Built as a gift to the people of Porterdale by James H. Porter in memory of his father and Porterdale founder Oliver Saffold Porter (1836-1914), the Porter Memorial Gym was one of the main gathering places in the community until the decline of the mills. It was designed by one of Georgia’s first female architects, Ellamae Ellis League.
Though a 2005 fire destroyed much of the structure and collapsed the roof, the foundation and walls remain were re-enforced and the site is occasionally used for gatherings and community events.
Porterdale Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
Near the trailhead at Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Center
Arabia Mountain, like its neighbors, Panola Mountain and Stone Mountain, is one of several prominent monadnocks/plutons in Georgia. Monadnocks are roughly defined as isolated rock hills or small mountains rising prominently from a more gently sloping perimeter. Historically, they have all been mined for their raw material. While Stone Mountain and Panola Mountain are composed of granite, Arabia Mountain is composed of gneiss. This is the view as one begins the short hike to the summit at the Klondike Road trailhead within the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Center. There is some confusion as to the name of the summit, as Bradley Peak (954′) and Arabia Mountain (940′) tend to be connected, and some sources note that the actual summit of Arabia Mountain is located near an old quarry, beyond Bradley Peak. Very few maps identify Bradley Peak or Bradley Mountain at all, but it’s a big debate, apparently. Since signage and Department of the Interior identify the site as Arabia Mountain, I’m deferring to those sources in this context.
Cairn marking the trail at Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Center
The parking lot is often full at the Nature Center, so it’s probably best to go on a weekday. The trail is clearly marked with these stone cairns.
Woolly Groundsel (Packera cana)
Several unusual wildflower and native plant species thrive on the mountain. While its fall-blooming yellow daisies may be one of its most iconic symbols, Arabia Mountain is also home to these spring-blooming beauties, tentatively identified as Woolly Groundsel (Packera cana).
Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata)
Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata) is one of the most colorful and spectacular bloomers at Arabia Mountain.
Small’s Stonecrop, aka Diamorpha (Sedum smallii)
Springtime brings patches of endangered red plants around the solution pits that dot the landscape of Arabia Mountain.
Historically, they have been known as Diamorpha smallii, or simply Diamorpha, but are now classified as Sedum smallii. During their very brief bloom time, they are covered with tiny white flowers.
The flowers are a great aspect of the mountain, but Arabia’s charm lies in its rocky, other-worldly topography.
Nearly every solution pit and pool, whether filled with water or not, is host to a wide variety of vegetation.
The slope itself, from the Nature Preserve access point, has a low rise and is therefore an enjoyable walk for most people.
Fringe tree (Chionanthus virginicus) near the summit
Finding this fringe tree near the summit was a surprise. It was quite windblown, as my hike with friends on Saturday was dominated by non-stop 40+mph gusts.
I’ve always called these pedestrian sections on the sides of bridges along the coast “fishing bridges” but I know there must be a better name. On a list of McIntosh County fishing piers, this is identified as the Champney River Bridge Catwalk, and catwalk seems a good description. It’s probably the safest, accessibility wise, of all of these public piers in the Altamaha Delta, because there’s a nice parking lot. The others generally have little more than a pull-over spot and US 17 is a very busy road most of the time. Tourists may use these from time to time, but locals, who know the tides and and the runs of numerous species, use them frequently.
If you’re not an angler and just want to take in the coastal scenery, or a birdwatcher checking out the diverse avifauna, they’re a good starting point.
No matter where I’m traveling, I always try to make at least one stop at a public park or natural area for a moment of decompression. There are many such places in Georgia just waiting to be seen. If you love water, you’ll love Georgia’s “Other Coast”. Sure, there are other big lakes in Georgia, but Lake Seminole lies near farmlands dotted with oaks as big as you’ll find on the actual coast. In your drive to get there, you’ll most likely see them. It’s just beautiful country.
This view of the Alapaha River looks north from the US 221/US 129 bridge just east of Lakeland at Pafford’s Landing. Heavy winter rains have resulted in a much higher water level than normal. The privately owned launch and beach are publicly accessible at the landing, but not all of the property is open to the public.
