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The Terminal Post: Goodbye Old MSY

DeanLand
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The Terminal Post: Goodbye Old MSY

Hopefully, I’ve boarded my last flight out of the old terminal at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. I say hopefully because the city and its travelers were promised a glistening new terminal would be open already – with several planned opening dates passed like departure times on a steamy and stormy South Louisiana afternoon. Now, the signs promise that we’ll begin flying from the new MSY in Spring 2019.

Signs for New Orleans New Airport Terminal, OurTravelCafe.com
Signs promise the new terminal will open in Spring 2019. Forget the calendar definitions. Everyone in New Orleans knows Spring ends around Jazz Fest, and not in June.

If you follow the calendar, Spring technically begins on March 20 and ends on June 21. But if you track seasons by local weather in South Louisiana you know that spring ends in NOLA sometime shortly after Jazz Fest in April, and long before either Memorial Day or the official June calendar date.

My next departures from MSY are booked for April and May, with a return scheduled in mid-June. All technically are in Spring, so there’s a chance the new terminal will be ready. But if both politics and time work as usual in New Orleans, I’ll be flying into and out of the same old terminal on all my current trips.  See, New Orleans often is referred to as the City that Care Forgot. And those in Louisiana politics seem to forget to care about New Orleans and time schedules, so I don’t have great confidence in yet another promise of the terminal opening.

Early construction of new New Orleans MSY Terminal, OurTravelCafe.com
The new terminal at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport takes shape during 2017 and 2018, the largest active construction project in the nation during the building phase.
New terminal nears completion at New Orleans, OurTravelCafe.com
My friend Boudreaux explains it all: “Yeah, dat’s D1. Dat new term’nal dey keep promisin’ is gonna be open soon. But I don’t know about dey schedule. Like da course of da river, da openin’ date keeps changin’. And da Saints got robbed! Who dat!”

Before I detour into a general political rant – especially about Louisiana politics which can best be described as a combination of banana republic shenanigans and pre-prison entertainment by those voted most likely to consort with strippers or utilize the services of high-priced prostitutes — let’s get back to the matter at hand. And that’s saying goodbye to the old terminal at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport at Moisant Field, or just goodbye old MSY.

What’s to Love?

Lucky Dog Food Cart at New Orleans Airport, OurTravelCafe.com
You’ll find Lucky Dog carts throughout New Orleans, including at the airport. The iconic cart became a virtual character in the Pulitzer Prize winning novel, A Confederacy of Dunces.

My own history with MSY is a gumbo of interesting, challenging and mixed experiences of on-time arrivals, weather-related flight delays, suffering through lost baggage and fighting the atrocious terminal traffic during peak times. But I genuinely love some things about the old terminal.  For example:

  • When you arrive, the old terminal experience represents exactly what you’ll find in the city itself.  Heat any time of year. Humidity always. Plentiful food and adult beverages. New Orleans blues, jazz, zydeco and mambo music. Mardi Gras masks, costumes and beads. The Krewe of Recent Arrivals sauntering in a lazy, hopeful parade to the baggage claim area and the party beyond.  The ragged Krewe of Next Departures moving more slowly than Rex on Canal Street. And a structure that suffers just enough benign neglect to make it charming when you take the time to explore.
Shopping at New Orleans MSY Airport, OurTravelCafe.com
The airport offers the usual assortment of souvenirs, and also some nicer local clothing options. You will never have to tell your disappointed kids and relatives that you were too hungover to shop for them after surviving hurricanes at Pat O’Brien’s.
  • If you are departing in an over-partied state where you didn’t have time to shop for unique New Orleans trinkets, you can find them all here. That’s right, you will never have to tell your disappointed kids and relatives that you were too hungover to shop for them after surviving hurricanes at Pat O’Brien’s. Or maybe, just maybe, you would prefer a storyline that you bought all those beads at an airport gift shop instead of sharing your real shirt-raising story – most of which you’re not likely to remember clearly anyway.
Mardi Gras beads and trinkets at New Orleans airport. OurTravelCafe.com
Mardi Gras beads abound at airport shop. So, if you don’t want to tell — or simply can’t remember — the shirt-raising story of how you earned all those beads, just say you bought them at MSY.
  • If you want one last chance for New Orleans cuisine, this airport terminal offers a credible selection of some local restaurants and a reasonable facsimile of their actual famous favorite dishes. Don’t expect the full menus or the finest preparation methods since the airport food outlets are all managed by Delaware North, a Buffalo, NY, based corporation that sounds like it knows more about railroads than remoulades. But if you didn’t enjoy enough rich food, there’s a sampling here. The main terminal location of Dooky Chase doesn’t offer the noon-time buffet of the original mid-City landmark, but it does serve some of the restaurant’s fried chicken and other original dishes.  Same for Ye Olde College Inn, where New Orleans po-boys, a pretty-good Southern shrimp and grits, and some hometown bread pudding highlight the menu. And don’t forget Lucky Dog, the iconic hot dog cart which took on a literary life in the Pulitzer Award-winning local novel, A Confederacy of Dunces. Even the Delta Sky Club lounge feature good food which sometimes includes gumbo, jambalaya and beignets. And I’ve had one of my top three all-time-best Bloody Marys in that Sky Club, someone’s special concoction of rich tomato-ey liquid stirred together with secret herbs and spices in a recipe which would be more interesting to me than the elusive original version of the Colonel’s Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Dooky Chase restaurant at New Orleans MSY airport, OurTravelCafe.com
If you missed the noon-time buffet of the original mid-City landmark location of Dooky Chase, the airport venue offers the restaurant’s fried chicken and other original dishes.

Fun Facts about MSY

Now before we say our final goodbyes, here are a few things that you may not know about the old terminal and MSY:

  • World’s second-lowest airport. Many people know that New Orleans itself lies mostly at or below sea level. The elevation of Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is 4.5 feet above sea level. The only airport with a lower elevation: Amsterdam’s Schiphol International Airport in the Netherlands at 11 feet below sea level. And yes, New Orleans airport has flooded, but it wasn’t during Hurricane Katrina. A year after its opening, a hurricane swamped the new airport under 2.5 feet of water before today’s levee system fully protected it.
  • One of the largest in the US.  Well, at one time, long ago. When MSY opened in 1946, it’s three 5,000-foot runways and one 7,000-foot runway plus 1,300+ acres of land made it enormous. Today, not so impressive, especially when compared in area to DEN, DFW or MCO, passenger traffic at ATL, LAX or ORD, and amenities to – well, just about anywhere, especially the world’s Top 10 best airports.
  • King of the Aviators. New Orleans Mardi Gras kings reign over the city during the pre-Lenten season. The airport’s original name came from a different king: the “King of the Aviators,” John Bevins Moisant.  An early airplane designer and wealthy business-man-turned-pilot who also organized two plots to overthrow the government of El Salvador, Moisant had a distinguished-but-short flying career. After recording the first passenger flight over the English Channel (it included his mechanic and his cat, Mademoiselle Fifi), he founded the Moisant International Aviators, a flying circus performing barnstorming acts around the US. Arriving in New Orleans at New Year’s 1910 to prepare for the prestigious Michelin Cup for longest sustained flight, he died after taking off from today’s City Park and crashing near today’s airport site.
  • Why MSY?  All airports have a three-letter IATA designation, and the original Lakefront Airport still retains the NEW code for New Orleans. But why MSY? If you guessed that the M honors John Moisant, that’s correct. So what about SY?  After Moisant crashed into the empty field, it became a pasture used for grazing cattle. The owners named the field and the related processing facility Moisant Stock Yards. And the designation MSY was adopted when the new airport opened as Moisant Field in 1946. Of course, that seems kind of appropriate now when air travelers are often herded like cattle.
Ye Olde College Inn at New Orleans airport, OurTravelCafe.com
Ye Olde College Inn is another New Orleans original with an airport location. We enjoy the shrimp and grits any time of day. And the fried bread pudding po-boy is a New Orleans original.

My Own History with MSY

Growing up outside of the city, the airport provided a collection of time-marking and catastrophic events that stick with me today. My first real awareness of MSY was in March 1967, when a Delta training flight lost two engines during a night time approach and crashed into the Hilton Hotel, just across Airline Highway from the original terminal.  The crash occurred near 1 am local time, long after bedtime for a 10-year-old. And although our small town was 30 miles away, the jet-fuel-powered fire resulted in the blare of nighttime sirens summoning volunteer firemen from our community to join the fire fighting and rescue efforts. The next day and for days after, television images from the three New Orleans broadcast stations dominated the local news.

1972 marked my first trip to the airport. A Christmas-time earthquake had leveled much of Managua, Nicaragua. Boy Scout Troop 321 and others on our area participated in an emergency relief drive in the immediate aftermath, and we traveled to the airport to unload our donations at a cavernous hangar near the main terminal.

And on July 9, 1982, a Pan Am jet crashed into a residential area in Kenner less than one minute after take-off, forced down by microburst wind shear. All 146 passengers and another eight people on the ground were killed. This occurred about a year after I had abandoned my first career in newspaper jobs nearby, during which I reported on a twin-engine plane crash. Aside from the sorrow I felt for all the victims of the Pan Am, I clearly remember how thankful I was for not being called on to photograph and report that story, even the recovery of the surviving “Miracle Baby” found in the wreckage of a home.

Louis Armstrong figure at New Orleans MSY airport. OurTravelCafe.com
Papier Mache Louis Armstrong is ready to play for each ragged Krewe of Next Departures as they enter the main terminal. Like New Orleans itself, the old terminal and all its fixtures suffer just enough benign neglect to make it charming.

More recently, MSY memories and experiences were happy and pleasant. For a variety of family reasons, we’ve departed and returned to MSY for extended vacations when cruising the Mediterranean, the Baltic, around Scotland and England, and Alaska. And although today we live near and mostly fly from the world’s busiest airport in Atlanta, our summer vacation plans still often begin and end with flights at MSY.

And that brings me back to the beginning. Hopefully, I’ve made my last flight from the old terminal. But if not, we’ll join the Krewe of Departures for another parade through the terminal, stop for some beignets, grab one last drink, toast to our good times, and say au revoir all over again.

Remembering Des Allemands Retail Stores

DeanLand
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6
Remembering Des Allemands Retail Stores

With aging parents and my dad’s declining health, I’ve been spending more time back in my hometown of Des Allemands, LA. “Making groceries” and running errands to retrieve day-to-day essentials today offers few shopping options in town. There’s Frank’s, a regional supermarket with down-home charm and local brands.  Or Family Dollar, a modern chain with limited choices and all the customer-unfriendly hassles associated with computerized inventory and price management.

Des Allemands stores mostly were near the bayou, from OurTravelCafe.Com
Since we lived up the Old Road on Martin Lane for many years, our trips
to Des Allemands stores were a big deal.

Probably because I spent the last 25+ years working with restaurants and grocery stores, that got me to thinking about what shopping was like while growing up in Des Allemands. My trip down rural retail memory lane is the product of unaided, selective and fading memory, prioritized by the frequency of our own shopping trips, and perhaps confused by a John Mellencamp romanticizing of the past in small towns.

Labatt’s

LaBatt's store on Highway 90, Des Allemands, LA, from from OurTravelCafe.Com
Back in the day, Coke bottles were stacked high in their wooden cases outside of LaBatt’s on Maloney Road. Entrance to the store was at the door on the right; the section on the left was home for the Labatt family.

During the summer, my mom would let me ride my bike to Labatt’s, which meant trekking along “the old road” next to the railroad tracks, and then up Maloney Road to where it intersected with Highway 90. Along the way, I passed homes owned by families named Matherne, Autin, Frickey, Naquin, Oubre, Dufrene and others of French and German descent. I would park my bike next to the wooden crates filled with empty, returned Coke bottles stacked outside the store. Of course, this was long before I knew Coke was a registered trademark and not a generic description for all soft drinks.  When you wanted a cold carbonated beverage, you were getting a Coke, even if it was a Pepsi or Dr. Pepper. Only root beer wasn’t a Coke, and root beer was only Barq’s, and some Barq’s was Crème Soda.

When making groceries, my order was always the same.  One half-gallon of milk, one loaf of bred, and one pound of ham. I ordered the ham directly from Mr. Cleve, who always wore a white apron when slicing the fresh ham from his display cooler. When the transaction was done, Mrs. Cleve – whose name I only learned recently was Bessie – would ring it up on credit and put the credit slip into the register.

