For all of us University of North Georgia students, we are frequently reminded that we eat, breathe, live, and, of course, study in a tourist town. The holidays are the main reasons why people visit Dahlonega. More importantly, the change in seasons brings visitors. Though I am looking forward to the cooler weather, Bear on the Square, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, I can’t help but dread the flood in of foreigners (ravelers from other states, mostly). So, here are some struggles that students and locals have to tackle when living in a tourist town:
1. Crossing the DANG STREET! Local traffic is not that difficult to navigate, but all bets are off when tourists season hits. Normally we have plenty of time to shuffle across the intersection at Chow Hall and cross over to Papa John's or Dairy Queen. You might even have a friendly local stop to let you cross, but when the flood begins. You might as well play dodgeball with the cars and cross your fingers for luck.
2. A common question many tourists ask is, "Why are people in Dahlonega called 'nuggets?'" If I hear that question again, I’m going to chauffeur someone down to the Consolidated Gold Mine, and tell them to dig for one. It’s a local thing, folks. Nuggets are people born and raised in the good ole gold mining town of Dahlonega, Georgia. Next time, we will give you a pamphlet, and you can run with it. Better yet, just learn to read. History tells all.
3. There are a ton of places to shop in Dahlonega. We locals and college students do most of our everyday shopping at Walmart, but we support the local shops and restaurants, as well. Whether it’s Johnny B’s for wings or the Dahlonega General Store for some old fashioned candy, we are there. So when the crowd pours in, it gets hectic. The tourism is awesome for local businesses and the economy, but when the time comes for the hustle and bustle to slow down, you can bet we are HAPPY.
4. Leaf-lookers are the worst part of tourism. For the resident college students, this poses little problem, but for us commuters, we almost go insane. I’m sorry, but going 30-35 mph on Highway 9 and 53 is unacceptable. Go at least the speed limit. Truthfully, 5 mph over would be better. I know the natural beauty of the lovely fall orange, red, and pink hues from changing leaves look breathtaking. Trust me, I love them just as much. But if you wish to enjoy the scenery, PULL OVER and take it in. I can guarantee you that the leaves will be here for quite a while, and you won’t miss anything going 45-55 mph. We locals have work to do and places to be. We would like to get there in a timely fashion so we can enjoy our little tiny lives in OUR mountain town.
Look, I am not complaining. I love Dahlonega. Though I don’t live in Dahlonega, I was born here, and I have slowly come back to my origins as a student at UNG. The town is a wonderful place to live and go to school. The people are lovely and amazing; they are kind, generous, thoughtful, and down-right some of the best people on Earth. Tourism plays a major role in day-to-day life in Dahlonega, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. However, do remember that this is our home and that even though we can get frustrated at times, we always greet people with a smile and a big ole “Welcome to our town” handshake.
