Great for engagement shoots as a photographer here in ATLANTA of over 20 years! You won't be…read moredisappointed

I love Whittier Mill Park! On the site of a former mill, this hidden gem includes a huge field…read moregreat for kite flying, dog running, or whatever strikes your fancy. There are two structures on the grounds that are all that is left of the mill. These are great for photo shoots. Finally, there is a shaded playground with a lot of new equipment, as well as a bocce court. Oh yeah, the neighborhood association also hosts a Parktoberfest there that had great beers last year! I'm looking forward to going again.

George Washington Carver State Park is known as the first "Georgia State Park for Negroes." It was…read morethe brainchild of John Lloyd Atkinson Sr. who was inspired to build a private black resort in the same fashion that Florida's first black millionaire (Abraham Lincoln Lewis) built the "Negro Ocean Playground" near Amelia Island. FL. Jim Crow Laws made access to recreation difficult, even at state parks. It was by great effort men like these risked even their own finances to create "A place for recreation & relaxation without humiliation." Atkinson began building a home in 1941, but soon began to experience resistance from neighbors. You see, this property was located in a "whites only" subdivision and eventually became a 1942 Georgia Supreme Court case which debated the legitimacy of land being sold to a black man in such a residential development. The court battle delayed Atkinsons build for two years. During that time he joined the US Air Force and became a Tuskegee Airman [insert salute here]. He returned in 1943 and immediately began his quest to create a safe space for blacks to relax & enjoy. He was unsuccessful for 5 years until the 'New Deal' breathed life into funding black state park facilities, allowing Atkinson the lease of 345 acres of land through the U.S. Army Corps and secured a permit to create a beach. Atkinson served as the 1st superintendent of the newly founded State Park from 1950-58 and subsequently was the first Black Park Superintendent in Georgia. He and his family did much of the physical labor needed to realize his vision of a resort by hauling sand in his family pickup truck, spreading it to create the shorelines of the beach and built boat ramps, a clubhouse, concession stand, fishing docks and a playground. He believed heavily in instilling leadership skills & helped established a Girl Scout Camp called Pine Acres that became home to Atlanta's 1st African American Girl Scout troop. * * * FUN FACT - The park was part of what was called THE CHITLIN' CIRCUIT, where well-known entertainers such as Ray Charles & Little Richard performed in similar Southern locations. Other notables such as Coretta Scott King used the facilities for church outings while Rev. Andrew Jackson Young Jr. learned to water ski. It was the summer home to the St. John's Ski Bees, the only black water ski club in Georgia & where the honorable Justice Robert Benham spent his youth swimming and serving as a lifeguard with his brothers. Benham's father, Clarence, became the 2nd superintendent serving from 1959-1962. Budget cuts eliminated GWC Park from the state park system and in 1975 it became Bartow-Carver Park. However, in 2017 the park returned to its original name under new management by the Cartersville-Bartow County Convention & Visitors Bureau. source: https://evhsonline.org/archives/47346 * * * [ THE EXPERIENCE ] I arrived at the park on a windy January afternoon. The first gate to the park was open, but it felt eerily deserted, like a movie scene years after a major catastrophe. I wasn't sure if I should proceed, but I had come so far & nothing was saying "keep-out". The second gate to the parking area was closed, so I parked just in front of it and walked about 100 yards to the beach. I encountered a monument sign that told of the parks history. It noted the American Red Cross trained black lifeguards here + taught hundreds of black children to swim. Black motorcycle clubs of WWII veterans often met and swapped war stories at the concession stand known as THE CANTEEN, which also rented bathing suits, sold bait & offered boat rides to view the dam. I sat on the beach for a while, reaching down to grab a handful of sand. I held it up and acknowledge the sacrifices of those who worked so hard to create this space. In the distance I kept hearing the banging of the "Canteen" screened door. I walked onto a porch lined with rocking chairs and tested the door. It was open. Inside the concession area felt like a scene from the Walking Dead and I paused to wonder a silly thought: What if zombies actually existed? It would be the perfect spot for an ambush! Left of the concession was a large room where a portion of the ceiling had collapsed, again making me wonder if I should be here. Right led to some restrooms & small offices, all of which looked abandoned. I took a moment to photograph the pictures on the walls before bowing & leaving. I felt the weight of its hallowed halls as my heart filled with honor. * * * [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] I returned to my car, stopping to soak in the energy of all the souls who have come here seeking peace and relaxation from a world far crueler than I would ever experience in my lifetime. I hope each of them found joy when joy was scarcely available. 2021 / 18

Mountain Park is a city within a city. It is a city that borders Roswell and Cherokee county with a…read moretotal area of 0.5 square miles with a population of about 550 people. It is zones to be a wildlife refuge so no commercial or businesses are allowed in the city limits. I found this charming little place when I google Little Free Library. It said to turn on Wiley Bridge Road which is off of Highway 92 towards Roswell. I thought...oh it must be just right off of there...but as it took me further into the woods I had the distinct feeling of being trapped in a Stephen King's novel...Misery....came to mind...getting lost in the woods...it's getting dark...running out of gas...etc....as my imagination ran wild for a moment...something caught my attention. Something glisten to my left. It was the reflection of the morning sun dancing upon the surface of Lake Garrett and I realized I was going to be saved.... As I parked my car by city hall the most most beautiful Australian shepherd came running across the field. Her majestic fur flying in the wind likes jewels for the sky. Following behind her was a warm charming couple who said hello to me and begin chatting with me as if they've known me all of my life....the city hall itself like the town is small but full of character. It's probably about 800 sq. feet or so and looks like a cabin that Henry David Thoreau lived in. There is a little side porch with some comfortable wicker furniture and of course a sweet little free library filled with rather intellectual books...impressive...As I got out and walked around a bit I notice how friendly everybody was....People were waving at me and saying hello as they walked by....it was surreal and lovely. Now I want to move here....wonder how they feel about free range cats...

