Matthew Burnette, Staff Writer

Despite the catchy manner in which they deliver a seemingly solid piece of advice, I would offer a counterpoint to TLC’s nearly 30-year-old assertion that you shouldn’t go chasing waterfalls.

Granted, I acknowledge that the “waterfalls” they are referring to are in more of a metaphorical sense, and that “chasing waterfalls” refers to seeking out dangerous situations that could greatly affect one’s life.

The song itself speaks on a rise in gang violence that occurred in the early 90s, as well as the ongoing AIDS epidemic at the time that had started in the 80s, so in that sense, I would say to not chase those waterfalls.

The metaphor is a strong one, and their advice should be heeded.

But in the more literal sense, I discovered a few years back that chasing waterfalls is a really fun and worthwhile venture.

I was on a trip to Helen, Georgia with my parents celebrating my 29^th birthday (if my math and recollection are correct), almost exactly three years ago.

We talked about visiting the town for a while because of its Bavarian influence. My mom’s maternal ancestors had deep roots in Germany, and so any opportunity where we can find ways to connect with those roots we usually take.

If you’ve never gotten the chance to visit Helen, it’s often referred to as the “Gatlinburg of north Georgia.” I would argue that it’s not nearly as busy and maybe slightly smaller, but the general layout is very similar.

The nucleus of the town is stretched across a long strip of road that’s heavily lined with various businesses with German influence. There are bakeries, chocolate shops, a couple of cuckoo clock merchants, and a host of restaurants serving fare like schnitzel and pretzels among others.

It’s a great place to go visit for a weekend, as long as you can stomach the twist and turns that come with any mountain location on the way there.

While the town is neat and has a lot to offer, the most worthwhile activity happened just outside the city limits.

Water is featured heavily in the town. The Chattahoochee River runs right through the middle of it where tubers can float down on bright pink innertubes, a big selling point of the destination.

Outside of Helen, though, is Anna Ruby Falls, a pair of waterfalls that join together to form Smith Creek.

We woke up on the morning of my birthday not really sure about what we were going to do to occupy our time in Helen. One of the best things about the trip was that we didn’t really plan beyond a place to stay. It was very relaxed and a great way to spend a birthday.

We looked up a few of the activities, and Anna Ruby Falls popped up.

At that point, I had never taken a hike to a waterfall, but that year I found myself in the mindset that I was really into trying new things, which hasn’t always been the case, though I’ve tried to be better about that since.

It rained briefly that morning which made for a cool one for a hike. We made our way to the falls and started on our journey down the half mile paved trail.

Though the rain offered a pleasant hiking climate, it also made the trail slightly slippery. There were some steeper spots of elevation that were more difficult to navigate, but overall, the hike wasn’t that bad to make.

As you make your way up, you’re suddenly hit with a sound that gradually grows louder, indicating that you’re close to the end of your journey.

It almost sounds like a giant white noise machine, but you quickly realize there’s no electrical outlets around to supply something like that. It’s the tranquil hum of the falls, a peaceful song if you’ve never gotten to experience it.

We finally reached the end of the trail and were mesmerized by the natural glory of the two separate bodies of water cascading off of their individual part of the mountain. It nearly takes your breath away knowing that it’s an occurrence free from the hands of man.

After a stretch of time where we hung out and took in the serenity of the falls, we made our way back down the trail (a much easier feat than going up) not realizing that we had developed an itch that would soon need scratching.

It just occurred to me that it sounds like we got into a patch of something on the trail, but the itch I’m talking about is of the metaphorical sense, much like TLC’s waterfalls.

There’s something slightly intoxicating about the experience of a waterfall. You go through the work of making the hike to be greatly rewarded by these wonders of God and nature.

Upon returning from out trip, we decided that we wanted to see more of those natural beauties, which is very fortunate since we live very close to the “Waterfall Loop” in Tennessee.

We went and saw a handful of local falls like Fall Creek Falls in Spencer, Greeter Falls in Beersheba Springs and Burgess Falls in Putnam County.

Each one the same general concept yet very different experiences, all very worth the effort.

While the metaphorical waterfalls of life should be avoided at all costs, with all respect to TLC, go chase waterfalls.

It’s one of those glorious adventures that you can’t really duplicate, but that I have yet to be disappointed by.