A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....10-14-03....Relax. You're in Georgia now.

Aquamarine

[Aquamarine]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

If you have a suggestion, or an idea, or if there's a FReeper you would like to see featured, please drop one of us a note in FR mail.

We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, Mama_Bear, dansangel, dutchess, Aquamarine

The State of Georgia is a combination of big cities, small towns, mountains and beaches, and a wealth of historic sites that feature the depth and breadth of Southern living.

Although I'm not a native of Georgia, I've lived here most of my life and have grown to love this part of the South and will always consider it my home. The state of Georgia has 5 distinct regions so come along as we start at the top and work our way down.

Mountains

This is the part of Georgia where I make my home now, so naturally it's my favorite part of the State. Rich with an abundance of natural beauty, North Georgia has gone through a tremendous poulation growth in the last 20 years and it's no wonder. In Georgia’s mountains you’ll find dramatic vistas, wild whitewater, and unspoiled forests (so please keep this part a secret;).

A section of the Blue Ridge is found in northeastern Georgia north of the Piedmont. These mountains are forested with hardwoods and pine softwoods. Much of North Georgia is encompassed by the Chattahooche National Forest with elevations ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 feet. Located in the mountains is the southern most point of the 2,144 Appalachian Trail on the way to its terminus in Maine. Brasstown Bald Mountain is Georgia's highest at (4,780feet)

Alpine Helen is the most popular destination in North Georgia. The rugged beauty of this high mountain watershed, known today as the Helen Valley, attracts hundreds of thousand people to events such as Oktoberfest and the Alpine Lights. The Chattahoochee River begins as a spring above Helen in the fittingly name "Chattahoochee Gap," little more than a trickle of water at 3200 feet. Over the first 100 miles the river falls almost 2400 feet, forms a major Southeast lake (Lanier) and provides water for millions of Georgians.

Near Calhoun is the New Echota Historic Site where Cherokee Indians modeled their new nation based on the United States Government culminating in the "Trail of Tears" to Oklahoma. In Cartersville there is a very unique historical Indian State Park named the Etowah Indian Mounds.

In this area of the State there are many bold waterfalls. Amicalola Falls (Cherokee meaning "tumbling waters"), which plunges 729 feet, is the highest waterfall in the Eastern United States. Georgia has over 4,000 miles of trout streams with the majority of the streams in the mountains of North Georgia. The small mountain town of Dahlonega, a Cherokee word meaning "precious yellow," is the site of the country's first major gold rush where you can still pan for gold.

Historic South

Here you'll find music legends, year-round golf & historic sites. Stretching from the rolling foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the north to the edge of the Okefenokee in the south, and from the wiregrass country in the west to the white sands on the edge of the coastal plain, this is the heart of Georgia. A sweet onion known around the globe, artists and performers who became legends, and inventions that changed the world are what you can expect from the land of the Historic South.

The southwest area of Georgia is comprised of meandering rivers. Callaway Gardens with 14,000 acres of gardens, woodlands and lakes and over 700 colorful varieties of Azaleas is a favorite destination.

Columbus is the largest city in historic Georgia, situated on the Cattachoochee River at the foot of a series of falls. Columbus used its water supply to become an important manufacturing center for arms during the Civil War. Today it is home to Fort Benning, the only U.S. Army infantry training center.

Grown properly only in a small pocket of south Georgia, the Vidalia onion matures into unsurpassed sweetness in the spring. In one of nature's most delicious mysteries, the granex seed, which produces a hot onion elsewhere, grows into an onion one "can eat like an apple" in the fields around Vidalia and Glennville. This area is also reknowned for pecans.

Atlanta Metro

Having spent a good portion of my youth living around Atlanta, alot of good memories were brought back while researching this part of Georgia.

From a virtually uninhabited railroad terminus in 1837 to a sprawling metropolis of over four million people today, metro Atlanta has the vibrancy of the world’s great urban centers combined with the Southern charm of small town centers. Here you’ll find historic sites from the Civil War through the Civil Rights era, as well as world-class shopping, entertainment, and nightlife.

Atlanta was burnt during the Civil War, a part of history that was later written about by Margaret Mitchell; her book Gone With The Wind became a legend and was later turned into an epic Hollywood movie.