The IGA

The IGA Supermarket located on Old Spanish Trail in Des Allemands, fromfrom OurTravelCafe.Com
The IGA occupied a prime place in the old “downtown” Des Allemands. The Post Office was relocated in the building to the right sometime after Hurricane Betsy.

Depending on your age, this store might have been known as Dufrene’s, Sevin’s or both. In our family, it was referred to as “The Supermarket” or “The IGA.”  The store originally was owned by Maloney Dufrene, then became Sevin’s IGA when it changed ownership sometime in the late 1960s. My  good friends and fellow scouts Donald Allen and Kevin Fambrough worked as stock boys during our high school years, as did many others who got their first real jobs there.  Mr. Luquette was one of the butchers, a small man who cut the huge sides of beef down to the individual packages sold to local shoppers.  Mr. Joe Fambrough, Kevin’s dad, a Navy veteran of World War 2, and one of our scout leaders, joined the store later as a butcher and remained until the store was sold again in the 1980s.

DeJean’s

Original bag from DeJean's General Store, located in Des Allemands, LA, from from OurTravelCafe.Com
DeJean’s carried a variety of foods and served as a general store, as evidenced by this bag stored away since the 1960s.

Operated by Mr. Breeze – but not the Mr. Breeze known to us Lynryd Skynryd fans —  DeJean’s stood next to the railroad tracks and the Up-the-Bayou road underpass. The fish house built over the bayou was the waterside neighbor. The Post Office was in the same building as Dejean’s, before a new brick version was constructed on higher ground next to Sevin’s sometimes after Hurricane Betsy ripped through St. Charles Parish in 1965. There was a screen door in front, which slammed loudly behind you on entering  and exiting. Since we lived far down “The Old Road” on Martin Lane, once the Post Office was relocated, our most frequent shopping at DeJean’s was limited to fresh-cut deli meats when we visited next door at the small barber shop for haircuts by Mr. Tat Tregle or Mr. Philip Cortez.

DeJean's General Store located along Bayou Des Allemands in Louisiana, from from OurTravelCafe.Com
DeJean’s was located along Bayou Des Allemands, near the railroad underpass leading to the Up-the-Bayou Road. Entrance to the “old” US Post Office was at the far right, with the store entrance to the left.

Touchard’s

The long, one-story white building that housed the original Touchard’s was located at the intersection of Touchard Lane and the Down-the-Bayou road, almost directly across from the Touchard’s family home with its always-immaculate small lawn and front garden.  As they say in the area, the store “ain’t dere no mo.” While we knew the Touchard family from St. Gertrude’s Catholic Church, I probably can count on two hands the number of times I was in that original Touchard store, likely because we just didn’t have a reason to go “Down-the-Bayou.” Later, the family built a large new supermarket-style store on Highway 90 in what is now Frank’s Supermarket.

Touchard's store was located along Bayou Des Allemands on the Down the Bayou Road, from from OurTravelCafe.Com
The original Touchard’s store was a long, white, one-story building at the intersection of Touchard Lane and the Down-the-Bayou Road, just South of the “Old Bridge.”
It ain’t dere no mo.

The Hill Store

If there was another name for this retail business, I never knew it. A long, narrow building on tall brick pilings, the main store entrance was on “the hill” that led to the Old Bridge. A tall set of stairs led down toward Easy Street. Admitting to fuzzy memory earlier, my best description for this store was general merchandise, including a mix of groceries, hardware, clothing. And I seem to recall that the Greyhound bus stopped here, as I visited here occasionally with my dad to pick up tractor parts or other items that were shipped as freight on the bus for local delivery.

And Any Others

My recollection here only covers my formative years, mostly from 1961-1974. I know there were a few more retail outlets in Des Allemands during that time. One building still stands between the Old IGA and the fire station. Originally, it was a mixed merchandise retail store, carrying goods like shoes and clothes, but not with the broader inventory of Ben Franklin or TG&Y in Luling.

If you remember others, feel free to post comments with your memories here.

Des Allemands Catholic Cemetery along the Down the Bayou Road, Des Allemands, LA, from from OurTravelCafe.Com
Along with most of the first generation of local store owners, Des Allemands’ original retail stores are mostly dead and gone. Only the “new” Touchard’s store is still in business, operating as Frank’s Supermarket along Highway 90.

Scarlett on the Square: No Longer There

DeanLand
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Scarlett on the Square: No Longer There

Gone With the Wind Museum Move to Brumby House Is a Great Reason for a Return or First Visit

If you’re going to the Gone with the Wind Museum on Marietta Square, it’s gone – not with the wind, but down the street. That means the museum long known as “Scarlett on the Square” is no longer there, but now can be found in the historic Brumby House on Powder Springs Street, beyond the Marietta Confederate Cemetery and adjacent to the Hilton Conference Center.

One of the jewels of Marietta has changed locations while maintaining the sparkling magic of Hollywood’s Old South. The Gone with the Wind Museum now is located at Brumby Hall next to the Hilton Conference Center.

While the location has changed, the museum’s dedication to the 1936 book and 1939 film classic remains steadfast. The Greek Revival-style Brumby House is no Tara, but the new location warrants a visit from those who explored the former downtown location and others interested in reading some real Georgia history made by the Hollywood epic that some still mistake as authentic Civil War history.

Think of the Gone with the Wind Museum as sort of a mini movie sound stage housing different movie sets.  The Museum features four main rooms. The first, largely dedicated to Margaret Mitchell and the writing of her book, also includes some lesser known details of the author’s colorful and short life in Georgia before and after the publication of her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.

Vincent Price was passed over for the role of Rhett Butler, confirmed by this Selznick interoffice memo.
Vincent Price was too masculine for the role of Rhett Butler, and both Errol Flynn and Gary Cooper were passed over, too. But what about Groucho Marx, who was the favorite choice of author Margaret Mitchell?

Two rooms chronicle the talent acquisition process, movie production and the Atlanta world movie premiere. Original correspondence sent to producer David O. Selznik declares that “maybe we can do better” than casting Vincent Price in a key role and provides some juicy tidbits on the search for new talent in the New Orleans area.  Various shooting scripts also are displayed, including one donated by Ann Rutherford, who was “loaned” to the Selznick production company by MGM to play Careen O’Hara, one of Scarlett’s sisters. As an aside, Vincent Price apparently was considered for the lead role, but may have been considered “too masculine.” If you’re curious about others like Lucille Ball, Bette Davis, Carol Lombard, Errol Flynn, Tyronne Power and Groucho Marx who were considered and rejected for GWTW roles, check out the GWTW page of the website notstarring.com.

The grandeur and spectacle of the Atlanta movie premiere jumps off the pages of Atlanta newspapers, which devoted weeks of coverage to promoting virtually every aspect of the event. News accounts on display detail virtually every move of stars Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh and Olivia de Haviland during the three-day state holiday declared by Georgia Governor E.D. Rivers.

The prize possession in the Gone With the Wind collection, this honeymoon gown was worn by Scarlett O’Hara in the movie. Other gowns and costumes on display are replicas.

The largest exhibit includes an authentic honeymoon gown worn by Vivien Leigh in the movie, and replicas of other costumes. A fully-furnished scale model of Tara also occupies a center space in the large display.

I’ll admit that I missed the display of Vivien Leigh’s original contract for the movie, but that doesn’t surprise me given the wealth of details and variety of reading materials contained in the collection. If you’re a serious fan with deep curiosity, you likely can read all the details in under three hours. For the normal visitor, you’ll be done in 60 to 90 minutes.

The doll house replica of Tara Plantation occupies a prime spot in the GWTW museum.
Think twice about taking youngsters to the GWTW museum, as there aren’t any screens or interactive displays to occupy their attention. And artifacts like the doll-house replica of Tara inspired by the 80-year-old movie may be too much temptation for little hands.

If you’re thinking of visiting, recognize the Gone With the Wind Museum isn’t a Disney ride or a multi-media virtual reality experience.  And, lacking interactive displays and focusing on a movie that premiered nearly 80 years ago, it’s not for teens, tweens and other youngsters who wouldn’t recognize the subject matter and will be without screens to keep them entertained.

Real Georgia History at Brumby House

Even if you frankly don’t give a damn about the book, the characters, the actors or the movie itself, you can still enjoy a few hours immersed in Georgia and Atlanta history with a visit to the museum, Brumby Hall and nearby downtown Marietta. Beyond the movie history housed inside, Brumby Hall played a significant part in real Georgia history. The two-story home on a hill was the residence of Colonel Arnoldus V. Brumby, the first superintendent of the neighboring Georgia Military Institute and a classmate of General William T. Sherman at West Point. Built in 1851, the house was occupied by Sherman’s troops and spared from flames as the Union troops departed because of the friendship between Brumby and Sherman. (As a side note, prior to the Civil War, Sherman was the first president of Louisiana State Seminary of Learning and Military Academy, which later became LSU.)

Atlanta Constitution and Atlanta Journal newspapers covered all the premiere details.
Atlanta newspapers covered the prelude to and all the details of the Atlanta world premiere of Gone With the Wind. For history buffs, those pages also include the real events leading to World War II.

And if you’re a World War II or 1930’s history buff like me, you’ll enjoy an unexpected benefit of visiting the Gone With the Wind Museum: those same newspapers that covered the movie premiere featured the major stories of the days leading to the formal start of the war. While my wife enjoyed the large display room featuring dresses, gowns, the doll house and more, I sat quietly and read the newspaper versions of the “flip side” of the GWTW coverage. (One more side note: If you don’t know the meaning of “flip side,” chances are you’re not going to enjoy the museum or the newspapers!)

Also, be sure to walk through the large gardens surrounding the house, especially if you visit in the spring and fall when many of the blooming plants display their vibrant colors. Before leaving, we also spent a few minutes enjoying the rocking chairs on the front porch – only sweet tea, lemonade or mint juleps could have made it a more perfect ending.

Gardens and front porch at Brumby Hall in Marietta
Lovely gardens featuring a shrub maze and displays of blooming plants surround Brumby Hall. And the rocking chairs on the front porch would be perfect for lemonade, ice tea or a mint julep.

Lunch on Marietta Square

Sights, shopping and restaurants at historic Marietta Square
The average visit to the Gone With the Wind museum requires 60 to 90 minutes, leaving plenty of time for historic Marietta Square. If you don’t want to fight parking on the Square and the weather is cooperative, you can walk through the Marietta Confederate Cemetery and on the bike and walking trail to reach the square in about 20 minutes.

Since visiting the museum requires only a couple of hours, there’s plenty of time to enjoy lunch on Marietta Square. While there’s plenty of parking at the museum and it’s only a short walk to the square, our Georgia heat and humidity don’t make that practical on many days. But, if you’re tempted, a leisurely route includes crossing Powder Spring Street, walking through the Confederate Cemetery and Brown Park, then following the bike and walking trail to the square. It’s only about a 20 minute walk and will save the parking hassle near the Square.

As to lunch options, the only trouble you’ll have is narrowing your options. Some of our favorite lunch stops include Shillings on the Square, the Butcher and the Baker, and The Marietta Local. Feeling more adventurous on our recent visit, we wandered down Powder Springs Street beyond Marietta Pizza to Skewers, a newer Greek and Mediterranean restaurant that we enjoyed immensely. We followed that up with a stop at Sarah Jean’s Ice Cream for some hand-dipped cooling treats.

Skewers features Greek and Mediterranean food in a casual setting
Feeling adventurous on our last visit to Marietta Square, we passed on some of our favorite dining spots and wandered into Skewers on Sandy Springs Street beyond Marietta Pizza Company. Now we have a new favorite, this one for Greek and Mediterranean food.

Built in 1851, Brumby Hall was the home of the superintendent of the Georgia Military Institute. Used as a hospital during the Union occupation, it’s hard to visualize the gore and carnage that once occurred at the beautiful setting.

All The Deets

You can find all the details about hours, prices, available group tours and more at the Gone With the Wind Museum website. And if you’re looking for a bargain, Groupon often offers two-for-one admissions to the museum with few restrictions. One word of caution: the museum is a favorite location for wedding and other events, so you may want to call ahead if you’re considering a late afternoon or weekend visit to avoid any limitations or closings associated with rentals.

Life-size movie promotion cutout of Scarlett O'Hara
Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara literally is everywhere at the Gone With the Wind Museum in Marietta. But when she asked at the movie’s end, “Where shall I go,” I don’t think directions to the unisex restroom were what she had in mind.

We Ate the Whole Town of Ball Ground

DeanLand
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We Ate the Whole Town of Ball Ground

When someone says they have eaten their way through a town, they generally mean it figuratively – like they’ve dined at most of the best restaurants, or perhaps sampled a large variety of the notable cuisines.

