Like most Americans, I was mortified by the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico this summer. My stomach turned when I viewed the underwater photos of oil gushing from the breached well and I felt helpless, wishing I could help in some way but knowing there probably wasn’t anything I could do. Then, a few weeks ago, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism invited me to visit the area as part of their first ever press tour. Since I had long wanted to check out this part of the country I jumped at the chance, but I was anxious about what I would find, given the devastating images of destroyed marshes and glops of oil floating atop beds of sea grass that had been continuously flashed across the TV screen. To my great delight, I found stunning white sand beaches and crystal clear water. I also found a community that, from the very first day oil showed up on the beaches, made a commitment to tell the truth, believing it would be far better for visitors to be aware of the situation before arriving.

Can’t see the video above? Click HERE to view it in YouTube.

Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are dependent upon tourism and fishing, thus their economies have taken a double whammy during this disaster, since large portions of the Gulf were closed until recently and local fishermen missed the first part of the shrimping season this year. Fortunately, the fishing grounds have now been opened up and the shrimp are being caught in abundance, with no sign of oil contamination. I can attest to the quality of the shrimp, since I did a Forrest Gump during my stay, sampling every variety of shrimp known to man.

Further evidence that the cleanup is working comes from Share the Beach, a local volunteer organization who works with sea turtles. All summer the organization has been moving sea turtle nests from Alabama beaches to Cape Canaveral on the east coast of Florida. After hatching, baby sea turtles immediately head for giant offshore patches of seagrass, where they find shelter and food. Until very recently these seagrass beds were thought to be too contaminated for the young turtles, however the Fish and Wildlife service has now opined that it is now safe for new hatchlings to be released into the Gulf.

The ongoing cleanup will employ special machines that excavate and sift through beach sand up to two feet deep, removing any remaining tarballs or oil residue, with the U.S. Government’s Deepwater Horizon Response effort monitoring and assisting with every step of the process. I left Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, delighted by the fact that I could help in some small way after all. I could spread the message out that it is safe to go in the water, to play on the beach, and to eat the shrimp along Alabama’s Gulf Coast.

Gulf Shores Vacations

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What do you get when you cross a donkey with a zebra? A zedonk, of course! The owners of the non-profit Chestatee Wildlife Preserve near Dahlonega, Georgia got a big surprise recently when their mama donkey gave birth to her mixed breed foal. Since she was born with striped legs and a solid body, they named the baby Pippi Longstockings. The foal has attributes of both donkey and zebra. Though she sports stripes, she is much less skittish than a zebra and seems not to mind all the attention she is getting.

Can’t see the video above? Click HERE to view on YouTube.

Chestatee Wildlife Preserve is a non-profit wildlife animal rescue operation that is set up like a zoo so that visitors can enjoy their residents. The facility is open to the public 7 days a week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children 11 and younger. They accept cash and check only, and unlike many other facilities of its kind, donations and revenues from admissions at Chestatee are devoted to caring for the animals; none of the funds are used for administrative purposes or site maintenance. The Preserve is located in north central Georgia, near the border with North Carolina, near the historic gold mining town of Dahlonega, which is also well worth a visit.

Dahlonega Vacations

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Mesmerizing. From across the gallery, Monet’s 42-foot painting undulated. Soft pink blossoms reflected on the indigo pond, rippling where blue-green lily pads broke the surface. Closer, the illusion of movement was replaced by one of depth. Rosy red lilies floated on water so crystalline it seemed I could see clear to the bottom.

Monet's 42-foot long painting of Water Lilies

Interior courtyard with glass celing

Through August 23, 2009, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta is sponsoring a special exhibition titled Monet Water Lilies, featuring four of Monet’s most spectacular works from the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Highlight of the exhibition is the artist’s painting of water lilies on the pond at his home in Giverney, France. Painted during his later years when his eyesight was failing, Monet readily admitted to being obsessed with the subject of reflections on water; these enormous canvasses are amazing in their ability to draw the viewer into the visual and spiritual essence of the scene.

When visiting Atlanta, the High Museum is a must see, as much for its architecture as the exhibits. The original stunning porcelain-enameled building, designed by Richard Meier, has been named one of the “ten best works of American architecture in the 1980′s” by the American Institute of Architects. Inside, a towering four story atrium is naturally lit by sunlight streaming through a glass roof. Spiral ramps surround the central core, leading up to galleries that display 18th and 19th-century collections near the ground floor and contemporary art on the upper levels. Over the years the museum’s collection continued to grow and eventually more space was needed. The acclaimed Italian architect Renzo Piano was commissioned to design three new buildings, which opened in 2005 and essentially tripled the available display space.

Exterior of the High Museum of Art

Even so, at any given time the 312,000 square foot facility can only display a portion of the museum’s permanent collection, consisting of more than 11,000 pieces and including 19th and 20th century American and decorative art, significant European pieces, modern and contemporary art, photography, African art, and folk art. Additionally, the museum conducts an ongoing program of special displays, such as the current Louvre Atlanta: The Louvre and the Masterpiece, which explores how the definition of a “masterpiece” has changed over time and features 91 works of art, spanning 4,000 years, drawn from all eight of the Museum du Louvre’s collection. Beginning in early October, Leonardo da Vinci: Hand of the Genius will showcase da Vinci’s interest in and influence on sculpture.

