International travel on a budgetTravels With The Big Guy!

Beautiful Merida, Mexico – Lessons Learned On This Flight!

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May 25, 2021

Beautiful Merida, Mexico – Lessons Learned On This Flight!

We made it! We will share with you our mistakes or – rather – lessons learned from our Merida, Mexico flight…

Flight to Mexico

We were so excited when we bought our initial tickets to Merida, Mexico that we overlooked several issues. Those few items that we should have researched a bit are listed below. At the end of the day we made it to Merida & have not looked back but know that we cannot afford to make these type of silly mistakes again. You know – lessons learned!

In no particular order here is what we did wrong that will not happen again.

Flight – We bought our tickets at the very beginning of this year in anticipation that the border would be open & allowing flights into Mexico. In being so excited that we were actually going to make our escape we did not research flights thoroughly. Really all it hurt was our pocketbook but we spent more than we had to. We flew out of Austin to Merida with two connections. I’m pretty sure we could have found a more direct flight for close to same price if not cheaper but since we chose to use credit card miles we were limited to which flights/airlines we could use.

Lesson Learned – shop airlines. Sometimes direct flights are comparable priced to flights with a few stops.

We Got Searched! – The Big Guy bet me he would be searched at the Airport & yes he was pulled to side & scanned. I, on the other hand, was searched, scanned & backpack emptied when we hit the Atlanta airport. I had gone thru the checkout first so I could watch our backpacks while Horace was being searched BUT GUESS WHAT?! While they have me standing to the side waiting on a female to search me, they waved The Big Guy to move on, he was fine. You know he got a kick out of that!!

Electronic Tickets – We thought we were being proactive loading our airline app w/flights on our iphones. Electronic check in was so easy until we got to Mexico City Airport. When we got to the final check though to get to Gate C, we were denied entry. The airport app we had on our phones [that had been fine at the other U.S. airports did not contain a date!] so we had to go back to the main airline desk to request paper tickets. On our side was the two hour layover & the flight attendant was great printing our paper tickets for us. Once we got the paper ticket in hand, we were told to look for the flight number & departure time [circled in red on our boarding ticket] as they did not print gates on tickets. Once we got back thru security we were able to check out the Departure Displays to see that we needed to go to Gate C.

AeroMexico Boarding Pass with flight number, loading & departure times circled for our benefit.

Lesson Learned – We will always have a printed copy of our itinerary with us with dates. If we had that we would have been okay. This was the first time I was lax in printing our flight itinerary & it bit us in the butt!

Gate C – Gate C wasn’t a gate. It was a huge room of passengers waiting for various flights to be called. The Attendant behind the partition was very patient with us. I know I asked him at least twice if “that was our flight” & he would just shake his head. We sat there long enough that I was able to understand other flights being called & it was kind of hilarious when a few passengers for a particular flight came strolling to check in – the first few passengers were lucky – the Attendant yelled at them to run as the door would be closing. The last gentleman wasn’t so lucky – he told the Attendant his flight was 1:20 & the Attendant told him it is 1:25 p.m. & doors shut.

Lesson Learned – Patience is a virtue & it is okay to ask for assistance.

Language Barrier – the more you can speak of the language, the easier it is to get where you are going or get what you need. If you are not ‘there’ yet be sure to have the Google Translate App or whichever works for you on your phone & do not be afraid to try to pronounce words. If you at least try, they will help. I for one have a lot to learn but I know I will get there:) Since we have been here I’ve been told to learn 5-10 new words a day & practice practice practice.

Currency – We did not bring any pesos with us as we knew we could buy at the Mexico City airport. We compared currency values at the various Currency Counters & bought just enough to get us by for a day or so. What we didn’t know was all the paperwork to be filled out/signed with Passport. I was kind of impressed by the exchange transaction.

