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When trains were a way of life

2012-02-19T23:42:02Z

Does the distant whistle of a night-train turn your mind to destinations yet to be seen? Or does the thought of a train trip make you think of vintage times – dining cars and ladies in gloves? For many, the sheer muscle and speed of trains are fascinating.

The Southern Railway Museum, operated by the Atlanta Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society since 1970, is a place to get your train fix in Atlanta.

There are a number of locomotives on display, , some wooden freight cars, a 1915 and 1925 cabooses, a 1911 Pullman car used by President Warren Harding, a 1920s diner car, a World War II troop kitchen and many other railroad artifacts. There are other transportation pieces including a Model T, a 1941 bus, street cars and trolleys.

They offer short train rides on Saturdays, very popular with kids. (There’s also a mini train. The museum has various exhibits scheduled throughout the year, so even after seeing the trains and exploring the depot, you’ll want to come back. They are also a unique venue for a birthday party or special occasion celebration if you know someone who loves trains. And there’s a summer camp in the summer for children ages 4 – 12.

Admission to the museum is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $5 for children. (You don’t have to enter the museum to take the train ride on Saturday!) They are open Saturdays only until March, when they will be open Thursday and Saturday weekly, then even more days May and all days but Tuesday and Sunday in June and July. It is located on Buford Highway (Georgia 23) just north of Pleasant Hill Rd, three miles east of I-85.

How 'bout those resolutions?

2012-02-06T00:49:02Z

Are you avoiding thinking about the goals you set at the beginning of the year? Start over. Here are some ideas I’ve picked up for losing those holiday pounds – or whatever your resolution is.

Are you competitive? Make a bet with someone – who won’t let you slide. Spouse, grown child, best friend (only if she won’t nag but will insist you stick to your part of the deal.) I once bet my husband $75 that I would lose a specific amount of weight in 60 days. Okay – I didn’t win $75 because I was a couple of pounds short. But I did lose most of the weight because I really didn’t want to give him $75. And I went on to lose the other few pounds.
I recently saw a suggestion that you put a $1 in a jar for every workout. When it gets to $100, treat yourself to a massage. If your resolution is say, getting the basement cleaned out rather than losing weight, pay yourself for every box you fill and get rid of.
Admit this is hard. Take a hint from the 12-step programs that break addiction (and yes, those are hard.) Just do it today. Don’t worry about the next month of exercise, diet, whatever. Just do it today. And when you miss a day – forgive yourself.
Call your local Physician’s Assistant. The Georgia Association of Physicians Assistants will write you an “Rx for Fitness” prescription, which entitles you to a free one-day park pass to take a hike in a Georgia State Park. This program is funded by The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation. (In addition to walking, you can canoe, kayak, geocache and disc golf at the various parks.) After that, check out the park pass from your local library and try another of the park’s offerings. Then join Friends of Georgia State Parks. Your membership includes an annual park pass. Now, you’ve made an investment – get your money’s worth!
Finally – give yourself a few minutes to analyze what’s not working. Is your resolution realistic? Does it need to be broken into baby steps? Is it that you plop down after dealing with work and traffic and then can’t make yourself get up and move? Is it the person you have lunch with that keeps you from eating healthy? How would you advise your best friend? You can do this. Forgive yourself and then get started.

Finding spring early

2012-01-30T12:15:43Z

If the gorgeous weather this weekend has made you think of spring – the season comes earlier the further south you are. Callaway Gardens won’t really have Spring in February, but they are offering free admission throughout the month (and you’ll be closer to Spring there than the northern part of the state.) That's a substantial savings over normal admission.

Callaway’s amazing azaleas won’t be blooming in February, but there are lots of other things to see and do. Kayak or canoe in the lake (or yes, fish it.) Or just admire the view of the lake while challenging one of the golf courses.

Take a walk down any of several beautiful nature trails and experience the smells and sounds of a garden, even in February. The Callaway Gardens Discovery Bicycle Trail is seven and a half miles long – and relatively flat. The Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center is breathtaking, and you’ll want to see the John A. Sibley Horticultural Center and certainly the $12 million Virginia Hand Callaway Discovery Center. There is a daily Raptor Show included in your admission.

If all that sounds a little tame – then try the Garden’s newest attraction, the Tree Top Adventure. It has five zip lines and 19 various rope or suspended challenges. There is an additional charge for the Tree Top Adventure and you must be 54 inches tall. It is open every day but reservations are strongly recommended.

