Todd DeFeo, Author at Sightseers' Delight

The majestic scene and a ‘natural wonder’ of Georgia

February 23, 2010 Todd DeFeo

DAWSONVILLE, Ga. — As William Williamson was looking for suitable land he would claim during the Sixth Georgia Land Lottery, he stumbled upon a waterfall. Of the experience, he called the falls “perhaps the greatest in the World the most majestic Scene that I have ever witnessed or heard of,” according to ngeorgia.com. Amicalola Falls — derived from the Cherokee word for “tumbling waters” — is of the “Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia,” as identified

The ‘Niagara of the South’

February 20, 2010 Todd DeFeo

TALLULAH FALLS, Ga. — Starting in the 1880s, Tallulah Gorge and the surrounding waterfalls gained notoriety as a tourist attraction. Hotels and related businesses soon sprang up in the area around the gorge, and the Tallulah Falls Railway shuttled tourists to see the two-mile-long, 1,000-foot tall gorge and the “Niagara of the South,” as the falls were known. In the 1880s, a tightrope walker named Professor Leon crossed the gorge — a publicity stunt for a nearby

TSA expands use of ‘Explosive Trace Detection’ technology

February 19, 2010 Todd DeFeo

ATLANTA — The Transportation Security Administration is increasing the use of Explosive Trace Detection (ETD) technology at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and a number of other airports nationwide. “Explosive Trace Detection technology is a critical tool in our ability to stay ahead of evolving threats to aviation security,” TSA Acting Administrator Gale Rossides said in a statement. “Expanding the use of this technology at checkpoints and at departure gates greatly enhances security to keep the traveling

Remembering Gen. James B. McPherson

February 16, 2010 Todd DeFeo

ATLANTA — Interstate 20 roars in the background, but McPherson Avenue is otherwise a quiet road. It’s hard to imagine what this land was like 145 years ago — completely undeveloped and ravaged by war. Commercial and residential development has replaced trenches and battlefields over time, but at the intersection of McPherson and Monument avenues stands a reminder of the war that once raged here. On July 22, 1864, during the battle of Atlanta, Union Gen. James

What’s with the rocket on the side of the road?

February 16, 2010 Todd DeFeo

CORDELE, Ga. — A Cold War-era rocket on the side of the interstate isn’t an everyday occurrence. But, that’s what makes it worth the visit. “That was the very point. It’s a unique and unusual landmark for Cordele and Crisp County,” The Cordele Dispatch in 2008 quoted John Pate as saying. As president of the Cordele Rotary Club, Pate pushed to acquire the Titan I missile that stands along Interstate 75. The missile was acquired from

The day Union troops destroyed the mill

February 12, 2010 Todd DeFeo

ROSWELL, Ga. — Gen. William T. Sherman is not a revered man in Georgia, to say the least. And the fate of the Roswell Mill during 1864 doesn’t do much to build his case for popularity among southerners. In the decades leading up to the Civil War, Roswell King built a cotton mill along the banks of the Vickery Creek on land he bought from the Cherokee Indians. The Roswell Manufacturing Co. was in operation by

Analysis paralysis: Evaluating Walt Disney World after nearly 30 years of visits

February 10, 2010 Todd DeFeo

By Todd DeFeo LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — I was disappointed from the moment I stepped into the room at the Pop Century Resort. The carpet was dirty, the bedspread was worn beyond its years and the room looked in desperate need of an upgrade. I was sure to pass along my thoughts to the hotel, and they did move us to a new — and recently refurbished — room. As I thought about it

Duluth railroad museum offers glimpse into railroading heyday

January 29, 2010 Todd DeFeo

DULUTH, Ga. – For 40 years, the Southeastern Railway Museum has been dedicated to the preservation of Georgia Railroad’s History. “Georgia’s Official Transportation History Museum” first opened on a 12-acre site in Duluth donated by Southern Railway. The museum remained at that location until 1997, it moved just down the … tracks – literally. That year, the museum accepted a donation of roughly 30 acres from Frank M. Ewing of Chevy Chase, Md. The site,

White House suffers decline in value, still popular tourist attraction

January 21, 2010 Todd DeFeo

It’s the most prestigious address in the country, but even The White House isn’t immune to the downturn in property values. According to Zillow, the house at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. is valued at $292.5 million, as of Jan. 18. That’s down from its estimated value of $308.1 on Jan. 8, 2009, and $331.8 million on Jan. 8, 2008. The 55,000-square-foot, 132-room house features 16 bedrooms and 35 bathrooms. Of course, there’s always the underground bunker,

Duluth railroad museum offers glimpse into railroading heyday

January 16, 2010 Todd DeFeo

“Georgia’s Official Transportation History Museum” first opened on a 12-acre site in Duluth donated by Southern Railway.