A South Carolina Island, an Old Fort, and the Legend of the Gold Bug
Even those that keen on the topic of American Romanticism and great works of literature, may not understand the link between a South Carolina island, an old fort and the legend of the gold bug. On November 18, 1827, an eighteen year old U.S. army private, Edgar Allen Poe, arrived by ship to Charleston Harbor to report for military duty. His station, Fort Moultrie, was located roughly nine miles southeast from the bustling port city of Charleston on a picturesque piece of marshland called Sullivan’s Island.
Edgar Allen Poe ( author of The Raven, Tell-Tale Heart, and more)
Private Edgar Poe’s occupation as an army clerk allowed him ample time to engage in idle activities such as exploring the island and perfecting his craft as a writer. There remains no doubt that the area’s storied history of notorious pirates such as Blackbeard (Edward Teach) inspired Poe to take to the pen and create his fascinating tale of pirate treasure and the legend of a gold bug. His short story, The Gold Bug, tells the tale of a man bitten by a mysterious gold bug that eventually leads him to uncovering a buried fortune on the South Carolina island. (more…)
Posted in Adventurous Places, Great Dining, Historical Journeys, North America and tagged Edgar Allen Poe, Gold Bug, Sullivan's Island.
Helen, a Big Bavarian Adventure in Small-town Appalachia
What do the Alps of Germany have in common with the southern state of Georgia? Well absolutely nothing, unless you’re talking about the picturesque village of Helen. This charming village, with a meager population of around 500 people, is hidden deep within the shadows of the Chattahoochee National Forest.
Located about two hours north of Atlanta, this Blue Ridge Mountain community sprang up out of the glittering dust of the Great Georgia Gold Rush. When gold fever finally ran its course, the town became a hub for an emerging timber industry. Unfortunately, the people there had more saws than they did trees and in the 1960s the town nearly shut down. It wasn’t until 1968, when businessmen bumped heads with a local artist, that they came up with a unique solution to revitalize the town – Helen, Georgia would be given a Bavarian facelift.
Over the years that followed, the entire town was revamped and now appears as a quaint German alpine village. There are German-styled restaurants, German-themed gift shops, German traditional festivals (Oktoberfest), and one of my personal favorites -cold German beer! With all that Old World appeal, this place is just brewing with adventure!
Main Street, Helen, GA.
Main Street in Helen is perfect place to find German-themed goods, souvenirs, and tasty treats galore. (more…)
Posted in Adventurous Places, Great Dining, North America and tagged Bavarian village, Georgia, Helen.
3 Miles Up, 3 Miles Down or How to Conquer Currahee Mountain
On Memorial Day, 2015, we loaded up the car and headed out for a day trip to Toccoa, Georgia. Although this Blue Ridge region of the Peach State has many spectacular places of interest, I was only focused on finding one particular landmark: Currahee Mountain. Currahee is a Cherokee word meaning “stand alone”. Most likely the name was derived from the mountain’s prominent peak that extends higher than all others within Stephens County. Currahee Mountain, which rises abruptly above the Chattahoochee Forest, climbs about 800 vertical feet above the local terrain and its summit is visible for many miles on a clear day.
Camp Toccoa, located outside of Toccoa, GA, USA
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Posted in Adventure Fitness, Adventurous Places, Historical Journeys, North America and tagged 506th Infantry Regiment, Band of Brothers, currahee, Currahee Mountain, Toccoa Georgia, WW2.
Fort Pickens and the Coastal Batteries of Pensacola Bay
In an age before nuclear bombs, precision guided missiles, and other sophisticated instruments of war, the best means of defending a nation was a well fortified harbor. Pensacola Beach, on the panhandle of Northwest Florida, is home to some of the world’s whitest beaches; it’s also the site of Fort Pickens and several coastal artillery batteries that defended its shores until the conclusion of the second world war. Today, Fort Pickens and its surrounding batteries are part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. The area is managed under the National Park Service and the U.S. Department interior. There are 200 campsites at Fort Pickens. For the last week Rebecca, my two boys, and I pitched a tent and called this little piece of seashore our home. This is the photo journal we’ve captured from that experience. I hope you enjoy.
Fort Pickens is a pentagonal historic military fort on Santa Rosa Island in the Pensacola, Florida area. The fort is named after a hero of the Revolutionary War, Andrew Pickens. The fort was erected in 1834 and remained active until 1947. (more…)
Posted in Adventurous Places, Historical Journeys, North America and tagged Blue Angels, florida, Fort Pickens, Geronimo, Pensacola Beach.
Life is Always Sunny in Southend-on-Sea
In Essex County of Merry Old England lies the seaside resort town of Southend-on-Sea. This quaint coastal community is really quite remarkable. It boasts seven miles of beaches, great shopping, a seaside amusement park, and the world’s longest leisure pier in the world. Knowing all this, this was one place that Big John wanted to experience first hand.
It appears boating is still very popular along this particular section of coastline.
Southend-on-Sea began its humble beginnings as a place for poor fishermen’s huts and farms at the southern end of the village called Prittlewell. In the 1790s, the first buildings around what was to become the High Street of Southend were completed. Southend continued to stay pretty much off the radar until the 19th century when Princess Caroline of Brunswick just happened to pay a visit to the small seaside community. Well, the princess quickly fell in love with the place and a seaside resort sprang up not long after, giving the community some much needed fanfare. (more…)
Posted in Adventurous Places, Europe, Great Dining and tagged England, Essex County, merry old england, southend, Southend-on-sea.