Georgia is home of the Atlanta Brave Baseball, Falcons Football and Atlanta Thrashers Hockey teams. Atlanta has emerged as a banking center and is world headquarters for Fortune 500 companies such as Delta Airlines, Coca Cola, Holiday Inn Worldwide and United Parcel Service. At The King Center you can view unique exhibits illustrating the life and teachings of Martin Luther King and visit the King Center’s Library, archives, and his final resting place.

In the hub of convention business in the capital city you'll find the Centennial Olympic Park, Georgia’s World Congress Center as well as the World of Coca-Cola, a 45,000-square-foot pavilion where the history of this favorite soft drink—past, present and future—is told through fascinating exhibits. After the tour, you can lunch at Underground Atlanta.

The Georgia State Capital was dedicated on July 4, 1889. The gold leaf on its dome, rising 237 feet above the city, was mined in nearby Dahlonega.
Am very proud to proclaim that we recently elected a new Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss, and Governor Sonny Perdue - the first Republican Governor since Reconstruction, and hope to take back Democrat Zell Miller's Senate seat in the next election!

Fernbank Museum of Natural History has an impressive dinosaur connection. This exceptional facility also has a delightful Star Gallery that provides an easy way to find stars in the evening sky with the help of a Fernbank astronomer and a fiber optic ceiling. Discovery: The Naturalist Center at Fernbank, is an educational facility equipped with laboratories, computers and a scanning electron microscope.

On 3,200 gorgeous acres just 16 miles east of downtown Atlanta, the stories of the South come to life at Stone Mountain Park. The mountain itself is the world's largest mass of exposed granite. The centerpiece of the Park -- and one of the true marvels of western engineering -- is found on the mountain's North side, where you'll see the world's largest high relief carving, depicting three heroes of the American Confederacy, Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis and Stonewall Jackson.

Classic South

Farming, Folklife & Folklore. Off the main highway and into the countryside, the land spreads out and the roads roll into small towns, each of which offers its own unique charms and intriguing history. You’ll discover an outdoor paradise, where the lakes teem with fish, the woodlands are alive with wildlife and the rivers flow steadily across the landscape.

Take in Georgia's Antebellum Trail. Unspoiled lakes and forests surround charming, white-columned mansions in city squares. Three of these classic antebellum towns are Washington, Madison and Milledgeville. The area also encompasses Athens,"The Classic City" home to the University of Georgia, and Augusta, well known for the world's most prestigious golf tournament, "The Masters". As the state's geographic center, Macon, founded in 1823, has more than 150,000 flowering cherry trees, resplendent with blossoms during the annual March festival. Its antebellum and Victorian homes are among the state's best preserved. Macon is home to the Georgia Music Hall of Fame whose honorees include Ray Charles, James Brown, The Allman Brothers Band, Little Richard and Chet Atkins.

Many different types of crops and produce are grown in this area of the state. Georgia grown peaches are recognized for their superior flavor, texture, appearance and nutritious qualities that promote a healthy, balanced diet. Georgia is known as the "Peach State" because of the growers' reputation for producing the highest quality fruit. The peach became the official state fruit in 1995.

Farther south is Milledgeville, the former capital of Georgia from 1803 - 1868. General Sherman burned government buildings and documents, but essentially left the antebellum homes in tact during the civil war. The locals refer to the town as "The Antebellum Capital of Georgia." It is the only town besides Washington DC to be designed as a capital.

Coast, Barrier Islands

Here you’ll find Savannah and its historic district, dotted with parks and lined with moss-covered trees. St. Simons Island, Sea Island, and Jekyll Island have miles upon miles of protected seashore with endless white sand beaches and deserted barrier islands perfect for exploring.

The four designated "Golden Isles" are St. Simons, Little St. Simons (not accessible by vehicle) - Sea Island and Jekyll Island. Although some "Golden Isles" have been developed, other islands, such as Cumberland and Little St.Simons still linger in the past. Some islands are accessible only by boat. Driving along U.S. 17 you pass broad sandy beaches, creeks, rivers and ruins of antebellum plantations.

In the 1500s, the Spanish arrived in this area, their soldiers seeking gold, and their missionaries seeking religious converts among the Native Americans. In 1736, General James Oglethorpe founded Fort Frederica on St. Simons Island. Six years later, Oglethorpes troops defeated insurgent Spanish at The Battle of Bloody Marsh and helped determine the course of colonial history.

Later, the antebellum era flourished as sea island cotton became king and sprawling plantations operated all along the Georgia coast until late 1800.