But when we state we’ve eaten our way through downtown Ball Ground, GA, we mean it literally – as in we’ve eaten at every restaurant located in this quaint little historic town. Ball Ground is a small, rural Georgia town located in Cherokee county, with only 1,500 people, one main thoroughfare through the historic area, and five dining establishments. Thus on its face, we admit our claim is not that significant. However, we were sufficiently impressed by both the variety and quality of our dining in each of these locally-owned restaurants in Ball Ground that we wanted to share our experiences and encourage you to stop in if you’re in the area.

Why would you be in Ball Ground, GA? It’s definitely off the beaten path, so you’re likely traveling to or returning from someplace else.

Ball Ground is located on the far North extreme of I-575, just before it turns into Georgia 515 and continues up past Ellijay and into the Chattahoochee National Forest and Blue Ridge Mountains. We found the town passing through on visits to Gibbs Gardens, Amicacola Falls, Ellijay, Blue Ridge and other hiking, waterfall and Georgia Grown farm attractions in and near the Chattahoochee Forest.

Here’s a summary of our experiences:

Les Bon Temps Poboy, OurTravelCafe.com
Chef Adam Kimball is keeping it real at Les Bons Temps, with poboy French bread directly from Gambino’s Bakery in New Orleans. The jambalaya features smoky, tasty rice filled with sausage and chicken.

Les Bon Temps. Growing up in Louisiana, we’ve had a long-held rule that we don’t eat at Cajun restaurants in other states. But our first visit to Ball Ground was on a Lenten Friday, so what’s a good Catholic boy from South Louisiana to do when seafood only is offered in a Georgia Cajun restaurant? That’s how we made our first visit to Les Bon Temps Louisiana Kitchen, and the excellent experience in the first visit led to subsequent visits. We shared a seafood muffaletta, which was loaded with fresh shrimp, crawfish and catfish, all served on a five-inch bun straight from Gambino’s bakery in New Orleans. On our second visit, we enjoyed a delightful jambalaya and a fully-dressed catfish poboy piled high with sweet, flaky fried catfish and smeared with a spicy remoulade sauce. We’re not exactly sure how an authentic Cajun restaurant popped up in Ball Ground, though we heard there was a lottery winner involved several owners ago. Today, Chef Adam Kimball is keeping it real with lots of authentic Louisiana offerings.

Ball Ground Burger Bus, OurTravelCafe.com
The Burger Bus isn’t a bus at all, but a restored 1948 Atlanta transit trolley. Still, it’s great fun to eat inside, and to enjoy the nostalgic advertising from hometown Coca-Cola.

Ball Ground Burger Bus. Without doubt, the Burger Bus is the best known of the Ball Ground dining establishments, thanks in part to its dining location inside a restored 1948 trolley from Atlanta. It’s featured on one of our own favorite road trip research sites, RoadsideAmerica.com, and was rated as one of the Top 100 burgers in Georgia by Georgia Eats Magazine. After driving by on several occasions, we stopped in for a late weekday lunch, and sitting in the bus was as much fun as we anticipated. Our tater tot side with chilli and cheese was excellent, with some of the crispiest tots we’ve ever enjoyed, no easy feat when they are buried under a steaming helping of excellent chili. Our burgers were good – but maybe we had dampened our appetites and dulled our taste buds in advance with those tater tots. We’re going to give it another try on a future visit.

Chef Rosario's Italian Kitchen, OurTravelCafe.com
There’s frequently a line of locals at Chef Rosario’s ready to take home large containers of great Italian food. We enjoyed our spaghetti and meatballs in the dining room, served on the disposable take-out ware

Chef Rosario’s Italian Kitchen. When we posted our notes about Les Bon Temps to our Facebook site, one of our Louisiana high school friends – who also lives in the Atlanta ex-burbs, commented that we had to visit Chef Rosario’s. A quick peak in the window and a glance at the menu confirmed his wisdom. The display case of fresh pastries drew us in, but by the time we finished our lunches, we wound up skipping the sweet treats — a major-league bad decision based on discussions with locals and reviews on the various internet dining sites!  The dine-in area is small, and dishes are served on disposable plastics, so this ain’t white table-cloth Italian. But judging by the parade of locals taking home large portions, the family-style, take-out optimized concept appeals to the neighbors. As to the food, ours was phenomenal. My eggplant parmigiana featured lightly-fried eggplant slices covered in a sweet tomato sauce. Our spaghetti and meat sauce lived up to its “homemade” billing, as good as any we’ve enjoyed in authentic neighborhood Italian joints.

Frankfurt Doner and Meats, OurTravelCafe.com
We wrestled with how to classify Frankfurt Doner and Meats, as a butcher, sausage maker, or sandwich shop. Settling on “all of the above,” we carried out a dozen smoked pork chops and fresh sausage, leaving Elke’s life-changing soup for our next return visit.

Frankfurt Doner and Meats. On our first consideration, we assumed Frankfurt Doner and Meats was a butcher shop – which wasn’t correct. Then, we dubbed it a sausage house. And while they do feature a wide variety of fresh, in-store-made sausages that often blend pork, cheeses and fruit, that description also failed. Maybe sandwich shop would be better.  In fact, the answer is “All of the Above.”  On multiple visits, we’ve sampled a variety of their sausages, and loved them all – especially those that included spicy or garlicky cheese blended with of maple syrup or bits of peaches or apples. We honestly didn’t believe their Montreal-seasoned burger patties wouldn’t shrink, until we cooked four of them on our home grill and enjoyed their unshrunken, full-flavored beefy glory. The thick-cut smoked pork chops were delightful, especially after we slow-warmed them on low-heat or added them to the grill. On our last visit, we left with a dozen to hold us for a few week. Now we can’t wait to place our holiday order in advance for several of their stuffed pork roasts. Also on my pre-Christmas wishlist: one of Elke’s life-changing soups!

Jill's Cakes and Bakes, OurTravelCafe.com
We went in for ice cream, and left with boxes of cupcakes that made our grandsons happy, but not their parents. We subscribe to the idea of “sugar them up, send them home.” But Jill says that cupcakes are health food, and we agree!

Jill’s Bakes and Cakes. Generally, bakeries have tough going in small towns, as there may not be enough demand to support the investment in people, building and equipment required. But we sincerely hope that Jill’s Cakes and Bakes location, the full-range of sweet goodies and some additional lunch and breakfast business overcome that small-town bakery challenge, because this place rocks. Locals order full cakes and other sweets, while us passers-by tend to stop in for a variety of cupcakes, cannolis, turnovers and sugar treats to satisfy our sweet desires. We walked in intending to get an ice cream cone and maybe a cupcake, and walked out with two boxes of treats that made our us, our son and grandsons happy – their parents, not so much. And if our few photos don’t tickle your fancy for sweets, check out Jill’s own photo gallery.

Amos' BBQ, OurTravelCafe.com
We enjoyed our barbeque plate and sandwich on the outdoor porch, watching the wood splitter ready the next batch of fuel for the smoker. We’re eager to get here earlier next time for the legendary biscuits.

Amos’ BBQ. We started with a Cajun place, so we’ll throw this one is as a bit of lagniappe, a South Louisiana term for a little something extra. Amos’ BBQ isn’t in the historic district, but about 7 miles beyond it just off Ball Ground Road on Highway 369. Folks, Amos’ BBQ is a real barbeque joint, a small wooden building with tiny indoor seating, a larger outdoor porch-like seating area, and its own wood-splitting operation to feed the pit. We enjoyed lunch plates of pulled pork, chicken and sausage, accompanied by beans, cold slaw and sweet tea. And based on local recommendations, we’ve promised ourselves that if we’re passing by during breakfast hours, we’re going to stop in for some of their famous biscuits.

Like we said to start, eating our way through Ball Ground may not have been impressive based on the size of the town or number of establishments. Nor is Ball Ground likely to be a destination for you.  But if you’re passing anywhere nearby, we would recommend without any hesitation stopping in for friendly, hearty, delicious meals at any of these locations.

Things to Do Nearby

If you’re looking for a reason the pass through Ball Ground for a meal, here are some of our favorite attractions and activities that cause us to pass through:

Amicalola Falls, OurTravelCafe.com
Wonderful waterfall views and the valley panorama from the back deck at Amicalola Falls Lodge  are just two of the reasons we’re frequent visitors at this Georgia State Park.

Amicalola Falls. One of our favorite scenic and recreational spots, we hike at Amicalola Falls State Park and Lodge year round. It’s also the start of the hike-in trail for the Georgia end of the Appalachian Trail. The lodge, perched on a mountain side, is definitely worth a visit. Take a few extra minutes to enjoy a coffee or cold beverage in the restaurant, near the fireplace, or on the terrace, all overlooking the scenic valley below.

Gibbs Gardens, OurTravelCafe.com
The Japanese Garden at GIbbs Gardens is the largest in the US, and features a large variety of maple trees exhibiting their splendor in the fall.

Gibbs Gardens. We “discovered” Gibbs Gardens thanks to a Georgia Grown roadside sign and became season pass holders on our first visit. Jim Gibb’s design and caretaking over God’s glorious garden plants create a constantly-changing color palette throughout the year. Our blog includes the reasons we like to visit in all seasons.

Fausette Farms, OurTravelCafe.com
Bring your own horse and ride miles of trails at Fausett Farms for only $10. The sunflower blooms are spectacular in the fall.

Fausett Farms and Horseback Riding. Fausett Farms is small family farm growing sunflowers, and is open only during the fall season. There’s a parking fee to wander around the sunflower field and farm, and also for horse trailers. If you bring your own horse, it’s $10 for each to ride the trails year-round. You can also

Burt's Farm, OurTravelCafe.com
We get our Halloween carving pumpkin, sugar pumpkins for baking and smoothies, and butternut squash from Burt’s Farm near Amicalola Falls. The farm is open seasonally, but some of their items are available over the web year-round.

Burt’s Pumpkin Farm. A favorite family fall stop for all your pumpkin needs. Grab a wagon, wander the property, and pick your pumpkin, perfect for pies, preserves and carving. Burt’s Farm is open to visitors during specific seasons and times, so check the website for specifics. You also always can order a wide variety of Burt’s products on the website.

Ellijay and Blue Ridge. Keep driving up I-575 and Georgia State Route 515 and you’re on the way to Ellijay and Blue Ridge. These two towns are the roadside end caps to the Chattahoochee National Forest. We love apple picking in Ellijay, and the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway is always a favorite with kids of all ages.

 

Our Favorite Fall Spots and Shots: Georgia

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Our Favorite Fall Spots and Shots: Georgia

Updated: October 2020

We’re thrilled when fall comes to North Georgia, eager to enjoy every moment, every view, every breath of cooler air that our area offers.

When we were considering relocation in 2015, one of our criteria was selecting an area with changing seasons. Growing up and living in South Louisiana for nearly 30 years, then living in Florida for the past 10 years, we were accustomed to hot summers changing quickly to warm wet winters with little fall color.

In between, we spent 17 years in Ohio, where seasonal changes were spectacular. But we lived in Troy, Ohio, a flat Midwest farm town along I-75 with miles of clear-cut fields for efficient corn, soybean and tomato production but highly limiting to an abundance of natural foliage. We did enjoy spots of bright color as we drove up and down I-75 or along the winding back roads that followed small streams and rivers. Several hundred miles of interconnected bike trails also followed the Miami River and old railroad routes, allowing for great fall morning rides among the falling leaves.

Thus, we’re thrilled when fall comes to North Georgia, eager to enjoy every moment, every view, every breath of cooler air that our area offers.  With National Take a Hike Day coming up, the midpoint of fall behind us and our fall beauty fading, we’re going to share photo shots of some of our favorite fall spots. And we welcome comments about your favorites, too!

Lake Acworth and Lake Allatoona

Overlook Park is a small, roadside stop in Acworth, just off Highway 92.
Hidden off Ragsdale Road near Acworth, South Shore Park is one of our favorite launching points for kayaking.
Behind the Beach House at Cauble Park in Acworth, you’ll find the AUMC Chapel of Prayer and this large cross overlooking Lake Acworth.

Cooper’s Furnace

All around Lake Allatoona, the US Army Corps of Engineers, surrounding counties and lakeside municipalities maintain park areas with many recreational options. Follow this link to learn more about our hikes at Cooper’s Furnace.

