Cornelia, Georgia

The Big Red Apple is a 5,200-pound steel and concrete apple, 7 feet tall, built to honor the area's apple growers after the boll weevil wrecked the cotton crop. It was dedicated on June 4, 1926, according to Wikipedia, and it stands by the old railroad depot, which is now the Cornelia Depot Railroad Museum.

The museum has restored railroad cars, including two refurbished cabooses, artifacts from the Southern Railway and Tallulah Falls Railroad, a gift shop with local goods and free guided tours. It also has an EV charging station.

The Loudermilk Boarding House is a 1908 building on the National Register of Historic Places at 271 Foreacre Street. Inside is artist Joni Mabe's collection of more than 30,000 Elvis items, recognized by Guinness World Records, along with an Elvis gift shop. Hours and admission aren't posted online, so call (706) 778-2001 before you go. Fans might time a visit for the Big E Festival, held the first Saturday in August.

The Chenocetah Fire Tower is a 54-foot stone tower finished in 1937 with Works Progress Administration funding, on Highway 123 East at about 1,830 feet. Lookouts staffed it until 1975, and it joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. You can climb the spiral staircase on Saturdays from 9 AM to 1 PM, April through October, so the last 2026 openings are October 10, 17, 24 and 31.

Lake Russell Recreation Area is in the Chattahoochee National Forest off U.S. 123 east of town; the access road runs about 2.5 miles to the parking lot at Nancytown Lake. Check current fees and conditions with the city or the Forest Service before you go.

Cornelia is about 21 miles and 35 minutes from downtown Helen. Park along the streets near the depot or in the small public lots downtown. You'll want a car for the fire tower and Lake Russell. If you're making a longer loop, Clarkesville is about 15 minutes away.