FEBRUARY is a celebration of BLACK HISTORY, largely because much of it is not included in modern…read moreschoolbooks. So I wanted to feature some of my previous reviews with Black History in the narrative! IF you have never heard of her, let me introduce you to the story of Adeline Rose. Madison, Georgia was considered by Budget Traveler magazine as one of the 16 most beautiful towns in the world in 2012. Part of the reason is because of its historic charm and architecture. There are only a few historic structures you can tour for a small fee and the two I was most interested in were the Rogers House and Adeline Rose Cottage. *** ROSE COTTAGE - This small 3 room home was built in 1891 by Adeline Rose, a hard-working African-American woman who was once a slave. Legend has it that women could not take out loans at a bank and certainly not a black woman. But Adeline Rose was so respected for her arduous work ethic of washing and ironing linens for local homes and hotels that she was granted a $100 loan to help build her modest home. A home that only consisted of two bedrooms and a work area for her laundering business. None of the furnishing inside the home are Adeline's except two pieces, a portrait of her and a quilt she made with her own two hands. You will notice the quilt says, "Jesus Saved" with the second 'S' on Jesus turned backwards. This was to signify how a person's life turns toward Jesus when they become a follower. The brochure states: "She earned her living by taking in washing and ironing at 50 cents a load. Most of her early work was done for the boarders of the Hardy House, which was owned by the mother of the famous comedian Oliver Hardy (of Laurel and Hardy). Adeline Rose died in 1959 after living in the house for 68 years. In 1966, the City of Madison moved the Rose Cottage to its present location. It was felt that it was very important to save this little house built out of the labor of love of a woman who was born into slavery." Adeline is of French origin meaning NOBLE. She was a widow and the mother of two children. She is part of a legacy of men & women who fought against ALL odds to not only survive, but thrive. *** ROGER HOUSE - When Madison was first established, it created 48 original lots with the average lot being sold for around $155. Reuben Rogers purchased lot #6 for $111 and built the house in what was known as an 'I-House' or 'Piedmont' plan style, which was popular in its day. The house was completed around 1810 and stands on its original lot as the last remaining residence from the original 48. The tour begins on the front porch where you will notice the ceiling of the porch is painted a pale blue, a customary practice of its day which was meant to attract insects upwards. Inside is a long hallway with a parlor (or family room) on one side and another identical room on the other side. The home is filled with period furniture, including a sugar chest, where the lady of the house often kept raw sugar cubes under lock and key! It also contained several decorative pieces from China, which were popular decorating choices of the time. Towards the rear were additions most likely added around 1820 when census records showed that 18 people lived in the house (according to the informative brochure). It also states the house pre-dates the Morgan County Courthouse (located just next door) by almost 100 years and has had 17 owners. The rear room is currently set up as a dining room, but was likely once a rear porch. It sits about 4 inches lower than the original home and includes a relocated set of steps that are horribly uneven, but add tremendously to the old charm. Upstairs are two bedrooms. The master was the smaller of the two and had a second bed in a small corner nook which was required to house any soldier that knocked on your door seeking shelter. It was also used for housing a traveling pastor or judge and its placement inside the master bedroom was twofold. One, to keep an eye on this stranger and two to keep the visitor uncomfortable. The bed also looked uncomfortable, but the tour guide said that was by design to encourage the soldiers and other visitors not to overstay their welcome! The children all slept in the larger bedroom. *** * Hours of Operation Tuesday - Saturday: 10:00AM - 4:30PM Sunday: 1:30PM - 4:30PM FINAL THOUGHTS The fact that this community felt it important to save and preserve the story of Adeline Rose alone is worthy of 5 stars. This is, after all, the South! History has not often been kind to African American, but emerging from the wreckage of this disastrous period in human rights are stories like Adeline Rose, letting you know there were pockets of kindness that have not been shared. I for one feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn of the history here. 2021 / 34 #BlackHISTORYseries

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.

Do not live in this town. The city is worthless when it rains and the streets flood. It is more…read moreimportant city workers sit and have a long lunch than to unclog sewers. Nobody answers the phone when you call in hazards on the roads. If you get the operator they tell you to call a different number.