The Okefenokee Swamp, one of America’s most fascinating natural areas, is the largest Swamp in North America. Approximately 700 square miles, located in the southeast corner of Georgia, Okefenokee is rich with wildlife. The vast expanse of forest and wetlands is now one of the best-preserved freshwater sanctuaries in the country. Alligator's glide silently through Okefenokee Swamp.

The swamp contains numerous islands and lakes, along with vast areas of non-forested terrain. Prairies cover about 60,000 acres of the swamp. The prairies harbor a variety of wading birds: herons, egrets, ibises, cranes and bitterns.

Hope you have enjoyed your cyber tour through Georgia.

Most of the information above was taken from several Georgia Tourism sites.

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 10-13-03 Military Monday

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up.
3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit.
4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it.
5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me a FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

Click on the photo to view the album. To
submit your photo, please contact dansangel or .45MAN danbh59@yahoo.com
and include Freeper Photo Album in subject line.

[Aquamarine]

Abstract driftwood, that's a first. Love the other set of pictures of Jekyll Island.

[MEG33]

That kitty really tied one on!

[Aquamarine]

The river is called the Appalachicola in Florida (it technically is another river as the Appalachicola is formed by the joining of the Flint and Chattahoochee), but some still call it the Chattahoochee River.

I never that...till now.

[Mama_Bear]

Hmmmm....interesting trees. :-)

How are you doing Spookbrat? I keep meaning to ask you how your nephew is doing. I hope things are going well for him.

[YaYa123]

Did you see this lovely thread?

[MeekOneGOP]

LOL ! ...

[Jen]

GREAT job Aqua! I'm a native Georgia girl and loved this thread.

Hi Finest FRiends!

[eddie willers]

As a native Georgian (going on 51 years) let me just say you did a fabulous job of showcasing our wondeful land.

I'll add a picture of a jersey from the first Atlanta Baseball team I use to watch at old (and sadly, long gone) beautiful Ponce de Leon Park.

[Aquamarine]

I never *knew* that...until now! My arms are tired.

[Aquamarine]

Hi Jen! I was hoping you would come by. :)

[Billie]

Hi, Jen - Georgia sounds like such a beautiful place - I love all those southern plantations, azaleas, peaches, pecans, the trees!

Got a kick out of your FReep mail last night. LOL

[Aquamarine]

Thank you. :) I guess the Braves are the second Atlanta Basball team.

[Billie]

That's a lovely tea set!

[Billie]

Weasley Clark. LOL! May the worst one win the nomination. :)

[SpookBrat]

He is hanging in there. He has had a bad couple of months. His soon to be ex-father-in-law passed away suddenly last week. It was a shock to all who loved him. He was a great guy and very supportive of Todd during his ordeal. I'm going to miss him a tremdous amount. Everyone was happy whenever Pat was around.

Todd was told he is one of the best co-pilots they have had in a long time. He said he might get transfered to another plane. We're not sure what will happen. I just hope he gets trasfered out of Abilene so he can get away from heartache.

I just found out another one of my cousins will be leaving for Iraq soon. Hope he does a good job while he is over there and comes home safely.

[Shanda]

I really don't mean to sound mean but Chattahoochee really does sound like a perfect name for an insane asylum.

[SpookBrat]

Hey there fellow Texan. How are you?

[dutchess]

Get Well Soon Wishes

Wolfie has a boo boo It makes us very sad Because he can't just play and run And act so cute AND "BAD" We hope that you are better soon and return back here to hug and swoon XOXO Dutchess

[Billie]

What interesting photographs! Think how neat they would be for Kim Anderson, the photographer who does those fabulous black and white photographs with children and just a touch of color in their dress, or flower, etc!

Hi, Spookie!

[Mama_Bear]

He is hanging in there.

Well, that is good.

Sorry to hear about his father-in-law.

[MEG33]

Good!..If the courts don't do us in, redistricting will help us elect more Republicans..and thow some bums out!

[dutchess]

So glad to see that the server problems are (knock on wood) solved. What a beautiful thread Aqua. I know that you had lots of help from billie and lori...BUT...your love of Georgia just shines through.

We need to head out for a banquet. Hopefully can stop in when we return.

[Billie]

How sweet, dutchess! Hope you posted it on P & P, too. :)

[MEG33]

(((((((((((Wolfie))))))))))),get well soon!

