed,” said City Attorney Doug Parks. “We expect that to be soon but it has not occurred yet.” City Manager Allison Martin said this will allow for a smoother construction process. “The property line where they’re proposed to build was not a straight property line and it was going to make the sidewalk, and the way they would have to construct things, not line up,” she said. “So we agreed to work with them because they were putting in sidewalk and needed to shift a little infrastructure.” Officials described it as a low cost endeavor that required minimal commitment from the City. “The City gets a right-of-way from Whataburger and it cleans up the property line,” Martin said. “There was no real cost to the city for this other than to review it.”

BURGER TIME

This debut of a Dahlonega Whataburger would be in line with the company’s recent expansion across Georgia. A new in-state location of the Texas-based franchise opened for business earlier this year in Kennesaw. Since then there have been multiple Whataburger openings, including a nearby one in Cumming. “Whataburger will bring more than 50 restaurants to the Atlanta area over the next five years,” stated a release from the company. So when can local Whataburger fans look forward to lining up at the upcoming restaurant? That remains to be seen. Dahlonega was not on the list of upcoming 2023 openings on the company site. And multiple attempts to contact Whataburger representatives were unanswered by press-time. Martin said the details will become more concrete soon. “We don't yet have a timeline for Whataburger,” she said. “I can tell you that we have plans and meetings are scheduled, but that's all I know at this point.” But once the bulldozers begin to roll, the new land deal will likely put the fast food project on a faster track. “It’s just one of those things that made them feel better about the project,” said Martin. “And we were happy to work with them.”

Ark the emu enjoys snacking on Cheetos, hanging out with her sister Noah and long walks in the woods. That last emu hobby became a problem on Friday when the 11-month-old flightless bird wandered off the Eaton family farm, into the forest near Camp Wahsega Road and never returned. “Emus are like nomads,” said Michelle Eaton. “So they’ll just keep traveling. So really this is going to be a matter of someone seeing her.” Ark’s escape most likely occurred when she followed her friend Willow the Great Pyrenees through an accidentally unlocked gate. Willow returned. Ark did not. Soon after the emu went missing, Michelle posted a picture of Ark, also known as Arkie, on Facebook. “If you see her, please don’t chase her,” read the post. “If you can, get her [to] stay in a safe spot or fenced in area. She likes any kind of snack with cheese." Days passed with no emu sighting. Then on Monday morning, local trail runner Jason Martin came across an unexpected sight near Coopers Gap in the Chattahoochee National Forest. As he was summiting Long Mountain, there was an emu, standing just off the forest road. “That's when I saw Arkie,” he told The Nugget. “I thought it odd, took a picture. As soon as I had cell service I sent it to my wife. That's when she told me Michelle was looking for her.” Martin hustled back up the mountain, but Arkie had moved on. “By the time I got back, she was gone,” he said. Martin said he suspects that Arkie headed for Hidden Lake or Gooch Gap. Meanwhile, Eaton is still spreading the word about her feathered family member on Facebook. And she's providing some helpful hints on what to do in the event of an Arkie sighting. “She loves Cheetos, Cheez-Its, Goldfish, Honey Nut Cheerios,” she said. “And she’s friendly, but I don’t know how she’s reacting after being gone for four days.” Eaton said she also understands that coming across the five-and-half-foot tall bird out of the blue can be startling. “She’s a little dinosaur,” she said with a laugh. So if you spot an emu on the run, call the Eaton family at 706-429-3199. Stay with her if you can, but don’t chase her. And when it comes to making friends, it won’t hurt if you have some Cheetos on hand.

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It was a full 20 minutes until the start of the scheduled planning commission meeting on Monday night. A large crowd already filled the lobby and vestibule of the Lumpkin Planning & Development building and had begun to spill outside. Citizens huddled under the roofline to avoid the evening’s relentless rain. On the jam-packed agenda were three variance requests and three different proposals awaiting review and approval. But it was the final item, the presentation regarding the proposed Flourish Community, that seemed to generate the most public interest. This proposal for a 100-unit inclusive community ultimately hit a major roadblock when, in an unexpected twist, the property owner said he'd been misled about the nature of the development. As new arrivals filtered in to the lobby that night, a staff member asked which agenda items they were there to comment on. Because the planning commission meeting room has a maximum occupancy of 50 people, citizens were asked to only enter the room once their specific agenda items had been brought before the commission.

