I love that this bridge is open to traffic! It is rated for enough weight that my Sprinter van…read morecould cross and the bridge has enough clearance that I could fit in. The Elder Mill Covered Bridge was built in 1897 by Nathaniel Richardson. It is a Town lattice design with the planks connected with wooden pegs. It is one of the few covered bridges in Georgia continuing to carry traffic without underlying steel beams. It is possible to get to the side of the bridge and get some great pictures. I love this bridge! (Note that some of the approach road is only hard packed dirt. I was okay with it but your vehicle may have issues.) [Review 18057 overall - 532 in Georgia - 1578 of 2022.]

I happened to be dining at a restaurant in Watkinsville and noticed they were selling a magnet with…read morea picture of a covered bridge. When I inquired about it, I was surprised to learn that the Elder Mill Covered Bridge was nearby and still functioning as a working bridge. I was delighted to find more information about it on Yelp and decided to take a spontaneous outing to see this historic structure. The bridge is on a back country road. The road narrows as you approach the one-lane bridge. There is no where to pull off the road on this side of the bridge. Slow down to read the signs. There is a five ton weight limit. Your vehicle needs to be able to clear the metal structure before you drive through. It will prevent you from damaging the bridge (and your vehicle). You are supposedly on video surveillance, so don't block the private driveway and don't trespass the private land surrounding the bridge. Once you drive through to the other side, you can pull off on the paved strip on the side of the road. Feel free to get out of your vehicle to read the historic marker and take a few pictures. You can even walk across the bridge if you want to see the internal support beam structure. It is remarkable that this bridge is still in working order considering it was built in 1897. The wooden beams have obviously been updated and maintained to keep the bridge in working order, but there are no steel support beams and it is fastened with wooden pegs also called trunnels (or treenails). It is a work of art and definitely worth the 10 minute visit if you happen to be in the area.

In 1773, the Cherokee Indians conceded to the Colonial Government of Georgia a large tract of…read moreterritory whose western border comprised what is now Madison County. The Georgia Legislature established the county in 1811, combining pieces of Clarke, Elbert, Franklin, Jackson, and Oglethorpe counties. It is the 38th county in the state and was named after James Madison, the nation's fourth president. This is the county seat in Danielsville. The courthouse was erected in 1901 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. It has a cruciform design, comparable to the Twiggs County Courthouse (1902-04) and the Clayton County Courthouse. It was designed by architect J.W. Golucke, whose name appears on dozens of Georgia courthouses, including Baker County, Meriwether County, Schley County, and Worth County, as well as the Fitzpatrick Hotel in Washington and the Secondary Industrial School in Columbus. This is Danielsville's third courthouse, replacing a frame courthouse that had previously replaced a wooden courthouse. The courthouse was renovated in 1983, but a lack of space forced county officials to relocate to a new courthouse in 1996. The roof was restored in 1999-2000, although the structure has remained vacant since 1996. The courthouse square includes a statue of Dr. Crawford Long, who was born in Danielsville in 1815. There's also what appears to be a previous ship-mounted gun with no label, possibly a five-inch. [Review 218 of 2025 - 788 in Georgia - 23782 overall]

Today I was driving through Athens, Georgia when I can across a strange but beautiful sight. It was…read morean old wooden railroad trestle that seemed to suddenly and abruptly stop in a field along Poplar Street. Being the curious soul that I am, I stopped to take a few pictures and marked my location on my GPS so I could use it to create a yelp page later if I found the trestle to be of any historic significance. My hunch was right, it is indeed significant. I discovered this trestle was once part of the CSX railroad system that connected Athens to Atlanta and the world. CSX offered the old decaying rail system to the city, but city officials declined and in the year 2000, CSX began demolition of the old trestle. However, the mayor underestimated just how important this piece of history was not only to Athens, but the music world as well. You see, the 1980's band R.E.M. used this particular trestle as the cover photo for their 1983 album titled Murmur. It was Rolling Stones "Album of the Year". The band was from Athens, GA and the album cover as well as the trestle itself had become iconic to the bands fans around the world. Protests over the demolition of the trestle broke out and forced the city to negotiate with CSX to halt demolition of the structure. Unfortunately much of the trestle had already been destroyed, but thankfully a major portion of it was saved. I hear the city has plans to use it as a tourist attraction, but in the meantime it stands untouched since demolition halted. Still, it is a gorgeous site that presents unique and rustic photo opportunities. You can still see the concrete base for the trestle that once went over Poplar Street. Use the entrance to the North Oconee River Greenway Trail just behind Mama's Boy restaurant (on the corner of Oak and Poplar) to view the remaining concrete pillars where the railroad continued across the Oconee River. R.E.M album cover (front) - http://sleevage.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/5561106c734c1008ba3262ce25a4d915.jpg R.E.M album cover (rear) - http://www.caratulas.com/caratulas/R/rem/rem-murmur-Trasera.jpg R.E.M full album - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8FbkyyuqG0 FINAL THOUGHTS I had a good feeling this structure had to be of some significance and I'm so glad I stopped to investigate. If you are fond of old bridges like I am, Athens has a treasure trove of 1800's covered bridges within a 30 minute drive of this location. It would make a great lazy Sunday afternoon drive! Be sure to bring your camera :-) Covered Bridges within 1/2 hour to 45 minute drive: Elder's Mill Watson Mill Bridge Cromer's Mill Covered Bridge Howard's Covered Bridge Enjoy!

