AAA: Number of Labor Day travelers decline

ATLANTA – Fewer people will be traveling this Labor Day, according to AAA.

Nationwide, 13.3 percent fewer people are expected to travel, AAA said. The decrease is, in part, due to the fact that Labor Day falls late this year; Labor Day hasn’t fallen this late in the year since 1998.

“Although the calendar this year creates an anomaly that allows fewer families to hit the road, many may decide at the last minute to take advantage of significantly lower rates for hotels and airfares,” Kevin Bakewell, senior vice president, AAA Auto Club South, said in a news release.

Nationally, 39.1 million people are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home. An estimated 84 percent of people will be traveling by automobile while only 4 percent will fly.

Airfares are projected to decrease by 17 percent compared to 2008 rates; rates at AAA-rated “Three Diamond” and “Two-Diamond” hotels are expected to decline by 12 percent compared to last year.

AAA also said Labor Day travelers are expected to spend an estimated $968 per household this Labor Day.

For more info: AAA.com

Alton Brown celebrates 10 years of 'Good Eats'

ATLANTA -- Alton Brown took to the stage tonight to celebrate 10 years of his popular "Good Eats" show on the Food Network.

Alton Brown is great!

Alton Brown is great! Better in person than on TV!

A rooftop view of Atlanta

AirTran looking to add a trio of popular destinations

ATLANTA – AirTran Airways is looking to add three popular destinations to its lineup – Nassau, Bahamas; Montego Bay, Jamaica; and Aruba.

The airline has filed applications with the U.S. Department of Transportation. If approved, the flights are slated to begin later this year and in early 2010. Service to Nassau and Montego Bay would depart from Atlanta, Baltimore and Orlando; service to Aruba would depart from Atlanta and Orlando, the airline said in a news release.

“Adding our low-cost, high-quality service from some of our largest operations to some of the most popular destinations in the Caribbean is a win-win for consumers and for AirTran Airways,” Kevin Healy, senior vice president, marketing and planning, said in a news release. “There’s nothing quite like jetting off to a tropical island in the middle of Winter, and we look forward to making that possible from some of the largest cities in our network.”

Attendance at national parks on the rise

ATLANTA – National parks are the place to be, according to recent statistics.

During the first half of 2009, national parks saw an increase of roughly 4.5 million visits when compared to the same time period in 2008. In June, the number of visits to national parks increased by more than 718,000 when compared to 2008.

“America’s national parks and public lands provide affordable and accessible recreational opportunities from coast to coast,” Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said in a news release. “It is great to see so many Americans … take advantage of the incredible natural, cultural, and historic resources that we have here at home. Especially when times are tough, our parks and public lands refuel the spirit and help energize local economies.”

For more information, log onto www.recreation.gov or www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.

Historic organization helping raise money to save Athens landmark

ATLANTA – The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation is teaming up with the Georgia Theatre to raise money to rebuild the historic structure, which was gutted in a June 19 fire.

“Fans and artists from all over the world have reached out, offering to help us save this truly magical and historic building,” Georgia Theatre owner Wilmot Greene said in a news release. “Our partnership with the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation will make it possible for us to revive the Georgia Theatre in a manner that will ensure its storied legacy. Athens just wouldn't be the same without it.”

The theater was built in the 1890s, serving as a YMCA. In the 1930s, the building was converted into a movie theater, and it began its run as a music venue in 1978. The Police, the Dave Matthews Band, Widespread Panic, R.E.M. and the B-52s are among the acts that have performed at the Georgia Theater.

The Georgia Trust, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, set up the Georgia Theatre Rehabilitation Fund, and any donations The Georgia Trust receives are tax-deductible. In addition, the donations “will be placed in a restricted account to be used solely for the purposes of rebuilding the theater,” the organization said in a news release.

“The Georgia Trust is pleased to act as a fiscal agent to accept donations for the rehabilitation of the Georgia Theatre,” Mark C. McDonald, president and CEO of the Trust, said in a news release. “Donations can be made to The Georgia Trust, and we will insure that the funds are spent solely for the purpose of rehabilitating this historic building in downtown Athens.”

For more information about the Georgia Theater Rehabilitation Fund, contact Kate Ryan, programs manager for the Trust, at (404) 885-7817 or kryan@georgiatrust.org.