Mexican Pesos — Mexican pesos bills & coins

Lesson Learned #1 – I’ve only bought currency in advance of a trip abroad one time & that was years ago. Since that one time we wait until we land in ‘that’ country & go straight to currency exchange for a few pieces. What we did learn & will not do again is get currency from our hotel ATM. For $100 pesos [$25 USD] it cost us $6 so in the end we received $19 in pesos! Yes! $1 ATM fee & $5 hotel fee. Once we made it to a currency exchange we exchanged $300 US & received $5870 pesos – costing us $14.07 US. So you are at the mercy of currency rate exchanges as they can vary from shop to shop – just keep your eyes open.

Lesson Learned #2 – We have not had any problems using Amex at Sam’s Club, Costco, Sears & most restaurants. Now the smaller street shops & vendors, yes you will need pesos. I would suggest smaller denominations of bills for ease in change.

Lesson Learned #3 – Arturo, our waiter, at Habanero’s Restaurant told us about Elektra for walk in currency exchange. We had one close to our hotel so we checked it out. You can’t miss the huge bright yellow building. It is a store but has a bank on second floor that anyone can get currency exchange & you don’t need an account with them – unlike banks in the states. Easy transaction & great customer service & a pretty good rate.

Last But Not Least: Back to the Airport – Baggage Pickup – We arrived in Merida, exited the plane & followed the other travelers from our flight right out the front of the Airport…Yes….we went right pass the Baggage pick up area but realized it to late. This was my fault…The Big Guy had just got his vaccination the day before…not the best idea before a flight…he had a headache & in general was just not feeling it…so he was following me. Anyway, we were turned away from re-entering, of course, and luckily the Pilot was coming out of security & realized we were in a bit of a pickle & very kindly listened to our problem. After we explained to him what happened, he told us who to go see at the AeroMexico counter & that gentleman was so nice. He called back & they delivered our roller bags to us!

At The End of The Day…

We are thrilled to be here in Merida! We definitely had some bumps but we figured there would be. The nice thing is that at the end of the day all is well! Everyone we have met for the most part has been engaging & happy to help us out with directions or how to change American word into Spanish. We’ve heard the phrase “you teach me English & I teach you Spanish.” Works for us.

Follow us on our trip to Habanero’s for our first taste of some authentic Mayan food! Fingers crossed!

I hope you follow us on our journey. Watch how two senior travelers navigate this thing called international travel on a budget!

One Inspirational Day in The Sweet Auburn Historic District!

Good Golly its Holly!

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May 10, 2021

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If you ever get the opportunity to visit Atlanta, Georgia then one inspirational day in The Sweet Auburn Historic District should be on your list….The top of your list! Recently while anxiously waiting for our May flight to Mexico, we made an extended trip to North Georgia to pass some time. While there, we visited state & national parks as well as many local park trails. We even made it to The National Center for Human & Civil Rights but that is another post. Having said that, the one day we spent on Auburn Street in Atlanta walking the historic district it was clear to me that Auburn Street deserved its own post!

A Little History of Sweet Auburn Historic District

Originally called Wheat Street, it was renamed to Auburn Street in 1893 & quickly became the place to be for Black Americans. At one point Forbes magazine called it the ‘richest black street in the world’! The Sweet Auburn Historic District history was made all the more powerful with the Black American culture & the many small businesses with several strong churches to act as religious base for the community. It really was in my view its own little ‘town’. Banks created by Black Americans served the needs of the blacks not serviced by the white banks. Businesses were created to fill their everyday needs – beauty salons, barbers, markets, insurance needs. etc as well as social clubs,etc.

Though Sweet Auburn Historic District was designated a historical site in 1976, sadly in 1992 it was recognized by The National Trust of Historic Preservation as one of “America’s Top 11 Most Endangered Historic Places due to ‘lack of investment, crime & abandonment…’! To add to that, the city basically overnight eliminated an entire section of the area to make way for the new highway. The saying was that one day homes were there & the next day the area had been wiped clear!

Story of Sweet Auburn Decline — Sweet Auburn Decline Plaque

Beginning with Martin Luther King Jr’s birth home & working its way outward, the city has seen some renovation by The Historic District Development Corporation [HDDC]. They are one of the oldest non profits in Atlanta & they cater mainly to rehabilitating homes in what is known as The Old Fourth Ward.

