Road Tripping to German-American Towns

Finding interesting German-American destinations isn't all that hard--after all, that group constitutes the largest single ethnic gathering in the USA. The northeastern United States especially, from the Midwest through Pennsylvania and New York, is crammed with German-named towns and counties. But to my mind, there are five towns that stand out because of the large number of activities and institutions that can be found there.

Helen, Georgia

Starting out in Atlanta, you can reach Helen in about an hour and 40 minutes following I-85 north to I-985, then US 129 (SR 11) to SR 75.

The German word ersatz (imitation) shouldn't be spoken too loudly around Helen.

By the 1960s, Helen had become a run-down hamlet with little future. The townspeople, creative types who were quite fond of their beautiful Blue Ridge Mountain locale, figured they should do something to keep on living here. Initially, they tried painting the buildings in an Old West manner, but tourists kept speeding through without stopping. In 1969, inspired by a local artist, John Kollock, Helen's citizens decided to give the town a Bavarian makeover. (Kollock had been stationed in Bavaria when he was in the Army after World War II, and loved the place.) Soon, the "Old West" was converted into the "Olde Worlde," with Bavarian-style facades on the buildings and the streets trimmed with lights, planters and imported fountains.

Today there are only a few hundred people living in the town, but they organize festivals throughout the year, to keep the world coming to them. These include "Bavarian Nights," a Winefest and a very long Oktoberfest (six weeks, mostly weekends-only, from mid-September to early November, admission $6 adults, half price for kids, add $1 on Saturdays). There's even a Helen-to-the-Atlantic Balloon Race, with balloon rides offered by Head Balloons, Inc., phone 706/865-3874.

There are now over 100 import shops, about 30 factory outlets and, amazingly, a number of real Germans settling in. As the town is situated on the Chattahoochee River, the north Georgia ambiance is evocative of the real Bavaria to an amazing degree. On the river you can go kayaking, tubing (call Cool River Tubing, tel. 706/878-2665) and canoeing, or just go fishing.

Hiking is also a favored pastime here. I'd recommend a walk along the Unicoi-Helen trail, starting from the gazebo downtown past the Unicoi Lodge to the lake of the same name. Just north of the Unicoi Lake State Park are the beautiful Anna Ruby Falls, a rare double cascade. You can also hike in Smithgall Woods, another state park, or drive along the scenic State Road 348 to two hiking trails, one at Duke's Creek Falls, the other at Raven's Cliff Falls.

Other activities include visiting the Gold Mines of Helen (tel. 706/878-3052), featuring a tour of the mine, gold panning and a nature walk. Or try the Museum of the Hills (tel. 706/8878-3140) for a look at old-time Helen. The museum also offers periodic fairy tales and nursery rhyme events for the children.

For more information about the town and area, contact Helen-White County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Box 730, Helen GA 30545, phone 706/878-2181, Web sites www.whitecounty.com or www.helenga.org.

Hotels

Alpine Hilltop Haus is a bed & breakfast with three guest rooms and a suite, each with private bath and some with fireplaces. Rates run from $79 to $150 per room although these figures are seasonable and subject to change. The suite will accommodate two to five guests and includes a kitchenette, sitting room and fireplace, private bath and private entrance. Special rates are available for guests staying at least four nights. 362 Chattahoochee Strasse, Helen GA 30545, phone 706/878-2388.

Nacoochee Valley Guest House (tel. 706/878-3830) is also a B&B, just five minutes outside Helen. There are three centrally heated and air-conditioned rooms here, two with their own entrances. Rates run from $65 to $110 per room, including full breakfast, use of the library, fireplaces and deck. Two-night minimum reservation, though one-night stays can be arranged with an extra charge. The location is just two miles of GA Highway 75 on State Route 17, overlooking the valley

There are also Best Western (tel. 800/HELEN GA or 706/878-2111) and Super 8 (tel. 800/535-1251 or 706/878-2191) motels in town, both on Main Street, with the usual rates those chains require.