Donations to the Georgia Theater Rehabilitation Fund can be sent to The Georgia Trust at: The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, Georgia Theatre Rehabilitation Fund, Attn: Kate Ryan, 1516 Peachtree St., NW, Atlanta, GA 30309.

To travel is to…

By Todd DeFeo

I’m mulling my recent escapades, trying to put everything into perspective – there were some unique, some historic and some downright weird attractions.

In less than a week, I traversed five states from the Southeast to the Midwest, took in an historic Civil War fort, the world’s most accurate replica of a ship Christopher Columbus sailed when he discovered a new world, the “Smallest Church in America” and the largest apple basket in the world among a handful of other attractions.

Ohio, it seems, has the highest number of “world’s largest” attractions per capita of anywhere in the world. In all my travels, in and out of Ohio, I’ve seen in world’s largest basket (in Newark, Ohio), the world’s largest spatula (in Miyajima, Japan) and the world’s largest roadside chicken (in Marietta, Ga.).

From time to time, I ask myself, “why?” What draws me to scout out the obscure? What makes me scout out anything? What makes an attraction an attraction? And what does it mean to travel?

By definition, traveling means “to move or undergo transmission from one place to another.” But, that doesn’t explain why.

“There’s a world outside waiting to be discovered,” somebody once said. A world filled with the largest of things, the smallest of things and everything that falls in between – attractions that, quite frankly, if you never saw probably would not change your life for the worse. It’s a good thing most days – otherwise, one might think all there is to see in the world is a computer screen that endlessly displays word processing documents.

The best attractions – the ones that barely make the guide book – are those that can only be seen on a road trip a couple of blocks off the beaten path – from a field of concrete corn in Dublin, Ohio, to a tree that owns itself in Athens, Ga.

“Today the American road has no end; the road that went nowhere now goes everywhere,” Henry Ford II said. Luckily, there are endless places to stop along that road to everywhere because, I’ve learned, everywhere is somewhere to see.

When in Folkston, take time to tour the town – Part III

By Todd DeFeo

FOLKSTON, Ga. – When in Folkston, it’s worth taking a few minutes away from the train watching platform and taking a walking tour of the historic downtown.

The train platform is conveniently located near the city’s downtown, and the most logical place to start the walking tour is at the historic train depot. Stop inside and enjoy the town’s train museum, and while there, pick up a copy of “Folkston Then and Now: A Self-Guided Walking Tour of Historic Downtown Folkston, Georgia.” The booklet contains a plethora of information about the town and its buildings.

From the depot, the suggested tour route heads west along Main Street away from the train tracks. Many of the buildings in town date to the 1910s or 1920s. While each building has a storied history, many of the buildings today are home to boutique shops worth stopping in for a quick browse or a full-fledged shopping experience.

After finishing the walking tour, be sure to end up at the Okefenokee Restaurant on South Second Street. The Richcliff restaurant originally operated on this site starting in 1953, and today’s Okefenokee Restaurant is a country-style buffet that features a number of southern classics, from fried chicken to fried catfish to mashed potatoes. Come hungry because the Okefenokee Restaurant is an all-you-can eat establishment.

While you’re at the restaurant, be sure to step out and take in Charlton County’s 1928 courthouse – a “Neoclassical style with Georgian Revival detailing.” The structure, built after the county’s third courthouse burned on Feb. 19, 1928, is listed on the National Register of Historical Places.

Forget the Okefenokee, come for the trains – Part II

By Todd DeFeo

FOLKSTON, Ga. – Every day, upwards of 80 CSX trains pass through the Folkston Funnel, so named because two railroad lines merge just north of downtown. In fact, almost all Florida-bound freight trains pass through the city’s limits.

The city of Folkston has embraced the railroad that passes through town and welcomes railfans from around the country who want to watch trains pass through the south Georgia town. In 2001, with the help of a $30,000 state grant and inmate labor, the city opened a train viewing platform in downtown Folkston. The platform has fans, lights and a scanner that allows railfans to listen in on railroad radio traffic and help judge the direction and load of the next inbound freight.

