Not so many years ago, downtown Columbus, Georgia, was a decaying, dilapidated mill town, with little hope for renewal. Some thought it best to just tear it down and start over. But a group of visionary townsfolk thought otherwise. They banded together to raise more than one million dollars to revitalize their blighted downtown. Today … Read more
The 22-mile long Chattahoochee RiverWalk in Columbus, Georgia opened in 2013. In addition to providing walking and biking trails, it has used the power of two local dams to create a 2.5-mile kayak course, attracting world-class kayakers who use the facility to train. The $26 million project was funded with public/private partnerships, and USA Today … Read more
The Wall of Fame at Grant’s Lounge in Macon, Georgia. It may look like a hole in the wall, but the photo gallery at Grant’s Lounge (sadly, closed since my visit) attested to the many greats that have performed there over the years. We stopped in for a brief look during our music history walking … Read more
On the way to the airport, my shuttle driver pulled over to the curb in downtown Atlanta. In the pre-dawn dimness, the blood red bulbs of the historic Fox Theater blinked slowly off and on. Directly beneath the marquis, purple balloons and flowers lay in a huge heap on the sidewalk. Just a week earlier, … Read more
Deanna Thomas-Brown stepped up to the James Brown statue in Augusta, Georgia, and rested her head on its bronze shoulder. “Standing behind my father, rolling his hair, I learned everything I ever needed to know,” she said. It was just one of many fascinating statements we would hear during our three-hour James Brown Family Tour. … Read more
