If you’ve already explored every nearby park to fill your days during the coronavirus pandemic, we have some new destinations for you to check out.
Throughout Georgia are hidden gems off the tourist trail that are not only interesting but also free.
Here are five you might find interesting.
School Bus Graveyard
About an hour and a half up I-985 is the place school buses go to die. They aren’t buried or left to rust, however. At the School Bus Graveyard in Alto, buses — along with other vehicles ― are reincarnated as works of art.
Artists use the vehicles as a canvas for murals and pop culture paintings.
Alonzo Wade, who runs an auto parts shop and owns the property on which the graveyard sits, originally used the buses and trucks to form a fence to deter thieves.
“A team of artists known as Crispy Printz began painting the buses in 2012. They invite other artists to come repaint them every year, so the designs are constantly changing,” Atlas Obscura wrote.
It’s free to see the buses, but Wade asks for a donation for the artists.
Morningside Nature Preserve Dog Beach
Dog’s enjoy the beach, too, but if you’re not planning a trip to the shore, head to Morningside instead.
The Morningside Nature Preserve, at 2020 Lenox Road, is 33.1 acres of woods in northeast Atlanta that is bisected by the South Fork Peachtree Creek. Dog owners bring their pets to frolic in the water while the human soaks up some sun.
Although temporarily closed because of the coronavirus, the David J. Sencer CDC Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is offering online exhibitions.
In Hidden History ― Stories from the Collection, you’ll learn the stories behind the historic objects at the Museum, why they are valuable to CDC’s history, and how they came to be a part of the collection.
54 Columns
At 625 Highland Ave. in Old Fourth Ward are 54 concrete columns that some think are the beginnings of buildings and others assume are the remains of one, Atlas Obcura wrote.
In reality, they are neither. A public art piece, 54 Columns was installed in 1999 by Sol LeWitt. The columns range in height from 10 to 20 feet.
“LeWitt envisioned the work as a nod to the city’s urban surroundings (hence his use of an industrial material like concrete) and to Atlanta’s skyline (from a distance, the work takes on the appearance of a cityscape),” Atlas Obscura wrote.
You’ll have to drive a little farther for this one.
On Cumberland Island sit the remains of a mansion once called Dungeness. It was built in 1884 as the winter home for Thomas Carnegie (Andrew’s younger brother); his wife, Lucy; and their nine children. The mansion grew to about 35,000 square feet, but a fire in 1959 stripped it of everything but the brick and stone walls.
You can explore the Dungeness Ruins on your own or get a guided tour.
About the Author