Here are a few highlights of our awesome trip down Sweet Auburn!

Sweet Auburn Street Highlights

In no particular order, here are just a few of the sights that inspired us.

Churches

Ebenezer Baptist Church located at 407 Auburn was founded twenty years after the Civil War. It was the church Martin L King Sr ministered & where Rev. Martin L King Jr. delivered his first sermon in 1947. The church is still active in that you can sit in the church & listen to sermons of Rev. King Jr & it still plays a huge part in the fight against racism & civil rights movement.

The Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Temple is located at 220 Auburn, with roots back to 1847 when enslaved men & women – with permission – were allowed to go to church. To this day The Bethel Temple works to keep the integrity of the Sweet Auburn Historic District in place.

Ebenezer Baptist Church in Sweet Auburn Historic District — Ebenezer Baptist Church located in Sweet Auburn Historical District

Street view of Bethel Temple in Sweet Auburn Historic District.

Martin Luther King Childhood Home

Martin Luther King’s homestead is located at 501 Auburn St where he was born January 15, 1929. Read here how the Rev King [both Jr & Sr] came upon their names.

MLK Jr Homestead — MLK Homestead in Sweet Auburn Historical District. MLK Jr was born 1/15/1929 in this home & lived there for many years of his young life.

For more information about Martin Luther King Jr. please go here for some interesting facts!

Shotgun Houses

I personally loved these little houses! These houses are one of the historic neighborhoods of Atlanta built in early 1900’s originally for blue collar workers. After the Atlanta Race Riots of 1906 the workers deserted the homes. The homes then became rentals for blacks to move in. The name “shotgun” comes from the way the houses are built with front & back doors perfectly aligned. In other words a gun shot thru the front door would go straight thru the back door. On our visit there, some of these were tagged as private residences. More info check this out!

The Royal Peacock Club Atlanta

The Peacock Club located at 186 Auburn had been a hot spot for contributions to the black entertainment world for decades. Originally The Top Hat in 1930, it was renamed under new ownership as the Royal Peacock in 1949. Entertainers such as Aretha Franklin, Glad Knight, BB King & Ray Charles to name a few cut their so called ‘teeth’ at The Royal Peacock.

During our visit it did not look like it was open though I saw that it still host parties but I also read that it was undergoing renovations so maybe we can look forward to a major part of black entertainment to spread her peacock feathers again!?!

Some miscellaneous Black Businesses that left their mark on Auburn Street!

Banks – Citizens Trust Bank was an early bank to provide services to Black Americans who were not being served by white banks.

Insurance Companies – Atlanta Life Insurance was founded in 1905 by former slave Alonzo Herndon. He started the company with a $140 investment. For more info check this out. The company is still in operation!

Newspaper – The Atlanta Daily World was the first Black American owned newspaper [and the oldest] located at 145 Auburn St. opening its doors in 1928. Although urging blacks to shop black owned businesses was an important issue for the paper, they also covered lynchings, police brutality & school segregation to name a few. The paper is under different ownership since 2008 but still maintains an online paper presence.

Atlanta Daily World Street sign. Opened in 1928 it is the oldest black newspaper in Atlanta.

The Refugee Coffee Co. – The Company itself is only six years old. It is housed next to the Atlanta Daily on Auburn Street. Our barista, Fray, an Ethiopian immigrant, chatted with us about how Refugee Coffee Co. works & trains refugees & immigrants new to this country. Fray was trained as a barista five years ago & works at this location. And the coffee was fabulous!

Refugee Coffee Mission Statement — Refugee Coffee – a non profit for refugees & immigrants.

Prince Hall / Revival Masonic Lodge & the Odd Fellows Building – both located on Auburn, were two of several fraternal or social clubs supporting the black business community.

By 1960 the Masonic Lodge, after having gone thru several businesses onsite, became the base for Martin Luther King Jr.’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference [‘SCLC’] & National Association Advancement of Colored People [NAACP] in 1957. The SCLC has published The SCLC magazine since 1971.

