Linda Erbele: I'm Linda Erbele and I’m going to tell you about places in Atlanta (and out of the city) that you’ve never been, and maybe things you don’t know about places you have been. Our readers and I want to read your travel stories too. I’ve been a writer for the last 11 years, with stories in magazines and newspapers in Georgia as well as nationally. I’ve lived, loved and worked in and around Atlanta since, well, since all the signs in Chamblee were in English. A perfect summer evening for me is cruising through a midtown neighborhood with the top down. In the fall I may put on a sweater and turn the heater on, but the convertible is still the best way to view the North Georgia mountains painted in the fiery colors of fall leaves. And of course, in the spring, I enjoy the dogwoods, azaleas and jonquils as they begin in central Georgia and spread north. So check back often, and let me know what I’ve missed in your favorite places!

Bottle Tree Tradition in the South

Have you been losing things lately? Maybe what you need is a bottle tree. In the rural South, you’ll occasionally happen upon a tree whose leaves consist entirely of colorful wine bottles. You may have thought it was simply the result of a big party the night before — but actually the bottle...

March 16th, 2010 | Atlanta | Read More

Experience Battlefield at the National Infantry Museum

Last June, with little fanfare, the National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center at Patriot Park opened in Columbus, about two hours south of Atlanta. (See map.) This world-class $91 million museum features interactive displays that allow visitors to shoot an M-4 and experience a taste of what soldiers...

March 13th, 2010 | Atlanta | Read More

Taste the Cork and Keg Festival in Helen

Put April 10 on your calendar to try some beer and wine and attend a new festival in Helen. The Cork and Keg festival will feature tastes of craft-brewed beers from some of the country’s best independent brewers (among them Georgia’s own Sweetwater Brewing and Terrapin) plus tastes of award-winning...

March 12th, 2010 | Atlanta | Read More

Join the Pinkest Party on Earth in Macon

Spring is really here when its time for the Cherry Blossom Festival in Macon — and that’s March 19th through the 28th. People have been known to dye their poodles pink for the ten days of these events. It starts with a ribbon cutting at noon in Central City park on Friday, then there are...

March 11th, 2010 | Atlanta | Read More

Picturesque Sautee Nacoochee

Some places in Georgia don’t get much press yet are very special and rare. One of those special spots is the North Georgia community of Sautee-Nacoochee. Located between the Alpine Village of Helen and the historic town of Clarkesville, the community has personality, peaceful beauty and sights...

March 7th, 2010 | Atlanta | Read More

Savannah shows off with its Music Festival

The Savannah Music Festival starts March 18 and runs through April 3. This is Georgia’s largest music festival and offers the opportunity to hear multiple genres of music — classical, jazz, Southern soul, bluegrass, Zydeco. There’s something for everyone — from master classes...

March 6th, 2010 | Atlanta | Read More

Eat-like-a-local in Oakwood

Sometimes you want a chef, and sometimes you just want a meat-and-three. When you’re heading up I-985 to Lake Lanier or the North Georgia mountains, there’s a great place with little advertising or signage that the locals flock to. Take the Oakwood exit and head east (right if you were coming...

March 3rd, 2010 | Atlanta | Read More

Spring’s coming to Atlanta

In spite of today’s snow, March is usually the turning point here in Atlanta. The crocuses and jonquils are pushing little determined blooms through and outdoor events are beginning. Not only will our snow be gone in a few days, but Snow Mountain at the Stone Mountain Park is ending this Sunday. ...

March 2nd, 2010 | Atlanta | Read More

Spring and Georgia’s Wine Highway Weekend

It’s time again for the Wine Highway Weekend. This will be a beautiful spring weekend, and North Georgia’s wineries are all in scenic areas — so a drive through the mountains along with visits to the wineries and tastes of food and wine is a combination that will make a weekend of very...

February 27th, 2010 | Atlanta | Read More

Sport of Kings is alive and well in Georgia

Humans have always been fascinated by the ability to teach an animal to work alongside us. It’s all the more interesting when it is a truly wild animal that does our bidding. I joined about 20 other people for a falconry program recently organized by Smithgall Woods State Park in Helen to learn...

February 25th, 2010 | Atlanta | Read More

Planet Shark grabs attention at the Georgia Aquarium

The scene opens on a crowded beach. The music swells as people begin to scream and race out of the water. A blond toddler, sitting in the sand, wails as he sense the panic in the air. The camera turns to the ocean, where ominously awaiting a victim is — a floating toaster. The caption tells us...

February 24th, 2010 | Atlanta | Read More

Enjoy your oysters on the deck in Virginia-Highland

A gorgeous day like today calls for an outdoor dining experience. After all the cold and wet, it was 60 degrees and sunny – and everyone was outside. Fontaine’s Oyster House was our choice for lunch — because we didn’t have time to enjoy the Oyster Fest at the Steamhouse Lounge...

February 20th, 2010 | Atlanta | Read More

The Dutch Monkey offers Doughnuts with a Difference

Do you remember the first time someone brought doughnuts to the office and everyone was excited? Then doughnuts became a cliche and it took sausage and biscuits, later chicken-biscuits before anyone was enthusiastic about attending a meeting. I’ve seen crowded conference calls end with whole boxes...

February 20th, 2010 | Atlanta | Read More

Cirque: Moravia at Rabun Gap

Did you miss the Cirque last time it was here? Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School has performed its own Cirque for nine years. Over 80 performers and technicians will take part in director Bill Patti’s adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, entitled Cirque: Moravia. This performance has mushroomed in popularity...

February 19th, 2010 | Atlanta | Read More

Hard-to-find artisans found at Fireside

Nothing adds distinction to an urban decor like beautifully hand-crafted items. Additionally, you search for gifted artisans can be an investment. The Fireside Art and Craft Show at Unicoi State Park has become recognized in its 35 years for truly fabulous arts and crafts. A juried show, Fireside has...

February 16th, 2010 | Atlanta | Read More

A week of food and celebration in Atlanta

The combination of Fat Tuesday, Chinese New Year and Mardi Gras make this a week to soak up all the seafood, King Cake, shrimp rolls and noodles you can squeeze in. Both South City Kitchen locations, Midtown and Vinings are holding “A Taste of New Orleans” menus this week. No, it’s...

February 13th, 2010 | Atlanta | Read More

Toccoa’s Currahee Military Museum

This little town in Northeast Georgia has a big connection to World War II – it was the site of training for Easy Company, of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the Army’s 101st Airborne Division, the men whose experiences inspired the films “Band of Brothers,” “Saving Private Ryan”...

February 13th, 2010 | Atlanta | Read More

Comfort food for the soul in Toccoa

Ah, comfort food – fried chicken, pork chops, greens, mashed potatoes, gravy. At Shirley’s Sole Food in Toccoa, you get not only the soul-filling goodness of food like your momma made, but the additional warmth of knowing you are helping the homeless and hungry in town. You read that right – at...

February 12th, 2010 | Atlanta | Read More

Plan a late Valentine’s Day at a Georgia state park

Really – what could be more romantic than a cottage in the woods, a hot tub on the deck and a waterfall within walking distance through the woods? Georgia’s state parks and Lodges are offering discounts for you to snuggle in the woods. Now you may be picturing a dusty cabin with spider-webs...

February 9th, 2010 | Atlanta | Read More

Best of the Week in Atlanta

Of course you can’t have missed Super Bowl Sunday or that Valentine’s Day is next Sunday. Here are a few other things going on – some that will be ending soon. Poetic Experiences: A Celebration of African American Poets at Imagine It: The Children’s Museum. Feb 7 at 2 pm. (This...

February 6th, 2010 | Atlanta | Read More