Spiral ramp surrounding the interior courtyard

Sculpture hall

Even the exterior courtyard holds fascination. Roy Lichtenstein’s “House III,” a seemingly simple one-walled structure, appears to move as you walk by it, like the eyes of a painting that follow you around a room. But it is pure optical illusion – and fun!

Lichtenstein House in exterior courtyard

At the end of the afternoon I returned to the Monet exhibit for one last look at those peaceful, mesmerizing water lilies. Stepping as close to the painting as possible, I held up my iPhone and snapped a few closeups of the painting, choosing the best one as my phone’s screensaver. Although I had to leave the High Museum of Art, I’ll always carry a bit of Monet’s genius with me.

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“I wonder where that road goes?”

Some insatiable curiosity has always compelled me to take the path less traveled, searching for little known landmarks, attractions, or beautiful vistas that I am certain lie along its route. I simply cannot resist the allure of the unknown. So when I returned from my westbound trek on the Silver Comet Trail the other day and learned that the ruins of an old mill could be seen on the eastern portion of the trail, I knew I could not leave Smyrna, Georgia without investigating further.

The following day I walked east on the Silver Comet, looking for the side path I had been told would lead to the ruins. Perhaps a third of a mile from the Concord Road access I came upon an unmarked narrow asphalt path that descended steeply, snaking through the forest in a series of loop-de-loops that must have been mapped out by a drunken surveyor. At the bottom of the hill the old mill leaned precariously toward Nickajack creek despite steel I-beams bracing what remained of its two-foot thick brick walls.

Concord Woolen Mills Ruin

When Concord Woolen Mills opened in 1847 it was one of the first industrial employers in the county. During the Civil War the mill made Confederate uniforms until it was burned by Sherman’s troops on July 4, 1864. After the war the mill was rebuilt and prospered until 1889, when fire again destroyed most of the facility. Although it was rebuilt a second time, the mill’s heyday had passed; by 1916 it had ceased operation and was abandoned.

Interior of old Concord Woolen Mill

Over time, the site began to revert to its natural state. The roof caved in and walls crumbled, allowing the overarching forest canopy to gain a foothold. Trees now soar from what was the interior of the mill and muscular vines wrap tentacles around the remaining walls, disintegrating the mill brick by brick.

Trail in Heritage Park runs alongside Nickajack Creek

From inside the ruins I spied a sandy walking path along the banks of the creek, running parallel with the Silver Comet Trail above. “I wonder where that goes?” I thought. Figuring that I could hook back up with the Silver Comet somewhere further down the path, I followed Nickajack Creek for a couple of miles, stopping at various points to watch its waters roil over littered boulders as the setting sun painted the forest canopy in rich hues of gold and green. An elevated boardwalk crossed over fragile wetlands on the final portion of the trail, before leading up a hill and emerging in Heritage Park.

Elevated boardwalk crosses fragile wetlands

Back on the Silver Comet Trail, I dodged high-speed bikers, joggers, and scores of walkers. Yet just a short distance away, the virtually deserted trails of Heritage Park had provided a brief escape into a world of peace and intense beauty that renewed my mind and spirit. The path less traveled has never let me down.

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Seems I have a hard time staying in one place for very long. I am on the road again, headed for Chicago to attend two blogging conferences: BlogHer and TravelBlogExchange. As usual, I am wandering a bit. In Smyrna, Georgia (a suburb of Atlanta) I stopped to check out the Silver Comet Trail, the longest paved trail in the U.S. and one that is extremely popular with walkers, bikers, joggers, and roller bladers.

Portion of the trail west of the Concord Road access in Smyrna

The vision for this trail began in 1991, when a group of cycling buddies envisioned a network of off-road trails in and around Atlanta. Each of them had biked off-road trails in other cities and understood how they connected neighborhoods and encouraged healthier lifestyles. Determined to develop this same type of amenity for the Atlanta area, they convinced the Georgia Department of Transportation to purchase miles of abandoned railroad right-of-way for a potential commuter rail corridor and allow interim use as a trail. It was named the Silver Comet Trail in honor of the Silver Comet train, which had carried passengers along this route from 1947 to 1969.

One of the original railroad tunnels now incorporated into the Silver Comet Trail

The Silver Comet provides spectacular views of river gorges and distant foothills from six trestles and bridges along its route. Bikes whizzed by as I walked a three-mile portion that runs through the western portion of Smyrna, crossing over one bridge and through an old railroad tunnel. A short detour took me to the historic one-lane Concord Covered Bridge, the only remaining covered bridge in the Atlanta area, which still carries cars over Nickajack Creek. Tomorrow I will tackle the eastern portion, which provides direct access to the 105-acre Heritage Park, from which visitors can follow a 1.7-mile walking trail to the remains of a woolen mill.

One of the old railroad trestles that the trail crosses. Photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/throbb02760/216513717.

Concord Covered Bridge, the only remaining coverd bridge in Atlanta

The Silver Comet Trail, which was completed in August of 2008, begins in Smyrna, runs west through Paulding and Polk counties, connects with Alabama’s Chief Ladiga Trail at the Georgia-Alabama border, and continues to Anniston, Alabama. Counting its continuation with the Chief Ladiga Trail to the west, it is now the longest paved trail in the U.S. at 101 miles. The Silver Comet has become so popular that plans are underway to to link it with other trails that will provide direct access between Atlanta and Birmingham. Someday, I hope to return and bike the entire route but I suspect that I’d better do that before the trail is extended to Birmingham, because 101 miles on a bike is about my limit. I can already feel my sore butt.

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