FLOURISH COMMUNITY

After nearly an hour and a half, the meeting reached the final proposal on the agenda, the Flourish Community. The meeting room stayed relatively full for the entire meeting, but now every single seat was taken, with the overflow crowd watching a live Zoom stream from elsewhere in the building. “This request is related to a proposed Class VI subdivision on Dawsonville Highway and Pink Williams Road, which is parcel 022-066,” Community & Economic Development Director Rebecca Mincey began. She then read aloud the relevant County code related to Class VI subdivisions and explained the process for the hearing. “The planning commission will review the first preliminary plat for the concept, which is what we’re doing tonight, and make recommendations to the developer,” she said. Mincey then reviewed some stipulations that the department had relayed to the applicant prior to the meeting. “It’s the Road Department’s determination that Pink Williams does not meet County road standards, so an engineer traffic study would be required as well as improvements from the driveway back to Dawsonville Highway. It’s also the road department’s recommendation that the Georgia Department of Transportation provide a letter of support for the additional traffic that would be pulled from Pink Williams onto Dawsonville Highway,” Mincey said before turning the presentation over to applicant Seth Barnes, Jr. “We’re proposing a residential community for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” Barnes said. He said his plan is an amalgamation of ideas gleaned from other similar community designs in the country. “The proposed model is essentially similar to a 55 and older community with an attached HOA [Home Owners Association] … It has attached amenities, a meal plan, some employees that would be able to provide varying levels of care. The financial model would be homes for sale, homes for rent or rooms for rent,” he continued. Barnes explained that only a high concentration of homes would be able to keep those HOA costs down at reasonable levels, which is why his plan calls for as many as 47 duplexes and 66 one-eighth acre lots on the 77 acre property. “As far as the specifics of the development, it would have a state approved septic system situated in the back. We would widen Pink Williams Road from Dawsonville Highway leading up to the entrance to the community. We anticipate pretty low traffic, because the nature of the people that are living there. Most of them are not going to be driving,” Barnes added before reserving his remaining minutes for a rebuttal.

SHOWING SUPPORT

Planning Commission Chair Barbara Bosanko then asked for any public comments in support of the proposed development. Jacqueline Daniel, founder and director of ConnectAbility, seized the opportunity. “As I’ve come to know families over the years and asked ‘What are your biggest needs?’ It’s always the same needs: the need to have a sense of belonging and connection with the community to combat the isolation and loneliness, a job, transportation and housing. Our organization ConnectAbility is committed to providing those things in our community because there’s a great need,” Daniel said before endorsing the plan. The only other resident to speak in support of the plan was Michelle Steinberg. “There are a lot of people in this community who do not have a place to live … I understand as residents of Dahlonega what we want our community to look like. But we also have to care about people and provide shelter and work for solutions,” Steinberg said.

PUSHING BACK

Next up were those in opposition to the plan, led by Lani Henning. “First off I want to commend your vision,” she said, addressing Barnes. “I have researched your association, and it’s impressive what you’ve achieved. But I do believe this property is not the right property for this.” Henning pointed out the owner of the property, Larry Tanner, who was seated in back of the room. “When he first started negotiating with your agent, it was going to be a camp for disabled children,” Henning began. After talking for several minutes about Tanner’s health problems and his wishes for the property, Bosanko interrupted. “What is your opposition?” she asked. “Total opposition. We do not want this community,” she replied. Bosanko pressed Henning for specifics. “The board is wanting to hear what your opposition is,” Bosanko repeated. Henning ultimately cited traffic concerns, runoff, the geographic isolation of the property and its corresponding lack of public water and transportation. She also suggested that the development “doesn’t fit into the aesthetic” of the community. As Henning and Bosanko spoke, Nickie Rogers, another resident, made a negative comment from the back of the room. Bosanko slammed her gavel down in frustration at the interruption. Henning showed Bosanko a list of 160 signatures from residents opposed to the plan, before yielding the podium to Rogers. Rogers began aggressively reiterating the group’s list of concerns about the project. “Nickie, Nickie. Lower your voice,” Bosanko instructed. “I teach teenagers. This is me. I promise you I’m not yelling,” Rogers said before accusing Bosanko of being “rude and disrespectful.” Henning returned and said “we need a whole lot of studies done before we can move this thing even slightly forward.” With 45 seconds remaining, Skip Sevier was the last to speak in opposition. He suggested the commission gather some more information on the traffic impact on Pink Williams Rd.

