Georgia – Page 10 – Wandering Dawgs

Athens, Georgia – The Classic City

November 30, 2018June 21, 2026Posted in GeorgiaTagged Athens Georgia, Chapel Bell, Classic City, double barrel cannon, photo essay, Sanford Stadium, Tree that owns itself, University of Georgia15 Comments

Nearly 50 years ago I first stepped foot on the University of Georgia campus in Athens, Georgia as a freshman. Through the years I have returned to Athens too many times to count. I have so many wonderful memories of Athens – walking through campus on my way to class, meeting my husband and getting married in Athens, eight years in a row as parents of UGA students, and many Georgia Bulldogs home football games.

We recently enjoyed wandering around Athens and the University campus on a beautiful late fall afternoon.

Brilliant autumn colors on the UGA campus

We stopped to see two interesting sights unique to Athens. A double barrelled cannon, the only one known of its kind, stands in front of City Hall. The Tree that Owns Itself grows in the middle of a quiet neighborhood.

Athens has always been famous for it’s music scene. Bands like the B-52’s, R.E.M., Drive By Truckers, Pylon, Love Tractor and many others performed at the 40 Watt club in their early days. Widespread Panic played at Fraternity houses back in the early 1990’s. When the Georgia Theatre, a beautiful historic concert hall, burned in 2009 it was restored and reopened in 2011. Wuxtry Records, opened in 1976, is still selling vinyl records.

The University of Georgia is the birthplace of higher public education in America. Established on January 27, 1785, the University of Georgia is the nation’s oldest land grant university. North Campus is right across the street from downtown Athens.

When I was a student, freshman weren’t allowed to walk under the arch

Down the hill a short way from north campus is Sanford Stadium, home of the Georgia Bulldogs. We’ve seen several expansions to the stadium over the years and have spent many Saturday afternoons and nights in the stands cheering on the Dawgs.

Greek life is a big part of student life at the University of Georgia. As we drove along Milledge Avenue we passed by many of the beautiful fraternity and sorority houses. The Theta Chi house is my favorite. I’m a little biased because it’s Henry’s fraternity.

20181122-Thanksgiving-in-Athens-(48)-Theta-Chi-watermark — Theta Chi Fraternity

Through the years many restaurants have come and gone. These are three memorable places to eat in Athens.

Diners at The Grill in downtown Athens have been enjoying the 50’s diner decor, huge burgers, thick milkshakes and more since 1981

A lot has changed in Athens over the years but a visit there will always bring back good memories for me.

Blue Ridge Scenic Railway

October 14, 2018June 21, 2026Posted in Excursions, Georgia, Road Trip, RVing, Tourist AttractionsTagged autumn, Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, Copperhill TN, Fifth Wheel, McCaysville GA, River Vista Mountain Village, Toccoa River, Train Ride17 Comments

For the second year in a row we made a fall trip to River Vista Mountain Village in Dillard to explore the beautiful north Georgia mountains. Last year we explored Black Rock Mountain State Park, visited waterfalls in North Carolina and wandered around Tallulah Gorge State Park.

This year we had adventures in two new places. One day we went to the top of Brasstown Bald. Another day we drove an hour and a half to Blue Ridge, Georgia to take a ride on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway.

Our seats were in an open air car for the hour long ride beside the Toccoa River. The train departed the station right on time at 11:00.

Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, Blue Ridge Depot

As we traveled along at a whopping 10 mph we were able to enjoy the scenery and snap a few photos. A few trees were starting to show signs of autumn but we were too early for the brilliant oranges, reds and yellows that will come later in the season.

The V in the river is a fish trap made of piled rocks by Native Americans over 500 years ago

Our destination was McCaysville, GA/Copperhill, TN. There was plenty of time to explore the town before the scheduled 2:00 departure. It’s hard to tell which town is which since the state line runs right through the middle of town.

20181003-Blue-Ridge-Scenic-Railway-Iphone-(3) — GA/TN state line

As we wandered around the town we crossed back and forth between Georgia and Tennessee several times. The state line even runs through the middle of some buildings. “Dine on the Line” is the motto for the Copper Grill restaurant where we had lunch. Their address is Tennessee but the state line goes right through the restaurant.

The GA/TN state line runs through the towns of McCaysville, GA and Copperhill, TN

It was nice to sit back and relax on the return trip to Blue Ridge. Before driving back to Dillard we walked across the street from the depot for some fried apple pies from the Mercier Orchard downtown restaurant and store. These pies have been featured on the Food Network and are melt in your mouth delicious!

What’s not to love? A scenic train ride, cool mountain air, beautiful scenery, fresh trout and catfish for lunch, going back and forth between two states just by walking through town, and delicious fried pies! A great day!

Brasstown Bald, Georgia’s Highest Point

October 4, 2018June 21, 2026Posted in Georgia, Road Trip, RVing, Tourist AttractionsTagged Blue Ridge Mountains, Brasstown Bald, Highest Point in Georgia, River Vista Mountain Village9 Comments

Located in the northeast Georgia near Blairsville, Brasstown Bald is the highest point in Georgia at 4,784 feet.

