Entertaining my son, daughter and granddaughter during their summer visit from Thomasville, we found much to see at little cost. Two trips to Talking Rock’s beautiful creek-side park gave my granddaughter (13) a chance to wade in a creek, which she loved. The park is adjacent to a seldom-used railroad track and the town has a brewery restaurant among its few but endearing attractions.
I am not too far from the truth when I say that South Georgia might just as well be the dark side of the moon so far as most Atlanta-area residents are concerned. About 90% of the row crops in Georgia are produced in the southwestern section around Albany. Yet much of the region is without broadband and infrastructure consists mostly of the four lanes that transport travelers effortlessly through the region, no more aware of their surroundings than if they had flown over. This is, I feel, a tragedy. Agriculture is the largest industry in the state and tourism is second. The potential-as Thomasville has demonstrated-is great for revitalization using the leverage of tourism to bolster local economies. Frequently, the downtown districts are ghost towns (Cordele, Lumpkin, Americus are examples struggling to keep their main streets alive). Still, it is worth driving through the region to see what has (often remarkably) survived. And the open spaces are a welcome change from the unmanaged woods that have replaced so many farms in north Georgia, blocking the once pastoral view from our many “rural” subdivisions. Take a drive south and avoid the crowds and traffic.
Thomasville is a busy area with some great restaurants and shops downtown. Sweet Grass dairy has a store offering some of their great cheeses, etc.
William,
Thanks for reading. Great store and products! So many reasons to visit Thomasville- my old home town.
Joe
Thoroughly enjoyed the trip down south, Dr. Joe. I has been years since I’ve driven to Thomasville and I didn’t know the richness of the history back then. Thanks for enlightening me!
Peggy,
Thanks for reading. My drive home-normally a four hour drive-took EIGHT hours. The backup on I-75 began near Forsyth and continued through Atlanta and up I-75 and I-575 as far as Woodstock. Atlanta is like a wall separating Georgia into north and south. And the bypasses are truck funnels.
Joe