Great museum to visit in Clarksville, Ga. It's only $16 and no time limit to visit unless closing…read morehours. I arrived at 10AM and had hours of enjoyment.

Ok so I am reviewing for my husband and son who are car people - they LOVED it. I went around the…read moreantiques mall - they were in the museum for an hour in think. They saw so many cool cars and loved the stories that were shared with them. This museum is a labor of love.

I want to say this has been one of the highlights of my family trip. When your 16 yo his 17 yo best…read morefriend and wife all agree on this fact it says something. As adults we have this tendency to say "if I knew then what I knew now, I'd have paid more attention in school!" Well here's your chance. This tiny aquarium will impart more knowledge in a short visit than you probably take in most months if you take advantage of it. The interns and owner (a former teacher) are committed to answering questions. The things they are studying and sharing are amazing. If you go in and you want to learn and ask questions this will be an experience you won't forget. Think of the best science teacher you ever had, having an opportunity to show the world what she loves to talk about... and that is what you have here. Do yourself a favor, go, enjoy and learn!!

We went awhile back to see Charlotte and were sorely disappointed. Hearing of her death today…read morereminded me I had forgotten to write a review. This location is privately run and not for educational purposes. More like going to a friends house to see their pets. Please consider going to an aquarium run by scientists for educational purposes.

THE TOCCOA HARVEST FESTIVAL!…read more The Toccoa Harvest Festival takes place in downtown Toccoa in Stephens County during the last week of October. It is now in its 40th year. We decided to visit for the first time this year. We headed out before dawn and as the sun came up, we enjoyed the beautiful scenery and change of colors. As per usual, we had planned to get there at least an hour before the start of the actual event which was scheduled to start at 10 am. We actually arrived around 8:30 am and was surprised to see several vendors already set up as well as volunteers providing directions. These small town people don't play! After eating breakfast we set out to view the vendors' wares and to see what was "poppin". My first stop was at the classic car show where I met Kent and his classic blue Chevy truck, (see the photo). `I absolutely love classic vehicles, (especially trucks), so I always have to get the "back story". This truck was purchased approximately four years ago when it was seen on someone's property. Kent had asked about the truck but the man had said that his son was planning on purchasing it. Approximately one month later, Kent saw the truck and stopped by again. At that time he was told that someone else was interested in the car and had stopped by earlier in the day. Kent offered the man cash on the spot and sealed the deal. He then spent the next four years stripping the truck and rebuilding it. All of the work was done in his garage or yard, including the paint. I was blown away to know that he had completed all of the work, (except the welding) himself. He did a phenomenal job because he showed me his book that documented the process. Collectors always have a book to document their restoration process so just ask if you are curious. I really enjoyed talking to this guy! We met another guy who had this sick 1935 International "flower wagon" that was once used to transport flowers to funerals. It too had been totally stripped and restored with a beautiful red interior and custom additions. Incredible! I could have spent hours here but I needed to explore more. There were a variety of vendors selling a variety of items such as candles, holiday décor, homemade soaps, jewelry, toys, hair accessories, art leather goods and more. I ran into my favorite jewelry vendor who I tend to purchase sets from exclusively. She didn't have anything that I don't already own so I ordered a custom piece that I will pick up at the next festival, because we just tend to run in the same circles. I must confess that I am getting a great deal because I am a repeat customer and she wants a pound cake! She is one of the few vendors who actually uses sterling silver and genuine stones while the others will just tell you that those materials are too expensive. I also like her because she does the larger adjustable statements pieces with matching earrings. Enough about my favorites! They had a Christian choir singing in the square, an activity area for children, full service restrooms that didn't include a porta-potty, great food options including Lobster, Mongolian Beef and Thai, carriage rides, baked goods, and probably some things that I just did not get to see. It was a beautiful day for the festival and it all started with a beautiful drive up from Alpharetta and ended with a visit to see the falls. When you visit the festivals, take time to see the landmarks visit the local vendors and spend time in the community. Your visit is always appreciated! By the way, if you like the frequent sound of trains running through a small town, Toccoa is your kind of town!