The Savannah, Florida and Western Railroad completed two railroads — the Waycross and Florida Railroad, which was built from Waycross, Ga., to the Georgia-Florida state line and the East Florida Railroad, running from Jacksonville, Fla., and connecting with the Waycross and Florida Railroad at the Florida-Georgia state line.

Later, the Atlantic Coast Line built tracks through town. The line, now a part of CSX’s Jesup Subdivision, from Jesup, Ga., to Jacksonville, Fla., also passes through town.

The Atlantic Coast Line probably built its tracks through Folkston because of the nearby Okefenokee Swamp. As a result, trains from the two railroads – today, two CSX subdivisions – come together, hence funnel, just north of town and head into Florida.

A third railroad – the Brunswick and Pensacola Railroad – was built in 1894. The line, built by the Suwanee Canal Co., ran from Folkston to the nearby Suwanee Canal, but the line did not have a major impact on the city.

When in Folkston, don’t just visit the Okefenokee – Part I

By Todd DeFeo

FOLKSTON, Ga. – Driving along U.S. Highway 1 on my first trip to Folkston, I spied a southbound freight train on the tracks to my right.

At a side street ahead, Kingfisher Landing Road, I turned, pulled up to the grade crossing and stopped my car. I rolled down my window and let the shutter rip.

As the train passed, I made a U-Turn and continued my southward journey along U.S. Highway 1. When I made it into town, I parked near the town’s historic depot and photographed the same train as it rolled through town.

I was officially in train heaven.

The first train, of the Savannah, Florida and Western Railroad, passed through town in June 1881, marking the beginning of an industry that would change the city’s history forever, a change that is still visible.

Today, more than 120 years later, the town is still known for its trains, as dozens pass through the Charlton County, Ga., seat daily. And, railfans from around the country gather on a viewing platform downtown to catch the action, opting to visit the viewing platform, instead of the town’s other attraction: the Okefenokee Swamp (the town’s nickname is “Gateway to the Okefenokee”).

“We’ve evolved into a second attraction in this area,” Folkston Mayor Marvin “Cookie” Williams was quoted as saying in a 2005 Associated Press article. “The big attraction, of course, is the swamp. I don't think we’ll ever compete with the swamp and the number of people who come to see it. But it’s amazing to see the number of people who do come to watch trains.”

The State of Georgia Salutes

Greetings from The Ohio State University

Greetings from The Ohio State University

Survey confirms that seatbelts save lives

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A new survey confirms that additional lives could be saved “if seat belt use rates rose to 90 percent in every state.”

The survey, from the U.S. Department of Transportation, found that 1,652 lives could be saved annually. In addition, 22,372 serious injuries could be avoided. The DOT released the survey results earlier this year as part of its “Click It or Ticket” nationwide enforcement campaign.

“Wearing a seat belt costs nothing and yet it’s the single most effective traffic safety device ever invented,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a news release. “We want to let the American people know that by failing to wear your seat belt, you not only risk serious injury or death, you also risk getting a ticket.”

An estimated 83 percent of people nationwide use seatbelts, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) National Occupant Protection Use Survey 2008 federal data.

Seatbelt use among teens is low at night, according to NHTSA. Roughly 65 percent of the 16-to-20 year olds who died in a nighttime wreck were not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. A total of 4,540 16-to-20 year olds were killed in 2007, and 2,502 were not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, survey data shows.

“Young people often think they’re invincible,” LaHood said. “Yet like everyone in a passenger vehicle, they’re tremendously vulnerable in the event of a crash.”

Greetings from Frazeysburg, Ohio

Greetings from Frazeysburg, Ohio

Greetings from Newark, Ohio

Greetings from Newark, Ohio

Greetings from Denison University

Greetings from Denison University

Greetings from Dublin, Ohio

Greetings from Dublin, Ohio

Greetings from Corbin, Ky.

Greetings from Corbin, Ky.

NHTSA: Number of ‘legally intoxicated drivers’ continues to decline

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The number of “legally intoxicated drivers” continues to decline, according to new data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The number of weekend nighttime drivers with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher – a level higher than the legal limit in all 50 states and the District of Columbia – stands at 2.2 percent, according to the new roadside survey, which was conducted in 2007. That’s down from 7.5 percent in 1973.