Cooper’s Furnace is a Civil War-era factory ruins along the Etowah River in Paulding County. Part of the US Corps of Engineers parks surrounding Lake Allatoona, the location offers picnicking, a playground, river access and miles of hiking trails.
Follow the main trail at Cooper’s Furnace to this quiet pond, a haven for wildlife of all types. Stay to the left trail and take the longer hike up to the summit. Turn to the right and you can follow the shorter service road trail to the top.

Etowah River and Allatoona Dam

The Allatoona Dam (above) holds back the Etowah River to create an extensive lake system. We captured that dam photo — and the one below — just downstream from the dam, at the Riverside Day Use Area.

Amicalola State Park

We visited Amicalola on Oct. 11, then again on Nov. 7. Working from memory, we tried to capture similar photos to show what a difference a few weeks can make. What a difference a month makes. This is a reminder to us and to anyone who sees this that Georgia’s scenery changes dramatically throughout the year. (You’ll find more about Amicalola at our post, Short Walks to Tall Georgia Waterfalls.)

Two views from above — the top of Amicalola Falls where Amicalola Creeks begins its 726-foot cascading journey to the valley below.

At the midpoint, a viewing bridge offers an up-close view of the upper falls. Getting here is easiest from the West Ridge Falls Access Trail, an ADA-rated walking route.

Walking down those Georgia State Park wooden stairs from the viewing bridge offers another perspective. Here, we’re about 50 feet below the viewing bridge .

The back deck of Amicalola State Park Lodge offers a sweeping view of the valley below, and a changing panorama of beautiful colors within 30 days.

Gibbs Gardens

We found Gibbs Gardens thanks to a roadside sign spotted on our way to Amicalola Falls. We made our first visit in the spring, and immediately became season pass holders. In another post, we discuss the reasons we visit in all seasons, not just fall.

Natural beauty is augmented with professional landscaping at Gibbs Gardens, near Ball Ground, GA.
The Japanese Garden features reflecting ponds, statuary and more. At more than 40 acres, it’s the largest Japanese Garden in the US, with 150 varieties of Japanese maples in full glory in late October through November.
We loved visiting Gibbs Gardens for the daffodils in the spring, roses later, and ever-changing looks throughout the season. But without a doubt, fall is our favorite season for visiting.

Red Top Mountain State Park

With boating, a mountain bike trail, miles of hiking, a beach, miniature golf, camping and winding roads perfect for motorcycles, Red Top Mountain State Park is perfect for almost any outdoor enthusiast. Check out our blog for more on the hiking trails.

With uneven footing on the Homestead Trail, we were careful to watch where we stepped. That’s how we found this guy, and many more forest floor creatures.
And while we were looking down, we looked up and around, too. While we found this web just off the main trail, we walked into other smaller ones despite our best efforts to avoid them.
Toadstools, leaves, mosses and grass added to the vibrant colors along the way.

Cloudland Canyon State Park and Falls

For those looking for effortless beauty with a minimum of walking, this is your best bet. We love the drive up to Cloudland Canyon almost as much as our time in the park. Driving up I-75 offers some of the best fall interstate scenery in Georgia, and it gets even better once you turn off and drive through the John’s Mountain Wildlife Preserve. Once arriving at Cloudland, it’s about 200 steps to the edge of the canyon where you can peer down into a cornucopia of changing leaves. For the more adventurous and fit, the hike down those Georgia State Park stairs offer beautiful views of the forest and the falls.

Trail entrance view of Cloudland Canyon
The short walk from the parking lot to the canyon rim offers a spectacular view.
Hemlock Falls waterfall with colorful leaves
Hemlock Falls at Cloudland Canyon State Park, GA

Colorful fall canopy on a rocky trail at Cloudland State Park

For the adventurous and fit, the hike into the canyon offers great scenery looking up into the canopy.

Georgia’s Back Roads and Byways

Georgia’s mountain roads and local byways feature colorful drives at every turn.
On our way to Amicalola Falls, we discovered the sunflower fields and horseback rides at Fausett Farms near Afton, GA.
Burt’s Pumpkin Farm is located just outside the entrance to Amicalola State Park, and we visited here on Oct. 11 and Nov. 7, too. The pre-Halloween pumpkin selection was broader in October (above), and the colors of the surrounding trees more vibrant in November (below). Along with sugar pumpkins, we picked up some butternut squash for one of our fall favorite soups.

Small ponds dot the landscape throughout North Georgia, perfect for reflecting and reflections.
Fall’s colors inspire creativity, and offer interesting photo opportunities everywhere.
Each time we drive past this property at the corner of Pitner Road and Cheatham Road in Cobb Country, we’re transported back to the rural homes of our grandparents.

Our Back Yard and Family

Often, we overlook the beauty and tranquility of our own homes. Sometimes, a simple change of perspective will change your entire view.
While this picture is a few years old now, it’s a reminder that sometimes you don’t mind at all when your attempts at yard work are ignored.

And LSU Football

What’s fall without football? Sorry Bulldog fans, but Tiger Stadium is still our favorite place for SEC football. And if you thought a daytime game was loud, try a night game.

Six Great Reasons to Visit Gibbs Gardens, Georgia

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Six Great Reasons to Visit Gibbs Gardens, Georgia

Occasionally, fortunate travelers stumble onto great destinations while en route to another. And thanks to roadside advertising by the Georgia AgriTourism Association, that’s how we discovered Gibbs Gardens, a 220-acre beauty off the beaten path near Ball Ground, Georgia.

Our first visit to Gibbs Gardens converted us from casually curious into bona fide annual pass holders and frequent visitors.

Back in March, we were driving out for a day of hiking and discovery at Amicalola Falls State Park, which features the 729-foot falls plunging into a small stream. We were drawn there by great pictures of the falls, with groups of visitors gawking upward from a wooden bridge in the foreground while the falls cascaded over rocks in the background.

While driving a beautiful, curving, hilly Georgia back road through small towns and farms, the Georgia AgriTourism sign caught our eye. It was in sight long enough for us to read Gibbs Gardens, then our eyes went back to the snaking road ahead. After the visit to Amicalola Falls, we searched for Gibbs Gardens on Google. What we found made us plan a return trip the following week and converted us from casually curious into bona fide annual pass holders and frequent visitors to these outstanding gardens. Since then, we’ve returned numerous times throughout the summer and fall, and the constantly changing colors have shown us the reasons to visit in all seasons.

Gibbs Gardens Japanese Garden Reflecting Pond near Atlanta, March 2018
Our first visit to Gibbs Gardens was in late March, at the peak of the daffodil blooms. But color had not yet returned to the Japanese Garden.

GIbbs Gardens Japanese Garden in May
Purchasing the 4-Season Pass, we returned to the Gibbs Gardens in early May. By then,the  Japanese Garden was fully green.

Beyond the ever-changing beauty and fragrances of nature in full bloom, here are six great reasons to visit Gibbs Gardens:

  1. Japanese Garden. The peace, tranquility and beauty of Japanese gardens are among my favorite human-made natural attractions. Built around a stream and pond, these Japanese Garden feature a small pagoda and several sitting areas where visitors can simply exist. In addition to the beauty, it’s huge: at 40 acres, Gibbs Gardens measures three-times the size of Portland’s Japanese Gardens, often voted the most authentic outside of Japan.Japanese Garden reflecting pond at Gibbs Gardens

    Gibbs Gardens Japanese Maples
    The 40-acre Japanese Garden features a large reflecting pond surrounded by statuary. There are multiple seating areas for quiet reflection. The top photo is from the spring; the bottom photo from the fall.
  2. Walks in the Woods. Or on the trails through the flowers. And up and down hillsides. Around the Manor House and swimming pool. Aside the stream and water lily pond. On a recent visit, we clocked more than four miles in our two-plus hour visit. But if walking isn’t your thing, trams operate Tuesday through Sunday, with an all-day pass priced at $5. The trams are a great option to avoid long distance walking, though getting off and walking short distances into the gardens will heighten your experience.

    Reflecting pond at Gibbs Gardens
    Exercise your photographic creativity, and experiment with angles, framing and more.
  3. Exercise Your Photo Creativity. We’ve captured some of our all-time favorite photos at visits to gardens and garden exhibits. Gibbs Gardens generated that same creative spirit and enjoyment. Plus, for us children of the 50s and 60s now freed of the tyranny of film and processing, it’s just plain fun to stretch, bend, stoop, climb and crawl to shoot unlimited numbers of creatively framed photo angles. And with electronic frames and slide show capabilities, we’re always enjoying these beautiful keepsakes of our visits.

    Daffodils in bloom at Gibbs Gardens in late March
    Daffodils were at their peak during our March visit, providing great opportunity to practice our photography skills. We love using these pictures on the electronic frames in our home.
  4. The Drive There and Back. Gibbs Gardens is off the beaten interstate and divided highway path, and that’s a good thing. We enjoyed the scenic, twisting, turning and hilly byways that presented an ever-changing vista of forest, fields and farms. Part of the route includes traveling the original Trail of Tears, which evokes a very different connection with a tragic history.
  5. The Blooms. Don’t think, “Oh, it’s a garden, so we’ll go in the spring or fall.” While many blooms are most intense during these peak seasons, Gibbs Gardens features a constantly-changing panorama of color. The garden publishes a bloom schedule on its website, along with pictures that will inspire you to visit.

    Red and pink tulips at Gibbs Gardens
    Tulips were in abundance during our late March visit. This bronze statue sits amid a long bed of red and pink specimens.

    Statue of girl catching a butterfly at Gibbs Gardens
    With different blooms planned on two-week cycles, the scenery is ever changing throughout Gibbs Gardens. Don’t visit once and think, “We’ve seen it.”
  6. Landscaping Ideas and Tips. We’ve never won “Yard of the Month” in our Brookstone Homeowners Association, but now we have some new ideas about layouts, plant selection and colors to consider around our house. Neighbors, beware!  Game on!

Is There a Ball Field in Ball Ground?

Another location discovered along the way, Ball Ground, GA, is one of those often-overlooked little towns worthy of a visit. And some of the restaurants are small-town treasures that offer local authenticity and some imported fusion.

Natives of Louisiana, we generally adhere to a “No Cajun Food” rule when away from our home state. But on a Friday during Lent and in search of seafood, we tried Le Bon Temp Louisiana Kitchen, and were delighted with the choice. Here’s a link to our review.

On the recommendation of a local, we’ve also stopped in at Amos’ BBQ, a roadside “joint” that includes its own wood-splitting operation to fire the smokehouse pits.

Ball Ground Burger Bus restaurant
The Ball Ground Burger Bus is a certain stop for a future visit, where you can dine inside a 1948 trolley from Atlanta.

First on our list for future visits is The Ball Ground Burger Bus, a kitschy establishment that includes dining in a 1948 trolley from Atlanta.  Our second future visit will be to Chef Rosario’s Italian Kitchen, which comes highly recommended by local friends.

As to a ball field in Ball Ground, there are many, including baseball, soccer and football.

More on Georgia AgriTourism

We gave credit to a Georgia AgriTourism sign for leading us to Gibbs Gardens. We checked out the Georgia AgriTourism find-a-farm locator and found lots more visitor-friendly Georgia farms now on our “to-visit” list. If you have an interest in locally-owned small farms and their offerings, it’s a great resource. This spring, Georgia AgriTourism Association voted to join forces with the state-sponsored Georgia Grown effort, and we’re not sure how long the previous pages will remain. While we haven’t explored fully the new information at Georgia Grown’s AgriTourism section, it looks promising as an alternative.

Related Links You May Like

Outstanding Japanese Gardens.  A list of 12 locations from the art-focused Japan Objects website. We’re planning a visit to the No. 1-ranked Portland Japanese Garden in coming months.

Weird and Wacky Roadside Stops. BTW, if you like unusual places (like the Burger Bus!) when you’re exploring, check out the RoadsideAmerica.com site for lots ideas along your way.

Garden Photo Tips. The folks at FineGardening.Com publish a list of 12 tips for getting great garden photos. You can share your garden photos with other plant lovers using #finegardening

The Oxford Comma.  I hate it, but my Microsoft Word program always suggests it. Why the debate? For me, it’s an AP style and journalism school thing.

Activity Notes

We track most of our physical activities using our Garmin VivoActive HR device. We logged 4.1 miles during our Gibbs Gardens visit and gained 354 feet in elevation along the way, the rough equivalent of 35 flights of stairs.

Our Gibbs Gardens walking path of 4.1 miles
On our second visit to Gibbs Gardens, our meandering path covered 4.1 miles through each of the 12 garden areas.