[lonestar]

I enjoyed this. If I HAD to live anywhere but Texas, Georgia would be one of my choices.

[SpookBrat]

We are going up there for Christmas pictures. I can hardly wait. A touch of color would be pretty. I need to pick out our outfits. I guess my kids are too old for matching sweaters now.

[SpookBrat]

Thanks for asking. He's a wonderful young man. I wish everyone here could know him.

[eddie willers]

Chattahoochee really does sound like a perfect name for an insane asylum.

I can see the ads now...."Go goofy at the 'Hooche".

[Mama_Bear]

I wish everyone here could know him.

Well, I sort of feel like a do, in a way. You have said such nice things about him. You are blessed to have him in your life. :-)

[SuzanneC]

Thanks for pointing out this lovely thread.

And, thanks Aqua for posting. I've been a 'native' Georgian since I moved here in 1985. Love it!!

[MeekOneGOP]

hehe ! Well, that's one thing you can say about the 'RATS.
When it comes to having the worst candidates, they're the best !

http://www.onpointradio.org/shows/2002/07/20020703_a_main.asp

Listen

Howard Dean

Howard Dean says he's running for President, and on paper he's quite a candidate. He's the longest-serving Democratic governor. He signed the first law in the country to allow gay unions. And, he's got the endorsement of America's favorite president-that-isn't: Martin Sheen. In real life, most Americans would pass Howard Dean on the street without a second glance. Can a candidate with just about zero national name-recognition actually make a viable run for the nation's highest office? Tonight, Howard Dean, the invisible candidate.

[Aquamarine]

Excellent choice! ;)

[Aquamarine]

Thanks, I've been very pleased with the response to this thread.

[dansangel]

Thank you for tea, ((((Billie)))). I about gave up on FR.

((((Aqua)))) - thank you again for a beautiful thread. Just popped on for a minute and off I go to "decompress."

[Aquamarine]

Can't wait to see what you're posting here tomorrow Dansy. I'm going off tomorrow so I may not get to see it until tomorrow night.

[LadyX]

Greetings to everyone!!

What a wonderful job you've done, covering so diverse a state, Aqua!
Sorry I had to be away today; but perhaps not, in view of what seems to have been a major access problem..|:>(

I touch the eastern fringe of Georgia frequently, going to Augusta, 40 miles to the west. Love to cross the Savannah River, dividing Georgia from South Carolina, 'seeing' the old days of glory when it was the major source of moving commerce between the coast and the northern part. Imagine all the goods that went up and down it on ships, railroads and rivers the lifelines for the residents! No cars and trucks and airplanes in those days, horses (or mules) and wagons the "U-Hauls"..:))

Saw a lot of Savannah in the days when I was stationed at Parris Island, many a time going there to have dinner and shop. Love St. Simons and Jekyll Islands...
As a lover of history, the state is full of it.

In addition to airline flights going through Hotlanta and 'drivebys,' in 1972 I was fortunate to go there for three days of training in the old Hefty Expense Accounts for Sears Days.

Our Southern Region Managers squired us around to the sights and great restaurants each night, and took us to the "Old"(before it was rebuilt) Underground area where Gone With The Wind filmed the famous hospital scene with the wounded sprawled all over.

My favorite restaurant was the Aunt Pitty Pat's Porch Buffet! Still groan, thinking of all I consumed. We ended that night going to the top of the hotel with the revolving restaurant...great view.

Would love to see the area where you live, Aqua, although I went to the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina often when I lived there, and am sure it is about the same. Went once to Franklin and environs, amd panned for gems..:))

Hey! Now that I think of it, from that high point where you can look over into Georgia, you probably were one of those tiny specks I saw!!
(I should have waved - LOL)

[FreeTheHostages]

45 minutes from a beach! I'm green with envy.

[SpookBrat]

Well actually, we're 20 minutes from the beach, but 45 minutes, more like an hour from Jekyll Island in Georgia. :) Does that make you even more green?

[Aquamarine]

Enjoyed reliving your memories of the South through you're writing.
Have to tell you though, that the Blue Ridge Mtns. in North Carolina are not the same as here, I've seen the difference. The Blue Ridge Mtns. in NC are more majestic than Georgia BUT the sun cast a special southern light on this part of the Blue Ridge. It's true, the sky brightens up when you get to Georgia. You just have to see it to understand it.