There are cottages, villas, the Mountain Creek Inn and the Lodge and Spa at Callaway if you’re thinking of staying overnight. Valentine’s Day is coming, and one way to avoid the lines and traffic in Atlanta is to take advantage of the Garden’s specials for Valentine’s Day, which include dinner and dancing.

Butterfly photo courtesy Callaway Gardens. Used with permission.

Changing streams

2012-01-22T20:31:55Z

Picture a gently rushing trout stream, dappled with sunshine, illuminating a trout waiting for its next meal to float down the current. Among your New Year’s resolutions – have you planned to someday get into flyfishing? (And if you’re a woman reading this – don’t stop! There are a number of organizations dedicated to women fly fishing, including Georgia Women Flyfishers.)

Here are some upcoming dates and events to put you into the stream with the rainbow trout :

The season opens March 31 for seasonal streams. Georgia also has year-round streams, which have special regulations such as catch and release or delayed harvest (you can keep what you catch certain times of the year.) These are often trophy streams. All that information is on the DNR website.
Blue Ridge Fly Fishing Guides offers guiding packages along the Tocooa River. Sharper Bites in Blue Ridge serves as both a guide and gourmet caterer if you like. Unicoi Outfitters does guiding and also has various programs as well. They are located in Helen, Georgia, but plan trips to a number of locations.
Georgia Women Fly Fishers is holding a beginners class at Black Hawk Trophy Fly Fishing March 10 in Clarkesville (along the Soque River.)
Smithgall Woods State Park has cottages along Dukes Creek, a trophy trout stream. That part of the stream is not open to the public, but a one-night’s stay gets you two days on the stream. (They can refer you to guides or lessons.) Casting for Recovery-Georgia, part of a national organization that provides counseling, information and yes, fly-fishing for breast cancer survivors will hold its first retreat at Smithgall in April.
The Fly-Fishing Federation, Southeastern Council is holding its 22nd Flyfishing Festival April 27-29 at Unicoi State Park. This is your chance to browse flies and equipment, attend a few classes and watch demonstrations.

You can put yourself in that picture of the peaceful mountain stream. Just get started.

Seeing Georgia's Wilderness

2012-01-09T01:19:52Z

One of the advantages to hiking in the winter in North Georgia is that you can see so much more of the landscape than you can when the leaves are covering the trees. A great place to really get out is the Cohutta Wilderness in North Georgia. There is a “loop” of roads that goes through the forest – but much of the 36,977 acres are not accessible by car.

You can find information about the hiking trails in various books and websites, including Tim Homan’s excellent Hiking Trails of the Cohutta and Big Frog Wildernesses (2007.) While the majority of the Cohutta Wilderness is in Georgia, a little of it stretches into Tennessee. The Big Frog Wilderness is mostly in Tennessee, with a little of it in Georgia. There are 65 miles of hiking trails in the Cohutta Wilderness, which contains both the Conasauga and Jack’s rivers. There are 35 miles of trails in Big Frog. The Cohutta area was logged fiercely up until the 1920s when it was bought by the Federal government and it came under protection. It took almost 50 more years to become part of the National Wilderness Preservation System, which occurred when Congress passed legislation in 1975.

It is rare to find a place with almost 100 years of wild growth – you’ll be amazed at the size of the trees. This part of North Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina has the most wilderness in the Eastern United States. By the way, a two-hour drive through some of this beautiful area will take you to the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest in Robbinsville, North Carolina, which managed to miss the logging boom of the late 1800s and early 1900s. It is 3,800 acres of virgin timber. Some of these trees are 400 years old. (The drive there takes you partially along the Cherohala Scenic Byway and through the 11 miles of the Dragon’s Tale – so named for its twists and turns.)

Take advantage of this gorgeous weather we’re having and see a little wilderness.

Resolving to make resolutions

2012-01-02T03:43:26Z

You've probably already made your list. This time last year I wrote about place I planned to go in 2011. I didn't get to all of them - but it has been an interesting travel year. In thinking about 2012's resolutions I had to review where I've been, so today's blog is just a few pictures I haven't shared with you from the past year.

Speaking of resolutions (and I'm through speaking about them) the first on most lists, including mine, is to get more exercise. So I joined almost 50 people at Smithgall Woods State Park for the First Day Hike today. It was a beautiful day. I- rained on the drive there but the sun came out for the walk, which was a relatively flat two miles along Dukes Creek to the Smithgall Lodge and back to the Visitor's Center.

The Lodge has a beautiful wrap-around porch that looks out onto the Creek. I didn't take a photo of it - but you can see it well from the website. I found a couple of other beautiful porches in my past year's photos that I'll share with you.

