The Appalachian Trail Turns 75

Plaque Marking the Southern Terminus of the AT on Springer Mountain (via Jeff McMichael)

Today marks the 75th anniversary of the Appalachian Trail, the 2,184 mile foot path running through 14 states along a route connecting Springer Mountain, Georgia to  Mount Katahdin in Maine.   

The brainchild of naturalist Benton MacKaye, the white flashes on the trail guide through hikers who traverse the entire length of the trail as part of a six month trek.  For the rest of us, many portions of the trail are easily accessible for day hikes and weekend excursions.

Fall View of the AT Near the Trailhead at Woody Gap near Suches, Georgia

Georgians can enjoy the 75 miles of the trail in our state via park-and-walk access from several major roads.  Weekends are a busy time on the trail, so try to slip away on a weekday when you can.  Thanks to the members of the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club for their work maintaining the trail and its environs.

T-SPLOST Vote Critical for Atlanta

Tuesday's vote on the Regional Transportation Referendum for North Georgia is critical to the continued prosperity of all residents of the greater Atlanta area and our standing as a Global City.

I think Ted Turner summed it all up this morning in the AJC:

..as Atlanta has grown, traffic congestion and too few transportation options have made Atlanta less appealing. As a result, too many businesses choose to locate in cities where getting around is not such a challenge. Funding a fair mix of road, transit, and other transportation projects will address this challenge, and help us build the city we want for us and for our children.

It is easy to shoot down big ideas. But small ideas aren’t the Atlanta way. They didn’t make us the capital of the South and they won’t lead us into a healthy and prosperous future.

Atlanta has to start somewhere and it doesn’t have time to waste. I’ll be voting “yes” Tuesday. If Atlanta isn’t moving forward, we are being left behind.

Please join me in voting yes for the initiative and investing in the future.

The History Around Us

Photo via Chad Elkins

Every year during the Inman Park Festival I pin one or two visitors to the neighborhood stumbling upon a monument and discovering that the very spot where they are buying their funnel cake was once a battleground.  

I have the opposite affliction.  I am the guy who will drive blindly down a dirt road in pursuit of a historic marker dotting a state map.

Before reconnecting with my college buddy Crain Swain on Facebook, I did not realize that there was a name for my obsession - Marker Hunter.  Craig and his compatriots at the Historic Marker Database have amassed an amazing Wikipedia-style catalog of thousands of historic markers, plaques and memorials all around the world.  

This is a must visit site for history geeks, travelers, and family truckster adventurers of all stripes.

HMdb uses Google Maps for directions and search results, making it a snap to find monuments like the James J. Andrews marker tucked away in an obscure block of Midtown Atlanta.  Andrews (the Jimmy Doolittle of the Civil War) was executed near 3rd Street 150 years ago for his exploits in the The Great Locomotive Chase.

Atlanta is chock full of markers, but the HMdb site is foremost a key to finding hidden treasures in lost or forgotten places.  The hunt is what brings history to life!