Garmin Vivoactive HR Statistics
We track our physical activities with a Garmin Vivoactive HR, which calculated a 30+-story stair climb total for our visit.

STL: An Airport in Past Tense

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STL: An Airport in Past Tense

St. Louis once was the gateway to the west, a bustling, bursting, wheeling and dealing city where commerce moved faster than the raging Mississippi River at flood stage. Home-grown McDonald Douglas was an aviation leader, based at Lambert Field, STL.  The airport itself served as a major US hub for airline industry pioneer Trans World Airlines.  Famed St. Louis aviator Charles Lindbergh organized the first US transcontinental passenger flight in 1929, and Lambert Field STL became a stopping point along the 12-stop, 60-hour journey known as The Lindbergh Line.  And the main terminal, a masterpiece of airport grand hall design in the 1950s, inspired similar terminals at New York JFK airport and Paris Charles De Gaulle.

St Louis, Lambert Field, airport terminal
The grandeur of the original 1950s terminal is cluttered by check-in areas that detract significantly from the design that inspired similar terminals at New York’s JFK and Paris Charles de Gaulle airports.

Suffice it to say that much of what was great about Lambert Field STL is stated most accurately today in past tense, while the present and future are mixed.  And apart from the soaring design of the Grand Hall, STL today seems like an afterthought build on top of a regret.

STL:  The Details

  • Ground Transportation. Forget your GPS when arriving by car and pay close attention to the jumble of directional signs or you may wind up at the wrong entrance.  Arriving from the city, I always feel very claustrophobic as we drive on a tight feeder road with close building on the right and the MetroLink overhead. To retrieve a parked car, get a rental car bus or reach other ground transportation requires a confusing sojourn through long low-ceiling claustrophobic-inducing connecting corridors, hard-to-find ramps and occasional stairs.  MetroLink rail service is available from both STL terminals on the Red Line, operating frequently from early morning until 1 am.

    St Louis, Lambert Field, airport ground entrance
    A jumble of feeder roads under the MetroLink train route make arriving into St. Louis Lambert Airport seem like driving into a tunnel.
  • Terminals. Easy to remember, Terminal Two for Southwest; One terminal for the rest. It will be hard to forget if you get off at the wrong terminal, as it’s one mile and a ten-minute shuttle ride away.  Entering the main terminal departures floor alleviates the claustrophobia, and the grandeur of the original 1950s terminal is evident.  Unfortunately, today’s check-in areas clutter this main floor and detract significantly from the original design.  To reach departure concourse A and B, it’s down to the dungeons and that closed-in feeling.  Unfortunately, I haven’t flown Southwest here, so I can’t say anything about the newer Southwest terminal.  Maybe someone else can contribute.
  • Best Restaurant. Not that there’s much choice, but there is no doubt:  Mike Shannon’s, on Concourse B.  A good-but-often-full bar offers the fastest service in this sit-down venue.  At dinner time, the line is deep, the wait long and getting a seat nearly impossible.  Once you get in, appetizers, salads and burgers are priced comparably to upscale casual dining locations, in the low teens.  Steaks range into the $40s. Past tense side note: the original downtown Mike Shannon’s location closed in 2016, following a long property dispute between the Cardinal’s broadcaster and the team. Memorabilia from the site was auctioned, including a 1963 autographed jersey from Stan Musial’s last game that fetched more than $11,000.

    St. Louis Lambert Field Mike Shannon's restaurant
    The best dining option at STL: Mike Shannon’s. Though lines can be long, it’s your best choice for a full-service meal or beverage.
  • Good News at STL. Recent renovations have improved the concourse functionality and selection of food outlets.  International flight service expanded when WOW Air, Iceland’s low-cost transatlantic airline, began connecting STL to Keflavik International Airport (KEF) in Iceland, then on to London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Frankfurt, Dublin, Copenhagen and more. However, based on reviews by Travel and Leisure magazine, that flight service seem more WOE than WOW.

    St. Louis Lambert Field airport restaurant
    Recent remodels and new retail outlets like Vino Volo have improved dining and shopping options.

For the Active Traveler

With two terminals one mile apart and  no walkway between them, active travelers are out of luck.  Compounding the problem, the concourses in the main terminal are separated by unsecured areas, so walking is limited to looping around one narrow, low-ceilinged concourse that is home to your assigned departure gate.   Feeling depressed by that recurring claustrophobia (did I mention the low ceilings?), I didn’t measure the potential walking distance on my trusty Garmin Vivoactive HR.  (But I did have time to sync my Garmin with my Garmin Connect I-Phone app, and update the 23-mile early-morning exercise bike ride I experience after a sleepless night at the airport Marriott!)

St. Louis Lambert Field airport waiting area
Low ceilings and claustrophobic gate areas make waiting at St. Louis an uneasy and unpleasant experience. There’s simply not much room to roam.

A Lucky, Misdirected Discovery  

Taking a GPS-directed wrong turn out of STL, I wound up circling on an outer belt road.  Around the back side of the airport I stumbled upon the Boeing Store, located on the end-cap of a non-descripts strip mall.  On a whim, I pulled in and went shopping for the younger boys of our family. The store features a great collection of Boeing model planes, lots of company wearables and gear, and (at least on this day) a plethora of clearance items perfect for the boys. Happy with three sets of Boeing airplane trading cards and two foam airplanes, I resumed my trek, sure to be a hero when arriving home.

Boeing Store St. Louis
What started as a wrong turn ended with a great discovery of the nearby Boeing Store. A few quick purchases of airplane paraphernalia guaranteed I was a hero on landing.

Three Infamous St. Louis Losses

Just as past tense seems to best describe STL, the city has achieved certain notoriety for some high-profile loses.  Among them.

  • NFL Football Cardinals. In my youth, Jim Hart was the strong-armed quarterback of the St. Louis Football Cardinals. I remember distinctly how announcers always inserted the “football” into the verbal description, perhaps to prevent confusion caused by grainy black-and-white television.  Those Cardinals moved on to Arizona in 1987, among many NFL team moves during the 1980s.
  • NFL Football Rams. After losing the Cardinals, the city and football backers convinced Los Angeles owner Georgia Frontiere that there were greener pastures for the financially-troubled Rams in the heartland.  Thus, in 1995, football traditionalists struggled to adapt to the St. Louis Rams (just as we did the Arizona Cardinals).  Alas, all good things must end in STL, and the Rams moved back to Los Angeles in 2016.
  • Budweiser and Anheuser Busch. The Busch family and Budweiser were once synonymous with St. Louis. But no more.  While the company maintains a down-sized operation in and around St. Louis, the 2008 purchase of the company by InBev means Belgian decision-makers control the beer that changed its name from Budweiser to America as an Olympics promotion.  Several Busch family members probably shifted in their final St. Louis-area resting places when the combined AB-InBev purchased SABMiller and Anheuser Busch’s perennial American brewing rival, Miller.

Final Thoughts and Disclosure

As I was proofreading this, I thought to myself, “Wow, you were sort of negative.”  Recognizing that I can be a grumpy 60-something at times, I checked my own observations with others who had posted Lambert STL observations to a variety of ratings sites over the past 12 months.  To paraphrase the NFL:  The ruling on Lambert Field STL is confirmed.

Airport restaurant with unfortunate name in St. Louis Lambert
Whoever suggested this name likely thought it was cute. Instead, it just reminds you of your plight.

Read and See More

STL and the St. Louis area played an important role in the development and expansion of passenger airline service within the US.  If you’re interested in Luck Lindy, The Lindbergh Line, TWA, McDonald Douglass, and other aviation history, consider exploring:

  • St. Louis Lambert Field, Wikipeadia.  A good representation of the history of Lambert Field, with other links to aviation history.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis_Lambert_International_Airport
  • The Spirit of St. Louis. Charles Lindbergh’s Pulitzer Prize-winning autobiography was published in 1953, and remains a great read for fans of flying, adventure and tales of individual achievement.
  • Flying the Lindbergh Line, Then and Now, by Robert Kirk.  Join licensed pilot Robert Kirk in reliving the US transcontinental flying experience that was the original mail-and-passenger route named the Lindbergh Line.  Of course, it’s available on Amazon and other online sources.
  • Vintage TWA Posters. As long-distance air travel became possible for more people, TWA commissioned artist David Klein to produce a series of promotional posters, encouraging the adventurous to experience flying to exotic locations. Today, these iconic posters often sell for thousands of dollars. You’ll find examples in the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum, and a more complete set of Klein’s work on his estate’s home page.

Idyllic Weekend in North Georgia: Clayton

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Idyllic Weekend in North Georgia: Clayton

Clayton doesn’t try to make you think it’s like any other place, but rather simply makes you happy to be right where you are.

We find that outdoor activity recharges our batteries, and we gravitate to hiking, biking, kayaking and similar endeavors whenever time and weather cooperate. We also like touring, museums, wine tasting, spas and shopping, and pursue these when Mother Nature is rejuvenating her kingdom with rain, snow and cold.

Regardless of your preferences, the small towns, parks and mountains of North Georgia offer a fantastic getaway weekend opportunity for virtually any activity preference. We recently traveled to Clayton, Georgia, for a fabulous 2-night, 3-day getaway while our son was at summer camp. (Of course, getting there and back was half the fun as we used our road trip app to find unusual treasures along the way. But those literally are other stories, recounted in our Georgia Small Plates section.)

Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of Clayton, GA, as a retreat or vacation getaway. That’s part of the appeal, as the town of approximately 2,000 is one of those hidden gems of the Blue Ridge Mountains that retain their small-town charm and authenticity. Clayton isn’t Gatlinburg or Helen with crowds, traffic and faux-front buildings meant to remind you of somewhere else. Rather, Clayton is a historic downtown with local shops, a focus on organic food, strong connection to the natural landscapes that surround it and a growing regional reputation as Georgia’s model for true farm-to-table agricultural renaissance. Clayton doesn’t try to make you think it’s like any other place, but rather simply makes you happy to be right where you are.

Front porch of Beechwood Inn, Clayton, GA
We enjoyed the Rabun Suite, one of the well-appointed, comfortable and quaint rooms at the Beechwood Inn.

Our home base was the Beechwood Inn, a cozy bed and breakfast with a wonderful view of Black Rock Mountain from the chairs on the front porch and some of the small balconies in the upstairs rooms. Beechwood Inn is owned by Dave and Gayle Darugh, both of whom are gracious hosts, excellent conversationalists, wine connoisseurs and chefs listed in the prestigious Best Chefs America, a peer review among 5,000 chefs. In his previous life, Dave was a top-level lawyer for the Department of Energy, and he, Gayle and their family moved around the US before settling in Georgia, then buying the Beechwood Inn. Gayle ran the Inn while Dave maintained his full-time job, rushing to Clayton to assist on weekends.

Our Hosts at the Beechwood Inn, Clayton, GA
Beechwood Inn owners and nationally-recognized chefs Gayle and Dave Darugh made us feel at home and kept us well-fed with great breakfasts and local insights.

During the daily “Wine Thirty” tasting, Dave recalled his decision to retire. Following 9-11, Dave was summoned to Washington to represent his DOE facility in a discussion about security. Seated in the meeting with President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Chaney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and other top-ranking officials, Dave found himself thinking about upcoming weekend guests and a leaking toilet that needed repair. After that, he and Gayle decided that inn keeping, food and wine – livelong avocations – would now become their full-time vocations.

Besides the hospitality of the Darughs, we enjoyed the setting, comfort and amenities of the Beechwood Inn. Our two nights in the Rabun Suite — with a remodeled modern bath, spacious, comfortable and quaint living and sleeping areas, a small balcony and fabulous view of Black Rock Mountain – were relaxing and restful. But the highlight of our stay was the daily breakfast, always featuring local-sourced products and prepared with skill and care by Dave, Gayle or both. Particularly, Gayle’s blueberry French toast was one of the most memorable breakfasts I’ve had in years.

Blueberry French Toast at Beechwood Inn, Clayton, GA
The highlight of each day was our chef-prepared breakfast. Gayle’s blueberry French toast was one of the most memorable breakfasts I’ve had in years.

Everywhere we went in Clayton, local merchants and hosts welcomed us like we were long-lost neighbors, engaging in friendly – but not overbearing – conversations and always offering their personal insights as to the best experiences in the area. Among the most helpful was the staff at Wander North Georgia, an outdoor-focused retail store also offering coffee, ice cream and great local tips.

Unanimously, the Clayton community was united in one very specific recommendation: we MUST return for one of the Beechwood Inn Saturday night dinners which, unfortunately, we couldn’t arrange on our trip. But rest assured, with those recommendations, we will be back.