Restaurants

You might enjoy eating at Bernie's Restaurant in the Nacoochee Valley Guest House (see above), although the menu isn?t particularly German (items like smoked salmon, roast duck, beef Wellington, French napoleons and other standard continental fare). Complete meals run from about $10 to $20. Open for lunch and dinner except Tuesdays. Phone them at 706/878-3830.

The Hofbrauhaus sits above the Chattahoochee River in the heart of Helen (there's an outdoor deck), and offers both German and American dishes. Sauerbraten runs about $12. Phone them at 706/878-2248.

Hofer's Bakery & Café is open for breakfast and lunch daily, with most of its German-inspired meals costing from about $7 (breakfast) to $18 (dinner). 8758 North Main Street, phone 706/878-8200.

Old Bavaria Inn also serves German food, lunch and dinner daily, at costs of about $15 for complete meals. They're located in Horsie & Ducky Platz, phone 706/878-3729.

Oldenburg, Indiana

You get here by driving on I-74 about halfway between Indianapolis and Cincinnati, turning off at Exit 149 onto State Road 229, where, after about three miles, you'll find this tiny town. It's just under an hour from the Ohio city, about one hour 15 minutes to the Indiana capital.

People of German ancestry make up one-third the population of Indiana, the state being approximately in the center of the so-called "German Quadrangle" of the United States. In Indianapolis, not far from Oldenburg, there is a richly endowed Max Kade German-American Center, in the old Germantown section of Indiana's capital city. It has close ties with Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI), which intends to develop a research center for German-American Studies.

Oldenburg is best known for its Roman Catholic Oldenburg Academy, a prep school for girls since 1862. There are only 715 people in the town, so you could miss it if you drove through too quickly. But the "Village of Spires" looks decidedly German, particularly in its many churches, as it was founded by Catholics from nearby Cincinnati in 1835. (Oldenburg was a duchy in northern Germany, by the way.) The town itself is on the National Register of Historic Places, with two religious compounds at its center. One is the Holy Family Church, the other the Immaculate Conception Convent. The church is open during daylight hours and the convent can be toured by appointment (or by on-the-spot requests, if you are lucky).

The historic district of Oldenburg has German-named street signs, and many of the older buildings still contain markers indicating the family name and craft. Try to be here during one of the town's festivals: the Fireman's Festival and the Feast of Corpus Christi, both in June, the Freudenfest (Festival of Joy) in July, and the Holy Family Parish Festival in October. There's very little on the web about Oldenburg, but when in town, contact the Sisters of St. Francis convent at 812/934-2475 or ask at the town's visitors center (open in summer only, from time to time).

Hotels & Restaurants

Better bring a picnic lunch, though there will be food stalls at some of the festivals. Your best bets for hotels and restaurants are in Indianapolis or Cincinnati, an equally long drive (see driving notes above).

Two restaurants stand out in Indianapolis for authentic German cuisine. On the cheaper side, try the Heidelburg Café and Bakery, 7625 Pendletown Pike, tel. 317/547-1230. The menu offers 14 low-cost items, focusing on authentic German sausages and fresh baked goods. For added ambience, the Café also serves as a variety store selling many German-made products such as kitchen utensils, knick-knacks, wedding cake figurines and German-language videos and music. The dining tables are actually scattered throughout the store. The Café is open weekdays 8:30 am to 7 pm, Saturdays 8:30-5, and Sundays 11-5.

In the heart of downtown Indy is The Rathskeller, housed in the historic Athenaeum Building (designed by Kurt Vonnegutt's architect grandfather). The lunch menu offers most entrees for under $10, while dinner entrees range in price from $14.95 for rouladen to $22.95 for a stuffed fillet. For a less expensive meal you can eat in the Kellerbar, which features a smaller menu but a wide variety of German beers. Especially nice is the biergarten upstairs, open (and heated!) in the winter too. The Athenaeum Building is located at 401 E. Michigan St., just off I65 and I70 downtown, telephone 317/636-0396

Davenport, Iowa

You get here from Chicago on I-290, then I-88 and finally I-80 (about 2 hours 55 minutes), or from Des Moines on I-235, then I-80 (about 2 hours 45 minutes).

