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Helen, Georgia
Tucked in the Georgia mountains is a town that looks like it got lost on its way to Bavaria. Helen used to be a logging town that hit hard times in the 1960s until someone had the wild idea to go full lederhosen.
Now this tiny spot draws millions for its beer halls, river tubing, and year-round Oktoberfest vibe. And yes, you should definitely visit when you can.
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How a Dying Lumber Town Became Bavarian in Just Months
January 1969, three local guys named Pete Hodkinson, Jim Wilkins, and Bob Fowler sit down to figure out how to get tourists to stop in their dying lumber town. They ask artist John Kollock for help, who simply puts tracing paper over photos of buildings and draws Bavarian-style designs…