Dr King at 1963 March — Southern Christian Leadership Conference president Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and Mathew Ahmann, executive director of the National Catholic Conference for Interracial Justice, at the March on Washington, D.C., August 28, 1963.National Archives, Washington, D.C. (542014)

Movers & Shakers in Civil Rights Movement on Auburn

Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. – We will go more into Rev Martin Luther King Jr in a separate post but for now go here for some interesting facts about the awe inspiring Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin LUther King Art — Martin Luther King Art Installation at The National Center for Human & Civil Rights Museum in Atlanta

John Lewis – This Hero Mural was dedicated to John Lewis upon his death in 2020 I feel so honored that we were able to visit it on our visit to Atlanta. John Lewis led the walk to Selma, Alabama, in 1965, a landmark event in the history of the civil rights movement that became known as “Bloody Sunday.” For a CNN timeline of highlights of John Lewis, check this out.

john lewis quote on auburn street — This was quote posted with the Hero mural.

john lewis mural in sweet auburn historic district

John Wesley Dobbs – co-founded the Atlanta Negro Voters League with A.T. Walden which lead to registering over 20,000+ blacks to be able to vote mid 1930s-mid 1940s! He was instrumental in changing political power on Auburn Street district enabling the hiring of the first eight Black American Police Officers in 1948. Another kudos to Mr. Dobbs was the city’s installation of street lights along Auburn Street! I think it is very easy to figure out why he was the “Mayor” of Sweet Auburn.

John Wesley Dobbs poster on Sweet Auburn Historic District street — John Wesley Dobbs Poster. There are posters like this all thru the Sweet Auburn Historical District explaining the importance of that building or of what happened in this spot!

Thru His Eyes Art Piece at Dobbs Plaza — Dedicated to John Dobbs at Dobbs Plaza. This 7 ft tall “Through His Eyes” was dedicated

The Peace Rose Garden/Martin Luther King National Historical Park –

The ‘I have a dream’ Peace Rose Garden sits directly in front of the Martin Luther King Library – its beautiful rose bushes were just starting to bloom on our visit. Surrounding the garden are poems written by students from kindergarten to seniors of how they were inspired by Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech. Here are some of photos from the Peace Rose Garden.

MLK National History Park — MLK National Park in Atlanta

MlK Celebrating 40 yrs — Entrance to MLK building. Due to Covid, a lot of the buildings were not open but you could walk around and see a lot!

Final resting place of MLK & wife — Directly across the street from the Peace Rose Garden is the final resting place for both Rev. Martin Luther King & his wife, Coretta. Directly behind the pool is the “Freedom Walk”.

Here are a few other photos of the Sweet Auburn District. Enjoy. If you ever get the chance to be in Atlanta this is a must see.

Carrie S Logan Plaque in Sweet Auburn HIstorical District — Carrie Steel Logan Plaque in Sweet Auburn Historical District. She opened her home to the homeless ‘boxcar’ children with no homes. Thru donations – opened an orphanage, hospital & school building, providing care for over 200 children.

Underpass where African Americans gathered to vote in Sweet Auburn HIstorical District — Underpass where African Americans gathered to vote

Ella Baker wall art in Sweet Auburn Historical District — Ella Baker Art

Wheat Street Church building architecture

Love Some Yummy Papi’s Cuban Grill in Stockbridge!

Good Golly its Holly!

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May 6, 2021

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Love Some Yummy Papi’s Cuban Grill in Stockbridge!

Papi’s Cuban Grill Experience!

Papi’s Cuban Grill in Stockbridge was our lunch choice after an awesome day visiting The National Center for Human & Civil Rights in Atlanta this past April. After working our way through some horrendous traffic downtown, we headed out to Papi’s Cuban Grill in Stockbridge! Yes, parking was accessible & the menu was Cuban Caribbean!

Between the five of us we had Grilled Chicken Breast [above], Chicken with vegetables & the Lechon Asada [pork].