DEVELOPER REBUTTAL

Barnes returned and ceded his remaining time to his engineer of record, Payton Anderson. He called for an onsite sewage treatment facility with an Environmental Protection Division-approved drip emitter system, which elicited loud groans of disapproval from the audience. Barnes insisted that the system is safe and would be maintained and regulated by the state EPD, which led to more murmurs from the crowd. Bosanko hammered the gavel again to regain order. “Please, let’s not have outbursts from the audience,” she pleaded, before noting that the preliminary plan did appear to be light on details. “As a resident, I would want to know a whole lot more than what was provided,” Bosanko acknowledged. “We intend to come back with a more robust plan,” Barnes responded.

SURPRISING TWIST

Mincey briefly reviewed the site plan for the benefit of the audience. “The plan that we have is very raw, very preliminary. There’s not a lot of information given to the board that can give us what we need,” Bosanko reiterated. “This meeting was never intended to be a meeting for voting, it was intended to gain feedback from the community and so far the only feedback we’re getting is ‘not at all,’ Anderson responded. Bosanko suggested that the developer consider gathering all of the interested members of the public in a larger venue to discuss the local impact, something Barnes and Anderson said they were already working on setting up. “The residents here have a lot of questions,” Bosanko said. With that, Tanner raised his hand and asked to speak. He said he had been told that the project would be a camp for disabled children, not a subdivision, and claimed that he had been lied to. Mincey gave the commission options to table the proposal, approve the proposal or deny it altogether. Bosanko strongly recommended tabling the proposal until a wider public discussion could take place. “You see the crowd that’s here. You’ve got a lot of questions, Seth, that need to be answered,” she said. Members of the audience suggested that the project should be denied because the idea was misrepresented to the property owner. A representative for the project briefly entered the room to refute the allegation, but Bosanko told him the developers' time to speak had already expired. Mincey offered Tanner the opportunity to withdraw the property owner’s authorization, and he indicated that was what he wished to do. “So what needs to happen is the property owner needs to come forward and revoke,” Bosanko said. “If he’s revoking his application for the project to be heard, the application cannot be heard by the planning commission,” Mincey said. Tanner came forward and signed the relevant document. Mincey said the proposal could be brought back before the commission only if the developer regains the property owner’s approval. Once the commission voted and Bosanko announced the item officially tabled, the crowd broke out in raucous applause.

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The Dahlonega City Council candidates gathered at the clubhouse of The Summit subdivision last Tuesday to participate in a public forum before early voting in the November 7 Muncipal General Election kicked off this week. Mary Lasris, Vice President of The Summit of Dahlonega Condominium Owners Association, served as moderator for the hour-long forum. Candidates were given a list of six questions prior to the event, but the subject of resolving local traffic and infrastructure issues dominated much of the discussion.

DAN BROWN

Dan Brown, one of the candidates for Post 5, was called on first. “It all starts with responsible planning,” Brown began. “At this point, there’s only so much we can do about issues that are there currently.” Brown said he had witnessed the traffic congestion on Pinetree Way firsthand while taking his son to school. “What we can do is limit some of the development and think about smarter development. Not high density rentals, that’s for sure. I would be more focused on looking to see what we can do as a community to promote development that’s in line from a density perspective and from an historic perspective with Dahlonega’s charm, history and aesthetic,” Brown added. Brown said that a more collaborative approach with the County is needed in order to preserve Dahlonega’s charm and tackle the City’s aging infrastructure. “It’s a whole community approach, and we’re all on the same team. I know the County and City division is part of [the problem], and concern for the election as well,” he said.

