2025 TravelBlazers

Defying the Odds: The Adam Strain building survived the Civil War, hurricanes and decades of abandonment before becoming the site of Tabby House Brewing Company. Photo credit: Frank Fortune

Tourism is in hot pursuit of agriculture to be Georgia’s top economic driver. The two are virtually tied, says Amanda Dyson Thornton, executive director of the Georgia Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus (GACVB), and she’s eagerly awaiting the new numbers to be announced at the Governor’s Conference in September.

If tourism is on par with agriculture economically, Thornton sees that as a win. “That’s a big deal. Tourism is economic development from every corner of the state,” she says. “You don’t have to have rich soil to be successful. The entire state is [available for] tourism, and we are bringing big dollars to the table.”

Last year, tourism generated $5 billion in state and local tax revenue and supported more than 400,000 jobs. The annual GACVB TravelBlazer awards recognize community destination projects – mostly new and often small-budget destinations that could help nudge tourism into the No. 1 spot.

“The TravelBlazer Awards are a testament to the fantastic work of our destination partners statewide to promote their unique local assets, further strengthening the offerings that benefit our local communities and visitors alike,” said Jay Markwalter, statewide tourism director at the Georgia Department of Economic Development in a statement to Georgia Trend.

Each winner showcases community creativity and “the amazing destinations we have in Georgia,” says Thornton.

In Peril No More

Darien

The Adam Strain Building on the banks of the Darien River in McIntosh County has defied the odds – standing today only through a combination of passion, ingenuity and creative financing.

Bright Future: The restoration of the Strain Building to house the Tabby House Brewing Company took 4 1/2 years. Photo credit: Frank Fortune

The circa 1815 former warehouse survived the burning of Darien during the Civil War, hurricanes and decades of abandonment. It was slated for demolition in 2008 – landing the crumbling but rare example of historic tabby construction on the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation’s Places of Peril. Tabby is a building material utilizing crushed oyster shells, and the Strain is one of the few remaining tabby structures on the Georgia coast. Things looked bleak for the historic building for many years, but now it has a brighter future thanks to a Georgia couple who saw its potential. “We really just fell in love with it and decided restoring it was what we wanted to do,” says Marion Savic, who bought the house and the adjacent one-story old bank building with her husband Milan in 2020.

Today, the Strain Building is open to the public as the Tabby House Brewing Company and Museum and is attracting what brewing company manager Katharina Young calls “a ton of people coming in just to see the building.”

The restoration took 4 1/2 years as three different structural engineers developed ways to save the building.

“It necessitated some really creative thinking and not just rushing into starting work,” says Rebecca Fenwick, principal at Ethos Preservation, one of the companies involved in the restoration.

The foundation first needed to be stabilized from sinking further into the coastal bluff where the Strain sits. Then the walls needed to be stabilized. And finally, engineers designed a steel diaphragm to support the interior and keep weight off the tabby walls. Historic wood was retained as much as possible, and contractors used the old “tabby recipe” to create new material where needed.

Fenwick says restoration came in at about $4.5 million with support from the state historic tax credit, state tax freeze and federal historic tax credit. The Strain, she says, showcases “the potential and viability in buildings that a lot of people deem to be lost or a foregone conclusion that they can’t be saved. It can be done, and it’s super powerful to tell that story.”

Visitors can also see the thousands of artifacts discovered during the renovation on rotating display in the museum. “So much of history is just getting torn down and bulldozed, and the Strain almost did,” says Savic, “but now we can tell the story of what made Darien the second [oldest] city in Georgia.”

Inspiring a Literary Great

Milledgeville

Special Place: Cassie Munnell, curator of Andalusia Farm, where author Flannery O’Connor lived from 1951 until her death. Photo credit: Matt Odom

Georgia has a rich literary history, second only to Mississippi among Southern states. Among the most well-known writers is Flannery O’Connor, the novelist, short-story writer and essayist known for her Southern Gothic style. Flannery died from lupus in 1964 at just 39, yet Kurt Vonnegut called her “the greatest American short story writer” of his generation.

Inspiration for O’Connor’s writing often came from her home at Andalusia Farm, a 544-acre former cotton plantation in Baldwin County. O’Connor lived at Andalusia from 1951 until her death and wrote two novels and 32 short stories there. It is, says curator Cassie Munnell, “a very special place.”