Many of the early German settlers to Davenport were escaping persecution from the Danes in the Schleswig-Holstein region of northern Germany, and more arrived later when the 1848 revolutions throughout Europe failed. About 100 years ago, nearly a quarter of Davenport's population was German-American. There's an historic German district in Davenport, about which you can get more information from the local German American Heritage Center at 319/322-8844.

Today, you can see remnants of their heritage in the Hamburg Historic District and the West Third Street Historic District, both of which are on the National Register of Historic Places. On a less auspicious note, if you really want to throw away your money, you can try your luck on a Mississippi River gambling boat, from May through September. The one based in town is the President Casino.

Davenport is also home to Iowa's biggest tourist attraction, the annual Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival, held in July. German-American Bix (real name Leon) was born here. As well as being one of the great jazz musicians of the 1920s, Bix composed music and was an accomplished pianist. (His orchestral instrument was the cornet.) Although he died at the age of 28, he was such a great musician that his fame lives on still, drawing about 15,000 people to his festival each summer. The city even organizes a Quad City Times Bix 7, an annual road race which attracts about 20,000 people who run the streets here and in the other three of the quad cities, Rock Island, Bettendorf and Moline (the latter in Illinois, across the Mississippi River). At the same time, there's a street festival to add to the general jollification.

Hotels

There are dozens of moderately priced hotels and B&Bs in Davenport, plus those in the other three towns of the Quad Cities. Here are just two:

Fairfield Inn by Marriott, 3606 East Kimberley Road, Davenport IA 52807, phone or fax 319/355-2264, Web site www.usahotelguide.com. There are 62 rooms here, each with private bath and a large number of amenities. Rates start from $65 per room, including continental breakfast. There's a heated indoor pool and on your TV there is free Showtime, CNN and ESPN. You get a free newspaper, too. Located on I-74, Kimberley Road and Spruce Hill Exit.

Residence Inn by Marriott is a bit pricier, but you get a suite, with separate sleeping and living areas, a fully equipped kitchen with fridge, microwave and coffee maker, and space for an office in your room. There are 78 suites here. Rates per room start at $89.99 including breakfast. Phone or fax them at 319/391-8877, Web site www.usahotelguide.com.

Dining in Davenport

While it's definitely not German, I like one restaurant for its giant Chinese-American buffet, namely the Buffet King, which has a huge selection of food (over 125 items that change daily) that includes soups, appetizers, salads, fresh fruits, Chinese main dishes and American cuisine with desserts and ice cream. Buffet costs $9.95 for lunch, $12.95 for dinner. Open daily, senior citizen discount of 10%. They're at 1510 E. Kimberley Road in Davenport, phone 319/388-8880.

Jumer's Restaurant is located in the Castle Lodge Motel, and features German dishes among its many offerings. Sauerbraten lists at $14.95, for instance. They're at 90 Spruce Hills Drive, Bettendorf. (If you decide to stay here, one of the rooms will cost you from $84 per night, but you have access to both an indoor and outdoor pool, a hot tub, sauna, fitness center and shops.) They have shuttle services to the casino owned by the same group down on the Mississippi River. Their phone is 319/369-1607.

Catskill, New York

You get to Hunter, one of the first towns in the Catskill area, from New York City, by going through the Lincoln Tunnel, then taking I-95, then I-80, then State Route 17, then I-87 and finally, State Road 32. It takes just over 2 hours. To go to Catskill, you take the same route out of New York City, but after you get on I-87, you turn onto CR 23B, then State Road 23 to Catskill. Time is 2 hours 15 minutes.

