Barrow County (148) - Winder's Most Historic Site

Early settlers to this area were the Creek Indians.  They called their settlement Snodon.  This historical marker placed by the Barrow County Historic Society is located at the corner of Athens and Church Streets.

In 1793 the area became known as Jug Tavern.  The first public school was built on this site in 1880.  In 1893 local officials renamed the area Winder in honor of John H. Winder, the general manager of the Seaboard Railway. A year later the state of Georgia approved the name change.

Gwinnett County (42) - Lawrenceville

Armed Forces Monument
Lawrenceville, Georgia

This monument is located on the grounds of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center in Lawrenceville, GA.  Also located here is the Fallen Heroes Memorial.

Leaf Watch 2015

Fall is here and soon the North Georgia roads will be full of tourists enjoying the changing colors of the leaves.  Right now everything is green.  The peak season for fall colors in Georgia is late October and early November.

In anticipation of the changing colors, the Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources has a site which help you plan your Autumn leaf watching trip.  It's called Leaf Watch 2015.  This site will monitor the changing of the leaves and provide updates on how the colors are progressing.  There are also suggestions on parks to visit and other information that will be useful in planning your trip.

Enjoy the fall colors.

Leaf Watch 2015:  http://www.georgiastateparks.org/leafwatch

Chatham County(3) - Savannah

Travel + Leisure Magazine recently released its list of the World's Friendliest Cities.  Savannah, Georgia's oldest city, is the only American city to make the top ten. Those of us in the South already know how great Savannah is.  It is nice to see our beautiful city recognized by the rest of the world.

Check out the rest of the list here.

Fulton County (101) - Margaret Mitchell House

Margaret Mitchell is best known as the author of Gone with the Wind.  While she was writing the novel, Ms. Mitchell lived in an apartment in this building located at 990 Peachtree St NE in Atlanta, GA.  Click here to learn more about Margaret Mitchell and the house.

The home is owned and operated by the Atlanta History Center.

Outside Magazine Best Towns 2015 Road Trip

Outside Magazine devised an interactive Best Towns 2015 Road Trip Map that connects all 64 towns from their recent Best Towns contest.  In Georgia the route takes you through the heart of the state and back along the coast.  Athens and Savannah are highlighted on the map.  Both towns were included in this year’s contest.  Since I live in Athens I totally agree that it’s one of the best towns in the country.  However, I don’t think of either cities when I think of outdoor activities.  If you want to experience both nature and a great town check out:

Blue Ridge (Fannin County) – This is an outdoor lover’s dream come true.  Hiking, rafting, horseback riding, and taking the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway are just some of the ways to enjoy the surrounding scenery.  Art galleries, specialty shops, and new restaurants help make Blue Ridge a town you must visit.

Waycross (Ware County) - Located at the northern tip of the Okefenokee Swamp, Waycross offers outdoor activities, historical sites, and festivals to appeal to all.  Of course, the Okefenokee Swamp is a must see destination, but Waycross has numerous music festivals including a festival to honor Gram Parsons, the Annual Gram Parsons Guitar Pull and Tribute Festival which occurs this year

September 25^th -26^th.

  

St Marys (Camden County) - St Marys is called the “Gateway to Cumberland Island” but it’s much more than just a place to catch the ferry to the island.  The town is home to numerous historical buildings, scenic trails and waterfront parks, and several unique museums.  Check out the St Marys Submarine Museum and the Georgia Radio Museum & Hall of Fame. 

Columbia County (12) - Oliver Hardy in Harlem

Oliver Hardy was born in Harlem, GA on January 18, 1892. 
In 1927 he teamed with Stan Laurel to become one of the most famous comic duos in Hollywood.  There is a museum in Harlem dedicated to Laurel and Hardy.

Clarke County (25) University of Georgia Botanical Garden 1833-1856

Location:  Pope Street between Broad and Reese

Marker Text:

In 1833 Dr. Malthus Ward, Professor of Natural History, opened the University Botanical Garden at this location.  Covering the block bounded by Broad, Pope, Reese, and Finley, the four-acre garden was intended as a laboratory for learning and experimentation as well as a location of natural beauty. The promotion of the sciences, both in the classroom and through projects like the botanical garden, reflected a growing trend in higher education away from a strictly classics-based curriculum. Although the garden gained a national reputation and became one of Athens’ greatest attractions, loss of funding forced its closure in 1856. Funds from the sale of the garden property were used to erect the iron fence surrounding the campus and the Arch, a free-standing gate that has become the symbol of the University of Georgia.

Erected by the Georgia Historical Society and the Athens Historical Society.

Fulton County (101) - The Poetry of James Dickey

The Library of Congress has posted some of it's recordings to celebrate National Poetry Month.  My favorite is James Dickey who was born in Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia. Mr. Dickey is most known for his novel Deliverance.  This recording is from April 22, 1960.  

Click here to hear James Dickey read his poems.

Click here to enjoy the rest of the recordings.

Clarke County (25) - Hugh Acheson's favorite places in Athens, GA

There are many reasons to visit Athens-Clarke County. You have probably seen Chef Hugh Acheson on the Food Channel.  What you may not know is that he owns two of the best restaurants in town.  If you are a foodie you must check out The National and Five & Ten when you visit Athens. 

In this article he discusses a few of his favorite places.  

http://www.saveur.com/article/blog/tour-guide-hugh-achesons-athens-ga?src=SOC&dom=fb

Enjoy

Free Entrance into Atlanta Area Museums and Attractions

Check out the Explore Georgia blog to see how you can enjoy area attractions for free.

Also don't forget if you have a library card you can check out passes to Georgia State Parks and other attractions like Zoo Atlanta.  These passes can save you the entrance fees to the state parks and will allow up to 4 people free entrance to sites.  Just check with your local Georgia library for more details.  Here's the link to the Athens-Clarke County library.

One more thing.  There are a lot of museums and art galleries in the state that are free.


Here is a list from Long Live Learning at http://longlivelearning.com/2014/03/free-admission-to-125-museums-around-the-south/

Happy exploring.

Courthouses of Georgia

Do yourself a favor and check out Courthouses of Georgia  by Association County Commissioners of Georgia (Author), George Justice (Author), and Greg Newington (Photographer).  With an introduction by Larry Walker and a forward by Ross King. A great way to see Georgia is to check out the beautiful county courthouses.  Many are historic.  Many are breathtakingly beautiful.  Then make plans to meet the authors this Wednesday night.  The event is sponsored by the Georgia Center for the Book.  Eagle Eye Book Shop will have copies available for purchase.  


Details:

Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Greg Newington and Ross King
Courthouses of Georgia
7:15 p.m.  
Decatur Library Auditorium