I had never attended any kind of anime, science fiction, or comic convention before, and when presented with the chance to go to Dragon Con over Labor Day weekend in 2016, I jumped. And I loved every minute of it. I met a few actors whom I loved (Trace Beaulieu and Frank Conniff from Mystery Science Theater 3000 (currently touring and writing as The Mads (https://www.themadsareback.com/), as well as enjoying the incredible cosplay from nearly everyone, and doing some shopping.
Dragon Con is held in Atlanta every Labor Day weekend for four days and it’s a nerd paradise. There are multiple venues from which to buy t-shirts, journals, sketch books, comics, fanzines, or accessories. There are celebrity panels and photo ops, and discussion tracks for nearly everyone. One of my favorites from 2019 was a panel which included a nuclear scientist discussing HBO’s magnificent Chernobyl miniseries.
Information regarding tickets, hotels, and guests can be found here: https://www.dragoncon.org/. I’m finishing this post with a metric ton of pics that I took in 2016 and 2019. Hope to see you there in 2022!
(I was cosplaying as Donna Noble from Doctor Who, 2019)Awesome “Witches” cosplay, 2019(Found K-9 among many other Doctor Who cosplayers!)Pyramid head, 2019Even the Batmobile gets stuck on the Downtown Connector, 2019We all float down here, 2019Say his name three times…I hear he’s got a new Book out…
From May through October, you’ll typically find a lot of local farmer’s markets open. Watch Anthony Bourdain. The first thing he does in any country he finds himself is to visit the always thriving farmers market. If it is real farmers who run the place, it is your best choice for fresh, local, variety and inexpensive food.
Tomatoes, peppers, and corn – summer staples
I’ve written here before about Flowery Branch, which has its own farmer’s market on Thursdays at the City Hall lawn area (https://flowerybranchfarmersmarket.com/)
As with anything, there are pros and cons to shopping at farmer’s markets. Some of the cons include the fact that they may only be open for limited hours (Flowery Branch’s, for example, is only open on Thursdays) and they’re also not open year-round. Any outdoor market will be affected by inclement weather. Like other food venues, not all produce available is organic. Be sure to ask the growers before buying.
The pros of farmer’s markets include really fresh food, and produce that’s been harvested a day or so before it’s sold. You can also find rare varieties of food such as heirloom tomatoes that you might not find at a grocery store. One of the biggest pros is that most of the money you spend at a farmer’s market stays in the local economy and directly helps farmers and small business owners. The social aspect of the farmer’s market is one of my favorite things about them; got questions? Ask a vendor.
If you’re in Georgia, be sure to check out Northeast Georgia Locally Grown, a market in Gainesville near Brenau University; Jaemor Farms in Alto, Brookhaven Farmers Market in metro Atlanta, as well as The Cumming Harvest in Cumming, Georgia.
With school out for the summer, if you’re looking for a fun science activity for your kids, bring them to the Tellus Science Museum this weekend, June 12 and 13, for the 30th annual Rock Fest.
This rock fest doesn’t involve Ozzy Osbourne, but rather gems and minerals. There’s even a giveaway for a genuine amethyst. The kids can learn basic tool making skills from an Emory anthropology student, and you can purchase a geode and have it cracked open to see what’s inside.
Local dealers will also be there, including Amber America, Ken Dodd, and Eagle Sportz. Admission is $15.95 plus tax. The Tellus Cafe will offer food and drinks to hungry guests.
The Tellus museum itself is well worth the price of admission, with exhibits including a massive T. rex skeleton and other fossils, the Solar House, and the Weinman Mineral Gallery, which includes gems, gold, and exhibits where the kids can learn about plate tectonics.
With the changing seasons, it’s time to get outside and enjoy the sunny, warm weather that Georgia has from May through October.
There are many choices when it comes to finding plants for your garden including The Home Depot, Lowe’s or local nurseries like Pike’s(https://www.pikenursery.com/) which has locations throughout Georgia. Apartment living calls for container gardens or even some hanging plants, such as air plants while homes can get more in-depth with landscaping including sodding, planting bushes or trees, and decorating with flowering plants or even antique farming equipment.
Be sure to visit some of Georgia’s most beautiful gardens, including the Atlanta Botanical Garden (which has two locations, one in metro Atlanta and one in Gainesville), Callaway Gardens, and Gibbs Gardens in Ball Ground.
Nestled at White Street Park (not too far away from the Suwanee Greenway) is the Harvest Farm, a community garden overflowing with plants, flowers, shrubs, and vegetables.
It’s a great place to spend a lazy summer afternoon amidst butterflies and flowers.
Harvest Farm shows the city’s commitment to green living. Seventy-six (76) plots are apportioned on a first-come, first-serve basis, with obvious priority given to Suwanee residents. There are three sizes (small, medium, and large) available and you can grow whatever you choose. My visit in summer 2019 allowed me to enjoy butterfly gardens with bright flowers as well as vegetable gardens with tomatoes, peppers, and cabbages.
This photo shows some crepe myrtle and coneflowers.
There are also some whimsical garden design ideas, including use of teacups:
A few gardeners have used ladders to help their sunflowers, as well as other statues and orbs. There’s also a Little Free Library at the park, so feel free to pick up a book and find a spot to sit and read. There is also a fully-functional orchard, the first of its kind in the Southeast, at the park.
Pike Nurseries, with locations throughout Georgia, can help with getting the best plants or flowers for your garden.
“To see a world in a grain of sand, and heaven in a wild flower; Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour.” – William Blake
On the shores of Lake Rabun, Minnehaha Falls is a nice easy hike best taken in the spring or early fall.