Papi’s Cuban Grill – Lechon Asada – all plates came with yummy plantains!

The Lechon Asada plate included pork marinated for 24 hours in Papi’s ‘special’ seasoning, slow cooked for pulling. All the plates at Papi’s were served with white or yellow rice [w/spices], black beans, salad & plantains! The Big Guy thoroughly enjoyed his choice.

The Grilled Chicken Breast was cooked with onions & seasoned with ‘mojo’ dressing with all the sides above. The chicken was so tender! We started our meal with an Empanada Sampler of mixed meats wrapped & fried. My mouth is drooling just typing this. Ha.

I can’t say that all the other “Papi’s Cuban Grills” are as awesome as the Stockbridge establishment but Papi’s Cuban Grill at Stockbridge was the perfect ending to our wonderful day & did not disappoint! Try it out for yourself!

Introducing Our Favorite Hidden Gems of North Georgia!

Good Golly its Holly!

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May 4, 2021

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Introducing Our Favorite Hidden Gems of North Georgia!

Let’s talk about North Georgia & what it has to offer visitors!

Since we love outdoor walkabouts introducing our top favorite hidden gems of North Georgia is super easy! Walking Trails, Parks & lets not forget the coffee shops! While passing these last few weeks until our May departure to Mexico, we decided to take a road trip to Stonecrest, a small city on the southeast outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia for an adventure! Although Stonecrest was our base during this time, we made trips to Conyers, Lithonia, Dawsonville, Duluth, Decatur, etc. all around & including Atlanta.

Who knew we would be in such proximity to so many Georgia walking trails? The end of March into April has been magical especially with all the wild flowers beginning to bloom! My two all time favorite sights in the mountains of North Georgia has to be The Dogwood trees & the wandering vines of Wisteria hanging from tree limbs.

Every trail we walked was an adventure in itself. We even managed a couple walks in Mid Town Atlanta! More on that below but right now let me give you a taste of our favorites.

A Georgia Peach indeed!

A little background about my love for Georgia. I was raised in North Georgia mountains until I was around ten so anything to do with the mountains I love. I could bore you with so many adventures of my childhood on the mountain but that would be a whole other post! [i.e. bears, mountain lions & wild dogs to name a few]. We lived mostly around Dahlonega & later in Gainesville while my Dad’s family lived mostly around Cleveland & Murrayville. Even now as an adult, those childhood memories are still so vivid to me. After our move to Indiana, in later years we would make our bi-monthly trips back to the mountain to visit Dad’s parents & family…Love…Name me another state that has as many Peanut Statutes as Georgia?

On the other hand, The Big Guy had not seen any of Georgia other than the trips we had made to see my Mom when she was alive. So…when the invitation came to visit Georgia the whole month of April prior to our big adventure plan of seniors traveling internationally on a budget takes off in May, we jumped on it. This post is highlights of what we think of as “hidden gems” we ventured during this trip!

Introducing Our Hidden Gems Picks of North Georgia

Piedmont Park – Midtown Atlanta

Entrance to Piedmont Park a hidden gem — Piedmont Park – A Hidden Gem of Atlanta

There is something for everyone at Atlanta’s beautiful Piedmont Park! We parked off Peachtree & walked to the Park admiring beautiful homes & architecture! Here are a few must see highlights of Piedmont Park!

Statute celebrating Olympic '96 Athletes — The Last Meter statute celebrating ’96 Olympian Athletes

D/T ATL from Piedmont Park overlook — View of d/t Atlanta from Piedmont Park. The park trail was very easy to walk. Park entry was free.

Playground at Piedmont Park — The larger of the playgrounds at Piedmont Park. Has a little of everything in this park!

Picnic at the Park – perfect way to finish a day at Piedmont Park? A cooler of cold drinks & snacks while you watch the kiddos play!

