PACE 12A
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2011
Thomson in McDuffie County is the location for an annual old English fox hunt that is a tra
dition for many who pack lunch and head out in wagons. The 46th annual Blessing of the
Hounds and Tally-Ho wagon ride was held recently. Photos by Angela Gary
History
« and 4 g
outdoor adventure
Clarks Hill Partnership of Georgia
In Wilkes County, visitors can stay at
the Fitzpatrick Hotel, an 1898 Victori
an hotel, while exploring all five coun
ties in the Clarks Hill Partnership.
The Laurel and Hardy Museum in Harlem, Columbia
County, is open year-round in the town’s old post office.
BY ANGELA GARY
The history and culture of
the charming Southern town of
Washington in Wilkes County...
The beautiful lakes and country
side found in Lincoln County...
A museum honoring Laurel and
Hardy in a town filled with unique
shops and boutiques in Columbia
County.. .Heading across rolling
hills in a wagon on a fox hunt in
McDuffie County.. .Visiting a
working grist mill and a museum
filled with antique cars in Warren
County.
The five Georgia counties that
comprise the Clarks Hill region
are filled with lots of adventures
that make it a perfect destination
for North Georgia residents. Take
a long weekend or even a week
and enjoy all that the Clarks Hill
region has to offer.
COLUMBIA COUNTY
The heart of Columbia County
is Harlem, a quaint Southern town
filled with charming antique and
gift boutiques, wonderful dining
experiences and lots of family
fun, including an annual festival
that brings up to 30,000 people to
visit.
Harlem, located near Augusta,
is a great destination for North
Georgia residents as it is just a
two-hour drive away. There are
lots of family friendly and eco
nomical options offered.
Harlem has just 3,000 residents,
but the first weekend in October
each year it draws tens of thou
sands of people to visit the down
town area and celebrate the life of
comedian Oliver Hardy, who was
bom in Harlem in 1892. The fes
tival includes more than 300 arts
and crafts booths, food conces
sions, five entertainment,
children’s rides, a barbe
cue dinner, silent auction
and Laurel and Hardy
look-alikes.
The city of Harlem at
first had two shelves in
its city hall with donated
and borrowed Laurel
and Hardy memorabilia.
The collection has grown
and now fills the town’s
old post office. A back
room in the museum is
where films are shown to
visitors. The Laurel and
Hardy Museum is open
year round.
Some of the shops
found in downtown Harlem are
Lucky Lady, which has pecans
coated in all sorts of wonderful
flavors; and My Sister’s Loft, a
fun consignment shop and bou
tique.
Located in the heart of Harlem
is Red Oak Manor is Columbia
County’s only bed and breakfast.
The Acom Restaurant is located
adjacent to the inn. The restau
rant is a great place to get a hearty
meal during your visit.
While in Columbia County, be
sure to stop at Savannah Rapids
and Pavilion, which is located on
an 80-foot bluff overlooking the
Savannah River in Martinez. It is
a great location to enjoy outdoor
activities. The Savannah Rapids
Park is a great destination for kay
aking, canoeing, biking or hiking.
Also in Columbia County is
Steed’s Dairy. Visitors will find
a petting zoo, hayride, jumping
pillow, PVC slides and pumpkin
patch during the fall. It’s located
two miles from 1-20 on Wrights-
boro Road in Grovetown. For
more information, go to www.
steedsdairy.com.
Other things to do in Columbia
County include:
•International Disc Golf Center,
3828 Dogwood Lane, Appling.
•Wildwood Park, Georgia’s
bass tournament destination, 6212
Holloway Road, Appling.
•Sanderlin’s Greenhouse, where
you can find beautiful poinset-
tias and spring flowers, as well as
many other plants and flowers.
For more information, go to
www.visitcocoga.com.
LINCOLN COUNTY
Lincoln County is a great place
to visit for outdoor adventure, in
cluding boating, fishing and hunt
ing. Clarks Hill Lake has 400
miles of shoreline and 17 boat
ramps in Lincoln County.
Contact Hayes Marina for boat
rentals at 5580 Marina Parkway
(706-541-9111). An afternoon or
all day on the water is a wonderful
way to relax and enjoy the beauti
ful countryside. Pick up lunch be
fore heading out and enjoy eating
during your day boating.
Elijah Clark State Park, named
after Revolutionary War hero
and frontiersman, is also in Lin
coln County and it’s
a great place to camp.
RV sites and furnished
cottages are offered.
The grounds include a
museum, the graves of
Clark and his wife and
a gift shop and infor
mation center.
The state park is lo
cated on the western
shore of Clarks Hill
Lake, making it the
perfect destination for
fishing and boating.
Lincoln County
Historical Park gives
visitors a look back at
the early days of Lin
coln County with an 1850s cotton
gin, doctor’s office and home, a
late 1700s log cabin, a log smoke
house, a blacksmith’s shop and an
old sawmill. Each year, the third
Saturday in November, Pioneer
Day is held with the village being
in full operation.
For some wonderful artwork
from the area, check out Lincoln
Artisans, an art and retail space in
downtown Lincolton.
For more information, go to
www.lincolncountyga.org.