Front porch at Beechwood Inn, Clayton, GA
Local wines during the daily Wine Thirty event coupled with a wonderful view of Black Rock Mountain from the front porch tempted us just to sit here and chill for a few days.

While we could have spent relaxing days just chilling at the Beechwood Inn, our active sides led us to other pursuits.

Among those we enjoyed:

    • Hiking at Tallulah Gorge. It’s literally a giant hole in the ground, so if you want to experience the best Tallulah Gorge State Park has to offer, you must descend. But that means to get out you must ascend again – all on wooden and metal stairs well-planned by the Georgia State Parks with observation platforms and rest benches along the way. The reward is multiple stunning, up-close views of waterfalls and rapids, plus a walk across a suspension bridge. We descended to the gorge floor but didn’t have the required permits to explore further. We also didn’t have the courage to climb up to the opposite side, then back down and up again to the starting point. Adding in some canyon-rim hiking prior to the descent, my trusty Garmin VivoActive HR recorded 650 feet of elevation gain over our 2-mile walk. (And that night, it accurately recorded 10 hours and 27 minutes of very restful sleep!)

      Waterfall in Tallulah Gorge near Clayton, Georgia
      To experience the best of Tallulah Gorge, you have to descend, then climb back up. The reward is multiple stunning, up-close views of waterfalls, rapids and other natural beauty.
    • Exploring Black Rock Mountain State Park. That fantastic breakfast of blueberry French toast demanded that we get more exercise. So we headed to Black Rock Mountain State Park, planning on some car-based sightseeing and a short walk. But our activity demons intervened, and instead we hiked the 2.2 mile Tennessee Rock Trail. It promised easy-to-moderate climbing around and over the 3,640-foot peak of Black Rock Mountain in exchange for fabulous, 80-mile vista views into Tennessee and the Carolinas. The views were gorgeous as promised, even on a morning with broken clouds. After finishing one steep climb, we met a friendly Colorado family at one of those vistas. We exchanged picture-taking moments, and as we recovered from the climb, they shared their stories of climbing several of Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks while we tried to disguise our gasping. Following that, in a classic example of bad map reading, I led us for what I thought was a short walk on the ADA Hi Falls trail. What I missed was the moderate-to-difficult rating, and a 300-foot climb on more of those Georgia State Parks stairs. My Garmin recorded nearly 4 miles of walking for the day, and just under 1,000 feet of vertical climbing.

      Mountain vistas at Black Rock Mountain State Park, Clayton, Georgia
      Our 2.2-mile hike around and over the peak of Black Rock Mountain delivered on the promise of mountain vistas looking into Tennessee and the Carolinas.
    • North Georgia Wineries. Our hiking adventures cut into our planned winery visits, as did our total enjoyment at Tiger Mountain Vineyard. While we had planned to visit two wineries, the friendly service and excellent wines at Tiger kept us there longer – and for more wine and more purchases! – than we had planned. If you’re not familiar with North Georgia wineries, check them out.  Better yet, go for a visit and sample the various red wines. I won’t tease my California Napa Valley friends with any comparisons but will point out that the fertile mountainside soils and micro-climates create some excellent vineyards.

Tiger Mountain Vineyard in Clayton, Georgia
We enjoyed wine tasting at Tiger Mountain Vineyard so much that we over-sampled, over-purchased and over-stayed our planned time. So now we must return to visit other area wineries.

    • Local Restaurants Serving Local Foods. Clayton is a center for Georgia’s farm-to-table initiatives, and nearly every restaurant has deep relationships with local farms supplying vegetables, meats and more. That results in rich flavor profiles not often found big-city restaurants, and even more elevated by the mastery of some incredible chefs. We’ve already raved and craved for more at Beechwood Inn. For us the, “chef star” of Clayton was Jamie Allred who, along with business partner Jack Nolan, owns and operates Fortify Kitchen and Bar. By comparison, I had recently dined at Atlanta’s South City Kitchen, Empire State South and Ray’s in the City, plus several other notable locations and Fortify’s menu, setting, service and food was better than each of them (IMHO). Don’t fret if you can’t get a table at the always-in-demand Fortify, because Clayton features several other great dining choices depending on your tastes. We enjoyed a great pub meal at Universal Joint, a former filling station and auto repair location now converted to a free-flowing restaurant with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Nearby Rumor Hazit and Mama G’s Italian also came highly recommended, as did the Lake Rabun Hotel and Restaurant, though we simply didn’t have enough dining occasions or stomach space to sample their meals. On a whim, we stopped in at The Rusty Bike Café for a quick lunch and enjoyed every bite of the diner-inspired lunch offerings. White Birch Provisions became our favorite stop for late-morning coffee, and we meandered back in to Wander North Georgia’s store for ice cream.

      Fried green tomatoes at Fortify Kitchen, Clayton, Georgia
      Clayton is loaded with great dining options. At Chef Jamie Allred’s Fortify Kitchen, we started with fried green tomatoes sourced from local farms. We didn’t have enough dining occasions or stomach space to try all the recommended dining options — another reason we will return.

Even with that, we only touched the surface of what Clayton and Raybun country have to offer. As mentioned, already we’re planning a return trip for the Beechwood Inn Saturday night farm-to-table dinner. Several additional winery visits also are on our list. Next time, we’ll plan this as a tour with a driver, so we can sample a few more options safely and responsibly. And we want to get back to the outdoor focused retail shop, Wander North Georgia, to peruse their selections and swap recommendations on future adventures.

Wow, we’ve got lots on our agenda for a return visit. We better get busy with booking soon – and you should, too.Tallulah Gorge overlook near Clayton, Georgia

Tallulah Gorge climbing steps near Clayton, Georgia

Suspension bridge at Tallulah Gorge, near Clayton, Georgia
The rim-side sign overlooking Tallulah Gorge explains the view and the challenge. Those Georgia State Park steps are well planned, but you still have to climb up if you make the trek down. And, we did, stopping on the suspension bridge to enjoy a break and the view of Hurricane Falls.

 

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Discovering Roadside Treasure on Georgia’s Byways

DeanLand
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Discovering Roadside Treasure on Georgia’s Byways

Updated: Summer 2020

America’s love affair with automobiles is well documented and wide spread. Give us a choice, and we’ll jump in a car to go almost anywhere rather than walk, bike or take public transportation. And one of the pure pleasures of driving includes the unexpected, unusual and weird discoveries you make along the way.

Metal artwork at roadside sale
These are Georgia locations we stumbled upon along the way while driving the highways and byways of our (newest) home state. Some simply defy description.

So, rather than focus on our end destinations, we’re looking at Georgia locations we stumbled upon along the way while driving the highways and byways of our (newest) home state. It’s not a comprehensive list, and not a “best of” compendium. Instead, it’s more of a stream-of-consciousness review of places we recently discovered on the way to somewhere else. Some are places to eat. Some are places to visit. Others are just places that are hard to describe, confusing or amusing.

Here’s our list, which we’re sure will grow over time, and most with links for more information:

  • Ball Ground Burger Bus. Aside from the triple B alliteration to make new newscasters nervous, you just don’t expect this combination of bus, burgers and historic business district in too many places. Technically, the Ball Ground Burger Bus isn’t a bus, but a 1948 trolley from Atlanta. It’s featured on one of our own favorite road trip research sites, RoadsideAmerica.com.

    Bus housing burger restaurant
    Found in a junkyard and restored, Atlanta Transit Authority trolley car #1386 is now the Ball Ground Burger Bus.
  • Atlanta Botanical Gardens — in Gainesville. The Piedmont Park location is a favorite destination for kids of all ages, and a great place to spend a spring or fall afternoon. What we stumbled upon was the Gainesville location of this Atlanta institution. The smaller, less-crowded location includes five acres of new gardens and wooded hiking trails across some of the 168 acres on the property. Construction started in July 2018 on the next expansion, a children’s garden. We bought an annual pass that includes admission to the main campus plus admission to 300 other member locations of the American Horticultural Society.
  • Goats on the Roof. This roadside treasure was on our Georgia travel radar from some Pinterest saves, but we had not taken the time to find it. When it popped up along the route of a recent Northeast Georgia route to Clayton, GA, we had to stop. In addition to the named attraction, the team at Goats on the Roof made us two fabulous nitrogen ice cream concoctions: apple pie and blackberry cobbler. Yum! Finding Goats using the Roadtripper App inspired us to write a recent blog on how we find these kinds of travel treasures.

    Goats on a Roof, Tourist Attraction,
    Of course goats do really climb on the roof, probably to enjoy the grass and gaze down at gawking visitors. However, if they ever got into the ice cream shop, they’d probably never venture away from the nitro ice cream.
  • The Tomato House. When we wrote the term confusing and amusing, The Tomato House was our inspiration. A roadside sign drew us in, thinking it was a farmers’ market of sorts. While a few fresh tomatoes and other farm goods were available, nothing prepared us for the plentiful pickled preserved products present. My wife, Glenda, was so overwhelmed she couldn’t buy anything! And I was so distracted I forgot to take pictures. True story. However, she is making a list of the marinades, meat rubs, pepper sauces, preserves and more for a future visit. And she’s campaigning for a visit to nearby Dahlonega as the reason to drive by again.
  • The Highest City in Georgia. More than anything else, we simply liked the description of Sky Valley, GA, especially given the ongoing debate about legalization of certain substances around the country. While Helen, GA, made itself a tourist stop with its Bavarian theme, the failed Swiss-architecture resort lodge and some similar-themed ill-kept time shares seem to haunt this town. Not to be outdone, nearby Black Rock Mountain State Park promotes itself as the highest state park in Georgia.

    Tallulah Falls overlook shop
    The view from the Tallulah Point Overlook Porch is the same as from the parking lot, but the rocking chairs and cold beverages improve your perspective.
  • Tallulah Point Overlook. Traveling US 23 North, we took the Tallulah Gorge Scenic Loop sideroad based on the road’s name. And at the most scenic point sits the Tallulah Point Overlook – a combination convenience store, rustic roadside museum and souvenir shop. I can’t do better than their own description: “Once you take in the beauty and grandeur, step into our shop and revisit a time when sodas were in glass bottles and toys were powered by a child’s imagination. You will find many things to delight your fancy, things that have been delighting people for generations.” BTW, the scenic view from their covered porch is the same as from the parking lot but enjoying it from one of their rocking chairs and holding a cool beverage is much better.
  • Carroll’s Sausage and Country Store. Forget that Arby’s ad that proclaims, “We have the meat.” Carroll’s Sausage and Meats in Ashburn, GA,  has the corner on that claim. It was the lure of award-winning Vidalia onion and cheese sausage that pulled us off I-75 northbound to this oasis of offal. We left with supplies of that treat, plus jalapeno cheese sausage and snack sticks. And we bookmarked the online store, so now we don’t have to make the 3-hour drive to Ashburn when we want to replenish.

  • One of our must-stops on the way back North from Florida, we always pick up an array of fresh sausages from Carroll’s in Ashburn.
  • World’s Largest Peanut Monument. (UPDATE:  On our most recent trips in 2019 and 2020, the giant peanut monument was gone. We haven’t discovered if this is temporary — perhaps a refurbishment — or permanent — and definitely a Georgia tragedy. We’re keeping our eyes peeled for more information, while avoiding all nut jokes!) But if we hadn’t stopped at Carroll’s, we might have missed this: A fabricated giant peanut perched atop a cylindrical brick tower commemorating Ashburn, GA, as the peanut capital of the world. Now, there’s real controversy about whether this IS the largest peanut monument. Plus, these “in the world” claims can get out of hand, as they did in my home state of Louisiana. When a town in neighboring Mississippi offered a competing claim for the Catfish Capital of the World, my hometown of Des Allemands, LA, successfully petitioned the Louisiana legislature to designate it officially as the Catfish Capital of the Universe. The state legislature passed a unanimous resolution in 1980 bestowing that designation perpetually on Des Allemands. (That reminds me: I need to submit that history update to the town’s Wikipedia site.)

    Visitor Center sign at Pickett's Mill Park
    Hiking the battlefield at Pickett’s Mill will reveal the well-preserved ground fortifications. Trust us, even if you’re a history buff, they won’t make your vacation picture highlights.
  • Pickett’s Mill Battlefield. Like in that Sesame Street song, this one doesn’t go with the others. The site of the last major Confederate victory of the Civil War and one of Georgia’s newest state historical areas, Pickett’s Mill Battlefield makes the list because its most notable physical features might be holes in the ground.  Along park trails you’ll find some well-preserved battle earthworks, among the best-preserved anywhere. That said, unless you’re a Civil War or military history buff, they’ll look like overgrown trenches — not the kind of stuff you’ll feature in your Facebook posts or highlight in your online vacation photo album. We did a full blog post on a springtime visit.