Just getting there is quite an adventure. We drove west from Dillard on beautiful Georgia mountain roads. The last few miles we drove on narrow Georgia Spur 180 with sharp turns, switchbacks, and steep grades before arriving at the parking lot for Brasstown Bald.

The parking lot is located .6 miles below the top of Brasstown Bald. We could either hike up a steep trail or take a shuttle. We chose the shuttle.

20181001Brasstown-Bald-(3) — The observation deck as seen from the parking lot

After the shuttle dropped us off at the top we walked up a few steps to the observation deck where the views were spectacular in all directions. On a clear day visitors can see 4 states. It was cloudy that day but we were able to see three states – Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina. We also toured the museum and watched a short film about the mountain.

20181001Brasstown-Bald-(48) — Brasstown Bald, the highest point in Georgia

20181001Brasstown-Bald-(21) — The tower is closed to the public

20181001Brasstown-Bald-(42) — View from top of Brasstown Bald

20181001Brasstown-Bald-(11) — View from top of Brasstown Bald

20181001Dillard-IPhone-(23) — Wandering Dawgs at the top of Brasstown Bald

A favorite campground and Georgia Bulldogs Football

October 1, 2018June 21, 2026Posted in Georgia, RVing, Sporting EventsTagged Georgia Bulldogs, Pine Lake Campground, Sanford Stadium, SEC Football, UGA vs Tennessee, University of Georgia11 Comments

For the third year in a row we towed our fifth wheel to Pine Lake Campground in Bishop, Georgia to attend a home football game at the nearby University of Georgia.

There have been a few upgrades to this great campground since our first visit. The new owners have been hard at work upgrading the facilities and are in the process of adding more sites. The staff is friendly and helpful and they always remember us. It’s become one of our favorite campgrounds.

On game day, we always enjoy tailgating with friends before the game on the University of Georgia campus.

There have been some major upgrades at Sanford Stadium since last football season. There is a brand new scoreboard and the new team locker room is at our end end of the stadium. Now the team enters the field right in front of us.

Go Dawgs!

T.E.A.L. Walk Savannah 2018

September 27, 2018June 21, 2026Posted in GeorgiaTagged Charity Event, ovarian cancer, ovarian cancer awareness, T.E.A.L. Walk, Tell Every Amazing Lady11 Comments

September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Teal is the color for ovarian cancer.

Did you know…

A woman’s lifetime risk of Ovarian Cancer is 1 in 75.

A pap test does NOT detect ovarian cancer.

There is NO early detection test for ovarian cancer.

Symptoms include but are not limited to:

Bloating
Pelvic/abdominal pain
Difficulty eating or feeling full after a few bites
Urinary urgency/frequency
Menstrual irregularities

Ovarian cancer awareness events take place every September all around the country. Buildings in some cities are displaying teal lights. Teal ribbons and wreathes are on display. Charity events such as runs, walks and races are held in many places.

This year I enjoyed participating in the fifth annual TEAL (Tell Every Amazing Lady) Savannah walk. As an eight year survivor, it was a very fun and extremely emotional day.

It was wonderful meeting other survivors and hearing their stories. And it was very uplifting to see the support these women have from their friends, family and community.

There were many inspirational stories but the one that still brings tears to my eyes is Simone who is going through treatment now. Her family members came from as far away as Tampa and New York to walk with her. I met her cousin who kept saying Simone was a fighter. Simone wore a hooded teal satin cape and boxing gloves to show her fighting spirit.

Camille is another survivor who inspired me. She is currently in treatment and with the support of her two daughters, son-in-law and friends she walked the entire walk.

Children and adults alike enjoyed meeting Wonder Woman and The Little Mermaid Ariel.

After the walk, Wonder Woman joined some of the survivors for a group photo.

20180922TEAS-Walk-(43) — Survivor Warriors!

My Story

Eight years ago this month I was in the middle of my first three rounds of chemo after major surgery and a diagnosis of Stage IIB ovarian cancer.

I’m one of the lucky ones. My cancer was caught early. Six days after a CT scan showed a large tumor, I was in surgery and began treatments a few weeks later. Thanks to early detection, modern medicine, the love and support of family and friends, and the power of prayer, I’m still here today eight years later.

Many women with ovarian cancer are not so lucky. Ovarian cancer is often called the silent killer because the symptoms mimic so many other diseases that it is sometimes misdiagnosed and the cancer isn’t found until it is in late stage.

I urge all of you amazing ladies out there to learn the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer. Know your body and if you suspect anything is wrong, please see your doctor as soon as possible!

From the T.E.A.L. website: Tell Every Amazing Lady About Ovarian Cancer Louisa M. McGregor Ovarian Cancer Foundation’s mission is to promote public awareness and education of the signs, symptoms and risk factors of Ovarian Cancer, while providing support to survivors and raising funds for research in order to find the cure for Ovarian Cancer.

Please visit their website to find out more about Tell Every Amazing Lady.