Madison, GA was featured in Budget Travel Magazine (2012) as one of the 16 MOST BEAUTIFUL towns in…read morethe world, which is an enormous compliment! Especially considering some of the other towns were Bilbury (England), Wengen (Switzerland), Eze (France), and Český Krumlov (Czech Republic). Urban legend has it that General Sherman, on his march through the south, refused to burn down this quaint little Southern city because it was simply too beautiful. THE SCENE The morning of my day trip to Madison I was suffering from debilitating muscle spasms in my neck. However, my yelp friend Brian S & his lovely wife Cindy were in town visiting for the 2nd time and I was determined to show them a great time! Their first visit two years ago was blanketed with rain nearly the entire visit and limited where I could take them. THIS visit was full of sunny blue skies and I intended to take advantage of every second! But by the time we made it to Madison, my neck spasms were so painful that I had to stop pretending they weren't bothering me. The frequency of the attacks were every 30 minutes or so at first, but advanced to every 3 minutes by mid-day. I could take no more and stopped at Thrifty Mac pharmacy in Madison to buy ibuprofen for the pain and lidocaine to help relax my neck muscle. The awesome part about a small town is how helpful the people can be. The pharmacist herself came down from behind the counter to search out the best cure for my ailment. Unfortunately, the spasms didn't fully go away until I'd gotten a good night's sleep, but they did relax enough so that I could enjoy time with my friends. THE EXPERIENCE We started our expedition at the Visitor Center, where a kind woman laid out all the points of interest. Madison is one of Georgia's largest historic districts, with nearly 100 historic antebellum homes and a beautiful courthouse built in 1901. At the exterior rear of the courthouse is a set of stairs leading to the courtroom balcony that was the entrance used by blacks. We briefly toured the building and the courtroom, where I was reminded of the court scene from the movie Lincoln. Next door to the courthouse is a home that precedes it by over 100 years! The ROGER HOUSE was built sometime in the early 1800's. The front porch ceiling is painted a pale blue, a customary practice meant to attract insects upwards. The home is filled with period furniture, including a sugar chest, where the lady of the house often kept raw sugar cubes under lock and key! Upstairs are two bedrooms. The master was the smaller of the two and had a second bed in a small corner nook used to house soldier seeking shelter. It was also used for traveling pastors or judges. Its placement inside the master bedroom was twofold. 1) to keep an eye on this stranger and 2) to keep the visitor uncomfortable so as not to overstay their welcome! Next to the Roger House is ROSE COTTAGE, built in 1891 by a hard-working former slave woman by the name of Adeline Rose. Legend has it that women could not take out loans at a bank and certainly not a black woman. But Adeline Rose was so respected for her arduous work ethic of washing and ironing linens for local hotels that she was granted a $100 loan to help build her modest home, which only consisted of three rooms. Only two furnishings are Adeline's: a portrait of her and a quilt made with her own two hands. You will notice the quilt says, "Jesus Saved" with the second 'S' on Jesus turned backwards signifying how a person's life turns toward Jesus when they become a follower. We then ate lunch @ Big Kev's where the catfish was some of the best I've ever had and walked off the calories visiting different businesses surrounding Madison Town Park. Cindy loves antiquing, so we wound up in a little store off Jefferson street called The Junque Korner. The park itself was lovely with different garden vignettes, huge lawn area and a stage. OTHER HISTORY Aside from its beauty, there are people from here and movies filmed here that you are likely familiar with. People include Oliver Hardy (1892 -1957), one of the two comedians to make up Laurel & Hardy and Raymond Andrews (1934 - 1991), an African-American novelist. R.E.M. recorded an MTV Unplugged session at Madison-Morgan Cultural Center in 1991 and several movies/TV shows were partially filmed here including: * Goosebumps (starring Jack Black) * I'll Fly Away (1991-93) * HBO's Warm Springs * Scenes from My Cousin Vinny & Road Trip * The Great Bank Hoax (1978) * Portions of October Road & The Originals' FINAL THOUGHTS I can't honestly say I found it to be beautiful enough to be in the top 16 most attractive towns in the world, but it does exude amazing Southern charm. If you want an authentic small town USA experience in the dirty south, Madison is an excellent choice for a day trip or even an entire weekend! Be sure to also check out the Cultural Center & Bonar Hall, one of the first of the grand-style antebellum mansions. 2017/97

Wonderful morning on the trails for a group hike! We did two loops…read more The trails are well maintained and clearly marked. There are some inclines, making it a moderate hike. Several people enjoyed the sliding rocks and waterfall afterward. Great outing for family and/or friends .