My Shortest and Wisest Road Trip

This all calls to mind my own shortest road trip. It included only one stop. One pre-Christmas night in the 1908s, I actually drove my wife across the street to go to a neighborhood party, then came back to park in my own garage.  The single stop was my neighbor’s driveway.  And when I say neighbor, I’m not using that term loosely to describe someone who lives in the same general neighborhood, or even someone with a house a few doors away.  No, we drove directly across the street from our driveway to theirs.

A few additional facts by way of explanation. This was in Ohio.  The temperature was -5F. The wind was blowing at approximately 20 mph. There was a foot of snow on the ground. And I had failed to shovel our driveway.

What’s Your Favorite Stop?

If you’ve made a favorite stop on the route from here to somewhere, let us know. We’d love to compile a list of favorites submitted by you, and share it with our readers. Just leave us a comment, or send us an e-mail at: contact@ourtravelcafe.com

apple pie and blackberry cobbler ice cream
The apple pie (left) and blackberry cobbler (right) nitro ice cream at Goats on the Roof was the perfect treat on a hot summer day. We’d stop in again for this — with or without goats!

Monarch butterfly on yellow flower
We stopped at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens in Gainesville out of curiosity, then spent much of our time chasing butterflies. It takes time, because you just can’t stage good nature pictures. BTW, now we’re annual pass holders!

Short Hikes to Tall Georgia Waterfalls

DeanLand
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Short Hikes to Tall Georgia Waterfalls

There are no such things as bad or boring waterfalls. The power of flowing water. The majestic roar as it plunges onto rocks. The endless variations of drops, splashes, mists and colors.They appeal to something inside and cause us to detour along the roadways of our life.

We love hiking, and the “sweet spot” for our 60-something souls involves walking between two and five miles on the undulating terrain found everywhere in North Georgia. We also enjoy waterfalls and will follow many twists and turns in trails and roads to find them.

But sometimes – especially with grandchildren and younger children in tow – taking the long way around to find great scenery just isn’t practical. Little ones tend to get bored, tired and hungry quickly, and they don’t hesitate to let you know exactly how much they dislike a situation. We also appreciate that some of our friends just can’t take longer walks anymore for a variety of reasons. So, during our in-state travels, we’ve been on the lookout for the tallest waterfalls requiring short walks for enjoying their spectacular plunges.

To clarify quickly our perspective on waterfalls: there’s no such thing as a bad or boring waterfall. The power of flowing water. The majestic roar as it plunges onto rocks. The endless variations of drops, splashes, mists and colors. Waterfalls appeal to something inside and often cause us to carefully plan our journeys or take quick detours along the roadways of our life.

Amicalola Falls, Georgia, Fishing
When the leaves are off the trees, Amicalola Falls is visible from the pond near the visitor center. Fishermen try their luck catching trout.

Fortunately, living in the North Georgia foothills of the Smokey and Appalachian Mountains, we’re blessed with a plethora of these natural wonders nearby. We want to see all of them. But for today, here are some of the tallest nearby Georgia falls that can be enjoyed walking less than one mile, roundtrip.

Amicalola Falls

Georgia’s tallest waterfall and the highest in the Southeastern US also is one of the easiest to access. The impressive falls can be seen from multiple viewpoints with only a short walk. The West Ridge trail is wheelchair accessible, coated with recycled tires for safe footing, and takes visitors from a small parking lot to a falls-front bridge featuring a complete view of the 729-foot plunge. The elevation changes only about 100 feet along the wide, 0.3-mile path, so it’s an easy slope for young and old alike.

Visitors seeking the shortest walks also can drive and park at the top of the falls, then use paved and boardwalk trails to watch the waters of Amicalola Creek take their plunge. The falls-top boardwalk offers spectacular pictures of the valley below.

Georgia, Waterfalls
The boardwalk at the top of Amicalola Falls provides a spectacular view of the valley below, and an opportunity to watch the waters plunge over the highest point.

When leaves are off the trees, the falls are visible without any walking from a reflecting pond where the main park road intersects the base-of-the-falls trail. Fishermen often line the pond, hoping to catch some of the trout from the mountain stream.

On our visit, we hiked the base-of-the-falls trail from the visitor center, along the creek, then up the winding boardwalk and stairs to the top of the falls. Several websites debate the actual number of stair steps required to take this route, ranging from 425 up the west staircase from the West Ridge trail,or 600+ if you start at the reflecting pond and count the climbing along the full route. We descended following the West Ridge trail, then took the Spring Trail, Mountain Laurel Trail and Creek Trail before returning to our car at the Visitor’s Center.

West Trail, Amicacola Falls, Georgia
The West Trail at Amicalola Falls leads from a parking lot to the mid-level, offering an easy walk and handicap access. Several websites debate the number of stairs at the falls, but it’s a 425-step climb from this midpoint

Toccoa Falls

After reading about the 729-foot drop at Amicalola Falls, the paltry-by-comparison 186-foot drop at Toccoa Falls sounds unimpressive. While that’s a reasonable response written statistics, Toccoa Falls is taller than Niagara Falls.  And your perspective changes quickly when standing at the base of this free-flowing falls watching multiple streams of water flow over a cliff into the pool below.

Toccoa Falls, GA
By comparison to Amicalola’s 700+ foot vertical measurement, the 186-foot tall Toccoa Falls sounds unimpressive — until you see it in person. The people at the front provide a perspective on the height of the free-flowing water.

Toccoa Falls is located on a college campus, and privately owned. You enter through a gift shop, and there’s a $2 per adult charge – less for the over-62 and under 10 crowd gets in for $1 and there’s a group rate for visiting hordes. You’ll walk along the Toccoa Creek approximately 0.2 miles on an easy, flat rock path to reach the falls. A few benches are available along the way, and a monument commemorates the 1977 upstream dam break that killed 39 people and nearly destroyed the campus.

Anna Ruby Falls

While the round-trip hike here is 0.8 miles, parts of the trail are steep, rocky and slick. Those with the stamina are treated to a double waterfall where Curtis Creek and York Creek drop into the gorge below. The tallest fall is 150 feet high, while the shorter is 50 feet high.

Waterfalls, Georgia, Hiking
Two creeks create the twin falls at Anna Ruby Falls. The tallest measures 150-feet; the shorter 50-feet.

You’ll pay two admission fees to see Anna Ruby Falls, the first a $5 entry fee into Georgia’s Unicoi State Park, then a second $5 fee to enter the Chattahoochee National Forest Recreation area. Like at Amicalola Falls, steps, bridges and viewing platforms offer visitors convenience and safe viewing areas.

The combined roar of the two falls nearly drowns out the load chatter of the large crowds that often visit on summer and fall weekends. Located just a few miles away from Helen, GA, Anna Ruby Falls generally attracts tourists visiting Helen for one of the many special event and festivals conducted in the faux-Alpine village.

If you’re in the mood for more, Helton Falls and Lake Creek Falls are nearby to Helen and Anna Ruby Falls, too. We haven’t visited these falls (yet), but our friends at Atlanta Trails provide information on these. Helton Creek Falls is a 0.6 mile walk, while Lake Creek is a longer 2.0 mile walk.

Plan Your Visit

If you’re determined, it’s possible to do all three waterfalls in one day. Since each is a short walk, there’s not much trail time required. But we wouldn’t recommend it, because that just means you’ll drive by lots of other options without time to enjoy. We’d suggest one site per trip, with other stops on the way out and back to enjoy more fully all the surrounding options.

Depending on your route, you’ll find lots of other options for activities. Here are a few we’ve explored recently while visiting these falls:

Ball Ground, for lunch at Les Bon Temps, Ball Ground Burger Bus or Amos’s Barbeque. Gibb’s Gardens is another favorite stop nearby, but deserves a good portion of a day on its own. Conceivably, you could do the quick scenic visit to Amicalola, then visit Gibbs in a single day. We wrote an entire blog on Gibbs Gardens, and are season pass holders at this spectacular garden.)Gibbs Gardens, Ballground GA,

Jaemor Farms. Just outstanding, and even more fun on weekends despite the crowds.  We visited Jaemor Farms on their annual U-pick day for peaches. We loaded up on those plus some farm-fresh goodies and special treats for the grandkids before heading to Toccoa Falls.

Jaemor Farms
We visited Jaemor Farms during their annual U-pick day for peaches. After we had our bushel of fresh fruit, we treated ourselves to some of the other farm specialties.

Toccoa. Make time to drive into the town of Toccoa and visit the Currahee Military Museum located in the renovated train station. The museum documents the nearby World War 2 training base, home to the 101st Airborne as it trained for European missions. You also may encounter film crews in town as five movies have been filmed in and around Toccoa recently. When we visited in July 2018, a Hallmark movie featuring Melissa Gilbert and Cloris Leachman was in production on the main street.

Main Street in Toccoa, GA
When we visited Toccoa, a crew was filming a Hallmark movie set in the 1960s featuring Melissa Gilbert and Cloris Leachman.

Helen.  The faux-Alpine village with lots of interesting activities is quaint, tacky, and definitely unique. But weekends are very crowded.

Waterfalls, Georgia
Some of Georgia’s tallest waterfalls require less than a 1 mile roundtrip walk.

How We Find Free Fun on Roadtrips

DeanLand
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How We Find Free Fun on Roadtrips

Over any 12-month period, our family typically drives lots of miles traveling from here to there. This year has been no exception, with multiple driving trips from Atlanta to New Orleans, Orlando, Ohio and in-Georgia locations. Plus, our vacation included more than 1,000 miles of driving in Oregon and Washington, circling the western portion of those states from Portland to Crater Lake to the coast to the Canadian border before ending up in Seattle.

Water fall, Oregon, Roadtrippers
Our first Roadtrippers find was Salt Creek Falls in Oregon. A National Park Sign marked the park entrance, but without the app information and guidance, we likely would have driven past. the 286-foot falls.

In the past, we rarely made touring stops as we focused more on our selected destinations rather than enjoying our journeys. Now, with more time available, an insatiable hunger for discovery, and age-related bladder requirements, we’re traveling at slower speeds with more stops along the way.

This combination of factors led us to discover the Roadtrippers app. Leaving Crater Lake and headed for Eugene, OR, we faced a 2.5-hour drive on the winding mountain roads through the Willamette National Forest. Based on our travel down from Bend, anticipated great natural scenery, but wondered if there were any special attractions to be found along the way. Before going too far, we pulled into the Pilot Travel Center in Chemult, OR, to refuel the car, refill our water bottles and take care of biological necessities. I did a quick Google search for road travel apps and stumbled on Roadtrippers. Following a quick download, I plugged in our route, selected “Points of Interest,” and we were on our way to new adventures.

Covered Bridge, Oregon, Roadtrippers
No signs marked the route to Office Covered Bridge, or to the small town of Westfir with its 250-person population.

Roadtrippers highlighted several options for us in a 5-mile corridor along our planned route on Oregon Highway 59. The app provided written and pictorial descriptions of each, marked them on our route, and provided driving guidance. We selected four locations for potential quick stops — a waterfall, a covered bridge, natural hot springs and a scenic dam and lake – and eventually stopped at two of these based on time and weather.

Our first stop was Salt Creek Falls, Oregon’s second-highest waterfall which plunges 286-feet into a deep canyon. A National Park Sign marked the park entrance, but without the app information and guidance, we likely would have driven past. A short walk from a parking area led us to the cliff-side viewing area, where we watched and listened to the roaring water.

A steady rain was falling by the time we got back on the road, so we skipped the next suggested stop at McCreadie Hot Springs. As the rain slowed, we turned off the highway near the tiny town of Westfir, OR, (population 253 or 258, depending on which census you consult) to explore the Office Covered Bridge. After nearly 20 years in the Midwest, we had come to appreciate the utility, longevity and engineering of covered bridges, making this a good stop for us.

Haystack, Cape Kiwanda, Oregon
At Pacific City, OR, we followed the route to Cape Kiwanda, a short jaunt off the Pacific Coast Highway. Near sunset, we walked the beach near this giant haystack formation and watched Dory Boats run for shore.

We continued using the app along the Pacific Coast in Oregon and beyond, discovering places like Thor’s Well, the Haystack Rock at Cape Kiwanda, hang gliders at Cape Lookout, and Keyhole Arch in Ocean City.