Camp Toccoa at Currahee is the famous training area from the Stephen Ambrose book and 1st few…read moreepisodes of the HBO miniseries The Band of Brothers. The camp was used for more training post WW2 but that is the reason it is still a museum. From what I gathered, the camp is only open for 5 or 6 hours per day on weekends so you will need to plan accordingly. The camp consists of a large transport plane then several barracks. Some of the barracks are set up like they would have been in 1943, 1 is now set up to hold events and 1 was a museum/gift shop. The museum has a lot of artifacts from the guys that were here during that time. While I was in the museum a few different people came in all sweaty from running the Col. Robert Sink Memorial Trail. "3 miles up, 3 miles down". This was very famous part of the book/series, so I had to do it! Problem was it was 98 degrees, I am 50, and I am fat. Luckily you can drive it. Definitely worth going up the mountain to see the views and get an idea of what these men ran daily in combat boots and sometimes full gear. Such a cool experience and don't forget to go to the Currahee Military Museum back in town.

This is the military training ground depicted in the book and TV series Band of Brothers, and you…read morecan still see and enjoy a lot of the original camp here! It was used for various purposes after the war and gradually decreased in size and footprint until nearly totally abandoned, but in recent years they have been working to restore a portion of the camp to a near-original status. There are a couple barracks standing - one made from the original materials (if my memory serves me, they dissassembled one that was standing somewhere nearby and rebuilt it here) and one building that is made from hard materials and thus still stands. They moved their Douglass C-47 from the museum to this site so you can also see that. The Camp is gated off, but there is a sign with a phone number on the gate which you can call and someone will come let you in. They are in the process of doing a lot of renovation work on the camp and I believe they hope to have it as a functioning extension of the museum in coming years. The other neat thing about this area is you can drive around and see other old parts of the camp. There are old fire hydrants, old concrete pads, and other paraphenalia sitting all around the original camp footprint.

STEPHEN'S COUNTY WELCOME CENTER!…read more When visiting the town of Toccoa, don't forget to stop by the Stephen's County Welcome Center which is located in the historic depot along with the Currahee Military Museum and gift shop. You will enter through the museum entrance which is the very first door on the left. The center is well stocked with useful information for the immediate area and beyond, (state of GA). When we visited, it was staffed by two men who were very helpful in providing information and directions. If you start here, you can use their really nice restrooms before starting out on your journey. ***I noticed that the center had souvenir items for the museum but none for the town. This was certainly a missed opportunity, especially during festival weekend.

It is a small quaint hang out. The music was good. Indoor and outdoor. Don't forget your picnic…read morebasket. PeacedbyAlise

Our group visited Toccoa for a day during the holidays for the museum/historical aspect and decided…read morewe'd stop by the winery on our way out of town since most of the group enjoys alcohol! The location is beautiful, and I think we'd have loved it more if the weather had been sunny/not rainy/warm, but with that said it was still a beautiful hillside (nice view of the mountain too). The setup is a little weird; it felt like the wine shop was set up in someone's garage and not really a legitimate wine shop. Their indoor seating was a little bit awkward and having a place for larger groups like ours to sit for a full tasting would've been appreciated. As it was, we had to crowd around a small bar table. The staff were friendly though, so overall it was quite a nice experience considering this is in somewhat rural Georgia. The bathroom setup is weird... again, didn't feel like I expected a winery to feel because the bathrooms are in a true 'outhouse' but they were clean. So that's just my personal preference. If the environment had been better suited to cold/rainy weather and had better seating options, we probably would've stayed longer. Not a bad place to stop though!