This one is from the porch at the Partridge Inn in Augusta. It was built in 1836 and has hosted Presidents. It retains its air of elegance and history. The porch is wide enough for a party and comfy enough to curl with a book.

I ran across another wide, comfortable porch at the house in which I stayed on Eagle Island. Check the website if you're interested - the porch was completely screened. The house had several other bedrooms, a couple of bathrooms and a wonderful outdoor shower under its outdoor stairs. One in our group slept on this extra wide swing quite comfortably, except for the frogs croaking from the pond nearby. The island is named for the bald eagle's nest which you can see from this porch. You have to stay in winter or early spring to get to see the eagles raising their young - but since it's located just outside of Darian, it's a little bit of a respite from North Georgia's cold weather.

Speaking of interesting places to sleep - you might try the yurts at the Martyn House just outside of Ellijay. They have Gypsy Faire tents filled with cushy furniture for what they call Glamping (glamorous camping.) Here's just one photo from inside.

So here's to more travel adventures in 2012!
Let me know about yours.

Stretch your holidays into January

2011-12-19T01:50:53Z

If you’re one of those people who can’t take your time off during the holidays, I’ve got a suggestion for some January fun – if you like the outdoors and the mountains. Just over the state line in Pigeon Forge, Wilderness Wildlife Week is scheduled from January 7 through the 14, 2012.

Guided hikes are scheduled each day through selected parts of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Each hike has a sign up starting the day before and many fill up quickly. But most of the week takes place indoors, at the Music Road Hotel and Convention Center.

In hour-long sessions, you can pick up pointers on folk medicine (and learn a lot about mountain ginseng,) the history of the park, fly fishing, nature photography woods-lore and folk-lore. There will be live music – including banjo, dobro and dulcimer, folk music, historic country music, ballads, old-timey hymn singing and shaped note singing. Presentations will explain about bears in the park, wolves, owls, elk, osprey and the possibility of panthers. There will be sessions on wildflowers of the area, butterflies and the tremendous variety of trees native to the Smoky Mountains.

People come from all the surrounding states to enjoy this week of nature – some getting out there for a hike or two, some in the comfort of the convention center learning enough to better enjoy it when the weather gets warmer. Oh, and did I mention that the sessions are all at no-cost?

Check the schedule and make your plans to attend part of the week or all. I visited last year during the great snowstorm – and even though the snow was inches thick, the roads were clear and restaurants were open. By the way, the Winterfest tour of lights (by trolley) lasts through January 13 – so if you didn’t get enough holidays during December, you can still get some of it in Pigeon Forge.

Photos by John Erbele

Less than a month to New Year's Day

2011-12-11T19:43:22Z

Are you ready to think about New Year’s Day and resolutions? Sponsored by America’s State Parks, New Year’s Day hikes are being led at parks across the country on Jan. 1. A dozen of Georgia’s state parks have scheduled walks, falling in line with Georgia State Parks’ Tons of Fun Fitness Challenge. The website includes links to low-fat recipes, a chart of availability for Georgia-grown produce and suggestions for various ways to burn calories - biking, climbing, paddling, walking the dog, even fitness activities scheduled at several parks at night.

The First Day hikes are scheduled at some of Georgia’s prettiest parks around the state – including Amicalola in Dahlongega, Ft. Yargo in Winder, Laura S. Walker in Waycross, Crooked River State Park in St. Mary’s, Cloudland Canyon in Rising Fawn, Sweetwater Creek in Lithia Springs, Tallulah Gorge in Tallulah and Smithgall Woods in Helen.

Some of the hikes will head towards waterfalls, some will showcase the Okefenokee, some will educate you as to the special habitats we have here. You’ll have to purchase a parking pass and in some cases, pay an additional $2 to $5 fee. Check with the park you want to visit to make sure the hike is suitable for those in your party (and plan on bringing a leash if you’re bringing your dog.)

Most of our parks have cabins and would make a great place to see the new year in. Amicalola has the Lodge, Ft. Yargo has cabins, Smithgall Woods has cottages and Stephen C. Foster has the new Eco-Lodge (which is 18 miles from the park, but a part of it.)

A Sustainable Gingerbread House in Gwinnett

2011-11-28T01:54:28Z

One of the best kept secrets in Gwinnett County is the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center. With its green roof, permeable-surface parking places and rain barrels (just to name a few of its sustainable features) it makes a great example of how green we can be.

Specializing in teaching sustainability and conservation, the GEHC also has a museum with both permanent and traveling exhibits, including the history of the Native Americans that inhabited the area centuries ago. Its current exhibit is about living in space. Beginning in January, Petticoats and Slide Rules will illustrate the role of women engineers in the development of technology in the last 100 years.

