The town of Locust Grove in Henry County, Georgia has a thriving downtown with restaurants, stores and frequently passing trains. It has a population of about 5,000 residents. Named for the grove of locust trees nearby, it was home to a number of cotton gins and warehouses in the 1800s. It was incorporated as a city in 1893. Today it's known for being home to Noah's Ark, an … [Read more...] about Small Town Saturday: Locust Grove, GA
Georgia
Film Friday: Smokey and the Bandit
In one of Burt Reynolds' most memorable roles, Smokey and the Bandit was filmed throughout the South. Rednecks Bandit and Cledus accept a challenge to pick up a shipment of beer from Texas and return with it in a specified amount of time. Along the way, they have trouble with "the law" and pick up a young woman running away from her wedding, played by a young Sally … [Read more...] about Film Friday: Smokey and the Bandit
Weekend Guide to Augusta, Georgia
The city set on the Savannah River is known mainly for being the hometown of James Brown and ground zero for the Masters golf tournament every spring, but there's much more to Augusta than meets the eye. Established in 1735, it's one of Georgia's older cities and was even the capital for a time. Today, it has a thriving medical community, home to one of the state's top … [Read more...] about Weekend Guide to Augusta, Georgia
Small Town Saturday: Hampton, GA
The town of Hampton, Georgia is located an hour south of Atlanta and is known for its proximity to Atlanta Motor Speedway and the Atlanta airport's Air Traffic Control center. Named for a revolutionary war hero, the town is now home to over 7,000 people. There's a 4-H Center that hosts field trips and educational visits as well as a downtown with a growing restaurant scene. … [Read more...] about Small Town Saturday: Hampton, GA
Southern Stays: Barnsley Resort
British cotton magnate Godfrey Barnsley established his home, then known as Woodlands, in the area in the 1840s. His wife Julia died before the mansion was finished, and it served as a reminder of her memory. The home was ransacked during the Civil War, but his descendants lived in the home until it was damaged by a tornado in 1906. It was left in ruins until it was … [Read more...] about Southern Stays: Barnsley Resort
