Elberton, Georgia: Site of a Family Gathering

Just recently spent a weekend in my hometown of Elberton, Georgia, with family and friends. We gathered to memorialize our ancestors and celebrate our family love. Elberton proved to be the perfect host for our events. If you’re interested in a getaway featuring southern hospitality, look no further than this multicultural community, located in beautiful Northeast Georgia.

You won’t be disappointed with lodging at the Samuel Elbert Hotel. It is a lovely boutique hotel located in the downtown district. Newly decorated and upgraded, the rooms are comfortable and accommodating. You will enjoy fine dining at The Quarry Restaurant located inside the hotel where they serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

One of our major events took place at the Richard B. Russell State Park, located on a 26,650-acre lake. Enjoy the beach area, campground and cottages, fishing and boating, waterskiing, rowing, hiking, bicycling, and so much more. Fun for everyone.

Historically, the town of Elberton and Elbert County contributed to the 1996 Summer Olympics by developing a facility to train at Lake Russell for some athletes. One of the town’s major employers was the granite industry that employed a large portion of its population; hence, propelling Elberton to claim the title of “Granite Capital of the World.” While there are no statistics that qualify such a claim, it’s still our informal way of saying we are a key player in the industry.

The school system is one of excellence. We believe you can get anywhere from Elberton. We boast of doctors, lawyers, teachers, nurses, engineers, dentists, and many more professions. Citizens were proud to be named a Georgia City of Excellence by the Georgia Municipal Association in 2002. It received commendation as a trendsetter by Georgia Trend Magazine in 2005. During this same year, the city was also selected to host the Georgia Literary Festival because of the area’s contributions to literature.

Located a couple of hours from Atlanta, you’ll find true hospitality in Elberton – “a classic southern gem.” Highly recommend you visit!

Samuel Elbert Hotel

Hotel Entrance

Beautiful Richard B. Russell State Park Lakeview

Beautiful Richard B. Russell State Park Beach Area

Georgia’s West Point Lake

Imagine a beautiful man-made reservoir…we have one in Georgia called West Point Lake. It is located mostly in west-central Georgia on the Chattahoochee River and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It is a small Lake – only about 34 miles long and 3 miles wide – yet magnificent. The purposes of the reservoir are to provide flood control, hydroelectric power, and water storage. Check out some of our images from a recent visit.

Another Georgia Charm

Coming out of what seemed like a long hibernation, my husband and I decided it was time to take a day trip. Didn’t matter where…the goal was simply to go somewhere. And so we did. Leaving East Atlanta, we soon found ourselves on Interstate 85 South. Our first stop was in a small town called Hogansville, Georgia – about 56 miles from Atlanta. The city of Hogansville is proud of its many architecturally and historically significant properties, including an outdoor amphitheater, train depot, the Royal Theater, and the Grand Hotel. Friendly merchants with a love of history offer antiques, vintage lighting and hardware, primitive furniture, old tools, industrial salvage, authentic signs, bottles, pottery, consignment clothing, used books and locally roasted coffee. Take a look at some images from our trip to this very charming town.

Savannah: A University & An Opportunity

An institution for higher learning with a beautiful campus located on a salt water estuary could be an attractive endeavor for a student seeking not only an exceptional education, but the camaraderie associated with attending a small campus along with the vision of hope, success, friendships, and perhaps even love.  Savannah, Georgia, home to this amazing historically black university which is also the oldest historically black university in the state - a detail hard to overlook.  Savannah, the oldest city in the U.S., was established in 1733 on the Savannah River.  As Georgia's fifth-largest city, it attracts millions of visitors annually.  Known for it cobblestone streets, parks, and historic buildings, no wonder it might also attract students to its proud university.  My husband and I are both graduates of Savannah State University (SSU) where we fell in love, married, and still proudly serve as ambassadors for our alma mater.  While we now live near Atlanta, we visit Savannah regularly:  for homecoming activities and opportunities to reconnect with friends or just go to the beach at Tybee Island for relaxation and recreation.  Visitors, and so do we, enjoy the Savannah Riverboat, professionally operated by the River Street Riverboat Company.  It's a great way to cruise the river, enjoy a delicious meal and great music.  For those not familiar with Savannah, the Old Town Trolley Tours are fantastic.  These are only two examples of the city's assets.  Definitely recommend a getaway to this Atlantic seaport city where large cruise ships will perhaps some day grace the area.  With Savannah historic districts, visitors experience all the offerings of the largest National Historic Landmark Districts in the United States - designated by the U.S. government in 1966.  And...during your trip, consider planning a visit to the lovely campus of SSU, widely known as the "University by the Sea."  Definitely encourage parents and students to research and examine this university whose motto is, "You can get anywhere from here."  Its programs, courses, teaching, student performance, scholarship and service are worth the consideration.

