Hole In The Donut Travels

President Franklin D. Roosevelt nodded at me from his wheelchair on the porch of his favorite retreat in Warm Springs, Georgia.
“Good afternoon, Mr. President,” I said.
“May I inquire where you are from?” he asked.
“Sarasota, Florida.”
“Ah, yes. I have traveled to your part of the country to inspect military installations and harbors to make sure they [...]

It was gray and drizzly on the afternoon I arrived at the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center in Pine Mountain Georgia. I stepped inside the octagonal glass Conservatory, prepared to be wowed by more than 1,000 butterflies of 50 different species flying freely throughout the enclosed rain forest environment. But nothing was happening; hardly a [...]

Since I’d opted to extend my stay in Toccoa, I took advantage of the opportunity to visit Traveler’s Rest State Historic Site, located in the Tugaloo Valley just five miles east of town. This 1815 stagecoach inn and plantation house has been completely restored, providing visitors with a glimpse of what it was like to [...]

My tour of waterfalls seemingly at an end, I spread the map out on my lap and contemplated the best route between Tallulah Falls and Atlanta, Georgia. As I scanned my options I noticed a red dot on the map, not far from my current location. I squinted to make out the small print: Toccoa [...]

By the time I crossed over into northeast Georgia from the mountains of North Carolina, I was tired. For days, I’d been hiking back country trails, shimmying down river embankments, and clambering over rocky cliff faces in search of waterfalls. But when I rolled into Tallulah Falls, Georgia, I realized there would be no rest [...]

Deep within the Nantahala Forest, a glittering emerald valley emerges from encircling 5,000-foot high peaks. Sunshine streams down through crisp pine-scented air, illuminating the distant craggy stone faces of Yellow Mountain, Rock Mountain, and Chimney Top, standing sentinel around the valley. In the surrounding woods, spongy footpaths carpeted with last winter’s detritus follow rushing [...]

It’s not unusual for my travels to take on a theme. Past tours have found me checking out beaches, National Parks, botanical gardens, or historic landmarks. This trip became an unexpected search for waterfalls. It started simply enough. I wanted to do some extended hiking – one of my passions in life. The first trail [...]

Although rain never puts a damper on my travels, sunny skies are usually preferable when I am on the road. There is, however, one exception; rain is a bonus when hunting waterfalls. Since I was in southwestern North Carolina for my annual real estate continuing education classes, I decided to hike to Hickory Nut Falls, [...]

If the old wife’s tale is true – that an apple a day keeps the doctor away – folks in Hendersonville, North Carolina should be the healthiest in the state. North Carolina is the 7th largest apple-producing state in the nation and Henderson County is the largest apple-producing county in North Carolina. This was news [...]

After a few weeks on the road, I returned to Sarasota for a few days of R&R before heading out again. As usual, on my first day back I stopped by my favorite coffee shop, Pastry Art On Main, for a cup of java. Instead, on this particular day the owners of the shop, Forrest [...]