Since returning from our PacNW vacation, we’ve used the app twice on other drives. On a drive back from Ohio, we found the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington, KY, across the river from Cincinnati. Despite living from 1987 to 2004 no more than 90 miles away from the cathedral and traveling I-75 countless times in that period, we had never heard of or visited this spectacular church. Thanks to Roadtrippers, we veered off the interstate for a 2-hour stop, a great lesson in immigrant history, and impressive photo opportunities that rivaled those we experienced in European cathedrals.

Cathedral, Basilica, Covington, KY
We “discovered” St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica in Covington, KY, on the Roadtrippers app, after living nearby for more than a decade and driving past on I-75 countless time.

Just a week later, as we were heading to Northeast Georgia for some hiking, winery visits and a stay at the Beechwood Inn in Clayton, GA, we fired up Roadtrippers and identified stops at the new Atlanta Botanical Garden in Gainesville, GA; Toccoa Falls on the campus of a small university, and Tallulah Gorge State Park. It also led us to Goats on the Roof, a kitschy roadside attraction near Clayton, GA, that had been on our travel radar as a potential stop if we were ever nearby.

waterfall, Georgia, Roadtrippers
We knew about Tallulah Gorge and its waterfalls, but not Toccoa Falls. Located on a small private college campus, Roadtrippers helped us find this location.

What I Like (and Dislike) About Roadtrippers

First, it’s free, which is one of my favorite travel words. So aside from the usual registration process and accepting TOCs, using it is fast, easy and virtually risk-free.

Goats on a Roof, Tourist Attraction,
Goats on The Roof was on our Georgia travel radar, but we had no specific plans to visit. When we entered our Northeast Georgia route into Roadtrippers, Goats popped up along our way, so we had to stop.

Second, I really like how you can select categories and subcategories to get tips. Primary categories include Things to Do, Outdoors, and Points of Interest along with Hotels, Food and Drink, Camping and Amusement and Nightlife. Some of my favorite subcategories are Offbeat Attractions (in Things to Do) and Photo Ops and Historic (in Points of Interest).

Third, the app allows you to set your destinations and modify your travel corridor. So, if you’re in a hurry and want only a few stops, you can set your travel corridor to a narrow 5-mile radius along your primary route, so you won’t go too far off course. If you have more time for exploration, set the radius out to 30 miles for a broader selection of travel options.

Roadtrippers, travel app, navigation
Points of Interest, Things to Do and other categories also include subcategory options if you want to further narrow your interests.

As for my dislikes, I’m not a huge fan of the navigation feature. I found it easiest to enter the suggested next stop into Google Maps and rely on my go-to navigation app for consistency and accuracy. And while the app generally is easy-to-use, it’s best to use it when you have some time and not on-the-fly.

Features I Plan to Use

So far, I’ve used RoadTrippers only to find interesting things along the way. But for those who want road trip ideas, RoadTrippers offers cool sections that suggest great options for exploring. These include The Ultimate Interstate Highway Guides, Weird Off-Beat Guides, Greatest American Roadtrips, National Parks Trips, 48-Hour City Guides and many others. I’ve already read and bookmarked the Blue Ridge Parkway, Natchez Trace, Smokey Mountains and Northern Georgia guides for future reference. Each looks interesting, and since they are nearby, they will be among our upcoming adventures.

The Summary and An Ask

RoadTrippers is a useful planning tool, especially as a supplement to your other research. I would never use it as my primary or only travel guide on a driving trip, but I do recommend it as a secondary resource.

What road trip planning tools do you use and recommend. I’d love to know, share your insights, and test them out in the future.

Arch Rock, Pacific Coast Highway, Oregon
This arch rock formation was just off the beach in Ocean City, OR.

Salmon Fishing Lessons from Alaska

DeanLand
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Salmon Fishing Lessons from Alaska

On our recent Alaska cruise, we signed on for a half-day salmon fishing trip from Ketchikan. Here, I use the royal “we,” referencing the decision-makers in our family who determined that fishing would be a great adventure during our Alaskan vacation.

Based on that introduction, the deductive skills of Sherlock Holmes are not required to understand that I am not a fisherman. Nope, never have been, and never will be. Neither the allure of long periods of macho companionship swapping stories about the ones that go away or the promise of consuming mass quantities of alcohol on a gently rocking boat have enticed me to “enjoy” fishing.  But the marital wisdom obtained over nearly 40 years plus some peace-keeping skills that might be useful in the United Nations helped guide me to the right family decision. I booked our expedition in Ketchikan through the excursions offered by Costco Travel, and that’s how we met up with Captain Dan on the docks of Ketchikan for our fishing adventure in a scenic glacial fjord.

Alaska, Fishing, Cruise, Travel, Vacation
We traveled away from the port town of Ketchikan, about three miles down a channel carved by ancient glaciers to reach the fishing grounds.

Let me paint a picture of our Captain Dan. If you remember the movie Forrest Gump, you may recall Gary Sinise as Lieutenant Dan, sitting on an Alabama fishing dock as Forrest sailed past on his shrimp boat. After Forrest jumps off and swims up to Lieutenant Dan with great enthusiasm, Sinise deadpans, “I thought I’d try out my sea legs.” That was our Captain Dan: serious and unsmiling on the outside, but with just enough wit and charm to make him likable.

Alaska, Fishing, Cruise, salmon
With much of Alaskan waters closed, our small fishing area seemed as congested as Atlanta’s I-75/I-275 intersection before a Braves game.

After traveling about three miles down a lovely channel, we entered a fishing ground jammed with commercial, charter and private fishing boats closely resembling North Atlanta’s I-75/I-285 intersection at rush hour when the Braves are playing a home game. That’s just slight hyperbole as most of Alaska apparently was closed for salmon fishing, and this small area outside of Ketchikan was one of the rare territories open during our visit.

Which leads directly to the lessons we learned about fishing trips in Alaska, which included:

  • Wildlife Encounters Are Not Guaranteed. On almost every tour or excursion, guides provided detailed and vivid descriptions of recent wildlife sighting and events. And charter captains love to tell the stories about their best trips. But lawyers must have intervened somewhere along the way, as virtually every description or tale was followed almost immediately by a disclaimer, “Wildlife enounters aren’t guaranteed.” From cruise directors to tour bus drivers and including boat captains, that scripted admonition was recited almost verbatim. While friends and neighbors also had regaled us with tales of spectacular fishing success, our four-person expedition caught only one king salmon, and had only one additional strike. Judging from commercial and recreational boats around us, we weren’t alone in our lack of success. Our captain assured us that his fish finder indicated the presence of fish, but they just weren’t active. Here’s an idea – how about a fish finder with a sensor for identifying the hungry ones? Someone could make Bill Gates/Steve Jobs/Paul Allen type money with that! Anyone have an idea on how to sense electronically and identify fish hunger pangs?

  • Alaska, Fishing, Cruise
    Our four-hour, four-person expedition landed only one salmon. Eli reeled with all his might, his face a mix of fascination, strain and unbridled joy, before landing the fish.

    Double-check the Season. While Alaska has a reputation as a land where almost “anything goes,” complex fish and game regulations apply, especially to non-natives and tourists. A variety of authorities now regulate hunting and fishing periods (though according to Captain Dan, over-fishing is a growing problem). Our fishing in Ketchikan was limited to a smallish geographic area, and we were allowed only one king salmon per person. In fact, the regulations were so specific that one of our charter group always had to reel in the line to clear it of seaweed or freshen bait just in case their was a fish on instead of debris. We were further restricted by natural seasons, which we had not considered when booking. Visiting in mid-June, we apparently arrived about two to three weeks early for the best fishing, when salmon are running, almost all of Alaskan waters are open, and the fish are so plentiful they jump into your boat (of course, that last statement followed by a legal disclaimer, “wildlife encounters aren’t guaranteed.) So before dropping lots of cash for an early-season trip, do some research on the areas you’re visiting. And if fishing is your primary reason for visiting, push your trip back to later in the year.

  • Alaska, Fishing, Salmon, Bald Eagles
    We were surrounded by bald eagles, and captured spectacular pictures and video of several hunting for small fish near our boat.

    Enjoy the Experience and the Scenery. If my tone sounds disappointed and grumpy, I apologize – that’s just me, and not the Alaska fishing experience. We had a wonderful time fishing and enjoying the natural wonders in a smaller boat. We were surrounded by bald eagles, and captured spectacular pictures and video of several hunting for small fish around the nearby boats. We were even more thrilled to witness several pods of humpback whales in the narrow channel. One pod seemed to play in a small cove, then turned into the channel and swam out to deeper waters. A second pod swam under our boat, plainly visible on the fish-finder, then surfaced several times within 100 yards of us. (No, we couldn’t tell if these mammals were hungry, either!) We watched in fascination as they blew out their expended air creating small geysers near the boat. Surfacing three times, they then seemed to wave goodbye with their tales before submerging for a longer dive. Turns out we saw more whales for a longer time on our fishing trip than we did on our whale watching tour the day prior. But, remember, wildlife encounters aren’t guaranteed, and we did see three bears playing on a rocky shore during our whale watching trip.

  • Alaska, Cruise, Fishing, Whale Watching, Whales

    Alaska, Fishing, Salmon, Cruise, Whale Watching, Whales
    A pod of whales created small geysers near the boat, surfacing three times, then seeming to wave goodbye with their massive tales before submerging

    Have Your Camera Ready. As mentioned, we landed one king salmon. Although it wasn’t hooked on his rod, we allowed our 13-year-old son to enjoy an unforgettable experience reeling that 20-pounder to the boat. As I helped hold the pole tip up, the fish ran for awhile before Eli reeled with all his might, his face a mix of fascination, strain and unbridled joy. Unfortunately, since I was helping to hold the pole and Eli was reeling, neither of us could take pictures. Our other family photographer was busy calling out instruction and cheering on the proceeding, with her camera safely stowed in the cabin inside a waterproof bag.  We missed documenting this part of the trip — one might argue the raison d’être. No still pictures. No video. And while we do have pictures of the fish in the boat, Captain Dan removing the hook, and then the traditional display of the trophy fish, we’ll never be able to relive those action-shot-moments except in our memories.

  • Alaska, Fishing, Cruise, Salmon
    Eli landed but wouldn’t touch his fish. We captured the traditional display of the trophy fish, we’ll never be able to relive those action-shot-moments except in our memories.

    Don’t Calculate Your Per-Pound Fish Cost. We decided in advance that any fish we caught would be shipped back home for us to enjoy on our return. According to stoic Captain Dan, our 20-pounder would yield about 10 pounds of fish after being cleaned. Forms and a credit card were necessary to complete the easy transaction, valued just over $100. At this point my wife informed me, “Well, that’s cheaper than I could buy it in the store,” explaining that she pays approximately $20 per pound for fresh, wild-caught Alaskan salmon at our local grocery. Now, while I majored in journalism so I wouldn’t have to take math, even my feeble calculating skills recognized that this equation did not include all the potential variables. “What about the cost of the licenses,” I asked, adding another $50 to the total.  “Still a good deal at $15 per pound,” was the response. “What about the excursion cost,” I asked, pointing out that Eli’s participation was over $200. “Oh, that doesn’t count because we’re on vacation,” was the next reply. “And what about our cost, another $200 per person,” I asked. Similarly, “We’ve on vacation, so that doesn’t count either,” was the final answer. Over-matched and referring to my mental peace-keeping skills checklist, I capitulated and accepted the logic.  After all, we undertook our whale watching excursion with no expectations of returning with whale, and from our dog sledding adventure with no intention of retaining a dog (thankfully!), so why would we consider the cost of our fishing expedition into the cost of fish which we retain?

    Alaska, Salmon, Fishing, Cruise
    In addition to removing the deeply-set hook, Captain Dan helped with the forms and credit card transaction required to ship our wild-caught salmon back home.

Our Next Fishing Trip?

After our return from Alaska, we met up with our extended family in Louisiana. There, our grandchildren enjoyed fishing with their great grandfather and other family members. Each grandchild caught multiple fish, small bream hooked from the dock fishing with worms as bait. Which, of course, led to the question about our next fishing trip. At this point, I don’t have an answer.  But I can assure you that it will be close by, it won’t require air travel, bus transportation or a cruise ship.  And where ever it is, I’ll enjoy every minute of it without ever calculating our cost-per-pound.

Alaska, Fishing, Salmon, Cruise
Bait fish were ready for use, and greatly outnumbered the fish we caught.

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