December 2010 - Sightseers' Delight

Athens trestle a music landmark

December 27, 2010 Todd DeFeo

ATHENS, Ga. — To most passersby, the old, abandoned railroad trestle off Poplar Street near Dudley Park probably wouldn’t garner much of a reaction. But, to music fans, especially those of Athens native R.E.M., the trestle is a landmark. Gracing the back of the band’s 1983 album “Murmur,” the bridge is best known today as the Murmur Trestle. The trestle was built in 1883 and served the Georgia Railroad and later CSX Transportation, according to the

No longer ‘dreaming’ of a white Christmas

December 26, 2010 The Travel Trolley

Taken around Metro Atlanta on Dec. 26, 2010.

Atlanta sees first white Christmas since 1881

December 26, 2010 The Travel Trolley

DUNWOODY – Metro Atlanta and much of North Georgia experienced the first white Christmas in nearly 130 years with more than an inch of snow accumulating throughout the area, according to the National Weather Service. “The highest accumulations (occurred) in the north Georgia mountains, where anywhere between 6 and 8 inches of snow were reported, but even the Atlanta Metro area saw between 1-3 inches – the first measurable snow on Christmas Day since 1881,”

Roundhouse museum provides window into Savannah’s railroad past

December 26, 2010 Todd DeFeo

(Photo by Todd DeFeo) SAVANNAH — For more than a century, Savannah was an important city for the Central of Georgia Railroad. Starting in 1851, the railroad built a roundhouse, machine shop, blacksmith shop and other facilities here to service locomotives and rolling stock. The facility — built on the site of the Revolutionary War’s Siege of Savannah in 1778 — was completed four years later. Founded in 1833 as the Central Rail Road and Canal Company, the

Five deaths reported on Georgia roads

December 26, 2010 The Travel Trolley

SMYRNA – There were five fatalities on Georgia roads this Christmas, the state patrol said Sunday evening. As of 6 p.m. Sunday, the Georgia State Patrol said it worked 359 wrecks with 157 injuries. Fatalities were reported in Albany, Brunswick, Dalton, Jasper and Savannah; complete numbers from agencies statewide were not yet available. As part of both the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, and authorities statewide are keeping a vigilant eye on the roads and

White Christmas

December 25, 2010 The Travel Trolley

“I’m dreaming of a white Christmas.”

Smyrna cemetery holds city’s past

December 23, 2010 Todd DeFeo

SMYRNA, Ga. — On a small tract of land tucked away behind modern development lies a window into The Jonquil City’s rich history. According to various sources, Smyrna Methodist Church founded the Smyrna Memorial Cemetery in 1838 near what is today the intersection of Memorial Place and Atlanta Road in the heart of the city. The 170-year-old cemetery lies in the shadows of Smyrna Market Village. The grave of Elijah Fleming, who died on April 8,

That’s not nice

December 22, 2010 The Travel Trolley

You shouldn’t stick out your tongue.

Merry Christmas

December 21, 2010 The Travel Trolley

From the Georgia State Capitol.

Priceline: Christmas, New Year’s airline tickets still available

December 21, 2010 The Travel Trolley

Priceline.com today said Christmas and New Year’s airline tickets are still available. The current average airfare booked by priceline.com customers is $415. That’s slightly lower than last year at this time, when the average airfare was $417. “We’re still seeing availability for holiday tickets at affordable prices, even at this late date,” Priceline Senior Travel Analyst Brian Ek said in a news release. “For the lowest fares, try flying on Christmas Day, New Years Eve