The Dancing Goats Coffee Bar

For these two seniors traveling the perfect finish for the day at the park was this absolute best midtown Atlanta coffee shop, The Dancing Goats Coffee Bar recommended to us by the daughter! We visited the one next to Ponce City Market. The iced coffee drinks were great & The Big Guy was a happy camper with his hot Chai! On top of the very friendly baristas, the coffee drinks were great & the covered outdoor sitting area was very nice for visiting & people watching.

If you still have it in you after Piedmont Park & Dancing Goats coffee you can go next door to the Ponce City Market. We decided to do the Market a few days later & ended up picking up lunch at the Moroccan Takeout. The Chicken Shawarma [dark meat chicken marinated 24 hours in spicey goodness & wrapped like a burrito] was yummy & a definite must try if you are in the area.

Stone Mountain Park

Stone Mountain Park is a great day trip located just outside of Atlanta. We easily did the five mile trail around Stone Mountain. The paths are pretty well marked & there was not a shortage of nature to photograph! The fee to get into Park was $20.

lake thru trees — View of West Lake located in Stone Mountain Park

Stone Mtn Carved — Carving on Stone Mtn in North Georgia

Arabia Mountain Park & Trails

Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area was easily my favorite over Stone Mountain. Don’t get me wrong Stone Mountain was beautiful BUT to us [I believe I am safe including the three of us on this one] Arabia Mountain was over and above AWESOME plus free entry! We walked one day 8.94 miles of the total of 33 miles of trails at the Park that is connected with Panola Park! The trails were paved but you definitely got a work out up & down hills but it is hard to beat the serenity of the woods.

We went back several days just to walk to the top of the Arabia Mountain for the views. It was a much shorter total walk of maybe two miles but the scenery was incredible! The only negative would have to be the wind that caught us one day with 20+ mph winds! When you are standing on the huge granite outcrops there is nothing to protect you from the wind & it can be chilly as sun goes down. Here is just a taste of the nature you will see here.

diamorpha growing in puddles on granite — Diamorpha growing on Arabia Mtn in crevices of the granite.

Amicalola Falls State Park

The Amicalola Falls State Park is located outside of Dawsonville in the Blue Ridge Mtn area of the Appalachians. It is also the beginning point {Springer Mtn} for the 2,200 mile Appalachian Trail [A.T.] to Mount Katahdin, Maine! The Big Guy’s best buddy is currently on that trail – I think with estimated final destination arrival of late summer? He has been sharing tales of the trip & it sounds pretty amazing!

How To Bury your Poo — Posted Sign – A.T. Guide to Bury Poo. How much clearer could it be?

Posted Beware Bear Sign. The Big Guy was actually surprised to see this? I don’t know why? I’ve told him stories of run ins with the bear & mountain cat growing up as a child in the Blue Ridge Mtns but he had to see it in writing. ha.

Amicalola Falls, with a height of 729 ft., along with the Lodge, ziplines & multiple trails – there is definitely something for everyone.

Amicalola Falls from middeck — Amicaloa Falls in the State Park, GA

The trails are pretty well marked from easy to ‘strenuous so there really is a fit for everyone. You do You! We made several trips to this Park just see what we missed the previous time. It is home to the Amicalola Falls which is the tallest in the state with lookouts at base, midway & from top of the Falls. Amazing views! Entry to this Park was only $5!!

Here are a few more pics of our walk to top of the Falls.

425 steps to top of Falls — Stairsteps to top of Amicalola Falls top.

Stairs to Falls top — Looking down as we climb up.

Tree grown around truck — Definite a sight you don’t see every day walking a mountain trail! Decades old wrecked moonshiner truck. At least that is what I think happened. LoL. How else can you explain a head on with a tree on the side of a mountain? Moonshiners!

I told The Big Guy once we made to top of the steps/Falls I felt that we really had climbed the stairway to heaven. Just beautiful!

View of distant mountains — View as we walked up the last 425 steps to top of Amicalola Falls.

Sweet Auburn Historic District

There was so much to see in the Sweet Auburn Historic District it more than deserved its own post so I hope you will check it out when it gets posted soon. This was a day trip specifically to walk Auburn Street to view all it had to offer historically & we were not disappointed! A very educational & inspirational day for sure.