Commonly known as "The German Alps," the area around the city of Catskill is dotted with German-American locations, from a resort to a great country-style restaurant and bakery, with two festivals to top things off. The German Alps Festival is held in August every year at Hunter Mountain in Greene County (part of the northern Catskills). Participants in this year's festival included the Missisauga Express, Bud Gramer, the Happy Wanderers, Stettholz Musikanten, Edith Prock, Mathias & Sepp, Yolanda, the Norbert Ludwig Orchestra and Dominos International. Adults $8, children 7 to 12 only $3, 6 and under free. Phone Hunter Mountain at 518/263-4223 or e-mail info@huntermtn.com. For lodgings, phone 800/775-4641. At Hunter Mountain, by the way, you can leave your car at the bottom of the mountain, ride up on a chairlift (with your own bike or rent one on the spot) and take the two-wheeler from the top down in a guided tour, or just ride around on your on.

The "Original" German Alps Festival is held in July at the Bavarian Manor (see below for location) on two weekends, rain or shine, with live bands, German folk dance shows, arts & crafts (glassblowing, steins, German clothing, etc.) and German food and beer (Warsteiner and domestic beers, schnapps, potato pancakes, Karl's pig roast, and more). Phone them at 518/622-3385.

Activities for the family that aren't specifically German-American include visits to such places as West Point Military Academy, the Storm King Art Center (an outdoor sculpture museum in Mountainville), the Bard Music Festival (in Annandale-on-Hudson), or the Catskill Game Farm, open daily May through October, with shows daily Memorial Day through Labor Day. It's located off Route 32, just west of Catskill town.

German Alps Hotels

The Bavarian Manor Country Inn & Restaurant has 20 moderately priced rooms throughout the year, and gives senior citizens a 10% discount except on holidays or theme weekends. Children under 7 accompanied by parents get room and breakfast free, kids 8 to 12 pay only $14 for bed and breakfast. Dinner (children's menu only) is added for the latter to make a total of $22. Adults pay, per room, from $79 up for bed and breakfast on weekends, $69 and up midweek, and $59 and up off-season (March through June). Each room has private bath, air-conditioning and TV. The restaurant participates in the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) extern teaching program. There's also a bar, and pets are welcome ($10 one-time fee). "We never had a pet that smoked in bed, set fire to the blankets, stole our towels, played the TV too loud, got drunk and broke up the furniture, or had a noisy fight." They have a European idea of tipping, too, charging you directly and giving it to the staff, at $2 per person per night, $1 per person for breakfast, $3.50 per person per dinner. It sure saves a lot of figuring out each time you eat! The hotel is located on a 100-acre plot, with hiking trails, outdoor pool, lake, boating and fishing. Located at County Route 24, Purling NY 12470 (near Cairo), phone 518/622-3261.

Crystal Brook Mountain Brauhaus Resort, Winter Clove Road, Round Top, NY 12473, phone 518/622-3751. Closed March and April. Open for 40 years now and run by the Hasenkopf-Dukarm family (ask for John or Margaret), this place not only offers room and food, but they have a bar and regular entertainment. From September through February, then again from May through June, they're open on weekends only; in July and August daily except Monday. Regular rates per person are from $58 to $65 a night, including three meals a day. There's a midweek special of $54 per person, as well as children's rates. Among the hotel's many facilities, there's an outdoor pool. During the two summer months, the entertainment for 2001 alternates between The Harmonic Accordion, The Mountain Tops, and Gregory and his Accordion. The rest of the year, there are themes, such as those dedicated to the Rheinischer Saengerbund, the Bauernball, the Schlachtfest and Bavaria.

Hunter Village Inn is recommended, not because it is German-American, but because it is both close to the mountain where one of the festivals takes place, and is moderately priced. They're on the main street in Hunter Village, within walking distance of the mountain. Their midweek prices are $55 per room, weekend prices $75 (with two-night minimum for a Friday and Saturday) for rooms with private bath, two double beds or one double bed. There's an even lower price of $52 per night on weekends only for room with shared bath, two double beds, one double or two single beds. No children, no pets. Main Street, Hunter NY 12442, phone 518/263-4788, .