“I’m pleased to see that our battle against drunk driving is succeeding,” Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a news release. “However, alcohol still kills 13,000 people a year on our roads and we must continue to be vigilant in our efforts to prevent drunk driving.”

In addition, the survey revealed that 16.3 percent of nighttime weekend drivers tested positive for drugs. The most common drugs used are: marijuana (8.6 percent); cocaine (3.9 percent); and over-the-counter and prescription drugs (3.9 percent).

“This troubling data shows us, for the first time, the scope of drugged driving in America, and reinforces the need to reduce drug abuse,” Gil Kerlikowske, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, said in a news release. “Drugged driving, like drunk driving, is a matter of public safety and health. It puts us all at risk and must be prevented.”

According to the survey data, motorcycle riders are more likely to be drunk than the drivers of passenger vehicles (5.6 percent vs. with 2.3 percent), while pickup truck drivers followed motorcycle riders (3.3 percent).

Data also showed that drunken drivers are more likely during late night hours – from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. – than at other times during the day or early evening.

Greetings from South Newport, Ga.

Greetings from South Newport, Ga.

Greetings from Fort Clinch

Greetings from Fort Clinch

Greetings from Amelia Island!

Greetings from Amelia Island!

This road was repaved because...

This road was repaved because of the bailout. In two years it will probably be torn up and widened in another bailout!

My phone just said, "loss

My phone just said, "loss of service." You think? Where are we? Somewhere in Georgia!

Random road thought -- No. 4,567,283

Who drives a camo golf cart on the highway?

Who is Friendly Gus?

Who is Friendly Gus?

The A-Bombs: The right decision

An interesting poll from Quinnipiac University found that American voters by a 61-22 percent margin say dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was the right decision.

Another 16 percent of poll respondents are undecided.

"Sixty-four years after the dawn of the atomic age, one in five Americans think President Harry Truman made a mistake dropping the bomb," Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, said in a news release.

"Voters who remember the horrors of World War II overwhelmingly support Truman's decision," Brown added, according to the release. "Support drops with age, from the generation that grew up with the nuclear fear of the Cold War to the youngest voters, who know less about WW II or the Cold War."

By the Numbers
Approval of the decision is:

• 74-13 percent among Republicans
• 73-13 percent Voters over 55 years old approve
• 72-17 percent among men
• 70-15 percent among white Protestants, Catholics and evangelical Christians
• 60-23 percent among voters 35 to 54 years old
• 58-26 percent among Jews
• 51-27 percent among women
• 50-32 percent among voters 18 to 34 years old
• 49-29 percent among Democrats

Hiroshima: Taking time to explore, and understand, the past

What’s to a name? There is likely an interesting story

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. – Look at a map, and take notice of the names. Almost anywhere you look, you’re bound to find one or two interesting names.

Sometimes the origin of a town’s name is obvious – perhaps it’s a tribute to someone who played a vital role in its founding. But, other times, they’re downright peculiar. And sometimes, a town’s name isn’t even the town’s original name.

Take, the growing city of Winder, for example. The town’s original name was Snodon, a name that the Creek and Cherokee Indians gave to the area. Later, the town was renamed Jug Tavern, perhaps taking its name from a popular tavern. Then, the city’s name was changed to Brandon before reverting back to Jug Tavern. Finally, the name of Winder was chosen in honor a railroad man – John L. Winder – who is credited with bringing the Georgia, Carolina & Northern Railway to town.

Nearby Jefferson, once named Thomoccoggan, was named in honor of President Thomas Jefferson. But picking something as simple as Jefferson wasn’t so simple. The city was first named Jeffersonville, then Jeffersonton. On June 30, 1824, it was changed one last time to its current incarnation: Jefferson.

But Jefferson, Ga., isn’t the only city named for the nation’s third president. There are at least 25 cities, towns, counties or parishes named in honor of Jefferson, according to Internet encyclopedia Wikipedia. There is also a proposed state of Jefferson that would include portions of southern Oregon and northern California. Furthermore, there are more than a dozen other locations named Jefferson, but “not necessarily named for” the former president, according to Wikipedia.

But other times, the origin of a town’s name isn’t quite so easy to determine. To me, Social Circle was one of those names.