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DEL.ICIO.USStop and stay a while in Columbus
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Less than a three-hour drive southwest of Atlanta is a beautiful, but somewhat less-traveled, part of our great state - the Chattahoochee Valley. This past weekend, we took advantage of the first rain-free Saturday in weeks to explore Georgia’s “Little Grand Canyon” and Lake Walter F. George.
It was a pleasant day trip. We hiked, rented a boat on the lake and ate some excellent barbecue in the tiny town of Lumpkin. But after stopping off in nearby Columbus, I really wish we could have stayed in the area a bit longer. The city of Columbus has created a beautiful 15-mile river walk along the Chattahoochee, and it could take a while to explore all of the area’s new and revitalized attractions.
In addition to the park along the river bank, Columbus is home to the Coca-Cola Space Science Center. A division of Columbus State University, the space center educates visitors on space, physics and astronomy using flight simulators, a state-of-the-art planetarium and observatory and an interactive mission control and space station.
If your tastes are more down-to-earth, check out Columbus’ many museums, including the Columbus Museum, Columbus Black History Museum and the National Civil War Naval Museum. Architecture buffs can also enjoy the beauty of the town’s historic district as well as the 1871 Springer Opera House, still in use today.
We spent our day a short drive away from town. Lumpkin, Ga. is home to the historical village of Westville, where you can see how townspeople lived, worked and played in the 1850s. Lumpkin is also where you will find Providence Canyon State Park, a.k.a. Georgia’s “Little Grand Canyon”. The canyon walls are made of kaolin and other Georgia clays, and the creek at the bottom is really the water table exposed by years of erosion due to poor farming practices. In essence, the canyon is one big gully-wash, but it is a beautiful and impressive gully-wash to behold. We fueled up for the easy hike with a stop at 4-Way Barbecue on the Porch at the crossroads in Lumpkin - great pork, excellent sauce and yummy boiled peanuts.
What are your favorite places to see in the Chattahoochee River Valley area of Georgia? Do you like to visit Columbus? What do you think of the city’s efforts to revitalize the riverfront? Where do you stay when you visit and how much time should you allow to fully explore Columbus and the attractions in the small towns nearby?
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By Meg
May 21, 2008 9:10 AM | Link to this
I’m from Columbus, and I hate living here in Atlanta. I miss it so much. The people don’t drive like self centered lunatics, there are more sidewalks, the people are friendlier, the parks are nicer and don’t smell like car exhaust (except Lakebottom Park)everyone speaks English and it doesn’t have that “third world country” atmosphere.” I would love to move back.
By Leah
May 21, 2008 9:41 AM | Link to this
Columbus and the surrounding area is a wonderful place to live and visit. I agree with the other posting, I work in Marietta- HATE IT - and make the drive from near Warm Springs every day. I encourage anyone to come visit Columbus, Warm Springs and Pine Mountain. It’s a beautiful part of the state with warm, caring and friendly folks. Love it here, hoping to get a job back here again and correct my professioinal mistake!
By Romona
May 21, 2008 9:46 AM | Link to this
Columbus has really improved in the past few years. I lived there for 7 years (high school and college), and I visited Columbus a few years ago for the time in 8 years, and then again a month ago. I was shocked and pleasantly surprised.
They had more restaurants, more shopping, more everything it seemed like. I used to complain when I lived there that there was nothing there, so when I graduated from college, I quickly took a job in Atlanta. I’ve always been a bright-lights-big-city kind of girl anyways, so Columbus was never really my speed. But I enjoyed my most recent visit, and I was really glad to see Columbus has finally come to life.
By Native Atlantan
May 21, 2008 9:49 AM | Link to this
My daughter just graduated from Columbus State and has decided to stay in Columbus. My wife and I are in ATL for now, but love the Columbus area. Nice people in a nice area, and less crime and traffic. Anyone want to buy a house in Stone Mountain area?
By Cherrish
May 21, 2008 10:15 AM | Link to this
I lived in Columbus for 16 years. I think it is a nice place for retirees and families with young children. Being a single young adult, Columbus is too slow and boring for me. I go there when I want to relax but I don’t think I will ever live there again. I am a military brat so I am use to adapting to any place. However, Columbus was a place I could not get use to.
By Former Columbus resident
May 21, 2008 10:36 AM | Link to this
My husband and I grew up in Columbus. I think it was a great place 15 years ago, but it has been going downhill in recent years. The school system is ridiculous. There aren’t enough PE teachers or custodians for elementary schools. Teachers are being told to clean up their classrooms themselves. Classes don’t have textbooks and restrooms don’t have soap. Yet $24 million is being poured into a new building for the school district’s central administration.
Race relations are going downhill as well, in part influenced by the Kenneth Walker killing. Columbus used to be a town that was very diverse, a model of integration, but not anymore. The town is so divided now.
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By Kramer
May 28, 2008 12:30 PM | Link to this
Im a Columbus native who has lived and worked in Washington for the past few years. I travel back about every 3-4 months I agree with some of the posts above that my hometown has really improved a lot in the last 10 years. There has been an explosion of development and with Fort Benning coming out as the biggest winner from the recent BRAC process the population is about to increase by 30,000 more residents in the next few years. It remains a great place for families and was just ranked #4 by men’s life magazine as best place to raise a family. It definately has a slower pace of life and most people are extremely friendly and help each other out. There are two key areas where Columbus is lacking though. One is lack of places to hang out with 20-30 year olds who are tired of the single bar scene. The education level of Columbus have markedly improved in the past couple of decades but there is still a lack of locals for the young singles crowd to enjoy if you are not into the hiphop or country scene. Downtown development has improved but it remains mostly bars and not the mixed use development that’s needed with more shops and hotels, such as the very vibrant downtown of Greenville SC. Hopefully the population in town pushing past 200,000 in the next five years will further improve this aspect. Another key problem is the crime rate. Reading the local paper south of Macon Road can seem like a war zone on some days with multiple shootings or stabbings. There is also a very high rate of car thefts in the city, one of the highest in the southeast. It has gotten to the point that the mayor realizes many in the public are increasingly afraid for their general safety and has asked voters to approve a SPLOST to increase police and safety resources. Many of these crime issues result from the increased population gains and development but something will have to be done in the near future in Columbus is to make further gains in the future. Overall though I have been proud of my hometown’s advances in the past decade and believe it is increasingly progressive when compared to towns of equal size in the southeast. If the local council and citizens will think outside the box and one of the most successful public-private partnerships in the country can be maintained there should be a bright future ahead.
By March Hare
June 1, 2008 10:07 AM | Link to this
Columbus has a lot of potential but is often held in check by a severely shortsighted city government. As a result, there is a serious lack of trust of that government by the people. The Kenneth Walker murder is just one example. It goes on to include bad bahavior by relatives and friends of high ranking city officials that is regularly swept under the rug. Unfortunately, there is no oversight of the overseers.