An Incredible Drive

My husband and I recently drove to a small town East of Atlanta, Georgia, called Greensboro.  It was a brilliant drive that included the warmth of the sun falling on our faces as we enjoyed the colorful landscape, the driving ease of Interstate 20 East, and most importantly the beauty and serenity of the Oconee River as we passed by.  We arrived in Greensboro around lunch time and decided to dine at a quaint little cafe called “The Yesterday Cafe.”  The delicious food, as part of a Southern country-cooked cuisine, provided us comfort on a Winter day along with kind and professional service.  This was a cafe at its finest whose decor included beautiful antique furniture and vintage chandeliers.  We drove through the town, admiring the old and well-maintained buildings where we were thoroughly enjoying its scenery.  We knew we would return someday.  Please enjoy the photos from our visit, included in this post.

Day Trip on Main

 

My husband, sister, and I took a day trip to Grayson, Georgia, located in the second most populous county of the state known as Gwinnett.  This small town in the southeast area of the county had a population of 2,666 at the last census.  That number has changed as it has benefited from growth due to exurban tendencies.  Our day trip was not complete without having lunch at one of its local eateries.  We decided to dine at Sam’s on Main and was delightfully pleased.  Located in the heart of downtown,  the restaurant opened in 2017.  We met the cheerful Sam – owner and chef.  Quite knowledgeable about the area and social proclivities, chef Sam along with our friendly server, chatted with the three of us about some of the menu items.  We were very pleased with our choices for lunch and vowed to return; especially after we learned that they have added Sunday brunch.  Definitely recommend a visit if you’re in the area.  It was encouraging to see several nearby buildings in construction.  We were advised that soon Sam’s on Main will be surrounded by lots of retail establishments.  Truly a day trip we found worthwhile and fun.

Humble Beginnings…With Lots of Love

In today’s climate, we hear about wealthy parents doing illegal things to give their children a leg up – as if they needed a leg up; we hear about rich kids who are given opportunities because of their zip codes or who their parents are.  While these are realities of life, it doesn’t mitigate the fact that our world is definitely in disarray.  However, love still trumps all.  Whether you grew up in a home like the one featured here or a mansion on the hill, if you were part of a loving family who had food to eat, clothes to wear, and a roof over your head, you were pretty darn blessed.  It’s the love you remember.

An Outing & Antiquing

A recent outing to Braselton, Georgia, located 53 miles northeast of Atlanta, was delightfully fun-filled for my husband and me.  It is a small town with a very popular historic district.  It is obvious that a priority for the downtown district is preserving buildings while restructuring for the future.  We saw this during our visit to the Antique Mall.  This was particularly gratifying as we browsed its collectibles, antiques and vintage pieces.  We also enjoyed our stop at Pretty Petals & Pickin’s, located in an old house that retained a lot of its original structure.  Their offerings included furniture, home decor, primitives, gifts, silk floral arrangements and also antiques.  Our getaway was only complete after lunching at Cotton Calf Kitchen, a contemporary eatery we highly recommend.  The food was delicious and the atmosphere and service were spot on – also located in a converted historic space.  They feature sharable plates, seafood, dry-aged steaks, vegetables, and so much more.  You can also enjoy their patio seating or the bar.  So whether you’re in the mood for lunch or dinner or brunch on Sunday, check them out.  Pulling up in our driveway as we returned home, we were admiring our newly purchased silk floral arrangement and lamp.  We know we’ll make a return trip to the beautiful Braselton.

Country Love

This is a bittersweet “Mother’s Day” weekend.  While my husband and I spent the last couple of days traveling to our hometowns, we were joyous as we remembered the love for and by our mothers.  We were equally saddened as we remembered earlier times when we would be visiting them to share this joyous weekend.  Riding on the Country roads and enjoying the early morning fresh air permeate the car, we saw squirrels dash across the road, birds fly by and the Kudzu was as ominous as ever.  Somehow the beautiful flowers we left at the cemeteries didn’t make us feel better; they just heightened our gloominess.  But then we forced ourselves to “snap out of it.”  Instead our thoughts went immediately to all the love.  We both grew up in Country love – another name for a “mother’s love.”  And that’s something we’ll have in our hearts forever.

Lunch to “Mill” Over

After a busy morning of appointments and running errands, my husband and I  realized it was lunchtime…and we were famished.  We were near one of our favorite restaurants and immediately drove there.  It is a Mediterranean grill located in Fayette County, Georgia, called Frank’s @ The Old Mill.  Located on Hwy. 54, a mill was built in 1837, used for milling corn and wheat.  A beautiful site, with a functional water wheel, also served as a community center for picnics and socials.   In 1930, it ceased being a mill and is now converted and expanded into a restaurant.  Locals and visitors enjoy the scenery of the landscape, the waterfall, welcoming atmosphere, and all the ambiance of this quality eatery.  And oh yes, the food is delicious!  We highly recommend a visit.