The National Center for Human & Civil Rights Center

I can’t in words explain how much this visit meant to me personally. Georgia has so much history in the civil and human rights movement that it would only be natural to start your education here. The many highlights of this one day visit to The National Center for Human & Civil Rights Museum will be highlighted in another post within the next few days. Here’s to exploring Atlanta’s rich history.

Some small town Georgia hidden gems:

Small Georgia cities have a lot to offer in their quaintness & southern charm. Here are a few places to check out when you are in the area.

Gainesville – Lake Lanier hosted the ’96 Olympic water sports. If you are not into water sports or fishing, than take a casual drive thru the historic district to check out the architecture. Whether you want to visit a spa, camp, fish, boat, eat or visit the botanical gardens, Gainesville has something for you.

Cleveland – your little ones will definitely enjoy the Babyland Hospital for Cabbage Patch babies!

Decatur – the drive alone thru the historical district is breathtaking & well worth a trip around the Square.

Ellijay – Georgia’s Apple Capital!

Helen – The Chattahoochee River runs through this town dressed as a German Bavarian village. Photo perfect!

Dahlonega – Nestled at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, this was my home pretty much for my impressionable years so needless to say this is my preference of all small Georgia towns. The beautiful Courthouse, walking thru art galleries, visiting wineries or panning for gold at the river – there is something for everyone & my best pic for you to see in North Georgia! A simple walkabout downtown is full of sights. Taking a drive through the mountains are a must do.

Covington – The Denny Dobbs Park had a smaller walking trail compared to most of the parks we visited BUT they definitely aimed to please the young at heart with three play areas matched to age. Workout sites all along the paved trail, water park, baseball field, bb courts as well as a huge centrally located covered pavilion with tables for picnics! Just the perfect place for a Sunday picnic on our visit.

I can’t list every Georgia town we saw that had parks/trails but I am telling you it was wonderful seeing how each town addressed the needs for the folks that like to be outdoors vs inside. Both The Big Guy & I will give a big shout out to that southern flavor of Georgian hospitality! Honestly, we were treated well by everyone we met & probably 99% of the folks we ran into were the most congenial & happy people we have met in a long time. Truly, made my heart swell! AND, I just have to say this….You know pedestrians are SUPPOSE to have the right away – I’m talking about at lights/crosswalks. Well the towns we were in took it to another level. We even had traffic stop BEHIND the crosswalk & some even waited for us so they could turn onto a merge lane. Yes, there were signs everywhere that it was a STATE Law but….just great work Georgia drivers that we saw.

For some fun & interesting facts about Georgia check this out! I think you might just be adding a few cities, if not the entire state, to your Bucket List.

We hope you enjoy our hot spots of our time in North Georgia!

Be safe, have fun & travel to your hearts content!

Beautiful Merida, Mexico – Lessons Learned On This Flight!

We made it! We will share with you our mistakes or – rather – lessons learned from our Merida, Mexico flight…

Flight to Mexico

At The End of The Day…

One Inspirational Day in The Sweet Auburn Historic District!

A Little History of Sweet Auburn Historic District

Sweet Auburn Street Highlights

Churches

Martin Luther King Childhood Home

Shotgun Houses

The Royal Peacock Club Atlanta

Some miscellaneous Black Businesses that left their mark on Auburn Street!

Love Some Yummy Papi’s Cuban Grill in Stockbridge!

Papi’s Cuban Grill Experience!

Introducing Our Favorite Hidden Gems of North Georgia!

Let’s talk about North Georgia & what it has to offer visitors!

A Georgia Peach indeed!

Introducing Our Hidden Gems Picks of North Georgia

Piedmont Park – Midtown Atlanta

The Dancing Goats Coffee Bar

Stone Mountain Park

Arabia Mountain Park & Trails

Amicalola Falls State Park

Sweet Auburn Historic District

The National Center for Human & Civil Rights Center

Some small town Georgia hidden gems:

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