German Alps Restaurants

You can't do better than the Bavarian Manor (mentioned above under Hotels), which has a menu with headings like Die Schnitzelbank and German Favorites. All dinners are served with salad, potato and vegetable, coffee or tea. Prices run from $9.95 for bratwurst and other wursts up to $14.50 for a Holsteiner Schnitzel. They also serve steaks and seafood. Their home-baked pastries, pies and cakes are fought over by customers who buy take-out, but they always save some for diners. Black Forest Cake is $3, apple strudel $2.75. On Sundays, senior citizens can get two dinners; one at full price, the second half price. They're open year round on weekends (in summer adding Thursdays), for dinner and Sunday brunch only. Live music on weekends. Country Route 24, Mountain Avenue, Purling NY 12470, near Cairo, phone 518/622-3261.

Hans & Gretel's Restaurant says its specialty is sauerbraten, and opens daily in July and August, but is open year round the rest of the time (except on Tuesdays). The Kuever Family runs this place at Route 145 in East Durham NY, phone 518/634-2512. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are available, as well as soda fountain service and "fast foods," but their reason for being is home-cooked meals at reasonable prices (most entries under $10).

Kutztown, Pennsylvania

To get to Kutztown, from New York City, take the Holland Tunnel, then the New Jersey Turnpike to I-78 then US 222 into Kutztown (about 1 hour 45 minutes). From Philadelphia, drive along I-76 to I-476, then US 222 into Kutztown, about 1 hour 20 minutes.

Please don't confuse German-American with "Pennsylvania Dutch," the folks in Kutztown ask, as the latter word is a corruption of "Deutsche" (for German), though both refer to people of German ancestry, not to descendants of people from Holland. Further confusion arises when outsiders take the "Dutch" word to mean only the Amish, who happen to live in the same communities as ordinary German-Americans. You can forget the dark clothing and black bonnets when you go to Kutztown, as here, descendants of early immigrants look just like, and are, average people.

This town has been celebrating an annual Pennsylvania German Festival since 1950, honoring their folk life not only in Kutztown, but throughout America. There are lectures, folk song recitals, and dancing. You should try the local food, the most famous dish of which is the shoofly pie. But then, there's a roast ox, too, if you lack a sweet tooth. The festival is held in early July for about ten days, and costs $8 for adults, children 12 and under free, discounts for seniors, family of four only $24.

Throughout the year, you can look in on the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center, which is located on the campus of Kutztown University. There's an old farmhouse, a genealogical research center, and events throughout the year, such as a Heemet Fescht (home festival), usually held in September for two days.

Hotels

The Super 8 in Kutztown (also serving nearby Allentown) has 38 rooms, with rates ranging from $49 to $99. Rooms for the disabled are also available at the same prices. It's located at 2160 Golden Key Road (exit 13 on I-78), Kutztown PA 19530, phone 610/285-4880, fax 610/285-4452.

Restaurants

Basin Street, 42 E. Main Street, has typically American food, with a Southern twist. Average meals cost between $10 and $20.

Camillo's Italian Restaurant is at 264 Greenwich Street, phone 610/683-5637. Pasta dishes for lunch or dinner run from $5 to $15, on average.

Summing Up

There are thousands of other German-American sites and activities through the USA and Canada. Try the Striezelmarkt in Columbus, Ohio, one of many Christmas fairs reminiscent of the wonderful holiday markets throughout Germany, or the "Low German Theater," the Plattdeutsches Theatre, which takes place in a St. Louis suburb, where everyone makes a fool of himself or herself and has a great time doing so. But we think you get the idea--just get in the car and go the German-American route for a good time. And you will probably learn something you didn't know before, too!