Historic Landmark: Andalusia became a museum in 2003. Photo credit: Matt Odom

Andalusia joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, became a museum in 2003, and in 2017 was donated to O’Connor’s alma mater, Georgia College and State University (known as Georgia State College for Women when O’Connor attended). In 2022, the National Park Service designated Andalusia a National Historic Landmark. Visitors can tour the plantation home where O’Connor did most of her writing, explore the outbuildings dotting the property and walk a three-quarter mile nature trail. At some point, says Munnell, a visitor is likely to meet the resident peacocks – Astor and Mrs. Shortley, both named after characters in O’Connor’s short story “The Displaced Person.”

Andalusia: The museum features exhibits about Flannery O’Connor’s work. Photo credit: Matt Odom

Munnell says they typically have about 10,000 visitors a year, attracting a range of visitors from house-tour enthusiasts to O’Connor fans.

“We have the Flannery diehards, people who absolutely love her,” says Munnell. “They’ve read everything she’s ever written. They’ve read it twice.”

Hidden Treasures: The museum exhibits O’Connor’s personal items. Photo credit: Matt Odom

But Munnell says this is the year to visit – O’Connor’s 100th birthday year. Staff members are planning celebratory events throughout the year. And in honor of her birthday, the museum has opened a new exhibit called “Hidden Treasures,” featuring never-before-seen personal items – O’Connor’s riding boots, a childhood teddy bear and artwork.

On March 25, O’Connor’s birthday, Georgia College exhibited 70 newly acquired O’Connor artworks, which O’Connor scholars had heard of but had not previously seen. The art can now be viewed at the college’s Andalusia Interpretive Center, which sits at the front gates of Andalusia Farm.

Whatever the reason for visiting, Munnell says, “I want visitors to have learned something they didn’t know, whether they’re the hardest-core Flannery fan or somebody who’s never heard of her.”

Showing Off Georgia’s Music History

Athens

Georgia’s music history has a new home – the Akins Ford Arena in Athens. When the Georgia Music Hall of Fame closed its doors in Macon in 2011, much of that history went into the archives at the University of Georgia Special Collections Libraries, while many other items went back to the families who lent them.

Showcasing Items: Ryan Lewis, music collections curator for the University of Georgia’s Special Collections Libraries Photo credit: Kevin Garrett

For the past two years, Georgia Music Collections curator Ryan Lewis has been digging through the archives to bring out what he says is “just the tip of the iceberg” of the collection. Seven themed display cases now dot the interior perimeter of the arena since its opening last December.

“We’ll be showcasing really the most exciting items and trying to tell some really cool stories about Georgia music history,” says Lewis.

Cool Collection: The B-52s exhibit contains wigs, clothes and instruments belonging to the band members. Photo credit: Kevin Garrett

The “Tools of the Trade” display includes guitars from Chet Atkins and Ricky Lewis of the B-52s and “Moonshine Kate” Carson’s banjo from 1919. The one labeled “For the Fans” features concert T-shirts dating back to the ’60s, and a home audio display case has “everything from the Edison cylinder to the iPod, which is really fun,” says Lewis, who will rotate the contents annually and is already working on the next round.

A giant music-themed mural greets arena visitors upon entry, along with a video introduction from Cindy Wilson of the B-52s. There’s also a touch table of music history, a music trivia game, a touchscreen game featuring famous stages in Georgia and a floor piano.

Lewis has also filled in gaps left after the shuttering of the Hall of Fame – adding items from Little Richard and REM and Dwayne Allman’s guitar. His favorite item is a pair of James Brown’s boots he found on eBay.

“If you look at where the balls of the feet are,” says Lewis, “they’re worn in circles because he would scoot across stage like that. They’re so cool.”

The collection is open to people who attend arena events, but Lewis hopes to expand access. Two public tours in February were so popular that the arena is working with UGA to offer more. Lewis advises interested visitors to check the UGA library’s website for scheduled tours throughout the summer and fall.

“My goal is to tell the continuing story of Georgia music history,” says Lewis. “As long as there’s music being made, the story continues, right?”

All Aboard!

Dunwoody

Mark Galvin, chief marketing and operating officer for Discover Dunwoody, knows his target audience: business travelers. Dunwoody and the nearby the Perimeter area are home to more than a dozen corporate headquarters, including Cox Enterprises, State Farm, UPS and Insight Global.

Smashing Success: People gather for one of the Rediscover Dunwoody Trolley Tours. Photo credit: contributed

“Our most important driver is business travel,” says Galvin. “Once we get them into Dunwoody, we need them to stay. We want to make sure they have a terrific experience.”

Galvin says he and his board knew they needed to do a better job educating area hoteliers about the many restaurant and shopping opportunities available in Dunwoody. When a visitor wants to get out of the hotel and try something new, front desk employees need to be ready with recommendations. Their idea – an adults-only, once-a-month, year-round trolley tour of all that Dunwoody has to offer.