Location: East Main Street and Arnold Mill Rd in downtown Woodstock…read more Parking: can be a challenge when there are events going on. But luckily there is a trolley and a shuttle bus when there is a concert going on. Check the city's website http://www.woodstockga.gov/90/Special-Events This charming place located in the center of downtown Woodstock features a gazebo, a water fountain, a war memorial tribute as well as a 9/11 memorial. There is also a time capsule as well as a centennial clock. Towards the front there are two drinkable water fountains for public use. This area is very family friendly as it is close to all the shops and restaurants in the downtown area. It's well maintained and gets lots of use on the weekend...hope you'll stop by and check it out.

Cute park for families and walkers in center of town…read more They had a gazebo, an outdoor amphitheater nearby, benches and garden areas and a huge guitar for playing with. We headed downtown and hung out here on black Friday while shopping downtown in the 70 ish degree balmy weather. Why wife and I took total advantage of the non northern-like warm weather and took a nice stroll through here. Very relaxing and rather nice... it was actually quiet and I wouldn't imagine it could be so quaint and quiet being in the center of town, however, really it was nice... Well maintained grounds, kept up well, very clean, no littering, and full of beautiful Christmas decorations and lighting. It seemed excellent backdrop for an impromptu holiday photo session, so we took advantage and took selfies with the pretty background seasonal decorations.

Though its theme is a nod to Cobb's history in flight, Aviation Park features modern amenities. The…read more3-acre green-space, once an under utilized & vacant lot, now proudly features a playground showcasing a rubber mock runway under a Corocord airplane structure, which consists of a rope and cable climbing system. Also available for public use are a covered pavilion for picnicking, with a roof mimicking a plane's outline, a well lit parking lot, and restroom facilities housed in a building to constructed to mirror the air traffic control tower at the airport. Spinner bowls mimic the light placement along a typical runway, as well as standard, toddler and basket swings for ADA accessibility. Finally, the state-of-the-art, aviation-themed playground is enhanced with an ICON climbing structure, offering park visitors the perfect fusion of mental & physical gameplay with the S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) integrate activity center. Perhaps most notably though, is the picturesque, authentic flying machine! The installation of a restored & refurbished 1964 Beechcraft A-23 Musketeer airplane at Aviation Park is awe inspiring. Several partners contributed to making this project a reality. The plane was donated to the Alliance by Hawthorne Aviation, then restored by DLK Aviation Incorporated. Engineering, design, and installation was provided by DeNyse; other partners include Fly LBI, Priority Jet, and Brahma Marketing. The custom tail number for the plane is "N20RYY" which is consistent with industry standards for naming similar planes. The prefix, "N", stands for its country of origin which, in this case, is the United States of America. Typically followed by numbers, the number "20" was selected to commemorate the year of installation. Lastly, the final letters, "RYY", reflect the three-letter airport code for Cobb County International Airport.ye

This is very small park close to the city. Very good for kids and this park have a multiple play…read morestuff for kids. Like swing, climbers. But they don't have any slide. While sitting under the shade area we can find lots of birds chirp. It's so nice to hear it. The park has restroom and bikes that u can rent. It also has a grill that u find in parks.

This park has a great track for runners/walkers! Next to the park there is a playground and…read morepickleball courts with parking behind the civic center.

This is a great Cobb County Park located right behind the Civic Center and the baseball diamond and…read moreaquatic center off of S Marietta Parkway. It is kept clean people play baseball kids play soccer and there's a nice little hidden playground on there also. I appreciate having a great park with the track to run a little! Yea Cobb county!

An absolute oasis. So peaceful, and truly shows the beauty of the Atlanta trees up close and…read morepersonal. Sitting areas, and walking path make this a perfect spot to contemplate life Met Pauline Drake, who gave us the great history of this park in honor of her mother Jennie.

This is a wonderful park. It is dutifully maintained by the neighborhood and upkept really well…read more This is a small park that has a trail going into it. It has sitting areas, and the trail is maybe a mile or two long. It doesn't really have a specific parking area, so you have to kind of park on the street. The entrances are nice, there are two. There are small box gardens strewn throughout and trash cans at either end of the park.

I enjoyed finding this beautiful walking place by the courthouse by the Paulding courthouse I will…read morestart working here every day very peaceful and quiet beautiful landscape and it's free

This park is by the Courthouse in Paulding Co. The park is always clean and welcoming. The only…read moredownside is a small playground. The kids like it but sometimes say they wish there was more 'stuff.' I love to walk the track because it's rarely packed and you have ample space to avoid others when walking or jogging. I also prefer running here because the track is more leveled than a park. There are trash cans throughout the track and the playground and I have yet to see them overflowing.