[Aquamarine]

Meant to tell you that I wish you would come see these mountains. You would like it and I would love showing you around.

[Aquamarine]

Had alot of fun with today's thread (when FR was up and running) but am going to turn in now. Wanted to thank everyone for all the kind words and contributions that were made to this thread. You all made it very special.

[Calpernia]

Totally awesome write up of Georgia Aqua! Just catching up on my freeping now.

Etowah Indian Mounds State Historic Site was home to several thousand Native Americans between 1000 A.D. to 1550 A.D. This 54-acre site contains six earthen platform mounds, a plaza, village area, borrow pits and defensive ditch. This is the most intact Mississippian Culture site in the Southeastern United States. One of the mounds, a 63-foot flat-topped earthen knoll, was used as a platform for the home of the priest-chief. In another mound, nobility were buried in elaborate costumes accompanied by items they would need in their afterlives.

[yarddog]

I love Georgia and it's citizens but I grew up in Walton County, Florida. I've been to St. Simons and Jekyll Island and they are nice but do not compare to the Florida Panhandle's Beaches and water.

On the other hand, I think North Georgia's mountains are as pretty as any East of the Mississippi. The nicest State Park I have ever visited is Black Rock Mountain near Clayton.

[Calpernia]

Georgia's State Bird

Click!

FERRUGINOUS MOCKING-BIRD, Brown Thrasher

The Brown Thrush, or Thrasher, by which names this bird is generally known, may be said to be a constant resident in the United States, as immense numbers are found all the year round in Louisiana, the Floridas, Georgia, and the Carolinas. Indeed some spend the winter in Virginia and Maryland. During spring and summer they are met with in all our Eastern States. They also enter the British provinces, and are sometimes seen in Nova Scotia; but I observed none farther north. It is the most numerous species found in the Union, excepting the Robin or Migratory Thrush. Those which breed in the Middle and Eastern Districts return to the south about the beginning of October, having been absent fully six months from that genial region, where more than half of the whole number remain at all seasons. They migrate by day, and singly, never congregating, notwithstanding their abundance. They fly low, or skip from one bush to another, their longest flight seldom exceeding the breadth of a field or river. They seem to move rather heavily, on account of the shortness of their wings, the concavity of which usually produces a rustling sound, and they travel very silently.

[Aquamarine]

Have seen the Etowah Mounds. It's in a fertile valley right beside a river that's used as farmland. You can see a long distance in both directions from the largest Mound which is rare in North Georgia. My theory on the Mound is that they built themselves an area to live above the flood plain while still living among the fertile valley they farmed and beside the river they used for their water source. They also had a good view of any enemy that may try to sneak up on them.

Good night Calpernia. :)

[Calpernia]

Night Aqua. Sorry for the lateness in getting to your thread. The trip threw off my schedule.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Hi Billie. Thanks for the invitation. :-)

This is for you.

[eddie willers]

Since I checked your profile page I see that you are -ahem- of age enough to might have visited these two places.

Since you mentioned Sears, do you remember the GREAT BIG store on Ponce de Leon Avenue? If so, that was right across the street from the Cracker's Ball Park I mentioned in an earlier post on this thread.

My favorite restaurant was the Aunt Pitty Pat's Porch Buffet!

My favorite restaurant was up in Smyrna....Aunt Fanny's Cabin.

Wonderful down home Southern cooking but would be horribly Politically Incorrect today.

It was built from a ramshackle old slave cabin (Fanny's, of course) and the menu was presented by young black boys with chalk sandwich boards dangling from their necks with the days specials written thereupon. They would sing-song the offerings and, of course, always recommend we try the "Gen-u-ine Smithfield Ham".

Large, church-going dressed black women would walk around from table to table singing gospels and spirituals as you sat before huge bowls of squash and mashed potatoes with their serving spoons sticking out and plates of cornbread and butter.

"Help yourself and eat up".....Yum, yum!

[Billie]

The roses are bee-u-tiful, Victoria, thank you. :)

Goodnight to all - have a nice evening - see you tomorrow.

Thank you again, Aqua, for a wonderful tour of Georgia - good show today in *spite* of time outs and down time.

Wolfie, hope you are able to sleep tonight without too much pain. :(

Diver, take care of that bronchitis - want MrB to make you a hot toddy? :)

[Calpernia]

Good night to the FINEST