2016 Fall Features

History + Music + Film

"Be careful what you wish for,” JoAnne Dillard instructs as she drapes a white linen tablecloth over my porch-front iron table where I am dining for breakfast. “You’ve heard that before?” she questions. And with her eyes, she confirms that she mights just take me up on my request; I had just asked her to come home with me and pamper me like this every morning. Moments that include white linen, bottomless coffee pots and up-close views of magnolia trees while I enjoy my scones and coffee are rare; I am smitten. But if she did, that would mean leaving the 1842 Inn, a Greek Revival masterpiece, where she has been pampering guests for 26 years. “I get to meet the nicest people, work for the nicest people and I learn so much,” says Dillard whose very presence settles me. 

On College Street in Macon, 1842 Inn is but one of many antebellum homes that emphasize the city's heritage. With its guest rooms named for historic figures important to Macon's history, we settle into the second floor John Gresham, the builder of the home and once mayor of Macon. It is the personal touches- like vases of yellow daisies- that ooze Southern hospitality and grace. For the full article, click here.

Summer Photo Contest Winners

Georgia Connector received so many wonderful entries in our Photo Finish 4 Summer Photo Contest that we are positive your summer was spent on the road, making memories and capturing those special moments. Congratulations to our $100 Grand Prize winner Clay Baker of Covington who took us to St. Simons Island. To all who entered, thank you for sharing your beautiful images with us and our readers. Click here to see who won first, second and third runner up.

Lodges in Georgia

Choosing a lodge for your weekend getaway used to mean roughing it. Picture log walls in need of chinking, and comforts both skimpy and spartan. Still possible to find if that's your style but Georgia Connector has taken a look around the state to identify lodges with modern charms, abundant amenities, and a touch of the nostalgia that makes memories. To read more, click here.

Sons of Sawdust

Sometimes an old building can represent the history of a place. The railway depot in Acworth reflected that the town began before the Civil War as a water station along the Western & Atlantic Railroad. A century later, Acworth was one of the state’s largest freight stations. Yet as time moved on, shipping methods evolved and the depot fell quiet. The building was cut in half and pushed aside to make room for a parking lot. There it languished for several decades. Although there was interest in saving the structure, the project proved too large and a few months ago it was dismantled. One would think that this was the end of the line for the old building, that it would live on only in memory and faded photographs. In actuality, the depot found new life. The deconstruction was at the hands of Matt and Ben Hobbs of Sons of Sawdust, a woodworking business in Watkinsville specializing in custom work created solely with reclaimed wood over a century old. Click here to read more.

Alli Ford

At first glance, it’s museum-like. Mounted on the four walls of this Loganville country home are spiral-horned antelopes, a warthog, a black wildebeest to name a few. In their respective corners of the living room, a massive bear, zebra and an ostrich. There is no deception here regarding a family’s love for hunting. “She shot this ostrich,” says Robert Ford, proudly of his 16-year-old daughter’s skill as he points to the mount. Later, her mother Traci adds, “It was 250-yards away and running." One shot from her .270 rifle and teenager Alli Ford added to the family’s impressive collection of animal trophies. Although it was a bow and arrow that took down the Canadian bear, it’s the .270 that she reaches for most. For the full article, click here.