There are eight miles of trails at the center, open all the time. Special guided nighttime hikes are scheduled monthly. In addition there is a varied ropes course, which includes ziplines.

For Christmas, the GEHC has taken its Gingerbread House competition a little further than most – with its second annual Sustainable Gingerbread House Contest and Exhibit. Structures can be made from gingerbread, dog biscuit dough, bird seed cakes or other edibles, and may also include pinecones, twigs, leaves and twigs. They must also have at least three sustainable building elements included in the design, such as solar panels, rain barrels, green roof, etc. Get your application in by Nov. 30 and your house within the next day or two.

The Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center is located on Clean Water Drive off of Plunket Rd, which is just west of Buford Drive (Ga SR 20) and the Mall of Georgia. Admission ranges from $7.50 for Gwinnett County adults and $10.50 for non-Gwinnett adults to $3.50 and $6.50 for children. It is open from 9 to 4 Monday through Saturday (closed Sunday.) The Trails are open daily from dawn to dusk.

Winter Wine Highway Weekend beckons

2011-11-20T22:58:53Z

Some December traditions are just for the grownups. The Winter Wine Highway Weekend is one of those. Beginning Friday December 2, many of the wineries and vineyards in North Georgia are participating in a three-day tasting party. Each will offer special wine tastings, some will have hors d’ourves, some music, some special meals. You buy a $25 passport at the first winery and get a tasting glass. The passport gets you in to the specials at all the participating wineries. (Some of the specials require reservations and have additional costs, like the meals.) Each will have a “barrel tasting” of some kind.

It’s a pretty drive through several of North Georgia’s mountain towns – Dahlonega, Helen (and Sautee Nacoochee,) Tiger, Young Harris. You won’t enjoy it if you try to pack too many into one day – so plan to spend several days. The Winegrowers Association of Georgia, which sponsors the Weekend, has a number of associate members that offer specials for the weekend, such as lodging or food. See Sylvan Valley Lodge or Blue Ridge Cabins offers, for example.

Crane Creek Vineyards will have Tapas available Friday evening. (Go early enough to enjoy the view from the deck of the mountainside and peaceful pond.)

Here are just a few of the events connected with the Weekend –

Tiger Mountain Winery in Tiger is having a hayride (a $10 additional charge) plus wine around the fire pit afterwards. Their Holiday Open House on Saturday and Sunday includes soup, cheese and bread.

Wolf Mountain will invite Wine Highway participants down into its Old World Cask room for tastings. Frogtown will offer its Frogtown Cheesebox. Cartecay, Cavender Creek and Blackstock will have music and tastings. Each winery has beautiful views. Blackstock’s view is featured on the cover of the Georgia State Highway Map.

Check each winery’s website for directions and hours. Be sure to check out the awards portion of those websites – some of Georgia’s wines are getting international awards.

Santa to visit the Cabbage Patch babies

2011-11-13T19:57:45Z

December is so full of events, it's sometimes hard to get in those special holiday memories you’d like to make with your children – so start in November, with the Appalachian Christmas celebration at BabyLand.

Santa will be visiting the Babyland General Hospital Saturday November 19. The facility is located in North Georgia’s Cleveland, where Cabbage Patch babies originated. (See more about the history of Cabbage Patch babies in my blog here.) This will be the 33^rd annual celebration of Appalachian Christmas, and the doctors and nurses that deliver the special little babies right out of the cabbage patch will have music, dancing, a bounce house, rock-climbing wall, bungee jumping, a giant slide and s’mores. The hospital has been decorated with more than 50 Christmas trees. At dusk they will begin the countdown to the tree lighting – and there will be snow. (Really!)

Admission to the celebration is free. You can have a pancake breakfast with Santa for $10 (reservations are required.) Cabbage Patch babies are always doing something new – and this year several Celebrity Kids are being auctioned on EBay to raise money for the Children’s Action Network (CAN) a national adoption awareness organizations dedicated to finding homes for children in the U.S. who are in foster care. The Celebrity Kids are one-of-a-kind Cabbage Patch babies – in the image of Steven Tyler, Al Roker, Katherine Heigl, Kristen Chenoweth and Raven-Symone. Go to CPKAuctionforCharity.com to bid on the babies – or to see them.

All proceeds from the Steven Tyler, Al Roker and Raven-Symone Celebrity kids will benefit CAN. Kristen Chenoweth and Katherine Heigl are donating 50 percent to CAN and 50 percent to Maddie’s Corner and the Jason Debus Heigl Foundation respectively. Funds raised in the auction will bring programs and services to children in foster care.

