Appling County (40) - An Introduction to Georgia's 42nd County

Located approximately 92 miles east of Savannah, Appling County has a lot to offer.  Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy paddling on the Altamaha River or hiking the Moody Forest Nature Conservancy. 

Visitors should stop at the Caroline Miller house.  In 1933 Caroline Miller won the Pulitzer Prize for her book, Lamb in his Bosom. She is the first Georgia to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. She also won France's Prix Femina in 1934. In 2014 citizens of Appling County formed the Friends of Caroline Miller to help preserve the home in which she lived when she wrote her award winning novel and to preserving her memory.

Appling County is also home to another literary great, Janisse Ray.  A 2015 inductee in the Georgia Writer's Hall of Fame, Ray grew up in Appling County.  She discussed her childhood in her award winning book, Ecology of a Cracker Childhood.  Subsequent books,  Wild Card Quilt: Taking a Chance on Home and Pinhook: Finding Wholeness in a Fragmented Land feature her return to Appling County and her work to restore the area.

Here are some more interesting facts about Appling County

• County Seat - Baxley
• Named for Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Appling, a soldier in the War of 1812.
• 42nd county created in Georgia
• Established by an act of the Georgia General Assembly on December 15, 1818.
• Communities include - Baxley, Graham, and Surrency
• Historic Sites:  Appling County Courthouse, Bank of Surrency, Citizens Banking Company,C.W. Deen house, Post Office Baxley
• Appling County was once known as the turpentine capital of the world
• Part of the wiregrass region of Georgia

Wilkes County (8) - Washington

Washington, GA is a charming town with some excellent restaurants and museums.  Check out this little snippet.  Enjoy!

Clarke County (25) - Oconee Hills Cemetery

 Established in 1856

Sexton's House

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.