Anniversary Trip to Athens, Georgia, and Conyers, Georgia (September 23-27, 2014)

It seemed fitting to combine the 40^th anniversary of our leaving the University of Georgia with the 43^rd anniversary of our marriage in Athens, Georgia. With the exception of the Athens area, the chosen roads seemed so familiar to us. From 1971 to 1974, Bill and I made this trip often to visit his parents in Nashville. The rolling hills and the pastoral views of Highway 83 from Forsyth to Madison and Highway 129 from Madison to Athens are never tiresome.

Near the Highway 83 exit off I-75 at Forsyth, there used to be a dairy farm. The dogs (Meco and Bruder, both German Shepherds) loved to bark at the cows as we passed. (Bill may have had some part in this!) Now, a lone silo serves to remind us of the bygone days and a new elementary school has been built on or near the dairy site. Madison, worth a visit all on its own merits, has the charm of the historic houses and an interesting downtown area. Highway 129 offers more country views and my favorite stop--Reed's Odds and Ends. Mr. Reed and his son were on hand the day we visited. We've found some real gems there over the years--The World Was my Garden by David Fairchild, for instance, and several pieces of crochet and embroidered linens. This trip, Bill was looking for books with information about certain Georgia counties and I was looking for an antique (or just attractive) brooch. I did buy a ring I hope will substitute for the brooch I wanted. A bit small but most lovely--and only $5!

*******************
Last edit 2014-11-02.
Note: As mentioned in the banner, this area of Southern Matters is private; if you are not a family member, friend, or invited guest, please enjoy the public areas of Southern Matters or exit. Thank you for following our Honor Sysem. This file may contain copyrighted material; the authority to grant permission for its use does not rest with us. Otherwise--for our original material--the following citation format is suggested: "Southern Matters, accessed yyyy/mm/dd."

We had had a long day when we arrived at the UGA Conference Center and Hotel, which represents a beginning and an ending for Bill--he lodged here several times before he became a student, and he last met with the late Clanton C. Black Jr., an influential mentor, there.  After checking in and getting settled, we watched a news channel and rested.  We opted for the hotel dining room and were two of only six guests for the evening.  Three older women (in their late 70s/early 80s) near us seemed to be enjoying themselves and I heard one say she would be back for the game!  

Having only one day in Athens, our plan was to go downtown after breakfast (the hotel has a shuttle service), walk around and look for antiques and gifts, have lunch, and then walk back to the hotel.  Frequently, as an undergraduate, I had walked all over downtown and campus without noticing the hills and distances, but age has a way of catching up.  Fortunately, we found the remedy I needed--a pair of insoles--at the venerable Horton’s Drugs.  After shopping and reminescing on Clayton Street, we lunched at Pauley’s Original Crepe Bar.  I had not had such delicious crepes in a long time. Following that break, we continued our walk and later had coffee at Starbucks, across from the former location of the Varsity, THE fast food known to every UGA student of our generation.

UGA Old Campus could not be more beautiful. We posed at the UGA Arch (the formal campus entrance) and enjoyed seeing a group with little ones setting up a picnic on the lawn. Bill made some photographs of the beautiful old buildings and landscapes that show a lot of attention has been paid to the design and maintenance. I needed some rest periods to make the long walk, but I was determined to finish. All in all, we logged in 4.3 miles!

Rutherford Hall (left), showing the quadrangle between Rutherford, Myers (where Elizabeth and I both lived for a while--30 years apart) and Mary Lyndon.

After resting and watching some news on TV, we decided to eat at Snelling Hall. I remember very well my first meal there. It was during summer orientation in 1966. I was with my roommate from Dallas, Georgia (Marcia Winn), a friend I met from Tifton, Georgia (Barbara Emmett) and her roommate from Quitman, Georgia (Carol Cox). With the exception of the latter, we were all Home Ec majors. In fact, I even remember what I was wearing--a brown print A-line skirt that I made and an orange knit top. Bill and I were surprised that Snelling still served meals. In fact, it is open 24 hours daily. We paid a hefty price for dinner but we enjoyed the nostalgic feel of the experience.

Thursday morning, we headed off to Conyers, Georgia, my hometown. I' like to say that the route was familiar, but it wasn't. I had planned in advance to skip the Highway 138/I-20 traffic and we turned onto Hi-Roc Road off Highway 138. My paternal grandfather owned land through this area and lived on Hi-Roc Road for many years before moving down the hill to Zingara Road, where he also owned property. My paternal uncle built a home on part of this property and lived there a number of years before returning to Michigan where most of his family relocated to. My parents built a home on some of this land, too, around the time I graduated college, and they lived there the remainder of their lives. It's interesting that some parts of Hi-Roc Road are just like the mountains and then some parts are not.

We drove Highway 20 to Conyers as it is more familiar to me than Highway 138, which has changed a lot over the years. Also, it gave me a chance to see my childhood home again. We had a lunch date planned in Olde Town Conyers with two of my high-school classmates and friends--Judy H. Bond and Joan C. Brown. Joan's husband, Dale, joined us as well at Las Flores and our visit stretched into hours. Before lunch, Judy and I found some charming notecards at Beasley's Drug Store of painted scenes of Olde Town Conyers. I bought several and have plans to frame them.

After lunch, Bill, Judy and I went to Eastview Cemetery to take some photographs of the burial sites of various Norton relatives. Judy had generously copied much information for us and that really helped our search. The images have been incorporated into our Markers Page.

Next morning, we left for home. Always planning more than I can manage, we left some work undone. Priss was happy to greet Bill at the doggie spa and did not hold a grudge as she once did. She is faring better now, but I know she gets lonely for Buttley. We miss her, too.

Return to Documentation for this page.
Return to Image Workshop home.
Return to Southern Matters home.

Last edit: Nov 2, 2014.