If you don’t make it this Saturday, Santa will visit Babyland General Saturdays and Sundays through December 18 and then daily from December 19 through 23. He will be there for breakfast again on December 20. Check the Babyland website for times. (If you plan to stay overnight – check out the special Cabbage Patch deals at Unicoi Lodge, Smithgall Woods State Park and the Hampton Inn in Helen.

Photos courtesy BabyLand General. Used with permission.

Georgia's Monastery in Conyers

2011-11-07T01:50:38Z

During World War II, Catholics were among the various groups that experienced Nazi persecution. This was just one of several factors that led to an increase in monks coming to the Our Lady of Gethsemani Abbey in Gethsemani, Kentucky. In 1944, 21 monks left there to come to Rockdale County, Georgia to form a “daughter” monastery, the Monastery of the Holy Spirit. (Our Lady of Gethsemani is still considered the "mother" monastery.) They moved into an old barn on 1400 acres and began to farm. They built permanent housing for themselves, a monastery and a church, which was completed in 1960.

The Monastery of the Holy Spirit is now one of the biggest tourism sites in Rockdale County People come to walk the now 2300 beautiful, peaceful acres. It is part of the larger 8000 acre Arabia Mountain Heritage area, which also includes Panola Mountain State Park. There is an Abbey Store, a beautiful bonsai garden and a café.

The Monastic Heritage Center is made up of the old barn, the visitors center and the Memorial Plaza, with its flowers and sculpture. In the old barn you can see displays, exhibits and videos about life at the monastery. You can learn the history of monasticism in the visitor center. There is no admission charge, but donations are encouraged.

One of the goals of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, also known as Trappist, is to be self-sufficient. The monks here grow their own food and earn money through sales at the gift store and the bonsai nursery. Specialties at the gift store include monastery made stained glass, fudge , cookies and fruitcake. (There are plenty of other items as well.) Feel free to fall in love with the beautiful bonsai – you can buy them, or buy supplies and make your own.

Another part of the acreage is Honey Creek Woodlands, a natural /conservation burial ground. Natural burial involves no embalming fluids or vaults – simply a wood casket or shroud. It is also a place for cremated remains.

The University of Georgia Collegium Musicum will present a concert at the Monastery entitled “An Afternoon of Musical Gems from the Renaissance and Baroque” at 3 November 13. There is no admission but seats must be reserved.

How about some special Christmas music for the season? The Atlanta Boy Choir will present its annual “A Christmas Concert at the Monastery” at 7 p.m. December 10. (Tickets are $20 ($15 for students/seniors.) Look for the Concerts link at the Monastery’s site for reservations.

Tasting Atlanta's best

2011-10-17T00:09:10Z

Atlanta’s biggest food block party is this coming weekend. The Taste of Atlanta is celebrating its tenth anniversary – and you can get $5 off your tickets by reading this blog!

Located at the corner of Spring and Fifth streets (also called Tech Square) you’ll find 80 of Atlanta’s great restaurants offering samples of their goods at little booths all along the streets. Of course, they’ll be closed to cars and parking is going to be really tight, so MARTA would be a good idea. (On the other hand, park blocks away. You can eat more if you’re going to walk it off.)

Are you a fan of Cupcake Wars? There will be an Atlanta version at the Taste. Stages will be set up for cooking demonstrations and competitions. (The winner of last year’s barcraft competition was Paul Calvert from Sound Table.)

The Taste opens runs from 11 until 6:30 Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 22 and 23. Admission is $25 in advance (that includes 10 tasting tickets) and $35 at the gate the dates of the event. Children under 13 are admitted free (but that doesn’t include tasting tickets.) You can buy more tasting tickets once you’re inside – and most booths offer tastes for two or three tickets, some are more. Tickets cost $1. There is a Friday night party, called the Big Grill. Tickets are $100 for two and $130 for two. VIP tickets for the Saturday and Sunday events are $75 each. Those allow you into VIP tents, special seminars and the Wine+Beer+Cocktail experience.

Use the promotion code TASTE for online ticket orders only for a $5 discount off your ticket! (You’re welcome!)

Photos courtesy Taste of Atlanta. Used with permission.

Georgia's Literary Festival

2011-10-09T20:32:21Z

Georgia’s Literary Festival is held in a different part of the state every year. Last year it was in Statesboro, prior to that it was in Rome. This year it is in a very special place – Sautee Nacoochee. Located between Helen and Clarkesville in North Georgia, Sautee Nacoochee has a post office, an active and cohesive community center, a coffee house and a few very good restaurants, several art galleries and unique stores, some wineries and some terrific views.