“We wanted something that we could get on and off of quickly,” Galvin says. “A trolley just seemed to check all those boxes – the emotional, fun connection, the ease and the size was important.”

The Rediscover Dunwoody Trolley Tours can accommodate up to 25 people with 10 spots reserved for hoteliers and the remaining seats open to the community. Galvin says the tours have been a “smashing success” with an average waiting list of 20. The three-hour tour visits areas around Dunwoody, including the Village, Creative Alley, Georgetown, Ashford Lane, High Street, Jett Ferry and Dunwoody Parks and Recreation.

Terrific Experience: A group on the trolley tour checks out Donaldson-Bannister Farm, built in the 1870s. Photo credit: contributed

“We go to a location. We get off. We try some food. We have a drink. We get back on. It’s great. Everybody gets to see all those different parts of the city. It turns out to be a wonderful experience,” says Galvin.

He says initially it was a heavy lift to get local restaurants and destinations to participate. Now, says Galvin, “they’re knocking on our door.”

“They get exposure in exponential ways,” says Galvin. “The hoteliers are seeing [these spots], but also the locals who haven’t been there before are now going back to them and bringing friends.”

Tour guides are local “celebrities” – the host of a local podcast, City Council members, the city’s communication director. Galvin says many ask to have a shot at the opportunity. “They’re just very excited that we’re doing this.”

Galvin says that while the tours were started to educate hoteliers, the community outreach aspect of the trolley tours has been a surprising benefit.

“We serve our local community and beyond,” he says. “Letting the local community see more of what we do is important to us.”

Honoring the Past

LaGrange

While restoration of the Mulberry Street Cemetery in LaGrange has been underway for more than a year, Kathy Tilley, president and CEO of Visit LaGrange, says, “It’s a project that’s been 160 years in the making.” When the slightly less than 3-acre site opens this summer, Tilley believes LaGrange will finally be honoring a piece of its history that had long been ignored.

Important History: Kathy Tilley, president and CEO of Visit LaGrange, at Horace King’s gravesite. Photo credit: Nathan DeLuc

“I think it’s important that we restore this because it’s not more important than other pressing things, but it is as important,” says Tilley. “It’s just a small piece of history that was relatively easy to restore, revitalize and showcase.”

The cemetery is the final resting place for people who died between 1863 and 1930, including more than 300 Civil War soldiers, more than 1,000 enslaved people and their descendants, and Horace King – a renowned Black architect, engineer and bridge builder. The cemetery abuts The Thread, a trail winding through LaGrange with sections added each year. When it is completed, the Thread will be 29 miles long.

The proximity of the cemetery to the trail was the impetus behind the cemetery’s restoration. But Tilley says the project grew to include discovering far more unmarked graves than expected, marking the graves, building a boardwalk and moving a reconstructed version of King’s Wehadkee Covered Bridge to a creek on the site. The original bridge was destroyed in a flood and rebuilt by King’s son George in 1890. At each major step, Tilley says they received funding they hadn’t anticipated.

“We feel like it’s a little divine intervention,” says Tilley. “Little surprises all along the way.”

Visit LaGrange, the city of LaGrange, the Callaway Foundation and a state grant helped fund the $2.7 million project. When finished, the site will create a public space for shared community engagement that incorporates education elements and showcases regional and local history.

Community Engagement: A visitor takes a picture of the Mulberry Street Cemetery revitalization renderings, which show what it will look like when complete. Photo credit: contributed

The project proves the importance of tourism bureaus working with cities, counties and the state, says Tilley. “We could never have done it on our own. It really is a partnership.”

Perhaps the biggest challenge remaining will be determining who’s buried in the unmarked graves discovered with ground penetrating radar. Some of the graves were discovered in 2015 as part of a city of LaGrange and Troup County Historical Society project.

“Where I think we’re going to find [someone], if we find anybody, is going to be in the back of somebody’s family Bible,” says Tilley. “It’s going to say great-great-Aunt Frances is buried next to the soldiers, right?” To that end, Visit LaGrange and the Troup County Archives hosted a Family History and Heritage Day in 2023, in which people were encouraged to bring their family Bibles, news articles documenting ancestral milestones, funeral programs and more. Tilley says there are plans to do more of these events in the future. For now, she says, “it’s like the Cemetery of Unknowns.”

Tilley says visitors will likely all take away something different, “but we would like for them to have a connection to the past and appreciate that at the end of the day, we’re all going to end up all together anyway.”