Things To Do
The North Georgia Premium Outlets opened when we were teenagers. We spent many hours walking up and down those aisles, largely window shopping, back then. These days, we usually try to avoid the mall unless we need something because it can get crazy. But if you love to shop, and especially if you want deals on designer items (we assume they have deals anyhow based on store traffic), this is a good place to visit. They have a ton of stores to check out, including more affordable ones such as Old Navy and Palmetto Moon.
Like we talked about earlier, we also have a movie theater, Dawson 400 Cinemas, and tons of other stores. Some of our favorites/most frequented are Hobby Lobby, Home Goods, Dollar Tree, Kroger, and, of course, Walmart. However, we also try to shop local as much as we can and Dawson County has some great small stores. The Purple Corn Boutique has lots of cute clothes with southern flair and supports other small businesses in the area by selling their merchandise as well. The Blue Barn is another small shop with home decor, clothes, and all sorts of other treasures.
If you leave the Georgia 400 area (as we call it) and head to downtown Dawsonville, you will find a bit of that small town feel. The old county courthouse sits in the middle of the square and is surrounded by small, locally owned, shops and churches. You will also find many references to NASCAR as Dawson County is, at least according to its longtime residents, one of the birthplaces of the sport.
Back in the early to mid 1900’s, many a resident of our county made and distributed moonshine (Mal- including my great grandpa). As it wasn’t exactly legal, they often had to evade the police which was made easier by driving smaller, faster vehicles. “Running shine down highway 9,” as the Dell Conner song goes, was the main way for the Dawsonville shiners to get their white lightning to the big city of Atlanta. In fact, Dawsonville is considered to be the Moonshine Capital of the World (maybe just in Dawsonville, but we’ve heard that our whole lives). If you come to town the fourth weekend in October, you can also visit our Moonshine Festival.
In town you will also find the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame, our town’s NASCAR museum, in the same building as City Hall. If you follow NASCAR at all, you may have heard of Bill Elliott or ‘Awesome Bill From Dawsonville’. His son Chase is now a driver and recently won NASCAR’s 2019 Most Popular Driver Award and was the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Champion.
Dawson County is also home to Amicalola Falls State Park. If you’re a fan of hiking and waterfalls, you will enjoy a visit here. You can hike (or drive) to the top of the falls and the views are awe inspiring. For the serious hikers out there, Amicalola is also where you will find a starting point for the Appalachian Trail. The park has great options for picnics and other outdoor activities such as zip-lining and camping. There is also a lodge atop the falls if you’re looking to spend the night indoors. They often host events here, from weddings to corporate retreats.
Amicalola isn’t the only place to camp. There are many campgrounds around the county to check out if you love getting outdoors. Lake Lanier is a popular spot in the summer months for those who want to get out on the lake to fish or simply to relax on a boat. Not sure we would necessarily recommend swimming in the lake, but you certainly can.
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