Among those views are the gazebo built on the little Indian mound and Crescent Hill Baptist Church, said to be among the most photographed places in the state. The Nacoochee Valley has the Chattahoochee River at its center and Mt. Yonah in the distance. The Sautee Valley is shadowed by Mt. Lynch. The view from the Stovall House, an 1837 bed and breakfast located in the Sautee Valley and shadowed by Mt. Lynch is so pretty it was on the cover of Nicholas Sparks’ The Notebook.

The literary connections of this area are being celebrated at this 13^th annual Literary Festival. Barbara Brown Taylor, author of New York Times best sellers Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith and An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith is the keynote speaker. She will open the festival at 10 and sign books at 11:30. This area is inspiring to many – poets, writers and artists. Two poets will speak and read at the festival – Mildred Greear, author of Moving Gone Dancing and Doris Davenport, author of Eat Thunder & Drink Rain and Madness Like Morning Glories: Poems will speak and sign their books. (The Sautee Nacoochee Center is holding a Poets Live! event Friday evening, at which there will be even more poets. See the website for tickets.)

Other authors from the area who will speak include John Burrison, author of Brothers in Clay, the story of Georgia Folk Pottery and From Mud to Jug: the Folk Potters and Pottery of Northeast Georgia; Linda Anderson, artist and author of Flashes of Memory, an Appalachian Self-Portrait; Brian Jay Corrigan, author of The Poet of Loch Ness; Steve Harvey, author of A Geometry of Lies, Lost in Translation and Bound for Shady Grove and Winton Porter, author of Just Passin’ thru: A vintage Store, the Appalachian Trail and a Cast of Unforgettable Characters (see last month’s blog, Culture in the Mountains.) There will be expert presentations about Lillian Smith (1897-1966), one of the first prominent white Southerners to speak out against segregation and Foxfire, the student oral history project that has followers all over the country. (Foxfire will have their latest book available at the festival.)

There is no admission charge to attend the festival, which runs from 10 until 4 October 15 and will be held on the ground of the Sautee Nacoochee Center, located at 283 Hwy 255 North in Sautee Nacoochee.

A Field of Greens, a Tent of Fun

2011-10-03T01:09:03Z

Put more than 30 of Atlanta and Athens' top chefs in a tent on an organic farm and what do you get? Some really creative uses of farm-to-table ingredients that satisfied attendees of the sixth annual Field of Greens Festival at Whipporwill Hollow Farm in Walnut Grove.

Parish, 4^th and Swift, Farm 255, Taqueria del Sol, Woodfire Grill, Restaurant Eugene and One Midtown Kitchen were among the restaurants serving. Among the dishes served were Duck and White Bean chili, Pork Liver Pate, Chicken gravy and biscuits, shrimp and grits, field pea hummus, seafood gumbo and apple and kohlrabi cobbler. There were several good soups, including one made from sweet potato and sorghum. Boothes offering pigs feet and one with a slider made from braised beef tongue, stewed field peas and horseradish sauce didn't have much of a line. But within two hours most of the restaurants had given out all their samples and were packing up.

An Iron-Chef like competition under another tent was fun. Lots of sheep, chicken and goats entertained the children – and there was a large children’s section that included face painting, cooking and games. A long line of booths held a number of food related vendors. One sold a mushroom kit for $20 – water it, set it aside (not in a window) and oyster mushrooms. There was a wonderful cupcake booth and another one offering little tarts that look to me to become the next food craze. (See The Little Tart in Atlanta. ) There was a Little Me Tea booth, offering tastes of their organic tea made especially for children (with lots of fruit juice infused.) I tried the tea with fruit juices and kale in it. It tasted a little like a freshly-mown lawn smells, but that’s not necessarily bad. Other booths offered plenty of fresh veggies and recipes.

This was the sixth annual Field to Greens festival. It’s a very family friendly festival – not a beer or even a diet-Coke on the property, unless brought in by visitors. Proceeds go to Slowfood Atlanta – the group trying to help us understand real food and prevent the disappearance of local food traditions and varieties. You’ll have to wait until next year for the festival, but you can check out the restaurants that donated their time and effort on the website.

Fall leaves from the scenic rail in Blue Ridge

2011-09-27T01:27:21Z

Has the bit of cool in the air made you think of fall? If you’re imagining a brisk day and gorgeous fall leaves, consider a ride on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railroad in the next six weeks.

