Above are a few images from this past year. As we reminisce about these life-changing adventures, we are so excited about what lies ahead and that we get to experience them with you.
“I have wandered all my life, and I have also traveled; the difference between the two being this, that we wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment.” ~Hilaire Belloc
My life began in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in Clarkesville, Ga. Mama and daddy, Juette and Kimsey, taught me how to plow a mule, work a sewing machine and shell butterbeans until my fingers turned green. I spent every Sunday and most Wednesday’s at Bethlehem Baptist Church just down the road. I rode down the country roads propped on the tailgate of my daddy’s pea-green Chevy pickup holding onto Besse’s rope, watching over her as she walked at her snail’s pace on the way to a day of plowing. I chased fireflies on warm June evenings and made my own lamp by shoving those luminaries into a Mason jar only to release them when mama called. I would wake each morning to the hiccupping sounds of revival preachers over the airwaves of W-CON in Cornelia which still bellows loudly on a hard-to-find dial. I would rock away the day’s worries in my front porch rocker moving in rhythm with mama and daddy on either side. I’d cuddle Dopey, my mutt of many colors, each night for he was my best friend – ever.
His life began what might as well have been a zillion miles away, in Flemington, N.J. Parents, Veta and Neil, taught him how to shovel over a foot of snow without his five layers of clothing slowing him down. He watched his dad walk, with lunch box and coffee thermos in hand, to his daily job at the downtown hardware store. Sometimes in the summer, the little guy would join his father, shadowing him the entire way. When he wasn’t with his dad, he and his friends were blowing up army men with firecrackers, making rafts, swimming and riding bikes – the cool ones with banana seats, monkey handle bars and Tony-The-Tiger grips – as far as the daylight would allow. He would catch the school bus with the neighborhood kids on New Jersey’s lesser known Pennsylvania Avenue until he was the last one remaining. Soon, he didn’t have to catch the bus, but simply walk across his backyard and he was at the high school. On Sunday, he sat beside his parents at St. Magdalene’s, and afterwards, he looked forward to the Sunday afternoon drive to find lunch that always included pie.
And at the end of some distant rainbow, our paths crossed. Although it was late in life, it was perfect timing. Len, an IT manager, and I, a writer, combined the best of our worlds – my Southern laid-back charm and his Sicilian/Jersey-tude – creating a Southern home with horses, dogs and a 21-pound black cat named Bear. We’ve five children between us, and they have gone in as many directions. We decided to take their lead and follow our dreams. We’re travelers and storytellers, documenting through images and words, our Southern world and the personalities who add distinct variations and hues to these Blue Ridge Mountains. Although we hail from two diverse regions, our hearts reside in the South, in these mountains where something as simple as a car ride can allow your soul to exhale.
On Two Coots Travel, you’ll find our stories. Those of humble people, of hard-working souls, of never ending love, of celebrations and reunions, of places that will energize your imagination while they tug at your heart or make you tap your feet to a down-home melody. We believe that each destination is only as rich as those who call it home, and we’ll not only introduce you to the locale but also to the natives. You’ll also find our photography, images cementing moments in time, flashes of history and everyday life. Remember the faces of those who aren’t much different from you. These stories are alive here, and we’re proud that we can share the ordinary, the extraordinary and the downright ornery – as my mama once said – with you. And as always, we hope these stories – these people – these places will be your inspiration for the days to come. Find us here every two weeks as we introduce you to the best of what the Blue Ridge Mountains have to offer. Travel there and share your experiences with us. Sit down with your neighbors and discover their stories. And don’t forget to speak new narratives, explore different locations, take to heart different tunes. They are as close as the nearest blue mountain.
Judy and Len Garrison make their home in Athens, Ga. Len, an IT manager for a major Atlanta company, and Judy, an editor and travel writer, want to hear from you as you follow along on their travels and then experience them for yourself. They would love to hear your comments and travel or profile suggestions at seeingsouthern@gmail.com. They make their home on Two Coots Travel, and you can always follow their travels on Twitter at @judyhgarrison and @seeing_southern. They are delighted to be part of Blue Ridge Country; they feel right at home.
