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Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Would you consider a small town vacation?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Every so often, I have a Madison moment. When I was in school in Athens, I would hop in my car and drive south on US 441 to Madison, Ga. - often dragging my roommate or my future husband along for the ride.
There, I would walk through downtown, visit the elementary school my father attended (it’s now a museum) and gawk at the beautiful architecture. They would nod as I pointed out the lovely Presbyterian Church on South Main Street. They patiently waited while I stepped into the newspaper office where the publisher still remembered my grandparents and called my father by a nickname he hadn’t used in 50 years.
My father grew up in several small Georgia towns, including Madison, and he managed to “swing by” as many of these little locales on just about every family car trip we took when I was a child. Often we had to veer sharply off of anything that even resembled a path to indulge my dad’s strolls down memory lane. Ever been to Millen, Ga.? (You’ll find it between Augusta and Statesboro.) But Madison is not far off the beaten path. It’s just off of I-20, right before you hit Lake Oconee - which is probably why we visited it most.
A lot has changed in Madison since those family car trips and college getaways. But so much of its charm has remained the same. Today, I still look to Madison when I feel the need to retreat to a smaller, slower-paced place with minimal stress and traffic. I’m not alone. Many people love this small town, and tourism there is growing.
All of this has made me wonder… what makes a small town a good travel destination? What do you look for when you pick a hamlet over a bustling city? Is it a return to nature? An embrace of your roots? A welcome escape from stress?
What makes some small towns stand out above the thousands of others that dot our highways and byways? Finally, where are some of your favorite small town getaways and what are their particular attractions? We welcome names of local inns, eateries and places to see (or avoid).
If you’re interested in a small town road trip, check out this site for some cool and quirky destinations throughout the South.
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