A pleasant experience to view a historical marker in the South that is only tangentially about…read moreCivil War. This one points out the first time that an important medical procedure was done and that's a good thing. The marker is located near the county courthouse and points the way to the birthsite of the famous doctor. The marker has the same text on both sides. It reads, "Dr. Crawford W. Long who first used ether as an anesthetic, in a surgical operation at Jefferson, Ga., March 30, 1842, was born in a house that stands about 1 block from here. Dr. Long, born Nov. 1, 1815, was barely 27 when he performed the famous operation on James Venable to remove a neck tumor. He attended Franklin College (U. of Ga.) obtaining his M.A. at 19. He roomed with "Little Alec" Stephens, future Vice President of the Confederacy. He received his M.D. at University of Pennsylvania in 1839 and moved to Jefferson in 1841. He died June 16, 1878 and is buried in Athens." Dr. Crawford Long studied briefly at Transylvania College in Kentucky before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania, where he was exposed to cutting-edge surgical techniques of the time. He was inspired to experiment with ether after observing its recreational use during student gatherings, where participants seemed impervious to pain. Long didn't publish his findings until 1849, several years after his first ether-assisted surgery, which led to disputes over who first discovered anesthesia. This is marker number 097-2 and it was erected in 1955 by the Georgia Historical Commission. [Review 1375 of 2025 - 859 in Georgia - 24927 overall]

We drove to the Mule Day Festival at Calloway Plantation on a whim and we had a great time. The…read morehome was open for tours and there were lots of craftspeople demonstrating lost arts from years gone by. This suburban girl really enjoyed seeing the mules too!!

While driving Hwy 78 from Athens, GA to Augusta, Ga I was looking for a tourist stop. My GPS found…read moreme the Callaway Plantation. Has 56 Acres of History. Modest cost of $4.00 with a docent to talk about the history of the plantation. Has picnic grounds available so take your time.

The Taylor-Grady House is a beautifully constructed colonial home in Athens and a perfect venue for…read morea ceremony or wedding. I attended the House for a wedding which was hosted outside on the lawn just by the gardens. Following the ceremony, we were able to go inside the house and on the porch for a cocktail hour and proceeded to our tables under tents in the back. There is a nice brick area that serves as a dance floor and plenty of space for tables and food.

Taylor-Grady house is one of the 4 house museums in Athens. If you're new to town or just visiting…read moreit's a wonderful stop on your way to Sanford Stadium.

I was very excited to visit Athens and was happy to see the welcome center to get information and…read moreideas of things to do in Athens while we were there. This is a very helpful and neat place to see. It has a very grassroots down south vibe to it. Very welcoming with old decorations and you can just feel the Georgia history in the place. It is definitely worth visiting while you are in Athens.

This is a very welcoming welcome center. The welcome center is small but quaint and has plenty of…read morefree maps and flyers for all of the events in town. We were greeted by a very pleasant volunteer who talked with us for about 45 minutes. She gave us many tips for the city and our travels outside of the city. The welcome center is also attached to the church waddel brumby house. This house has a lot of history which I don't remember, but the ornate carpeting was very interesting. The parking lot can fit maybe 5 cars maximum. FYI there are free public bathrooms here that you can access from outside.

Beautiful historic building, lots of friendly ladies working the counters, and nary a line in…read moresight, the downtown post office is my shipping location of choice. Today, I needed to send a birthday present to my friend in California and a box of Halloween goodies to a friend serving in the military overseas. The smiling clerk helped me decide on two day shipping for my friend's birthday present (so my gift won't be *too* belated), and she also helped me pack a flat rate box so everything will still be in ship-shape when unpacked in the Middle East. Okay, so you will have to scrounge for a quarter to feed the meter at this location, but the amazingly helpful and efficient staff certainly make up for it! And isn't anything better than that horrid parking lot at Beechwood where the next nearest post office is?

This post office is a joy to visit. I'm serious--the staff is helpful, courteous, knowledgeable,…read moreand friendly. The old building is beautiful, and the line is usually pretty short. Do not risk heartache by going to the Alps location -- go downtown!