The Alapaha is popular with fishermen and kayakers today. It’s also of historical importance as an integral feature in the settlement of this section of the Georgia Wiregrass region.
Columbus, like Georgia’s other Fall Line cities, is defined by a dramatic shift in elevation [124 feet over a 2 mile stretch], and its lifeblood has always been the Chattahoochee River. Historically, the river’s waters ran freely over rocks and shoals and were known as the Falls of the Chattahoochee. Chutes de la Chattahoutchie, an 1838 painting by the French naturalist Francis de la Porte depicted a wild and scenic waterway and the river retained this wildness until it was dammed by Eagle and Phenix Mill [1882] and City Mills [1907] to provide the power which made their industries possible. Smaller dams were built earlier in the 19th century, but did not have the impact of the aforementioned examples.
The Falls of the Chattahoochee vanished as the mills grew over time. In the mid-2000s, a plan to breach and remove those dams took hold in an effort to make the Chattahoochee wild again and provide new tourism opportunities for Columbus.
The breaching of the Eagle and Phenix Mill dam in 2012 and the City Mills dam in 2013 brought back a resource which had vanished over a century ago. The Falls of the Chattahoochee, which had been important to the area since the days of Native Americans, once again flow through the city and have created what has been called one of the best urban whitewater runs in the nation.
The river reclamation has been a driver of revitalization in Columbus, and while I generally don’t make endorsements, I would direct you to the experienced folks at Whitewater Express.
They’ll gladly take you on an amazing adventure if you’re of a mind to get wet and get your adrenaline flowing.
Whether you’ve never done whitewater or you’re an old pro, they will make your experience worthwhile. It’s a great day trip if you’re in the area.
Originating in swampland east of Young Man Road in northern McIntosh County, the White Chimney River [also referred to as White Chimney Creek] flows southerly for several miles before joining the Sapelo River. I haven’t located an origin for the name, but would presume it to be related to an early house or other landmark with white chimneys. Seems logical, but who knows…
The White Chimney River is surrounded by marsh and hammock on both sides for most of its brief course.
This landscape is typical of estuaries along the Atlantic seaboard.
In the southeast, they generally feature palmettos, oaks, and cedars.
A web of smaller creeks feed into the river from all directions.
Like the rivers they support, they are dependent on the tides.
These estuaries are integral to the abundance of marine life that attracts fishermen to the region.
This floating dock is located at Cooper’s Point, now part of a residential development bordering the White Chimney River. It’s a private dock, but anyone can access the river at the White Chimney Creek Boat Ramp on Shellman Bluff Road. The river is particularly known for its abundance of Spotted Seatrout. Croaker is also common.
Oysters are also dependent on the estuarine environment and are quite abundant along the banks of the White Chimney River.
This sign, across from Hunter’s Cafe, sums up the mood around Shellman Bluff; no hurries and no worries. The words change from time to time, but the message really doesn’t. It overlooks the idyllic Julienton River, a tributary of the Sapelo River.
This man-made lake, now officially known as Lake Strom Thurmond, retains its original designation as Clarks Hill Lake in Georgia. Its creation was made possible by the construction of the Clarks Hill Dam near the confluence of the Savannah River and the Little River in 1952. It is the third largest man-made lake east of the Mississippi River and provides abundant recreation and fishing opportunities for residents and tourists alike.
This view was made on a western section of the lake, near the old town of Raysville. The lake is bordered by McCormick County, South Carolina, and Lincoln, Columbia, McDuffie, and Wilkes counties in Georgia.
Most of us who have grown up swimming in rivers and creeks are familiar with rope swings tied to trees that have a good reach over the waterway, and occasionally, we see impromptu ladders added to make the climb to the top easier. I shot these several years ago near the Meriwether County Landing on the Flint River and I think they had more steps than any I’ve seen.
I really didn’t know what to call them other than “diving trees”. They’re really more for jumping than diving, especially when the rivers are low. I don’t think there’s any consensus as to an official term but they’re a thing down here in southern Georgia and I thought these two were perfect examples.
Vanishing Georgia: Photographs by Brian Brown 