Part of the line that originally went from Marietta to Knoxville, the Blue Ridge Scenic Railroad takes passengers from Blue Ridge up to McCaysville and back. It meets the Toccoa River and crosses it, with plenty of beautiful scenery along the way. (Look in particular, for the Fish Trap in the river. It is a series of rocks along the bed of the river in a v-shape that channeled fish into the waiting hands of the Native Americans who built it centuries ago.) The trip takes several hours, but stops long enough in McCaysville for people to eat and see the town’s sights. In the IGA parking lot (a walking distance part of town) there is a blue line painted to indicate the Georgia/Tennessee border – so you can straddle the line and have your picture made in both states.

The track was originally built in the 1880s and was “small gauge” meaning the rails were three feet apart rather than four. There were advantages in maneuverability but disadvantages in the ability to haul heavier loads, so the standard gauge became the norm. The track that remains from Blue Ridge to McCaysville was converted to standard gauge some time after its beginning to be competitive. It ceased passenger service to Blue Ridge in 1948.

A group of citizens organized with the idea of utilizing the tracks for a tourist train in the 1980s. There were plenty of hoops to jump through and a number of people contributed to the effort. The train began its run from Blue Ridge to McCaysville in 1997, celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2007. Check the website for the schedule – different trips have different rates, and plan on making reservations for those peak leaf-viewing weeks.

Cultures in the mountains of North Georgia

2011-09-18T00:28:46Z

Most everyone who has made it three or four miles from the beginning of the Appalachian Trail on Springer Mountain in Georgia has visited the Mountain Crossing Store at Neels Gap. The store, called Walasi-Yi, actually straddles the AT on the Eastern side of Blood Mountain. The only building on the entire trail, it was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the early '30s. Now the store is run by Winton Porter and his wife Nancy. They sell hiking supplies, offer mail drops, Trail advice and maps and operate a hostel for hikers who’d like to spend the night under a roof.

For those on wheels, the historic old fieldstone building is located on Georgia Highway 19, between Cleveland and Blairsville. It is not far from the top of Blood Mountain, which is the highest point of the AT in Georgia. Organization of the Trail began as early as the 1920s, and hiking it from beginning to end has been and still is a lifetime goal for many.

There is a mystique and culture that belongs to the trail and those who take it. Porter has written a book about some of the personalities that have visited the Blood Mountain portal, entitled Just Passin’ Thru – A Vintage Store, the Appalachian Trail and a Cast of Unforgettable Characters. (Menasha Ridge Press, $14.95) It’s a great book, whether you want to hike the trail or not. It’s available at bookstores or at the picturesque little store.

Porter himself will be talking about the book, the trail and its people on October 15 at the Georgia Literary Festival in Sautee Nacoochee. There will be plenty of culture at this festival, which will be at the Sautee Nacoochee Community Center and honors award-winning poet Mildred Greer, folk culture specialist John Burrison and one of North Georgia’s famous early Civil Rights activists – Lillian Smith (1897-1966.) Barbara Brown Taylor, prize-winning author of Leaving Church and An Altar in the World is the keynote speaker.

Other speakers include poet Doris Davenport, authors Brian Jay Corrigan (who has helped many writers understand the publishing world,) and Steve Harvey, writer and folk-artist Linda Anderson and there will be a special presentation about Foxfire, which will have a new book available.

This is Georgia’s 13^th annual Literary Festival. It runs from 10 until 4 Saturday, Oct. 15 and there is no cost for admission or parking. Food will be available, literary vendors will be present and the authors will speak and sign their books.

Are you an ant or a grasshopper?

2011-09-05T03:01:07Z

Remember the children's story about the ant who spent all summer working to gather stores for the winter, while the grasshopper played? There are more modern renditions of it that comment on current politics in Washington D.C. I'm sticking with the old version for the Labor Day weekend - and spending it stocking up on fresh vegetables for the winter - my version of farm-to-table. I’m freezing dozens of ears of Silver King corn I got from Blairsville and canning marinara sauce made with fresh local tomatoes from Jaemor Farms in Gainesville.

So instead of writing about places in Georgia – I’m just going to leave you with some pictures of my favorite Georgia produce.

Atlanta's Dragon Boats are Getting Ready

2011-08-28T20:37:58Z

Atlanta's thrilling Dragon Boat Festival is scheduled for September 10 at the Lake Lanier Canoe and Kayak Olympic Venue. Besides the culture and food - people come for the dragon boat races.

Another group of teams will be made up of cancer survivors. The sport has a unique connection to survivors of breast cancer – people who have had their lymph nodes removed have been told for years not to engage in repetitive motion, lest they develop lymphedema. In 1996, British Columbia physician Don McKenzie gathered a group of survivors to prove that theory wasn’t true. Now almost every Dragon Boat event has Breast Cancer survivor and support teams and many have heats for the category.