To get to the falls, you’ll hike a wooden staircase right off Bear Gap road (which is unpaved). Limited and free parking is available off the trailhead near this road. Rhododendron covers the landscape. The trail itself is only 0.4 miles, which makes it an extremely easy hike for beginners. Another plus is that it’s dog friendly.
Muse Farm is a refurbished barn/indoor entertaining area in Bremen, Georgia, not too far from the Alabama state line. It’s perfect for any kind of event, including family reunions, wedding receptions, anniversary parties, or graduation parties.
Its decor is rustic chic inside with plenty of antiques strewn about artistically and pure country outside, with rolling hills and some local farm animals (mostly horses) that make for excellent photography. There’s even an antique truck outside that can be used as a prop.
There are Mason jar chandeliers and a seat made from the back of a truck bed:
There’s also a pool table in an adjacent room from the main dining area as well as a grill outside, for those who want to enjoy the sunny weather in spring or summer as well as the cooler fall air in Georgia.
Gainesville, Georgia, is the county seat of Hall County in northeastern Georgia. As of 2019, it had a population of about 43,000 people. It earned the nickname “Poultry Capital of the World” due to its many industrial farms (Fieldale Farms is one) and poultry processing factories.
Originally named Mule Camp Springs in the early 1800s by settlers. It retained that name until 1821, three years after the organization of Hall County in 1818. Its namesake is Edmund Gaines, a hero of the War of 1812 as well as a road builder and military surveyor.
Gainesville, like many towns in the US, has a Main Street, which in this case occupies a square section of the downtown area with shops and restaurants surrounding a small park.
Inman Perk Coffee is a great local business, with delicious blends of coffee, served hot or cold. They also have a good selection of breakfast pastries including cinnamon rolls. Lunch or dinner can come from Sliced, a New York-style pizzeria, with mouthwatering garlic knots and a tasty Greek salad. Trying to eat healthy? Check out Barkin’ Brews, an organic smoothie and coffee shop that’s dog-friendly.
Gainesville is about an hour north of metro Atlanta, and an hour south of Unicoi State Park, Anna Ruby Falls, and the town of Alpine Helen. Accessibility to Lake Lanier is provided through many small parks (some of which are no more than boat ramps) such as Van Pugh North Park.
On a cloudy Sunday, two of my friends and I met at Old Mill Park for an afternoon hike. It turned into one of the best days since this pandemic started.
Old Mill Park is located off GA 400 in Roswell, Georgia, about 20-30 minutes from Atlanta. The photo above is of the pedestrian bridge that connects the 4.7 mile trail to the ruins of the old Roswell Manufacturing Company Mills. It’s a very popular spot for photographers; we saw a few senior class photos, some engagement shoots and family portraits, and a bride in her wedding gown this afternoon.
Part of the area near the pedestrian bridge is paved, and is a haven for families and dog walkers. There’s also a Little Free Library there, so feel free donate any used books that you want to part with. The spillway near the Roswell dam was open, and water gushed into Vickery Creek, creating brownish-colored rapids and some waterfalls. The paved walking area also features remnants of the old millworks, which are surprisingly well preserved.
The hike in the woods was relatively uneventful. My friend had some retractable walking/hiking poles, which are recommended since the trail is relatively flat but does have some wooden and rocky areas the further you do into the forest. Fall color was barely touching the trees; some gold and red, but mostly green for now. I’d also recommend a decent pair of hiking boots or sneakers, like the ones Adidas makes. Sneakers will work, but the Georgian red clay that covers the forest floor was slippery.
We did see a white-tailed deer and other hikers with dogs, as well as a trail runner. We also sang Broadway show tunes, thanks to my friend’s playlist. After we completed 3.5 miles, we decided to head back to our cars and look for food. We discovered a great little Cuban restaurant called Lazaro’s Cuban Cuisine and were entertained by our waitress, Barbara. She was really friendly and funny; we had a fried yucca appetizer and Bohemia beer along with water. They have indoor and outdoor seating, which helped since I had brought my husky, Emma, with me on the hike.
The food was amazing. I had a spicy shrimp creole dish with a tomato-based sauce along with plantains and black beans and rice. We had flan, guava pastries, and tres leches cake for dessert. All in all, for a day that I could have spent indoors with Netflix or books, it was great to get outside and enjoy spending time with my friends and with nature.
Ever taken a walk in the woods where the only sounds were your breathing and the crunching of leaves underneath your feet? That describes Sunday, when I took my trusty husky, Emma, out for a walk at Chicopee Woods in Flowery Branch, right off Atlanta Highway.
View from the Dodd Trail, Chicopee Woods Trail System
The sun was high and fall was barely in the air, with only a few trees showing gold and red colors. All trails are marked, and there are three: the easiest is the paved Geiger Trail, which leads directly from the Nature Center. It’s perfect for parents, as there are signs with illustrations from a children’s book along the trail.
The trail we took is the Dodd Loop, which is 0.64 miles and marked red on the trail map system. It winds through Walnut Creek Valley and there are a couple of places with stones steps that take you to the water’s edge.
The longest trail is the Bridge Loop, which is nearly 3 miles and marked green. It’s a moderately hard trail that’s accessed from the Elachee Visitor Center parking lot and travels through Piedmont forest. There are five bridged stream crossings on the trail, including a 140-foot-long suspension bridge.
Walnut Creek, Chicopee Woods Trail System
You can download and use the Avenza Maps app to see your location on the trails by using their GeoPDF map on your device. You can also use US Topo Maps (get the app here: https://amzn.to/31Sb21h).
If you’re interesting in learning more about Georgia hikes, pick up this guidebook (https://amzn.to/2Tmnm5a) by Tim Homan.
