DAHLONEGA, Ga. – Nestled in the heart of the North Georgia mountains, Dahlonega, home to the first gold rush in American history, is a gem of a city on many levels, one of which is its restaurant scene.
One of the best ways to get a taste of the town is by taking a food tour. Savoring the Square is a leisurely experience – you’ll be gone about three hours and walk less than a mile. Along the way, you’ll stop at restaurants surrounding the small town square and visit some of Dahlonega’s historic attractions and favorite shops.
Penny Sharp and her son, Jeremy, started Dahlonega’s tour business three years ago. They began with a ghost tour of the city’s supposedly haunted places and later added a pub crawl and history tour of the Lumpkin County seat. The food tour, added two years ago, has quickly become a favorite way for foodies to come and spend a few hours doing what they do best.
“The food tour is one of my favorites,” Penny Sharp says. “We get a lot of people coming from other areas who want to spend a day getting a little background of the town – the gold rush and the college (University of North Georgia), eat good food and get to know each other. It’s what a food tour should be – a little sample of everything. The tour gives you a feel for what our town square is all about and the camaraderie we have here – all the things that make this town tick.
“I take people around and make them fall in love with Dahlonega. That’s my passion. That’s my job.”