White strength and athletic ability certainly help – dragon boat races are won by those who excel in teamwork and synchronicity. The paddlers (and the audience) are spurred on by the drummer who pounds a rhythm in the front of the boat.

This is the 16^th year for the festival, which is the largest in the state. The boats are brightly painted and have a colorful dragon’s head at the front. The festival is opened with the tradition of dotting the dragon’s eye. The races begin at 7:45 and last until 3:30. If you get there at 7 a.m. you’ll get to see the Buddhist Monks bless the boats.

Dragon boat racing honors the Chinese poet Qu Yuan, who leaped into a river holding a large rock to express his sorrow at his country's downfall, some 2000 years ago. According to legend, people raced out to save him in their boats, drumming and beating their paddles to keep the fish and water dragons from getting to him.

12 Not-to-be-missed Fall Festivals

2011-08-22T01:53:17Z

Cool off by planning several of these festivals for September. You'll find memorable food, toe-tapping music and maybe even get started on your Christmas list!

Labor Day Weekend - The Powers’ Crossroads Country Fair and Art Festival – 250 artists of all kinds, selected by jury, plus blooming onion, homemade baked goods, barbeque and Church booths will the kind of cookin’ that brings people to the preachin’ on Sunday. See the blog post about it from last year. $7 admission, parking is free and the Boy Scouts will carry your packages out to the car for you.

Labor Day Weekend - Decatur Book Festival. This is the largest independent book festival in the country. If I listed a few of the 300 (yep, 300) authors that will be there, I’d miss your fave. But they get popular writers from around the world to come to Decatur for this festival and there are plenty of other activities going on. Use this as an excuse to take advantage of some of the excellent and eclectic dining in Decatur. Again, see last year’s blog post here.

Labor Day Weekend - Callaway Garden's Sky High Hot Air Balloon Festival. This is the answer to your end-of-summer blues. Classic cars, swimming, disc dogs, kite flying, plenty of activities and food. Plus you'll be in beautiful Callaway Gardens and watching those colorful balloons in the blue sky.

Labor Day Weekend – Swim in the historic Warm Springs that President Roosevelt used to ease his polio-stricken limbs. Make your reservations ahead, then plan to visit the Little White House while you’re there. See my blog post about it here.

September 3 – Folk Life Festival, Sautee Nacoochee. Learn a little of the culture of the Appalachians at this festival, plus meet some of the descendants of 200 years of folk potter tradition that developed in this part of Georgia. Appalachian music, barbecue and traditional food as well. Watch the video on the weblink. Admission is free.

September 4 – Crush Fest at Yonah Mountain Vineyards, Cleveland, Ga. – Music, food, vendors, wine. $15 admission, $5 for designated driver.

September 10 & 11 – The Native American Festival in Indian Springs. Good food, a pretty little town, history in the dances and drumming. This is the site of the tavern that was run by Chief William McIntosh in 1823. You can tour the old building and learn about this very turbulent time.

September 16 – 18 – the Jekyll Island Wild Georgia Shrimp Festival. There are good reasons to visit Jekyll Island any time of the year. It’s a state park, it’s beautiful, much of it is “unspoiled” and is less crowded. But combine that with a food celebration of one of Georgia’s excellent products – Wild Georgia Shrimp. It’s also known as the Shrimp and Grits festival. There will be tastings, chef demonstrations, entertainment, arts and crafts. And I might as well tell you – there will be lines to get the shrimp dishes from the various booths. Take the kids over to see the turtles at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. Then go get some more shrimp. When you get back home, go to the grocery store and complain LOUDLY if they don’t have Georgia shrimp.

October 1 – The Oliver Hardy Festival in Harlem. The lovely little town of Harlem welcomes Oliver Hardy fans every year for a parade, food, arts, Laurel and Hardy films and tours of the museum. See last year’s post.

October 1 – Foxfire Mountaineer Festival in Clayton. Good food, regional crafts and demonstrations plus music and games. Get in touch with your roots here.

Sepember 29 – October 8 – Westobou Festival in Augusta. Art, food, music, dance and film, much of it along the Augusta pretty riverfront. I wrote about it here last year. Make your reservations now!

October 15 – Georgia’s 13^th Annual Literary Festival will be held in Sautee Nacoochee. Author talks, music, food, booksignings. This will be a beautiful time to visit the mountains of North Georgia. Admission is free. Check out the Facebook page.