In February of 2017 I hosted a Yelp hiking event to Panther Creek Falls and nearby Toccoa Falls…read more After the hike we stopped @ Shirley's Soul Food in Historic Downtown Toccoa, Georgia for a bite to eat. Ms. Shirley is a wonderful soul dripping with love for her community and customers. It was a later Saturday afternoon after restaurant hours, but thankfully I called her a few weeks prior and she agreed to keep the lights on until we arrived. During our dinner, Ms. Shirley sat with us and talked a little about her mission to help others and a little about the town. It was during that conversation I first discovered legendary singer James Brown started his music career right here in Toccoa, Georgia. That tidbit of information has stuck with me for several years and this year (2022) I decided I would highlight Toccoa in my Black History Review Series. I honestly thought it would be an easy research topic, but it was very difficult to find information about his time here in Toccoa. The city website and visitor video doesn't mention it. No brochure about the town mentioned it and even after touring the History Museum @ the old train station, I only found two pictures with captions mentioning James. The majority of photos & articles on this small display focused on Bobby Byrd, the founder of the Famous Flames to which James was a member. [ JAMES BROWN'S TOCCOA YEARS ] James Joseph Brown was born in Augusta, Georgia May 3, 1933 and left a musical legacy that earned him the titles: "Godfather of Soul", "Mr. Dynamite", and "Soul Brother No. 1". His lyrics & beats were so ahead of their time that it has made him the most sampled artist in music history. It is said other artists have borrowed from his songs more than 7,400 times. So you might understand why I was so COMPLETELY BAFFLED to find little to no information about him anywhere in Toccoa. People younger than 30 that I came across while visiting didn't seem to think he'd ever been to Toccoa when I asked, and only half those over 50 knew of his time here. One lady told me he was a janitor at the local school while another said he mopped floors at a car dealership. So for those of you hungry for information, here is what my research has told me: Bobby Byrd was a member of the 1952 group known as the Gospel Starlighters, who changed their name twice in a 3 year period before settling on "The Famous Flames" in 1955. James Brown joined the group in 1954. He met Bryd while he served time on robbery charges at a youth detention center in Toccoa. He'd already started his own band while in detention. Byrd was around 18 and Brown around 19. James was initially a drummer in the band after his release for good behavior, but soon became lead singer. Their first professional release with James singing lead was "Please, Please, Please" in 1956. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vruy2GRUsV8 Some of James Browns famous dance moves are said to be a reflection of what he saw preachers doing as he grew up going to church, especially when falling down to his knees. Writer James McBride said: "At the time, he was so funky and so hot and so good, and he danced so well... He was like watching a preacher preach without having to get saved to Jesus." AUDIO on James Brown's life (including Toccoa): https://www.krwg.org/arts-life/2016-04-19/the-lonely-side-of-james-brown [ HISTORIC TOCCOA ] Toccoa feels a lot like the town little Forrest Gump used to run through as a child in the movie. It has a very old southern charm and many of the buildings have historic markers on them telling you a little about their past. There is a beautiful old courthouse, an abandoned RC Cola bottling building, a trestle bridge, gorgeous 180' waterfall on the grounds of Toccoa College and a 1939 era Ritz Theatre still hosting live performances. Speaking of performances, on April 18-19 of 2022, The Mulligan Movie (filmed in Toccoa) will premier @ the Ritz theater: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxxbjZ3PTvQ [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] Toccoa has a lot going for it, especially it's quiet charm and friendly people, but I would be remiss if I didn't express my DEEP DEEP DISAPPOINMENT for their lack of attention to James Brown's musical beginnings here AND that his first wife Velma Warren and children remained here all these years until recently. Seems like a crime of historic proportions to not have more attention given to their part of his legacy, but for some reason they almost treat it as a secret. It could be a destination town if you are a hiker, historian, kayaker or visit during one of their many special events throughout the year. 4 stars overall for historical value minus a star for omitting one of their brightest stars. Be sure to have a meal @ Shirley's Soul Food. If you're lucky and she's not busy, maybe she can share a story or two with you! 2022 / 42 #BlackHistorySeries2022

This is a really pretty space with beautiful gardens, a few places to sit, and historic buildings…read moreincluding: - A one-room cabin built around 1820 - A millinery shop with vintage hats - A historic house museum built around 1880 They also have a free parking lot adjacent to the property. We came at 11am on a Wednesday and hoped to see the museum, but they were not open unfortunately (even though website said they should've been). I'd recommend calling in advance to confirm open hours for this reason.

Really cool museum that features an historic cabin, a millinery and boasts the oldest wood building…read morein Clarkesville. Very charming and great for a nice walk through. Guided tours are available.