Dahlonega, a town full of people who live here because their parents and their parents’ parents lived here all the way back to the 1800s, surrounded by tourists who decided to stay and college kids who move in for two-thirds of the year. What a town. No matter how or why you ended up in Dahlonega, if you stay for long there are things that you just have to know and things that just become a part of you. So here are the tell-tale signs of a true Dahlonega Nugget.
1. You have a truck and it has a flag on it.
Or at least you know someone who does. Whether it’s an American flag, Georgia flag, Confederate flag, UGA flag, or some mixture of all of them, there must be at least one flag, which will slowly reproduce into multiple different flags until the vehicle resembles the League of Nations headquarters and is a major road hazard.
2. You know how to kill six hours in the Walmart parking lot.
And you might not even go inside. Everyone is born with the instincts required to waste all this time, and accomplish nothing, “but we’ll be back tomorrow, same time and same place.” Because there is only one place, and that place is the parking lot of Walmart.
3. You’ve never actually been to any of the Dahlonega Festivals.
It makes for an awkward moment when you admit you don’t know what Bear on the Square is and, yes, you’ve lived there for the past 19 years. Your parents probably went once before you were born and decided you wouldn’t like it, so you’ve never been to Gold Rush. But the weekend after Gold Rush is already booked, because the same exact festival is going on in neighboring Dawsonville, and you have to go.
4. You know a visit from FOX 5 can’t be good.
Something must have happened, whether you’re teacher is thought to be advocating the KKK, or your entire school decides to skip class to pray, somehow something that seems relatively normal will be turned into a major ordeal and become a scar for the county.
5. You know that deep-down, Dahlonega is a metropolis in disguise.
How else do you explain having an airport and a radio station? You know what other places have those? Atlanta, New York City and all the other big cities we wanted to live instead of here, before going there and deciding to move back to Dahlonega.
6. You don’t bother going to Wagon Wheel at any time that could potentially follow a church service.
Especially since Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays. The final part of many church services is the breaking of a Wagon Wheel roll. Whether it’s before church for breakfast, or after church for lunch, the only time Wagon Wheel isn’t packed with church going people is when church is going on.
7. You know exactly which convenient stores ID when you need your Copenhagen fix.
Even if you don’t dip, you know half of the high school does and they have to get it from somewhere. These underage consumers are possibly the reason these stores are still in business, and unlike anywhere else, no one bothers to shut it down.
8. You know if the high school had school uniforms it would be J.R. Crider’s gear.
And not their formal wear or anything special, just the t-shirts that everyone is already wearing. No dress code policing necessary.
9. You are familiar with the daily complaints.
Older people: “College kids and tourists are ruining Dahlonega.” Younger people: “There’s nothing to do in Dahlonega.”
10. You know Dipper Dan’s is a sacred treasure.
Hamburgers bigger, better and cheaper than anywhere else. It’s too good to be true, so don’t tell anyone it’s real. Just quietly enjoy it and hope no one finds out, otherwise you’ll never get in the tiny place.
11. You realize two-thirds of the population leaves for the summer.
And while it makes the town seem even more boring, the exodus from UNG sure makes navigating traffic in Dahlonega peaceful.
12. You’re still wondering why there are three courthouses.
And of the two that are still operating, you have no idea which to go to for what. I mean, why are two of them operating at the same time? And both seem half empty because what you really need is at the other one.
13. You know better than to schedule anything during church or Georgia football.
At least if it requires other people being somewhere other than sitting in front of either of the two most important aspects of life. When Georgia plays, the city sleeps and the next day we all go to church and eventually, talk about the game.
14. You know half the town is wearing camouflage.
And you can still see them anyway. Whether it's the rangers from Dahlonega's Camp Frank D. Merrill, UNG cadets or local sportsmen during deer and turkey seasons, you're bound to see someone wearing camo, no matter how ineffective it is indoors.
15. You know Senior Skip Day really means, “Let’s all go fishing.”
“Everyone meet at your respective ‘not-so-secret’ fishing holes.” Or hiking for some, but basically you’re going to be outdoors, because what is there to do in Dahlonega, anyway?
16. You have already formed a strong opinion about Roberta Green although you probably haven’t met her.
Whether you think she is ruining the town she has inhabited and built for decades before our arrival, or you think she and her money have the right to do whatever can be afforded, she is more significant than the mayor and you probably live in one of her commercial dwellings.
17. Chick-fil-A has saved your life more often than wearing seat belts.
Whether it’s your styrofoam cup that serves as an excused tardy or a long, pointless talk with Mr. Jim that relives your stresses and feel better about life, Chick-fil-A is there for you. Unless it’s Sunday or they claim the building caught on fire and they need six months to repair the damages you didn’t notice. Then you are on your own.
18. You haven’t actually found any gold.
Well, except for the close-knit community, one that treats everyone like family and knows how to pull together and turn to Jesus when the going gets tough, and an amazing university where everyone can become someone, is all located in beautiful country that is reason enough to love this place, regardless if you moved here for school, stayed as a tourist, or was born here the same as your grandpa’s grandpa. Yeah, maybe that is Dahlonega’s true gold, that and the roof of Price Memorial. It’s also Dahlonega gold, and rather easy to find.