MELANIE DUNLAP

Fellow Post 5 candidate Melanie Dunlap was next to answer. She said that while traffic on Pinetree Way is congested, it has not gotten as bad as she initially expected it to. “But remember, too, that’s only step one. The aquatic center is coming, right? What is that going to do? We need to get some more information … We don’t need to rush to put more in that one area,” Dunlap said. Dunlap then addressed Summit residents’ concerns about having to make a treacherous left turn out of Summit Drive in order to head to town. “Do we start putting up more red lights? I grew up in a town that did not have any red lights, and even to this day only has a flashing one. So I’m not a big fan of those. But that may be a consideration of something that we need to do: we may need to have a few more stop lights,” Dunlap said.

JAMES GUY

Post 5 candidate James Guy said that growing up in a heavily populated part of Fairfax County, Va. helped him realize that ignoring future growth is not helpful. “I just remember my dad saying that the people who are smarter and should have known better said ‘They won’t come, because we’re not going to develop the roads.’ And they came anyway,” he told the audience. Guy suggested that in order to alleviate traffic, Morrison Moore Parkway is going to need to be widened from Dunkin’ Donuts all the way to Walmart, or possibly the Lake Zwerner reservoir. “There’s room there to widen the road, which would solve the traffic problem,” Guy said. He added that if more development comes to Pinetree Way area, additional steps will need to be taken to counter traffic. “There should be no egress off of Pinetree if they build what I’m imagining would be to the right. The egress should be from Memorial, and that would take some traffic off of Pinetree,” Guy declared.

LANCE BAGLEY

Post 6 candidate and current City Council member Lance Bagley said he supports a “pause” on new construction until the City’s zoning ordinances are fully revised. “On the Council, we voted for the zoning review. We need to look at the old rules in place, the old zoning ordinances, and make sure they meet the vision we have for the future of Dahlonega. I would actually recommend pausing construction until that’s completed, so we don’t do anything we would regret because we have old zoning in place,” Bagley said. Bagley also sounded off on the deteriorating relationship between the City and the County, telling the audience that it “needs to get better.” "We had nothing to do with putting Cottrell Elementary School there. We had nothing to do with the County selecting that site for the aquatic center . . . Where were all the discussions with the City Council to make sure that it fit the grand scheme or the grand plan? That’s what bothers me . . . We’re in the city, but we’re all Lumpkin County residents. And we need to keep that in mind when we work on these things,” Bagley said. As for paying for infrastructure improvements, Bagley said that the Council’s recent decision to hire Allison Martin as the new City Manager would yield positive results. “She is the right lady for the job, and she’s going to help us get the grants. We’ve got a great team,” Bagley said.

TOM GORDINEER

Post 6 candidate Tom Gordineer argued in favor of adopting the model of Dunwoody, Ga., to solve the traffic issue in Dahlonega. “When [Dunwoody] became a city, our mantra was ‘No new pavement unless it’s an intersection improvement.’ So if you ride through Dunwoody now, it still looks like a little town. Not by the mall, not by the hospital, but where citizens live, it still looks like a subdivision or a small town,” Gordineer said. On the issue of construction projects, Gordineer said the citizens ultimately foot the bill, regardless of which government entity is taking the lead. Gordineer pledged that if he is elected to the Council, “We’re not going to sue each other.” “I cannot believe that we got into this suit. Grown people, on the City Council, and on the Commission. We elect those Commissioners, too. They should have never spent $320,000 for outside attorneys,” he added.

JOHNNY ARIEMMA

Johnny Ariemma, running unopposed for Post 4, was the last to speak. “You know there is no way out about Pinetree,” he began. “If you’ve been out there lately, it’s ugly. You can’t turn right, you can’t turn left. All you can do is sit and cry at the steering wheel,” he said to chuckles from the audience. Ariemma said he is prepared to limit growth in the City wherever needed. “You know, I’m the silent killer. When it comes down to it, show me the plan, I’m all ears. But you know what, I’m a realist, too … We all moved up here. For what? So we’re not living in Roswell, right? What benefit is there to anyone sitting in this room to allow that congestion?” he asked.