Read more about the article An Overnight Stay at Callaway Gardens – Pine Mountain, GA

An Overnight Stay at Callaway Gardens – Pine Mountain, GA

One of my favorite getaways is Callaway Gardens. People sometimes laugh when they hear this as it’s only 90 minutes from Atlanta. However, in the mid-1970’s and early 80’s my parents took me there (over 600 miles from my hometown of Shreveport, LA) for a one-week vacation every summer for many years. I loved it because they offered a day-camp for kids led by Florida State University (FSU) students. The students also participated in the FSU Flying High Circus which performed during the summers. My parents joined planned activities for adults including water skiing, sailing, a trip to near-by Warm Springs, fishing, tennis and golf. We stayed in cottages, rode bikes everywhere, made new friends and ate delicious food. It was the southern (and mostly non-Jewish) version of the Catskills resorts in New York. Because it holds many fond memories, I often return for a respite from city life.

A few azaleas remain from the spring.

I needed such a respite last May so I booked a solo overnight trip. However, I didn’t realize how long it had been since I’d visited until I noticed half of the Mountain Creek Inn disappeared. (more…)

Read more about the article Kennesaw Mountain Hike

Kennesaw Mountain Hike

Thing 2 wanted to hike Kennesaw Mountain at sunrise. Since it was right after we’d changed our clocks forward, we thought it would be a great idea. Although we woke up a bit late, we hustled out the door and onto the highway in record time.

The Hike

From the parking lot, the 1-mile trail to the top of Kennesaw Mountain begins to the right of the visitor center. The path is wide and ascends quickly. I hadn’t stretched before taking the trail so I was trying to catch my breath.  Thing 2 was trying to reach the summit by sunrise so we hiked at a fairly fast pace. I should also mention that I was lugging the nicer camera with me, adding to the weight on the trail. Fortunately after one-third of the way to the top, the path flattens out for a short while when it follows an old road bed. Here the width of the trail spans at least 8 feet wide.

The trail begins

The entire trails climbs up the eastern side of the mountain so we had the beginnings of the sunrise at our backs. A hiker with two dogs passed us when the trail steepened again. This time, several stairs appeared. At about two-thirds to the top, a bench with a view of the sunrise met us. We sat down for a while and rested. (more…)

Read more about the article High Museum of Art – Atlanta, GA
Rodin's "The Shade" in front of the High Museum of Art

High Museum of Art – Atlanta, GA

From it’s humble beginnings in 1905, the Atlanta Art Association sought to bring visual art to Atlanta. Renamed the High Museum in 1926, the museum moved into the into the Woodruff Arts Center (formerly called Memorial Arts Building) in 1968, sharing space with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Alliance Theater.

By the early 1980’s, the museum raised enough funds for Richard Meier to build the iconic 4-story, 135,000 square, post-modern building adjacent to the Woodruff Arts Center. Then in 2005, architect Renzo Piano doubled the space by adding three cube-shaped buildings to the museum complex.

Visitors now enter the museum through the Wieland Pavillion. The 85-foot tall lobby also houses a cafe, covered terrace and a gift shop. The original Richard Meier building, (renamed the Stent Family Wing), is accessed via two sky bridges. 

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