It's been almost 15 years since I've visited Watson Mill Bridge. The kids in my original pictures…read moreare now 25, 24 and 22 years old. My how time flies! The park looks much better maintained than my previous visit with little to no trash anywhere! I felt encouraged to take a small hike to the old powerhouse ruins and also explored the wide open shoals on the east side of the bridge. The powerhouse once generated electricity for a textile mill 10 miles away in Crawford, GA formerly known as Crawford Cotton Mill and later Jefferson Textile Mills. The bridge looks great to be 141 years old and at 236 feet (based on the monument sign near the bridge) it is the longest original-site covered bridge still in use in the state. It was built in 1885 by Washington W. King, the son of the famous slave turned bridge builder Horace King. It is designed using their signature Town lattice truss system held with wooden pegs. As a state park they offer several amenities including: 7 miles of hiking trails 5 miles of biking trail 14 miles of horse trails 21 Tent, Trailer & RV Campsites 11 Equestrian Campsites 1 Buddy Equestrian Campsite 22 Horse Stables 3 Log Cabin Bunkhouses 1 Group Shelter 3 Picnic Shelters 70 picnic sites 3 Pioneer Campsites Kayak/canoe rentals Geocaching Playground Paddling Fishing 1,118 Acres overall Visitor Center w/restrooms Parking has increased to $10 Annual Georgia Parks passes are $70 Overall the best features of this park are the historic bridge and shoals.

What a great historical site. This is a diamond in the rough. A hidden Gem of a site…read more This site is north of Macon, Georgia by about 15 miles. It is off of the Jarrell Plantation road. Once you turn off the road, it is a very short drive to the visitor's center. There is a small parking lot (about 10 cars). The center is a very nice building with a counter manned by a ranger, a small movie about the site, and a gift shop. You enter and pay at the counter and then go on the self-guided tour around the site. The tri-fold brochure was very well done and describes the various parts of the site. There are signs at each of the various locations to describe the buildings and activities nearby. The site has houses from different eras. You can actually walk through them. There are engine house, blacksmith shop, evaporator house, wheat house, and more. There are paths to go around the site but some of them are steep so be careful. The entire sight was extremely informative and had a lot for any student interested in history. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful. I highly recommend this site to anyone interested in the history of the area. Enjoy.

Neat little place for a day trip. A lot of history. You self tour these grounds so you can take…read moreyour time and take pictures. Not a huge place, but it does give you a view of what plantation living was like.

This jail is a pretty cool old piece of history. It is a small building and not much to see…read moreinside, but it is interesting to read some of the history. There is a short audio history out front.

THE OLD GREENE COUNTY GAOL! (CREEPY COOL!)…read more The old gaol (pronounced jail), is an old historic jail that was used to house prisoners from 1807 until 1895. Between 1760 and 1830 the word jail was actually spelled g-a-o-l and this is how it is spelled on the historic marker that sits in front of this structure. This place is creepy cool and every bit as old as it looks. It is a two story structure that was basically used to house and hang prisoners. As soon as you walk in and look to the left, you see a hanging rope. There is no mistaking this rope as it is hanging through a little trap door and you can easily imagine a body dropping through this opening and swinging at the end of the rope. Next to the door is a large empty room with a large arched doorway and I wondered if there were any makeshift beds provided or if prisoners simply sat on the floor and chained to the walls. A chain was still there. There are actually two such rooms on the main level and when I stood at the rear of the room, I was immediately transported back in time and had all types of thoughts running through my head. Weird! The steps to the second level were very narrow and I did not go up to that level. However my husband did and expressed concern that it was so open and posed a risk for young kids who might wander up there. Please keep this in mind when you visit with your kids and provide the appropriate level of supervision. When I visited, there were several young children going in and up the stairs without an adult present. This is a structure that you must see when visiting Greensboro as it has been identified as the oldest jail in the state and is something to see. I do wonder if it is used as an attraction during Halloween. Whatever you do, don't forget to visit this site while in town and although there is no specific address, you absolutely cannot miss it once you turn on to Greene Street.