MCDUFFIE COUNTY
Thomson in McDuffie County
is the location for an annual old
English fox hunt that is a tradi
tion for many who pack lunch and
head out in wagons. The 46th an
nual Blessing of the Hounds and
Tally-Ho wagon ride was held
recently and it was a wonderful
day.
The day starts off with the of
ficial blessing of the hounds and
then the fox hunt begins. Riders in
scarlet coats recreate the old Eng-
fish fox hunt.
Wagons are filled with people
ready for an adventure. Socializ
ing along the hunt is a big part of
the festivities so everyone brings
plenty of refreshments.
We had our picnic bas
kets filled with wonderful
chicken salad sandwiches,
cheese straws and pecan
bars from Chinaberry in
Thomson and climbed in
our wagons for the day’s
hunt.
We then rode along
in a Tally-Ho wagon on
what is likely the largest
opening day meet of any
foxhunt in the world. We
rode through the rolling
countryside of McDuffie
County as the foxes and
hunters on their horses ran
ahead of us. It was a great
up close and personal view
of this amazing event. It is
certainly one of the most unique
events that you will attend.
While in Thomson, be sure to
visit Hickory Hill, the home of
Thomas Watson that has been
preserved to show the rural South
ern way of fife in the early 1900s.
Watson was an author, lawyer
and statesman who moved into
the home with his family in 1904.
The home is filled with original
furnishings and memorabilia be
longing to the Watson family.
In downtown Thomason, visi
tors can find local artwork at MAC
on Main Art Gallery, where you
might even spot artists at work on
their latest piece.
For a great Southern lunch, stop
at Ivery’s, where fried chicken,
meat loaf and greens are found on
the full buffet.
For more details, go to www.
exploremcduffiecounty.com.
WILKES COUNTY
In Wilkes County, visitors can
stay at an 1898 Victorian hotel,
explore historic homes and delve
into the culture of the area at the
historical museum. There are
more than 100 Antebellum homes
in Washington and they are all
unique and charming.
In Washington, the Fitzpatrick
Hotel is a great place to stay. It’s
also a great centrally located hotel
that can be your hub while you ex
plore all five counties in the Clarks
Hill Partnership.
Walking around downtown
Washington and exploring some
of the shops is also a must dur
ing your visit to Wilkes County.
Clothing shops, a Christmas store
and several gift shops are among
the retail shops found within
walking distance of the hotel.
Be sure to have dinner at Wash
ington Jockey Club for fine din
ing and small town charm. The
shrimp and grits is a great choice.
As for appetizers, be sure to try
the amazing fried green tomatoes.
Lots of history can be found
in Washington County with the
Robert Toombs House, Washing
ton Historical Museum and Cal
laway Plantation being among the
must-see stops.
The Washington Historical Mu
seum has extensive collections on
the Civil War, African-American
history, antique games and toys
and Native American history.
Robert Toombs was a planter
and lawyer who served as a state
legislator, U.S. congressman and
senator. He served as the Con
federate secretary of state for five
months before resigning to serve
as brigadier general in the Army
of Northern Virginia. He also
helped to create the Constitution
of 1877.
Visitors to the Robert Toombs
House can tour the home and
grounds, as well as viewing ex
hibits and displays on Toomb’s
life and history of the time.
Callaway Plantation is a living
history museum complex with
three restored homes, as well as
bams and other out buildings.
It gives visitors a glimpse at fife
in the South from the late 1700s
through the turn of the century. A
guided tour of the main house is
offered and visitors may wander
the grounds on their own to check
out the other buildings. Picnic
tables are also on the grounds.
For more information, go to
www.washingtonwilkes.org.
WARREN COUNTY
In Warren County, visitors can
check out the Ogeechee River
Grist Mill where owner Missy
Gamer will share the history of
the mill and its current use. The
mill has been in operation since
1826 and is still in use. Meal can
be purchased at the mill or in local
grocery stores.
At nearby Ogeechee
River Car Museum, owner
Alan Shapiro tells you
about his background and
how he began collecting
cars. The museum was built
in 2000 and houses over 25
vehicles, dating from 1868
through 1979. Shapiro also
has an extensive collection
of Coca Cola memorabilia.
Both Gamer and Shapiro
are fascinating residents of
Warren County and are en
thusiastic about what they
are doing.
Warrentown has a nice
downtown area with an
tique and gift shopping and
several restaurant options,
including the Side Street Pizzeria,
which has great calzones.
While in downtown, stop at the
courthouse to check out an impres
sive collection of local artwork.
Also take a look at the Knox The
atre, a wonderful art deco building
that is being renovated.
Warrentown is also known for
its mouth-watering barbecue. An
other dining option is the Victorian
tea room found in nearby Jewel.
Check out the county’s web
site for information on the annual
festivals, including Art on Main,
Fiddles and Vittles and Sportsman
Festival. It’s a great place to en
joy small town life and Southern
charm with friendly folks.
For more information, go to
www.warrencountyga.com.
For more information on the
Clarks Hill Partnership of Geor
gia, go to www.clarkshillga.org.
Lincoln County is a great place to visit
for outdoor adventure, including boating,
fishing and hunting.
In Warren County, visitors will find the
Knox Theatre, a wonderful art deco
building that is being renovated.