Okay--what I want to know is why there are only four reviews, including this one? Come on,…read moreYelpers--you've reviewed gas stations, car rentals and dry cleaners in Macon. What's up? A gas pump more interesting than this gem of a museum? Get with it, folks!!! Ah, that felt good! Our senior's group from Kerrville, TX was on its way home and the Cannonball House was our only stop of the day. The majority of us were appreciative of all things Southern, so this was a special treat. The house's name is derived from a Union cannonball that crashed into the house during the Battle of Dunlap Hill on July 30, 1864. The Cannonball House was owned by Judge Asa Holt during the Civil War and is now owned by the Sidney Lanier Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy who saved if from demolition by the City of Macon. Thanks to these ladies, you're able to visit a Greek Revival mansion and not a parking lot! The House also hosts Father/Daughter Dances and Mother/Daughter Teas. And then there's--thank the Powers That Be--Miss Elizabeth's Academy for Young Ladies which "will instruct the girls in what it means to be a proper lady. Subjects covered: Introductions, sit like a lady, how to set a proper table and table etiquette, walking with confidence and Art of the Fan." And, lest you think the boys will escape, there's a co-ed course, too. My stogy old Southern heart sings with joy; civility and gentility are not dead!!! But I digress. The House is less a museum in the formal sense and more of a time capsule of Ante- and Post-Bellum Georgia. Architecture and period furniture buffs will be right at home here. The House consists of seven rooms. The Main Foyer with its period wall paper and imposing grandfather clock. The Family Room contains period furniture and portraits of the Holt Family. The Formal Dining Room houses a heavy wood table and silver serving sets including a large sterling punch bowl and ladle which survived the invasion of the Union Army only because it was buried. The Ladies' Bedroom contains period clothing, a hand-cranked sewing machine and a bed complete with a hand-tatted spread among other objects. Depending on when you visit, a collection of antique dolls may be displayed. Two Parlors display the furnishings of the founders of the Adelphean and Philomathean Societies which were organized at Wesleyan College, in 1851 and1852 respectively. These are the two oldest female societies in the world and continue to this day. Last, but certainly not least, is Judge Asa Holt's bedroom with its grand four-poster bed, marble-top table and chairs and a large bureau and chest of drawers. In my opinion, the Cannonball House should be on every tourist's itinerary. Seldom does one get such a personal glimpse into the lives of one of Macon's influential families. And if you're traveling with children, this is the perfect opportunity to make history come alive. For only $8.00 (as of this writing) you gain not only admission to the House but a guided tour as well. It's a bargain!

We enjoy civil war history and ole time ways of life. Our tour guide took us thru each room of the…read morehouse explaining the history of the house and the happenings of the time when the house was hit by a "cannon ball." It was really more of a large bullet like mortar. The house is in mourning-- all of the mirrors are covered by black cloth. There's even a casket in one of the parlor rooms. The tour guide says they do something different each month to highlight different traditions that were kept back in the day. The highlight of the tour for us was entering the servant's house and kitchen. Just as we walked in the room, we heard a squeaky toy sound. When I asked what that noise was - thinking it was a dog playing with a squeaky toy, she kinda hestitated and said we call him Matt. I thought, maybe that it was her grandson that she was watching during the summer. No. It's the little child that they hear playing sometimes. The ghost child they hear playing sometimes! Wow! Thanks for a terriffic tour!! We'll be back to investigate more of Macon history

Porcelain and Decorative Arts Museum…read more This museum is really a hidden gem. it's on the same property as the Botanical Gardens and it is incredible. great afternoon place to spend an hour or two seeing some of the most beautiful artwork you will see. some new. some hundreds of years old. this museum is to the left of the gardens and I thought it was an event space.

Headed out for a group hike and was NOT disappointed. We opted for the Red Oak and Black Gum Loop…read more This hike was relatively easy, well marked with just a few inclines and gorgeous views along the trail. The highlight was finishing near the tulips at the end of our hike. Gorgeous morning out and perfect location for a spring kick-off in nature.

My friends and I signed up on eventbrite for a community soundbath next to the waterfall at…read moreFreeman's Mill Park. It was my first time visiting the park and it won't be my last. Gwinnett county parks are award winning and I enjoyed every second.

Nice park. I think the river and the playground area could use a bit of a clean up. There was a lot…read moreof over growth and fallen trees in the river. There was a lot of teenagers on the playground and there was teenagers disregarding the posted no swimming in the water.

Remarkably the community has been able to preserve an old theater and continue to use it for movies…read moreand local events Food -basically movie counter fare Facility -old but preserved Parking in the street or in local business lots for events

Cool little Indie film cinema. Great drinks and coffee. Staff is super friendly and the popcorn…read morewith rings of toppings and the sodas are a great deal. Old school seating in two theaters with cult classics, independent films and just quirky movies in general. Great ambiance in a renovated historical building that used to be a tire shop I believe.